50. A physician treats every illness with a certain remedy and to every painful sore he applies
a specially prepared compound. The more severe the illness, the more potent must be the remedy, so that the treatment may prove effective and the illness cured. Now consider, when the divine Physician1 determined to conceal His countenance from the gaze of men and take His flight to the Abhá Kingdom, He knew in advance what a violent shock, what a tremendous impact, the effect of this devastating blow would have upon His beloved friends and devoted lovers. Therefore He prepared a highly potent remedy and compounded a unique and incomparable curea cure most exquisite, most glorious, most excellent, most powerful, most perfect, and most consummate. And through the movement of His Pen of eternal bounty He recorded in His weighty and inviolable Testament the name of Shoghi Effendi the bough that has grown from the two offshoots of the celestial glory, the branch that has branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees. Then He winged His flight to the Concourse on High and to the luminous horizon. Now it devolves upon every well-assured and devoted friend, every firm and enkindled believer enraptured by His love, to drink this healing remedy at one draught, so that the agony of bereavement may be somewhat alleviated and the bitter anguish of separation dissipated. This calls
1 `Abdu'l-Bahá.
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for efforts to serve the Cause, to diffuse the sweet savours of God, to manifest selflessness, consecration and self-sacrifice in our labours in His Path.
51. I was very glad to know of your meeting with the Chinese students, and I am sure your effect and influence shall be great upon them because their fresh and receptive minds are ready to grasp the importance of this Manifestation; and when you go to China, which you may if you think it wise, your influence and success, I hope, will be still more.
I pray God that He should confirm you in your teaching, and when you go to China, He should make you a pioneer in carrying the Message of this Dispensation to the farthermost countries of the world and to the most obscure.
The members of the Holy Family join me in extending to you their love and Bahá'í greetings, and may the spirit of `Abdu'l-Bahá guide you and keep you.
52. We were delighted to receive your excellent letter ... and read it with joy. It gladdens our hearts to witness from its contents the evidences of loyalty and sincerity and perfect steadfastness in the Cause of God, and unshakeable constancy in His Covenant.
I offered praise to my Lord, the All-Glorious, for His abundant blessings, the prodigality of His
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bestowals, and His wondrous grace; for He has created such spiritual beings, such illumined essences, who attract bounty from the Sun of Truth, and are lit by its heavenly light, which unravels the mysteries, parts the curtains, and tears aside the veils. He has sent forth pure and holy souls whom the blame of the blamer cannot shut out from the Faith of God, nor frighten away from establishing the truth of His Teachings. These are they whose thirst is quenched, whose ills are healed, whose hearts are gladdened, whose minds are set at rest, whose souls are stirred, whose spirits rejoice, whose eyes find consolation by beholding the splendours of the beauty, and the graces of perfection, that come down, one following after another, from the firmament of glory. Well is it with them for such wondrous gifts, and bliss be to them for such blessings!
As for me, acquainted with great grief as I am, subjected as I am to calamities, I have no solace in this dire ordeal that has suddenly come upon me to darken my days, save only to see happiness in the hearts of the believers; to breathe in the sweet scents of loving-kindness from the gardens of their hearts, and to behold the sparkling lights of unity amongst God's chosen ones, and to note how widespread are the breaths of fellow-feeling and love amongst the righteous, and how His teachings and the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá are being disseminated throughout those landsalways in accord with wisdom, as enjoined by the Almighty and set forth in the Writings.
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I beg of God, even as a pauper, and I implore Him with all lowliness, feebleness and contrition, to assist you all with His unseen favours, and open before your eyes the portals of His bounty and grace, and make ready for you whatsoever you desire out of His everlasting bestowals, and make all things easy for you, and fulfil your hopesso that in serving the Faith of your Lord, the Glory of the All-Glorious, you will reach your furthermost goals. Verily is He the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving.
I beg of Him too, that He will cause every difficulty to vanish away, and will dispel every cloud, until it becomes possible for you to present yourselves at this blessed, this luminous and fragrant Spot, and bow down your foreheads in the dust of this bright Threshold, and attain this ultimate goal, for the friends long to behold you.
Again, I supplicate the Eternal Glory to send down His herald of holiness with the garment in his hands,1 that all eyes may be solaced and all hearts rejoiced by the return to this country of the Chosen Branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, Shoghi Effendi, in the briefest of times. This indeed is well within the reach of the bounties of our Almighty and All-Generous Lord.
53. Following the ascension of `Abdu'l-Bahá to the Abhá Kingdom the only thing that can afford
1 See Qur'an 12:93.
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consolation to the heart of this grief-stricken and wronged maidservant is to see the lovers of that luminous Countenance happy, joyful and radiant and to behold the diffusion of the sweet savours of God, the exaltation of His Word, and the growth of His Faith. Nothing else matters.
The duty of the concourse of the faithful in this day should be but one duty, their purpose but one purpose, their aim but one aim, and the object of their endeavour but one object, and this is none other than to foster the spirit of unity and harmony, to serve and teach His Cause and to promote His Word. Such is the meaning of true faithfulness; and in this lies the good-pleasure of `Abdu'l-Bahá.
54. The letter that you wrote in your burning grief, on the passing of the world's Beloved, the Orb of the Covenantwrote with weeping eyes and a heart afire, has come. Once again, it brings back the full force of this calamity, and renews our mourning. This was the most ruinous of disasters, the most dreaded of ordeals, the most hurtful of misfortunes. It was an earthquake that shook the pillars of the world; it caused a tumult and an uproar among the dwellers of earth and heaven. This terrible separation came upon us as an inescapable trial and a dismal decree. It destroyed all hopes of happiness, and all joy perished. By this departure, the sparkling stars were dimmed, and the heavens of mystic meaning split apart. It set the skies on fire, it
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scorched the seven spheres. From this departure, sorrow enveloped all mankind, it brought pain and tears to all the peoples of the earth. The lightning bolt of it consumed the world and struck the hearts of its inhabitants, so that they put on sackcloth and poured ashes on their heads. This disaster, coming all unawares, made the morning dark, and turned bright noon to night. From our breasts rose burning sighs, and from our eyes streamed our life blood. Even the Concourse on High moaned and lamented, and their clamour rose to the highest Heaven, and the weeping denizens of the pavilions of glory, striking at their faces, raised their plaintive cries. Mourning, shedding tears, their garments rent, their heads uncovered, their feet bare, the Maids of Heaven hastened out of their lofty, immaculate chambers, and groaned and cried out.
`Abdu'l-Bahá, may our lives be sacrificed for His sacred dust, that peerless Beloved of the world, from the day that Bahá'u'lláh ascended until the hour of His own spotless soul's departure to the kingdom of light and the realm beyond, had neither a quiet night's rest nor a peaceful day, for thirty years. At all times His heart wept and sorrowed, and in the dark of the night from His anguished breast rose burning sighs, sorely wounded as He was by the arrows of the opposers and the rebellious. Then at first light, He would lift up His wondrous, melodious voice and commune with the dwellers in the high mansions of Heaven.
He would face the storms of tribulation with a
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heart full of fervour and love; He would breast the waves of calamities and oncoming ordeals with overflowing joy. With the balm of His loving-kindness, He would remedy unhealing wounds, and the medicine of His unending grace was a cure for mortal ills. Through His tenderness and care the sorrowful found comfort, and through His Words the despairing received the blissful consolation of their incomparable Lord. He would hearten the despised and the rejected with outpourings of grace.
In the pathway of Bahá'u'lláh, He made His holy breast a shield to bear adversities, made His beauteous face a target for the blows that rained upon Him from all sides. He, the Wronged One of the world, was compassed about by rebel hosts; the armies of treachery assailed Him from every direction. The disaffected were not remiss in their cruelty and aggression; never once did that arrogant crew fail to spread a calumny or to show their opposition and their malice. At every moment, they inflicted wounds upon Him, injured Him, brought fresh grief to His heart. Their sole aim was to bring down the structure of the Holy Faith and to destroy its very base and foundation. They did all in their power to split the Bahá'í community, and in their strivings to shatter the union of the believers, they neglected nothing. They joined hands with every enemy of the Faith, became boon companions of all who betrayed it. There was no mischief, no plot, no slander, no aspersion, that they would not allow
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themselves, no individual so vile that they would not cleave to him.
And thus, with all His own ordeals and cares, and banished from His home, He Whom the world wronged devoted Himself to counselling and nurturing the people with the utmost loving-kindness, divinely admonishing them, leading and guiding them at all times to complete and utter steadfastness in the Cause of God.
From one direction He would ward off the assaults of the nations, from another He would hold back the people of hatred from tormenting the believers. Now He would scatter the waverers' clouds of doubt, again He would demonstrate the truth of the clear and manifest Verses, and at all times and seasons He would guard the Cause of God with His very life, and protect its Law.
His fundamental purpose in enduring that continual toil and pain, and bearing those calamities, was to safeguard the divine and all-embracing Word, to shelter the tree of unity, to educate persons of capacity, to refine those who were pure in heart, and to transform the hearts of the receptive, to expound the mysteries of God and illumine the minds of the spiritual.
All praise be to Bahá'u'lláh! The meaning of those bounties became apparent and the splendour of those bestowals was made manifest: that conclusive Text, the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, was given us, and what had been hidden at the
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beginning was made known at the end. His infinite grace became clearly manifest, and with His own mighty pen He made a perfect Covenant, naming Shoghi Effendi the Chosen Branch and Guardian of the Faith. Thus, by God's bounty, what had been a concealed mystery and a well-guarded secret, was at last made plain.
This greatest of bestowals came as a lightning-flash of glory to the righteous, but to those evil ones who broke the Covenant, it was the thunderbolt of God's avenging wrath.
55. Although the ascension of the beloved Centre of the Covenant was the ultimate calamity, the severest of ordeals, and the fire of that bereavement consumed our hearts and souls, and there were no eyes but wept their tears of blood to mourn Him, no breast but uttered fiery sighsstill, God be praised, the Will and Testament of that Wellspring of bounty and grace, and the designation by Him of the Centre of the Faith and the Covenant, quieted our burning grief and stilled our sighing, and came as balm to our sorely-wounded hearts.
The power of the Faith prevailed, the awesome
majesty of the Word of God flashed out, and day by
day reveals in increasing measure its overpowering
might.
And now, to offer gratitude befitting such a
bounty, we must prepare ourselves, gird ourselves
for service, and rise up and live in accordance with
the instructions of the Blessed Beauty and the
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counsels of `Abdu'l-Bahá, for these are the life of
the world and the salvation of its peoples. Thus,
from every direction, will the portals of happiness
and spirituality open before us all.
The Chosen Branch, the Guardian of the Cause of
God, Shoghi Effendi, because of the intense grief
and suffering and pain inflicted by this terrible event,
has desired to spend a period alone, in a quiet spot,
where he can devote his time to prayer and supplication,
and communion with God. He, therefore, left
us sometime ago, but our hopes are high that in a
very short time he will come home to the Holy
Land. For the moment, then, this wronged and sad
one has answered, however briefly, the letter from
your distinguished Assembly.
56. You have offered up thanks to the Lord for
appointing the Centre of His Cause and the Guardian
of His Covenant, and have voiced your gratitude
and expressed your spiritual sentiments, for
this favour and grace.
It is true, in all the world there could be no mercy
greater than this, no bounty more abundant.
`Abdu'l-Bahá, may our lives be sacrificed for His
sacred dust, has bestowed on us a wondrous gift, a
most great favour. He has clearly shown us the
highway of guidance and explicitly designated the
Centre toward whom all the people of Bahá must
turn, and with His own bounteous pen has written
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down for us what will ensure prosperity and progress,
and salvation and bliss, for evermore.
Now is the time to arise and serve with all our
powers, that we may grow happier day by day, and
fill our hearts with warmth and joy.
57. The Ancient Beauty, the Most Great Name,
has, through the splendours of His grace in this most
glorious of all ages, made this world of dust to
radiate light. The loving counsels of `Abdu'l-Bahá
have turned the beloved of the Lord into signs and
tokens of humility and lowliness. He has taught
them selflessness, and freedom from material
things, and detachment from the world, and has
enabled them to understand the verities of Heaven.
In that supernal realm we are all but motes; in the
court of the Lord God's majesty we are but helpless
shadows. He is the Shelter for all; He is the Protector
of all; He is the Helper of all; He is the Preserver of
all. Whensoever we look upon ourselves, we, one
and all, despair; but He, with all His grace, His
bestowals, His bounties, is the close Companion of
each one.
It is certain that tests and trials are inseparable
from this life and a vital requirement thereof,
especially for the human race and above all for those
who claim to have faith and love. Only through
trials can the genuine be known from the worthless,
and purity from pollution, and the real from the
false. The meaning of the sacred verse: 'Do men
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think when they say 'We believe' they shall be let
alone and not be put to proof?'1 prevails at all times
and is applicable at every breath, and fire will only
bring out the brightness of the gold.
So it is my hope that with lowliness and a contrite
heart, with supplications and prayers, with good
intentions and faithfulness, with purity of heart and
adherence to the truth, with rising up to serve and
with the blessings and confirmations of the Lord, we
may come into a realm, and arrive at a condition,
where we shall live under His overshadowing
mercy, and His helping hand shall come to our aid
and succour.
58. After the construction of the Bab's Shrine
on Mount Carmel, it was the wish and intention of
`Abdu'l-Bahámay our lives be sacrificed for His
holy dustto open a path that would lead directly
from the Shrine to the German Avenue. Time and
again He referred to this project and explained how
it should be built. You are no doubt familiar with
this matter. However, in those days many obstacles
stood in the way, preventing the execution of this
important project. Among them was a house
located at the beginning of this path at the foot of the
mountain, which belonged to one of the German
settlers. This house had become a serious barrier,
inasmuch as the owner had turned down every offer
for the purchase of the property. The German
1 Qur'an 29:2.
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community had adopted a policy in the administration
of the real estate within the boundary of their
settlement which required them not to sell any tract
of land or any house within that area to outsiders, no
matter how lucrative the payment might be. This
ruling was strictly observed by them and had
developed into an insurmountable barrier. Another
obstacle was that the projected path would pass
through tracts of land which belonged to different
people, and some of them were unable to sell their
property due to legal problems, while others deliberately
would not sell since they had perceived that
this path was exclusively intended for access to the
Bahá'í Shrine and that the Bahá'ís would eventually
be compelled, no matter when, to pay an
enormous sum for the acquisition of this land. Thus
immersed in the sea of visionary hopes and dreams
they categorically refused to sell. So days and nights,
and months and years passed by until the hand of
divine power wrought a change in the whole
situation, and the truth of the words: 'He shall
establish His ascendancy over His dominion as He
pleaseth' was fulfilled; for not long afterwards this
territory was occupied by the equitable Government
of Great Britain, and the local authorities, acting
according to their own judgement, decided that the
existence of the above house in that locality was
undesirable. Therefore they demolished the house,
cleared the site and carried away the stones. Then the
Municipal Engineer prepared a design for the path,
emphasizing that the opening of that path to the
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Bahá'í Shrine was imperative. This design
received the blessed attention of `Abdu'l-Bahá Who
graciously approved it and expressed His satisfaction
and appreciation to the Municipal Engineer.
Later on, with the aid of divine confirmations,
enough land was purchased from the remaining
tracts through which the path passed.
59. At the Threshold of the Lord of Mercy we
supplicate Him to grant perception and understanding
to the ignorant, to awaken and bestow awareness
upon those who are fast asleep and to give the
eye of insight to the men of authority who conduct
the affairs of the people, so that they may clearly
distinguish the peace-maker from the mischief-maker,
the faithful from the traitor, and the well-wisher
from the ill-wisher.
60. The adherents of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh
have, under all circumstances throughout the past
sixty years or more, clearly proved themselves to be
the well-wishers of all governments and peoples and
have demonstrated that they are lovers of peace, are
sincere, trustworthy and devoted. However, they
often become the object of calumny and slander
uttered by some foolish people. Indeed, such has
ever been the way of God.
From time immemorial even to this day the
chosen ones of God have always been exposed to the
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woes and sufferings that the disdainful have
inflicted upon them. They have been made the
targets of the darts and spears of hatred and
enmity that the heedless have unloosed upon
them. Yet it is clear and evident that the loved
ones of God will always, with the whole affection
of their hearts and souls, welcome every tribulation
in the path of the peerless Beloved and will,
with utmost joy and love, accept the pain of every
grievous wound for the sake of the incomparable
One. Far from grieving or complaining, they offer
praise and thanksgiving to Him Who is the
Sovereign Lord of all. They commit their affairs
to the care of the Lord of all mankind and surrender
everything to Him Whose power is irresistible.
He is the Potent, the Powerful, the Avenger,
the All-Compelling.
61. Regarding the Centre of Sedition1 and his
scrolls of doubt, this individual, for a period of
thirty years, both within and without the Cause,
was busy with his mischief-making, and planting
his seeds of contention and dissension. He had in
mind but one concern, one single thought: to
create discord in the Faith. All this is well known
to everyone, it is clear as the noonday sun, and is
set forth in the Writings of the Centre of the
Covenant, including His Will and Testament,
1 Muhammad-'Alí.
185
where this person's evil intentions, satanic plots and
diabolic acts are a matter of record, and there is no
need to elaborate on them here.
So things were until recent times, when we were
subjected to this direst of all ordeals. Once again, the
Centre of Sedition, believing that the field was his,
and seizing the occasion, rose up and began to spread
abroad his scrolls of doubt, heedless of the fact that
the instructions and commandments of the Blessed
Beauty, may His Name be glorified, and the counsels
of `Abdu'l-Bahá, may our souls be sacrificed
for His meekness, had reinforced the base of the
Cause, and firmly established the edifice of the
Word of God, and They had, through God's favour
and grace, drawn Their faithful loved ones into a
realm where no power in all the world, nor the
awesome majesty nor the onslaughts of the world's
embattled armies, could so much as disturb the faith
of a single Bahá'í child, nor make him to stray
from the path that leads aright. How much less
could such as he affect those noble personages every
one of whom is rooted firm in the love of God, and
stands immovable as the high mountains!
God be praised, during all these long years, all
this individual ever achieved was injury to himself,
and the defeat of his plans, and the disappointment
of his hopes. Nor will he ever have anything
more.
In recent times, especially, from whatever direction
he mounted his attack, he discovered a solid
barrier that proved impossible to assail, and found
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his slings and arrows of doubt turned back against
himself. Thus were fulfilled the words of
`Abdu'l-Bahá in His Will and Testament, that 'The
Centre of Sedition was ... confounded in his
craftiness...' To whatsoever place this person
addressed his evil treatises of doubt, these same
treatises were sent straight back to him, some with a
reply, some without, and thus he found it hopeless
to make a breach in the Cause of God.
62. Your letter has come, and I myself and the
Holy Family were infinitely grieved to learn of the
sufferings you have undergone, being made as you
were the targets of such injustice, malevolence and
aggression.
Since, however, you stood firm and steadfast and
unchanging, as the arrows of tyranny came against
you, and since this happened for the sake of the
Blessed Beauty, and in the pathway of the One
Beloved, it behoves you to thank God and praise
Him, for having singled you out for this great
bounty.
For this clamour and uproar, the blows, the
abuse, the taunts, the curses, when borne for love of
the All-Bounteous Lord, are but festive days and
times for jubilee.
God be praised, you have been given a drop out of
that ocean of tribulations that swept across the
Exalted One and the Beauty of the All-Glorious,
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you were granted a droplet out of the seas of
calamity that engulfed `Abdu'l-Bahá.
The evil ones did not destroy the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar,
nor will they ever; it was their
own house that they brought down in ruins and
gave to the winds. They did not burn down the
school, they put the flame to their own roots.
Lofty is the structure of the House of Worship; it
is certain that you will build a new and greater one.
Be you confident of the bestowals of the Blessed
Beauty and the gifts and blessings of `Abdu'l-Bahá.
63. The sad news about the death of your
husband has just reached us; we fully sympathize
with you. When one meditates over the general
trend of affairs and drinks deep from the fountain of
the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá he
is bound to come to the conclusion that this world is
no world of attachment; nay rather it constantly
gives us the lesson of keeping aloof as far as possible
from it. This point becomes clearer now that the
physical body of the Master is taken away from us.
We should really congratulate the departing ones
because they leave this world of pains and troubles
and enter the eternal bliss of being with holy spirits
which have been working to detach humanity from
the ephemeral world.
64. The letter you have written was received
with the utmost joy for it was to us not only a
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message of love and unity but a message of humble
devotion and servitude at the divine Threshold. It
was not only the cause of comfort to our broken
hearts but also a divine balm to our souls and we are
sure that the spirit which that letter bore is the one
which reigns in the heart of each single member of
that united assembly.
You have written that your number is small; but it
is decidedly true that it is not numbers that count, it
is, rather, the sincerity and devotion of the hearts. It
is the heart that, subduing within itself all earthly
cares, shines forth resplendent in the realm of love
and selflessness, attracting to itself the souls of the
weary and depressed, soothing their wounds with
the balm of this Message. This new Revelation has
in reality been the water of life unto the thirsty, a sea
of knowledge unto the searcher, a message of
condolence to the weary and a new spirit and life to
the whole world. And now it remains that we, the
humble servants of our Lord should be confirmed,
through our own effort and through His bounty to
diffuse this light everywhere and to carry this Glad
Tidings to every cottage and princely home.
We ask God to make each one of that assembly a
herald of love wherever he may go and that he may
be accepted as a humble servant of His Lord.
65. All praise be unto the Court of Holiness,
that God has drawn certain blessed souls, entities
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delicate and pure, unto a realm where they have no
desire save the good-pleasure of the Beloved;
where, in the pathway of the Ancient Beauty and
their devotion to `Abdu'l-Bahá, they yearn for
naught and have no other aim but to offer themselves
up, to serve, to guide humankind, and to
wander, homeless and portionless, over the earth.
Such promptings derive from the blessings and
confirmations of the Abhá Kingdom. Such
impulses come when a soul is cleaving fast to the
eternal world.... As to your not being present in
the Holy Land on the occasion of the anniversary of
His Passing, nor able to take part with these
bereaved ones in our mourning for the setting of the
Sun of the Covenant: be assured that in that dread
hour, that calamitous time, the souls of the people of
Bahá were, one and all, circumambulating His
resplendent resting-place, and the lamentation and
wailing of this faithful band were continually rising
up to the heavenly Throne. And that immaculate
Spirit must have gazed down upon them from the
realms on high, and bestowed upon them all His
grace, and grieved over the grieving of them all, and
consoled and soothed them all, and supplicated,
even as He now supplicates, His Supreme Companion
to grant unto every one of them fervour and
joy, and ardour and bliss, and detachment from the
world, and steadfast faith.
It is our hope that we all shall be blessed and
confirmed in whatever befits this day.
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66. It has been demonstrated time and time
again that whatever comes to pass only enhances the
glory of God's Faith, and further proclaims His
Word. This time it will be the same.
However savage this tempest of trials, however
battered by surging waves the Ark of the Faith may
be, still, the Divine Mariner has taken into His own
two powerful hands the helm of this Arkand He,
steady, calm and able, and endowed with all authority
and might, is steering its course, and will bring it
at last safe and secure to its glorious haven. Of this
there can be no question.
You have sent us the good news that the believers
are arising to serve the Faith and are loyal and
devoted to the Chosen Branch, the Guardian of the
Cause of God. This news rejoiced our hearts.
We pray for you most humbly at the Holy
Thresholds, and beg of God to grant His ever-increasing
confirmations and blessings to all of you.
67. The cheque for the amount of two hundred
pounds that you had sent as your contribution to the
Temple Fund has been received and duly forwarded
to Chicago. Behold what a pervasive power this
evidence of co-operation and support, this spirit of
selfless consecration is bound to release in the realm
of the heart and spirit. Consider to what extent the
world of human virtues will be enriched and
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adorned by this munificent act, and how glorious
the light that this manifestation of unity and solidarity
is likely to shed upon all regions. Indeed, this
mighty endeavour has been accomplished despite
the adverse economic situation in Persia, where the
evidences of hardship, privation and depression are
clearly apparent. But since the object of this noble
enterprise and praiseworthy effort is to enhance the
glory of the Cause of God, therefore it will unfailingly
attract divine blessings and bounty.
68. It is clear and evident that the body of
mankind in this day stands in dire need of such
members and organs as are capable, useful and
active, so that their movements and activities, their
bearing and behaviour, their tender feelings, lofty
sentiments and noble intentions may at all times
reflect heavenly virtues and perfections and become
the expressions of divine attributes and saintly
characteristics, thus breathing a new life and spirit
into all the dwellers of the world and causing the
inner ties and spiritual relationships to be fostered
and fortified in all fields of human endeavour.
69. We beseech Godexalted be His gloryto
grant awareness and insight to the men of wisdom as
well as to those who hold in their grasp the reins of
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power in Persia, that they may be able to distinguish
the right way from the crooked and devious path
and may clearly discern the well-wisher from the
ill-wisher with a true and genuine sense of discrimination.
As regards the amelioration of your own affairs,
let us entrust the whole matter to the Blessed
Beauty. He is the best Benefactor, unsurpassed in
His bounty.
70. Your letter of 12th October 1922 is just
received and refreshed in our memory the many
beautiful days that you spent here when the Beloved
Lord, `Abdu'l-Bahá, was still on this earth. Those
are days that many events of history could never
efface from the hearts, nay rather the further we go
in the scale of life the deeper become the impressions
thereof within the meshes of our inner life.
I read your letter with full attention and in the
course of the reading the words of the Master were
ringing in my ear; words that have descended like
showers on all souls and hearts that could understand.
Now is the time when we should forget
everything and concentrate our thoughts upon the
advancement of the Cause of God and strive day and
night that the principles and teachings of His
Holiness Bahá'u'lláh and the words of the Master
may find full expression in the hearts of the true
friends.
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When I think over the history of the Cause and the
many difficulties that all its promoters have undergone
I unhesitatingly am convinced that the sincere
friends who have watched the events will not lose a
moment but will with all their hearts and souls
sacrifice everything of worth in order to realize that
for which the Divine plan has been working.
Have all your thoughts directed to the Master and
heed not what you hear from here or there. We hope
that soon beloved Shoghi Effendi will come back to
Haifa and things will resume their natural course.
What we need today is complete unity amongst the
friends and this will attract the Divine assistance
from the Abhá Kingdom.
All the members of the Holy family remember
you and pray for you at the Holy Shrines. We hope
to hear much good news from you; this will be
the Cause of the Master's happiness as He always
wished to hear from you good news. Convey my
Abhá greetings to all the brothers and sisters there.
71. All praise to the beloved Abhá Beauty,
that those nightingales of the gardens of knowledge,
those doves of the fragrant bowers of certitude, are
singing the holy verses on the boughs of grace and
bounty, celebrating the praise and glory of the Lord
of the worlds, chanting His holy words, carolling to
Him hymns of love, and extolling and lauding His
blessed name.
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God be thanked, the spirits rejoice, the hearts are
full of fervour, the souls are held spellbound by that
shining Face. The Blessed Beauty's sea of bounty is
rolling up great waves; He is casting the rays of His
grace over the world and all its peoples; the clouds of
His liberal bestowals are showering down, the sun
of His generosity is shining bright.
In its every aspect, this noblest of Dispensations
and greatest of eras is something set apart, for it is
most exalted, most glorious, and distinguished
from the past. In no wise is it to be compared with
the ages gone before. So plainly, in this mighty day,
have the mysteries been laid bare, that to the
perceptive and the initiated and those who have
attained the knowledge of divine secrets, they
appear as tangible realities. In this new Day the stars
of allusions and hints have fallen, for the Sun of
explicit texts has risen, and the Moon of expositions
and interpretations has shone above all horizons.
As expressly stated in the Holy Text, a specific
Centre has been give us. With His own pen has
`Abdu'l-Bahá, the Centre of the Covenant, selected
and appointed Shoghi Effendi, the Chosen Branch,
the Guardian of the Cause of God, the interpreter of
the Book of God, so that the highway of divine
guidance has been clearly marked out and lighted up
for all the ages to come. This bounty is one of the
distinguishing features of this mightiest of Dispensations,
a special grace allotted to this age.
It is my hope that we all shall arise, thus to prove
our gratitude for all these rich bestowals and gifts,
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and serve the Cause of God and spread the holy
Teachings and speedily carry out the instructions of
`Abdu'l-Baháso that day by day the limits of the
Faith will be extended, and the seekers will find their
goal, and the lovers reach the beauty of the Beloved,
and the thirsty come to crystal waters, and spiritual
joys embrace mankind, and every heart be gladdened.
72. Your kind and loving letter written with an
unbounded love and a sincere devotion for our
beloved `Abdu'l-Bahá and His Cause has been duly
received. It spoke of that painful story where earthly
cares and physical illnesses have prevented blessed
souls, so overflowing with love, to shine in this dark
and dismal world. Nevertheless, dear sister, rest
assured and never be sorrowful. It is in one of the
foremost Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh that He says:
'Verily God hath made adversity as a morning dew
upon His green pasture, and a wick for His lamp
which lighteth earth and heaven.' Meaning thereby
that physical illnesses and misfortunes certainly
make a person nearer and nearer to his Lord. Why
then should we sorrow over earthly hindrances
when we have done what we possibly could, and
when we are sure that this, our little service, will
certainly be acceptable in His Sight?
I was very glad to know that even with all these
hindrances you could give the Message to certain
souls and I eagerly hope that they in turn will acquire
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the love with which you taught them and will never
stop giving this Glad Tidings to every soul they
meet.
73. Praise be to God that through the gracious
assistance of the Abhá Kingdom those devoted
friends have been enabled to achieve that which
befits the glory of the Cause of God and the
protection of the community of the followers of
Bahá'u'lláh. This is none other than to foster unity
and fellowship under all conditions, to strengthen
the bonds of harmony and concord in all things, and
to avoid political matters. It is particularly important
to refrain from making unfavourable remarks
or statements concerning the friends and the loved
ones of God, inasmuch as any expression of grievance,
of complaint or backbiting is incompatible
with the requirements of unity and harmony and
would dampen the spirit of love, fellowship and
nobility. Therefore it is incumbent upon the members
of the exalted Spiritual Assembly to exercise the
utmost care with firm determination and not to
allow the doors of complaint and grievance to be
opened, or permit any of the friends to indulge in
censure and backbiting. Whoever sets himself to do
so, even though he be the very embodiment of the
Holy Spirit, should realize that such behaviour
would create disruption among the people of Bahá
and would cause the standard of sedition to be
raised.
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In these days when the peoples of the world are
thirsting for the teachings of the Abhá Beauty
teachings that provide the incomparable, life-giving
waters of immortalitywhen we Bahá'ís
have pledged ourselves to proffer these living waters
to all mankind and are known to be prepared to
endure every suffering and tribulation, how pitiful it
would be if, despite all this, we were to neglect our
binding obligations and responsibilities and to
occupy ourselves with disagreeable discussions that
provoke irritation and distress and to turn our
attention to matters that lead to ill-feeling, to
despondency and unhappiness and reduce the penetrating
influence of the Word of God.
74. Your letter was received and its contents
were perused. The scrolls you had enclosed were
clearly understood. They are of no consequence
whatsoever, nor are they worthy of any attention.
The letter you have written in reply, although brief,
is adequate and conclusive. What you have written,
even as the tablet of your heart, is illumined with the
light of constancy and steadfastness, and indicates
your firmness and determination in upholding His
Covenant. In truth this is the essential thing.
Following the ascension of `Abdu'l-Bahámay
our lives be offered up for His holy Dustthe
Covenant-breakers, using every means in their
power, busied themselves in spreading false reports.
No calumny, no slander did they spare. Likewise,
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after the ascension of the Ancient Beauty, the Most
Great Namemay the life of all created things be
sacrificed for His holy dustthe people of doubt
and hesitation seized upon every means and arose to
destroy the edifice of the Cause, to profane the
honour of the Lord and to violate His Covenant.
Yet, during all this time and under all conditions
these bereaved and oppressed ones, with faces set
towards His luminous Threshold, held fast to the
cord of patience and resignation, engaged themselves
in offering fervent prayers and supplications
and committed all their affairs to the care of the
Blessed Beauty. For in truth He is the Refuge of the
oppressed and the unfailing Comforter of the
anguished, whereas the Centre of Sedition and his
following have gathered no fruit from their rebellious
acts save despondency and utter loss.
75. It was sometime ago that I received your
kind and encouraging letter through your honourable
secretary. And although in a joyless world, the
love and unity of the friends in Yonkers imparted
the utmost joy to this bereaved family. Great indeed
as was my desire to reciprocate those kind sentiments
so beautifully expressed in your letter, it is
truly unfortunate that I should have delayed the
answer so long.
For the last few weeks we have all been happy
over Shoghi Effendi's safe arrival and we really miss
all our beloved brethren and sisters in this little town
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of Haifa. Last night's sad and solemn occasion was
passed in prayer and meditation. The loved ones of
that dear Master had all gathered from the countries
near by to join His family in commemorating the
anniversary of His passing. In a night of utter silence
with the rich moonlight flooding the precincts of
His Shrine, the humble devotees of `Abdu'l-Bahá
had gathered in a little group just near His Tomb;
and in prayerful supplications they outpoured with
their tears the woe of their hearts refilling them again
with faith in His loving-kindness and high hopes for
the future.
On such an occasion, dear friends, what better can
we do than to realize one and all that our dear Master
has for ever gone from our midst, and yet with the
surest faith in His tender Spirit we should arise with
one accord, aided and guided by our beloved
Guardian, to dedicate our lives to the Cause for
which He was a living sacrifice. Deep and painful as
that thought may be, it should fill our hearts with
faith in the Lord. Then and only then can we lead His
Cause into a glorious victory.
76. You quite well realize, I presume, that
Shoghi Effendi has always cherished the fondest
hopes for your services to the Cause of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, and I am sure that your achievements
will be great, shining brilliantly as a star. The
field is world-wide and with but a noble spirit and
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faith in the Lord we can carry to every home this
Message of peace and brotherhood.
77. The Pen of the divine Ordainer has so
decreed that this house of sorrows should be encompassed
by unending calamity and pain. Even before
the dark clouds of one disaster are scattered, the
lowering storm of yet a new grief takes over, casting
its darkness across the inner skies of the heart. Such
has been the lot of this broken-hearted one and the
other leaves of the Holy Tree, from earliest childhood
until this hour; such has been the fruit we have
plucked from the tree of our lives.
We can see before us the Holy Shrine where lies
the blessed, riddled body of the Primal Point, and
memory of the delicate and tender remains of other
martyrs passes before our eyes. The remembrance
of the Ancient Beauty's dungeon in Tihrán, and
that most noble Being's exile from city to city,
culminating in the murk of the 'Akká prison, is
engraved upon our minds. The calamities, the
massive afflictions, endured by `Abdu'l-Bahá
throughout His entire life, and His wailing at the
break of dawn are recorded for all time upon the
tablets of the soul, and those cries that rose out of His
luminous heart will linger on in the mind's ear.
It is clear, too, how the most dire of all ordeals, the
ascension of the divine Beauty, made the structure
of our existence to topple down; how being
deprived of Him consumed the very limbs of our
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bodies. And when our fiery tears brought on by this
were not yet dried, and the heart's wound had not
healed over, then the bearer of God's decree called us
to yet another anguish, that dire calamity, that
terrible disaster, the passing of `Abdu'l-Bahá. Then
were we, the sorrow-stricken, thrust again into the
fires of separation, and the pitch darkness of deep
mourning enshrouded this family.
Beloved friends of the Blessed Beauty: what could
have been the purpose of those holy Beings in
enduring such agonies? Why did those precious and
luminous souls accept all that hardship and pain?
Any just observer will acknowledge that They had
no other end in view but to better the human race,
and cleanse it from the imperfections of this contingent
world, and see to its advancement, and endow
all peoples with the wondrous virtues of humankind.
Thanks be to God's bounties, the signs of such
perfections, the lights of such bestowals, have
become clearly manifest throughout the world. The
tree of His Cause grows ever more massive, day by
day, and heavier with fruit, and from moment to
moment taller, and it shall cast its wondrous shade
over all who seek its shelter.
The fruit of these boughs is plain to see: this Tree
will bear sincere love and true friendship, traits of
Heaven and qualities of God. This immortal Tree
will yield kindness and humbleness, learning and
wisdom, and the divine virtues.
The aim of those blessed Ones, then, those
Temples of holiness, in enduring, over a whole
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century, all Their trials and tribulations, was to
firmly establish a way of life whereby human
character in general and that of God's loved ones in
particular would be rectified. To such a degree must
this come to pass that from their very breathing and
walking, their rising up, sitting still, moving about,
their every actit can clearly be seen that they are
different from those others who are neglectful of
God and veiled away from Him: that they can be
distinguished from the others as easily as you can tell
the day-star from the dark.
Although through the mighty influence of the
Word of God the inner self of each of the friends and
of those who are steadfast in His perfect Covenant is
held fast by the magnet of His love, and they are
known in every land by this distinguishing characteristic
and are everywhere illumined by this light
still the thing to remember is this: until the
accidental events which arise from the world of the
trivial and the personal are completely lost in the
world of the universal, that is, in the bounties and
attributes of the Mercifulthat true and primal
glory can never be revealed as it merits, nor ever
show forth the beauty with which it is endowed. Let
every steadfast soul ever bear in mind the anguish of
those holy Beings and the trials They endured, and
because of the wrongs They suffered, and the blood
of the martyrs in His path, out of pity for what has
befallen God's Cause and His Law, put the good of
the Cause before any other good, and its honour
before any other. Let him face every problem,
203
whether minor or major, with goodwill and purity
of motive. Let him not make of God's Law, created
as it was to bring about unity and love, a means of
discord. `Abdu'l-Bahá says: 'If religion be the cause
of disunity, then irreligion is surely to be preferred.'
Today as well, the Chosen Branch, the Guardian
of the Cause of God, is at all times waiting expectantly
and indeed, it is the most cherished desire of
his heartto see this reality, this proof of serious
effort, this feature that distinguishes the Bahá'ís
from all others, clearly and unmistakably revealed in
the life of every single Bahá'í.
As is well known, at the time when the Day-Star
of the Covenant did set, the Chosen Branch was
absent from this luminous Spot, and when he
received the terrifying news of that direst of ordeals,
he was overcome by a grief such as no words can
describe. Broken in health, his heart brimful of
sorrows, he returned to this blessed place. At that
time the unfaithful, with extreme perversity and at a
high point of rebellion, were openly and secretly
spreading their calumnies, and this behaviour of
theirs added still more to the Guardian's burden of
grief. He left, therefore, and spent some time in
seclusion, carrying on the affairs of the Faith, seeing
to its interests and its institutions, communing with
God, and imploring His help.
The Lord be praised, because of the divine
bounties, during his absence there were such evidences
of staunchness and loyalty and high resolve
and unity and love and fervour among all the
204
friends, men and women alike, both of East and
West, and in the Holy Landthat on the one hand
the Centre of Sedition, and the arrogant and the
malevolent, found themselves utterly defeated, their
hopes of making a breach in the Faith bitterly
disappointed, while on the other, the exemplary
quality and sound condition of the believers, as
referred to, was a comfort to the Guardian's heart.
Thus he was able, happy now and in perfect health,
to return to this Spot, and to carry out his sacred
obligations.
By this time a great many matters of the utmost
importance had accumulated, and letters were
coming in continuously from individuals and communities,
which for lack of time could not be dealt
with individually. The Guardian therefore dispensed
with replies to individuals and sent out
general letters to the Spiritual Assemblies, in which
in the clearest terms he set forth the obligations
devolving upon all, and gave the friends his instructions.
These basic spiritual guidelines were received
by the believers with great delight and the utmost
joy; they immediately put them into practice, and
thus the preliminary steps were taken, and in every
area progress was being made to an ever-increasing
degree.
Now, however, as the letters continually
streamed in, the contents of one or two of them
showed that among some of the believers a certain
ill-feeling had arisen, and further, that some did not,
as they should, respect and duly defer to their
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Spiritual Assembly. It is obvious what an effect this
kind of news, whether implied or clearly stated, had
on the Guardian's heart, and what an unfavourable
reaction it produced. The result was that for the
second time his health failed, and then, at the
importunity of this evanescent soul and the urgent
entreaties of the Holy Household and the repeated
appeals of those in close association with himhe
went away last summer.
This proved of the greatest benefit to him, and his
health was completely restored. And then, one
following the next, there came in good reports from
Spiritual Assemblies everywhere, and other gatherings
and groups, and also individuals, and this
brought him great joy; so much so that following
that summer's journey, out of his intense love for
the believers, he began to correspond even with
individuals; and continually, in the various meetings,
he would express his satisfaction with and
praise of all the servants of the Blessed Beauty's
Threshold and the loyal friends of `Abdu'l-Bahá.
Alas, however, once again in some communities,
he noted from certain letters an absence of spirituality
and good-fellowship among some of the friends,
and a lack of respect among some for their Assemblies.
Once more, as a result of this, his heart was
filled with sorrow and once again he decided on
departure. This lowly maidservant and the other
members of the Household and all the Holy Leaves
did all we could to blot away this grief from his
radiant spirit. When in his presence, we would bring
206
up all the good news that by the grace of God
continued to pour in, and to speak of the staunchness,
the loyalty, the love, the sacrifices of the
believers both of East and West. We begged him to
reconsider his decisionbut to no avail.
He told us: 'My heart is sensitive. Just as I feel the
ill-feeling that exists between individuals, and am
injured by it, so too do I treasure the excellent
qualities of the believers; indeed, I hold these dearer
than words can tell. After that most dread ordeal,
the one and only solace of my heart was the loyalty,
the staunchness, the love of the friends for the
Blessed Beauty and for `Abdu'l-Bahá. Nothing can
ever detract from the value of such excellent qualities,
and I am deeply grateful to all the friends, men
and women alike, for this. And yet, this love of
theirs, with all its fervour, can never, by itself, bring
the Ark of the Faith to the longed-for shore. It can
never prove the claims of the people of Bahá to the
people of the world. To safeguard the religion of
God and reinforce its power, the friends must make
use of effective means: their love must be so great
that they worship one another, and shut any mutual
ill-feeling out of their hearts.
'If, for example, the non-Bahá'ís should ask the
friends, "What differentiates you from all the rest?",
and if, to this, the friends answer, "In the pathway of
our love for the Centre of our Faith, we would
sacrifice our lives and possessions," those of the
civilized world would never be content with such a
207
reply. They would merely say: "Your love, your
sacrifice for a single individual cannot possibly serve
as a remedy for the chronic ills which plague society
today." If the friends then answer: "Our religion
provides principles and moral teachings whose
value the wisest of the day cannot deny," this will be
the response: "Noble principles and teachings will
produce an effect on human character, and heal the
mortal sicknesses which afflict society, only at such
time when those who claim to believe in and support
them are themselves the first to act upon them, and
to demonstrate and incorporate the value and the
benefits of them in their own everyday transactions
and lives." Unless this comes about, there is nothing
to distinguish the Bahá'ís from the rest.'
He also told us: 'The people of the world are
carefully watching the Bahá'ís today, and
minutely observing them. The believers must make
every effort, and take the utmost care to ward off
and remove any feelings of estrangement, and
consider themselves duty-bound to comply with the
decisions of their Spiritual Assemblies. To the same
degree that ill-feeling among some of the believers
has cast its shadow on my heart, to that same degree
will my heart reflect their mutual agreement, understanding
and loving affection, and their deference to
the authority of their Spiritual Assemblies.
And whenever I shall feel such lights reflected,
I will at once return to the Holy Land and engage
in the fulfilment of my sacred obligations.
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Convey this message of mine to all the friends.'
It is now two weeks since he made this touching
statement and left the Holy Land.
O dearly-loved ones of `Abdu'l-Bahá! We know
from His sacred Will that we must 'Take the greatest
care of Shoghi Effendi ... that no dust of despondency
and sorrow may stain his radiant nature' and
that the tree of his spiritual being may bear fruit. We
must ever keep this in mind, and from hour to hour
we must develop our heedfulness, our love and
affection, our sagacity and magnanimity.
It is the hope of this writer that the friends of God
will put forth such efforts, and will so radiate their
love for Him, as to light up the world; a love that
will make the heart of the Guardian leap for joy,
and then, God willing, he will soon come back
again, so that before I close my eyes upon this life,
the separation I endure will be over, and I can bid
you all farewell with a happy heart.
My only joy, in these my numbered days, and the
joy of the Master's consort, rests in the hands of
those well-loved friends of `Abdu'l-Bahá.
Upon you be the glory of the All-Glorious.
78. 'O God, My God! Thou hast lighted the lamp of
Thy Cause with the oil of wisdom; protect it from contrary
winds. The lamp is Thine and the glass is Thine, and all
things in the heavens and on earth are in the grasp of Thy
power.'1
1 Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 104.
209
O servants of the Abhá Beauty's sacred
Threshold, O beloved friends of `Abdu'l-Bahá!
It is well known that from the earliest dawning of
the Sun of Revelation, until the setting of the holy
Covenant's Orb, the Ark of the Faith has continuously
been battered by great waves of affliction,
and beaten by calamity's storms. Tempest and
whirlwind have ever assailed this holy Tree.
Still, the exalted Star has continued on its destined
journey, and despite the piled-up clouds of hate and
error, its rays of grace have illumined the whole
earth.
The Ark of Salvation was made the safe refuge of
the righteous, and the holy Tree was hung with
bright, immortal fruit, so that the honeyed yield of
the love of God is sweet on the lips of His people.
Out of the grace of the Blessed Beauty, eyes began
to see, and ears to hear, and through the bounty of
`Abdu'l-Bahá the spirits turned vigilant, and souls
awoke, and to the hearts were divine mysteries
confided, and individuals became day-springs of
light.
And for ever and ever, time without end, the
glance of God's bounty and bestowal is, from the
hidden world above, unceasingly cast down, and He
watches over us with favour and grace. It behoves
us, then, to offer up thanks with every breath, and to
be blissful at all times.
Although the towering citadel of God's Cause is
upraised on foundations of iron, and His Word is
founded on authority and power, and the loyal and
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firm in His Covenant, through the blessings of the
Abhá Paradise, stand immovable as the mountains,
and are fast-rooted in their lovestill, the hurricanes
of tests are mighty as well, and from every side
comes the thundering roar of violent commotions
and bitter trials. From these, at every moment each
one of us should beg of God to defend and protect
us.
Let us call to mind the clear statements and the
warnings revealed by the Blessed Beauty, and the
explanations and commentaries of `Abdu'l-Bahá,
particularly as found in His Will and Testament.
This Testament was the last song of that Dove of the
Rose-garden of Eternity, and He sang it on the
branch of the Tree of bestowal and grace. It was His
principal gift, indeed the greatest of all splendours
that radiated forth from that Day-Star of bounty,
out of the firmament of His bestowals. This Testament
was the strong barricade built by the blessed
hands of that wronged, that peerless One, to protect
the garden of God's Faith. It was the mighty
stronghold circling the edifice of the Law of God.
This was an overflowing treasure which the Beloved
freely gave, a goodly and precious legacy, left by
Him to the people of Baha. In all the world, no gift
could equal this; no dazzling gem could rival such a
precious pearl.
With His own pen, He designated as Guardian of
the Cause of God, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, the
Chosen Branch, and made him the 'blest and sacred
bough that hath branched out from the Twin Holy
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Trees,' to be the one to whom all must turn, the
centre and focus of all on earth.
In unmistakable terms did He set forth the
obligations and elucidated the nature of the institutions
of God's Holy Faith. He laid hold of discord's
tree and brought it down. He for ever shut the door
on conflicting interpretations and views. With every
breath ought we to offer praise and thanks to the
God of Grace for this bestowal. It is incumbent upon
us to read and meditate on the contents of the Will
and Testament at all times, and implore God at His
Holy Threshold that He will aid us to carry out
whatsoever it ordains.
A few days ago I sent out a general letter. A
detailed, and recent, letter from the Guardian to all
the people of Bahá was likewise sent out, and it is
certain that you will be reading it; it is essential to
circulate it among all the friends. What I mean is,
that because of my great and spiritual love for you,
the steadfast lovers of God and His Covenant, I have
now set about writing this present letter as well.
I would like to remind the friends of these words
from `Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament, as written
down by His pen of bounty: 'No doubt every
vainglorious one that purposeth dissension and
discord will not openly declare his evil purposes,
nay rather, even as impure gold, would he seize
upon divers measures and various pretexts that he
may separate the gathering of the people of Baha.'
In another Tablet He calls on us to understand the
intent of every individual by the course of his
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speech, and to see through his purpose. And from
the Blessed Beauty: 'Place not your trust in every
new arrival, and believe not every speaker.'
Over and over, in countless Tablets, do we find
the like of these precepts. It is obvious that the
purpose behind them is to awaken and warn the
people of Baha, so that the mighty citadel of the
Cause will remain safe and secure from the plottings
of those with evil intent, and the bright lamp of His
Word will be shielded from the contrary winds
unloosed by those who follow their evil passions
and corrupt desires.
It is irrevocably decreed that whatsoever has been
revealed and written down by the Supreme Pen and
the holy hand of `Abdu'l-Bahá will come to pass
and be fully realized in this world, wherefore does it
behove the people of Baha, the souls attracted to
His Splendour, to become all eyes and ears, and to be
in body and soul and limbs and members all sagacity
and prudence. Addressing the believers, Christ tells
them: 'Be ye harmless as the submissive dove, and
wise as the serpent.'1
In this momentous matter there must be no laxity,
no inattention, for a whisper might become an axe
laid to the root of the Tree of the Faitha word from
an ambitious soul could be a spark tossed into the
harvest of the people of Baha. We take refuge with
God! May He guard us ever, from the recklessness
of the insistent self.
For the harbouring of an evil purpose is a disease
1 cf. Matthew 10:16.
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which shuts out the individual from all the blessings
of Heaven, and casts him deep into the pit of
perdition, of utter ruin. The point to make is that
anyone, high or low, rich or poor, learned or
unlettered, although to all appearances he may be
a jewel among men, and the fine flower of all that
is bestif he gives utterance to some pronouncement
or speaks some word from which can be
detected the scent of self-worship, or a malicious
and evil purpose, his aim is to disintegrate the
Word of God and disperse the gathering of the
people of Baha. From such individuals it is a
solemn obligation to turn away; it is an inescapable
duty to pay no heed whatever to their claims.
The clear promises of God, both His tidings of
joy and His warnings, are being fulfilled, and it is
inevitable that just as the sweet musk-laden winds
of the Abhá Paradise are beginning to blow, and
the flames of God's love to spread, so too must
wintry blasts and icy breaths begin to fill the air.
You must therefore exert superhuman powers to
guard the Cause of God, and beg humbly and
with a contrite heart for help from the Kingdom
on High.
Although up to now, because of the dictates of
wisdom, the Will and Testament has not been in
general circulation, and has been entrusted only to
the Spiritual Assemblies of the various countries,
at this time a photocopy has been made from the
Master's original Text, which is in His own hand,
and it will soon be sent out, to increase the spiritual
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joy of you who are essences of loyalty and trust,
that every individual believer, every steadfast one in
the Covenant who so desires, may read it and make a
copy of it. Upon you be the Glory of the All-Glorious.
79. The tongue of this lowly and grief-stricken
maidservant is powerless to praise those loved ones
of God, and the words uttered by her are wholly
inadequate to pay a worthy tribute to the staunch
firmness and constancy, to the spirit of love, enthusiasm
and devotion that those servants of the
Kingdom of God are now manifesting.
Praise be to God that through the unfailing grace
of the Beauty of the All-Glorious and the manifold
blessings of `Abdu'l-Bahá each one of them is
radiant as a star and shining like the moon in the
plenitude of its splendour. That glorious Being, the
incomparable Best-Beloved, graciously caused
every one of His true servants to become as a
brilliant lamp; while `Abdu'l-Bahá, that matchless
Beloved, transmuted the hearts of all those who
stand unswervingly firm in His Covenant and
Testament into a garden of rosesa garden embellished
with the flowers of true knowledge, faith and
assurance. Such evidences of divine bounty call for
thanksgiving, and in appreciation for this heavenly
grace and mercy it is essential to yield praise and
adoration to the Peerless Lord.
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Although the leaflets prepared by that faithless
person,1 teeming with falsehood, slander and
calumny, proved to be a tempest of trials that swept
over those regions, yet it was powerless to do any
harm to trees that are deep-rooted, firm, and fixed,
nor could it inflict damage on structures that are
solid, mighty and strong. The blessed, the potent
spirit of `Abdu'l-Bahá will always protect and
shield the holy and sanctified beings, will assist
them, watch over them, and empower them to
remain firm as immovable mountains.
Truly that which you have done is appropriate
and the way you have reacted is highly fitting and
proper, because in the Will and Testament primary
emphasis has been laid on guarding and protecting
the Cause of God. Thus it has been revealed: 'O ye
beloved of the Lord! The greatest of all things is the
protection of the true Faith of God, the preservation
of His Law, the safeguarding of His Cause and
service unto His Word.' Praise be to God that those
blessed and enraptured souls who are enkindled
with the fire of His love have been graciously
assisted to preserve and shield the Faith of God.
You must have glanced at the idle words of that
faithless personwords that are wholly motivated
by selfish and personal interests. They are so futile,
senseless and absurd that even the babes of this
glorious Dispensation, rocked in their cradles,
would recognize how vain and preposterous, how
1 `Abdu'l-Husayn Ávárih (see Bahá'í Administration, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, pp. 137-139).
216
impregnated with subtle machinations they are.
How much keener then must be the discernment
of those distinguished beings whose substance of
life has been moulded by the gracious and bountiful
fingers of the Blessed Beauty and whose tree of
existence has been watered and fed by the
heavenly stream of His favour and providence.
Surely those luminous gems whose nostrils are
perfumed by the imperishable fragrance of holiness
and are endued with a keen sense of perception
will readily distinguish a loathsome odour, no
matter how slight it may be, from the sweet-scented
breeze blowing from the rose-garden of
His Oneness. They will easily recognize the words
of a conceited and malevolent one, though his
words be wrapped up in delicate terms and
phrases or take the guise of fellow-feeling, sympathy
and kindly wishes, from the genuine
expressions of truth and sincerity, of devotion,
piety and faithfulness.
Indeed, it is true to say that malice will cause
one's intelligence and understanding to fade, and
the king of reason to become subservient to the
satanic self and its promptings. Time and again
has this matter been put to proof and the following
blessed passage from the Will and Testament
amply demonstrates this significant truth and
serves to heighten the sense of alertness and vigilance.
How wondrous is His Word: 'No doubt
every vainglorious one that purposeth dissension
and discord will not openly declare his evil purposes,
217
nay rather, even as impure gold, would he
seize upon divers measures and various pretexts that
he may separate the gathering of the people of
Baha.'
The essential point is this: praise be to God, the
way of His holy Faith is laid straight, the Edifice of
the Law of God is well-founded and strong. He to
whom the people of Bahá must turn, the Centre on
which the concourse of the faithful must fix their
gaze, the Expounder of the Holy Writings, the
Guardian of the Cause of God, the Chosen Branch,
Shoghi Effendi, has been clearly appointed in conformity
with explicit, conclusive and unmistakable
terms. The Religion of God, the laws and ordinances
of God, the blessed teachings, the obligations
that are binding on everyoneall stand clear and
manifest even as the sun in its meridian glory. There
is no hidden mystery, no secret that remains concealed.
There is no room for interpretation or
argument, no occasion for doubt or hesitation. The
hour for teaching and service is come. It is the time
for unity, harmony, solidarity and high endeavour.
At the blessed Holy Shrines we earnestly pray that
divine assistance and confirmation be vouchsafed to
all of us. We continually receive joyous news of the
health and well-being of the Guardian of the Cause
of God and eagerly hope that the night of separation
may come to an end, that the period of bereavement
may soon expire and his blessed person may return
to this hallowed Spot with utmost joy and radiance.
All the blessed leaves join this lowly maidservant in
218
sending wondrous expressions of greeting to those
loved ones of God and the handmaids of the
Merciful. May the glory of the All-Glorious rest
upon you!
80. The question of Ávárih has surely come to
your attention. In spite of the fact that last year, the
first time that he visited this sacred Spot, he was
shown the greatest kindness and love, and he was
the object of every consideration and care, and
everything was done to help him in every way; that
when he left for Europe, as the reason for his visit
was to teach the Faith, and he was favoured and
praised by the Guardian, the friends in England
showed him reverence to what was really an exaggerated
degree, and received him with the warmest
hospitalitythat is, no one failed in showing him
the utmost regardstill, when he returned to Cairo
and busied himself with publishing his book, as it
became apparent later on, he put the Assembly and
the friends at odds, stirred up the mischief himself
and then secretly wrote here and there that there was
trouble in Cairo, and presented the situation so as to
further his own ends.
The beloved Guardian at once laid hold of every
possible means to quiet the dissension in Cairo, but
it proved impossible because Ávárih, using all
kinds of devices, prevented the reconciliation of the
Assembly and the friends in that city. When the
Guardian could endure this no longer and there was
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nothing more that he could do, with deep regret he
left the Holy Land. His letter clearly shows how
heavy was his heart.
Later, Ávárih left Egypt and came again to the
Holy Land, and the interesting thing is that the
moment he left, the misunderstandings among the
friends in Cairo disappeared, and Bahá'í affairs
went forward again in proper fashion, so that it
became perfectly clear that he had been the cause of
the disruption.
From here, too, he began to send out letters, and it
would only grieve you to tell of the falsehoods and
calumnies they contained. In Beirut, too, his talks
and his actions were the same, and he spread the
word that, God forbid, there is dissension everywhere.
Accordingly, in order to protect the Cause of
God, a telegram was sent to Baghdád, citing these
words of the Ancient Beautyexalted be His glory:
'Place not your trust in every new arrival, and
believe not every speaker.' As a result, when he
reached Baghdád, and wished to stir up mischief
there, the friends, with great dignity and firmness,
restrained him, and avoided his company.
The point is that although such talk and such
behaviour have no effect and no importance whatsoever,
and do not merit our attention, still this
disloyalty of his in these days of trial and sorrow is
such that, unable to bear the situation any longer,
this grieved and helpless one has felt obliged to set
down a brief account of what actually took place.
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81. Praise be to God that through His gracious
bounty you were enabled to visit His exalted, His
sacred and luminous Threshold, to refresh and
perfume your nostrils with the sweet-scented fragrances
of God diffused from these imperishable, holy
Places. This wondrous gift calls for thanksgiving,
and this heavenly bestowal warrants praise and
glorification. And such praise is best expressed
when one's pilgrimage, one's honour at attaining
His holy Court and becoming the recipient of His
favours and loving-kindness produce a profound
effect and influence upon every aspect of one's life,
upon one's bearing and demeanour, and one's
activities. There is no doubt that it will be so.
82. It is a very long time since we have had any
news from you and we are quite longing to have one
of your interesting and beautiful letters, that brings
us always comfort because of your sincerity, your
love for the Cause and your constant energy in the
work for the Cause. You have ever been one of the
Master's best friends, you are one of the oldest
American believers, one of the firm and enthusiastic
workers, and we are always happy to hear from you.
The joy of our hearts is to hear that the friends are
active and sincere in the spreading of the teachings.
We always long to hear about the friends, to know
that in America they are arising with sincere energy
to assist our beloved Guardian, to make his heart
happy so that he may return to the Holy Land and
221
again take up, with renewed vigour, the burdens
that are too great when he feels that the friends are
not uniting with him to carry out the instructions of
the Beloved. We know that these instructions and
teachings are the balm for the wounds and ills of the
world, and if the friends are not firm, sincere and
united in the principles as given by Bahá'u'lláh,
explained and amplified by `Abdu'l-Bahá, and do
not teach them clearly and keep them pure and
unadulterated, then how can the ills of mankind be
alleviated? All other teachings have failed to eliminate
the existing prejudices between peoples and
religions and unite them upon the basis of pure
truth, and now that we have this blessed remedy
which is a divine solvent, let us not be blind or
neglectful, but energetically and courageously stand
forth as true heralds of this Divine Remedy.
83. Your short and loving note of June 25th has
been received. Its contents, though short, gave me
and the ladies of the Household great joy, because
they indicate that the dear friends have, with willing
efforts, arisen to strengthen the foundation of love
and harmony in their hearts. This will surely release
our beloved Shoghi Effendi from his grief, fill his
dear heart with joy and bring him to us again.
Since my last affectionate appeal to the beloved of
God and `Abdu'l-Bahá's spiritual children, the dear
friends in every land have indeed shown a wonderful
spirit which has inspired us all with joy and gratitude.
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For their confirmation and success we ardently
pray at the Holy Shrines. I hope and pray that your
National Spiritual Assembly will this year be
favoured with divine support and unprecedented
prosperity.
84. Your charming letter of June 20th has
arrived and with it the spiritual waves of your love
and devotion to the welfare of the Cause of God and
to the prosperity of the dear friends throughout
America.
I pray at the Holy Shrine of our beloved Lord,
`Abdu'l-Bahá, to favour you with the realization of
the desire of your heart which contributes to the joy
and happiness of the beloved Guardian of the Cause,
that is, service towards the unity of the dear friends
and the promulgation of the divine Teachings which
alone can redeem this lifeless world.
I am glad to tell you that the Guardian of the
Cause of God is in good health. The splendid
attitude of the beloved friends in the East and the
West and their wonderfully sacrificial efforts in the
service of the Cause have greatly lightened the
burden of grief upon his loving heart and so, he may
return to the Holy Land towards the end of summer
when his entire grief, we hope, will be replaced with
joy and fragrances which are being wafted to his
dear heart.
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85. Your numerous letters written to the
beloved Guardian and myself have all arrived and
brought with them the sweet perfume of your
devotion, sincerity, strong faith and active and
beautiful services you are inexhaustibly rendering to
the Cause of God. You should be happy, dear
Bahá'í sister in being so wonderfully confirmed in
your spiritual life.
The beloved Guardian of the Cause is nowadays
in good health and through the magnificent efforts
the friends are exerting in every country to strengthen
and augment their bond of unity and love for
one another, his grief has been lightened and so we
have great hope that he will return to the Holy Land
before long. Here he will resume his personal touch
with the friends the world over and will inspire them
with his guidance to still greater activity.
The Ladies of the Holy Family and I are always
remembering you dear friends of `Abdu'l-Bahá and
praying for your confirmation and happiness. I am
thankful to all the dear friends who so faithfully and
lovingly responded with their excellent deeds to my
affectionate appeal for greater unity and love. May
the Blessed Beauty and `Abdu'l-Bahá reward them
richly and crown their sincere services with great
results.
86. From this hallowed Spot I send heavenly
greetings to those two faithful servants of the holy
Threshold of the Abhá Beauty. Indeed, no word of
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compliment could be compared to this expression of
praise and commendation, whereby, thanks be to
God, you both have distinguished yourselves as the
devoted servants of His divine Threshold and as the
sincere, the self-sacrificing bond-slaves serving at
the door of His mercifulness. You have always
proved yourselves untiring in your noble efforts and
are continually striving with utmost endeavour to
discharge your important and glorious duties. This
can be attributed to naught save to the unfailing
bounties of the Abhá Beauty and to the invisible aid
that `Abdu'l-Bahá has graciously accorded you.
87. In this Day nothing is so important as service.
Did not `Abdu'l-Bahá voluntarily call Himself
the 'Servant' of Baha, manifesting also in His life the
perfections of servitude to God and man?
We, wishing to follow the commands left by
Bahá'u'lláh, spread and lived by `Abdu'l-Bahá,
we can take no greater step toward the Heavenly
Kingdomcan give no greater joy to the present
beloved Guardian of the Cause, Shoghi Effendi
than that of loving service to all mankind.
88. It always cheers my heart to hear from the
dear friends whose hearts are so full of love and
devotion, and desire to serve this Blessed Cause
which has been proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh to all
the world, so that all national, racial, and religious
225
prejudices will be abolished, and the world of
humanity recognized as one home, and all men as
brothers.
I certainly shall pray specially for you that you
may be richly blessed in your work and service to
the Blessed Cause. One soul who becomes entirely
selfless and devoted and filled to overflowing with
the spirit of love and service will do much for the
progress of the Cause in whatever locality he is. Be
assured, if you arise to serve, the Beloved Master
says Nothing shall be impossible to you if you have faith.
As ye have faith so shall your powers and blessings be. I
convey to you the warm love and Bahá'í greetings
of Shoghi Effendi, and all the family, and again
assure you of our earnest prayers that you will be
enabled to render much service to the Kingdom.
89. My heart is always cheered when I meet or
hear from the dear friends in America, for the
Beloved Master spoke so much to us about His visit
to your land, and we feel confident that the teachings
of the Blessed Perfection which He heralded forth
have not fallen on barren soil and the day is not far
distant when a rich harvest will be garnered therefrom.
90. At the holy Threshold of the Abhá Beauty
we fervently pray at all times for outstanding success
to attend that exalted body.1 Indeed, by virtue of the
1 The Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihrán.
226
brilliant achievements won and the distinguished
services rendered by those blessed souls, the heart of
this lowly one is filled with utmost joy and assurance,
and there is no doubt that through the
loving-kindness of God this measure of joy and
happiness will be multiplied day by day.
You have asked me about my own knowledge
and recollections concerning the holy Houses in
Tihrán. Unfortunately, due to my tender age at
that time, those blessed places and quarters have
faded from my memory.
Upon you be His glory and praise.
91. O dear sisters, ardent lovers of Bahá'u'lláh,
may my soul be offered up for your devotion,
your staunchness, and your steadfastness!
The letter from the honoured members of that
spiritual assemblage, telling of the women of that
land, their fervour, their fiery love for God, their
services to His Cause, their unity and mutual
kindness and loving fellowship, their grieving over
the departure of the world's Day-Starhas reached
this afflicted one. Reading it, I begged most humbly
of our Living and Eternal Lord, to aid and bless
those handmaids at all times and under all conditions.
He is verily the One Who is near to us all, and
answers our prayers.
To us who sorrow here, there is truly no joy in life
save only the good news that the lovers of God and
of `Abdu'l-Bahá, may my life be sacrificed for the
227
Spot which enshrines His holy Dust, are steadfast
and firm, and that those loyal handmaids have
girded themselves to serve the Faith, and casting
aside on the pathway of God their ease and comfort,
are proclaiming the Teachings, calling souls to life,
and making sure that the sacred blood of the Primal
Point, the afflictions and the captivity of the Abhá
Beauty, the anguish of `Abdu'l-Bahá shall through
you, men and women alike, through your steadfastness
today, yield goodly fruit for all on earth to see.
I presented your letter to the Chosen Branch, the
Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, and upon
reading it he expressed great joy and satisfaction. He
expressed gratitude to the Lord that men and
women have been raised up and are gathered
beneath the banner of the Covenant, every one of
whom, in the field of divine knowledge, can put
armies of error to flight. Through souls such as these
is God's promise fulfilled: 'We shall aid whosoever will
arise for the triumph of our Cause with the hosts of the
Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels.'
92. Your letter, laden with many a graceful
phrase, many a wondrous inner meaning, has been
received. Its perusal brought composure and tranquillity
to my soul and gladness to my heart,
inasmuch as from between its lines I could discern
the tokens of your unswerving constancy in God's
Mighty Cause and of your intense devotion to the
228
almighty Lord. I beseech God to illumine your heart
with the light of His love, to unloose your tongue in
magnifying His praise and in extolling His glory, to
strengthen you with so mighty a power that you
may vindicate the truth of His Faith by expounding
infallible proofs and conclusive testimonies.
You have told me about your taking part in
special gatherings for the training of Persian and
American Bahá'í children. Excellent indeed is
what you have done. Rest well assured, O handmaid
of God, in the gracious favour of your Lord. Verily
He will sustain you in your efforts for the advancement
of His Cause and in rendering service to the
world of humanity. Exert your utmost endeavour,
and expend whatever is dear to you in this glorious
path that you may earn the crown of righteousness,
imperishable and everlasting.
Indeed the peoples of the world spend their days
in idle imaginings, wholly oblivious to the Truth.
Know of a certainty that the ornament of life is to be
arrayed with the vesture of praiseworthy conduct
and be attired with the crown of goodly deeds.
All the members of the family and myself are
enjoying excellent health and we send our loving
greetings and best wishes to you and to all the
beloved friends there. I earnestly beseech from His
holy Threshold that He may purge you from every
affliction, grant you perfect health and may aid you
to serve His sublime Cause in this glorious Day. |