Though my body be pained by the trials that befall me from Thee, though it be afflicted by the
revelations of Thy Decree, yet my soul rejoiceth at having partaken of the waters of Thy Beauty,
and at having attained the shores of the ocean of Thine eternity. Doth it beseem a lover to flee
from his beloved, or to desert the object of his heart's desire? Nay, we all believe in Thee,
and eagerly hope to enter Thy presence.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 96
Consider the past. How many, both high and low, have, at all times, yearningly awaited the advent
of the Manifestations of God in the sanctified persons of His chosen Ones. How often have they
expected His coming, how frequently have they prayed that the breeze of divine mercy might blow,
and the promised Beauty step forth from behind the veil of concealment, and be made manifest to
all the world. And whensoever the portals of grace did open, and the clouds of divine bounty did
rain upon mankind, and the light of the Unseen did shine above the horizon of celestial might,
they all denied Him, and turned away from His face--the face of God Himself. Refer ye, to verify
this truth, to that which hath been recorded in every sacred Book.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 4
Although both Arabic and English are languages with rich vocabularies and varied modes of expression,
their forms differ widely from one another. The Arabic of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is marked by intense
concentration and terseness of expression. It is a characteristic of this style that if a
connotation is obvious it should not be explicitly stated. This presents a problem for a reader
whose cultural, religious and literary background is entirely different from that of Arabic.
A literal translation of a passage which is clear in the Arabic could be obscure in English.
It therefore becomes necessary to include in the English translation of such passages that element
of the Arabic sentence which is obviously implicit in the original. At the same time, it is vital
to avoid extrapolating this process to the point where it would add unjustifiably to the original
or limit its meaning. Striking the right balance between beauty and clarity of expression on the
one hand, and literalness on the other, is one of the major issues with which the translators have
had to grapple and which has caused repeated reconsideration of the rendering of certain passages.
Another major issue is the legal implication of certain Arabic terms which have a range of meanings
different from those of similar terms in English.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 10
...
Spread Peace
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The Feast of Beauty (Jamal)
Friday, April 22, 2011
BAHA’IS (ORTHODOX) SET TO CELEBRATE THIS RIDVAN IN THE MOOD OF VICTORY OF COURT CASE
The Baha’is under the Guardianship of Joel Bray Marangella, will celebrate this Ridvan in a special spirit. The Baha’I Administrative year 167 B.E is recorded as historical for the Orthodox Baha’is, Indian Orthodox Bahais are for historical Victory that the Court Action brought by the National Spiritual Assembly under the bogus Universal House of Justice, in the Court of Chicago, Illinois, USA, on November 16, 2006, has now finally concluded in their favor. The deadline for the NSA to file a petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court was March 29, 2011. The deadline has come and gone therefore court decision in their favor is now final.
The nature of the court case filed by the above NSA that:
The NSA claims to be the owner of the following federal trademark registrations granted the United States Patent Office:
1. Arabic Symbol “The Greatest Name”.
2. National Spritual Assembly of the Bahais of United States.
3. Baha’i.
4. Baha u llah.
Conclusion:
The NSA obtained a Judgment against the NSA loyal to Mason Remey back in 1966 which prohibited that NSA from using the above "trademarks." The Court decided that the Orthodox Baha'is are not bound by the old Judgment. The Orthodox Baha'is asserts that:
"the Baha’i Faith is not a product that can be trademarked. It is a religion. An individual or a group cannot be the owner of the religion or religious terminology, and the Courts cannot decide religious controversies. Thus anybody who follows the teachings of the Bab, Baha u llah, Abdu’l Baha and Shoghi Effendi and follow the belief and the principles given them can call themselves Baha'is in the United States."
Nosrat’u’allah Bahremand in India
In this year the faithful friends also had the pleasure of meeting Hand of the Cause, the Vice President of Third International Baha’i Coucil, Mr. Nosrat’u’allah Bahremand as he travelled to India in September 2010.
Orthodox Baha’is celebrated the festival with devotionals and gatherings at the following places:
1. Vasai Road, at the House of Mr. Rajendra Upadhyaye.
2. New Delhi, at the House of Mr. Vinod Kumar.
3. Lucknow, at the House of Mr. S. P. Pandey.
Happy Ridvan to All the Bahais irrespective of the sects.
Dr. A. Parikh, Secretary, National Baha'i Council of India.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
SHOGHI EFFENDI INFORMS THE UNITED NATIONS OF HIS ROLE AS THE "APPOINTED HEAD" OF THE FUTURE BAHÁ'Í "WORLD COUNCIL" PRIOR TO ITS FORMATION IN 1951
In July 1947, some three and one half years prior to his appointment of the International Bahá'í Council on 9 January 1951, Shoghi Effendi prepared a statement for submission to the United Nations Special Palestine Committee that has been published in pamphlet form under the title of: "The Faith of Bahá'u'lláh." with the subtitle, "A World Religion."On page 3 of this document one may note the following significant paragraph which incontestably proves, in Shoghi Effendi's own words, that the one who presides as President of the International Bahá'í Council — this "World Council" — can be none other than the Guardian of the Faith. "The passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá marked the termination of the first and Heroic Age of the Bahá'í Faith and signalized the opening of the Formative Age destined to witness the gradual emergence of its Administrative Order, whose establishment had been foretold by the Báb, whose laws were revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, whose outlines were delineated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in His Will and Testament, and whose foundations are now being laid by national and local councils which are elected by the professed adherents of the Faith, and which are paving the way for the constitution of the World Council, to be designated as the Universal House of Justice, which in conjunction with me, as its appointed Head and the authorized interpreter of the Bahá'í teachings, must coordinate and direct the affairs of the Bahá'í community, and whose seat will be permanently established in the Holy Land, in close proximity to its world spiritual center, the resting-places of its Founders."
Joel Bray Marangella
"The passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá marked the termination of the first and Heroic Age of the Bahá'í Faith and signalized the opening of the Formative Age destined to witness the gradual emergence of its Administrative Order, whose establishment had been foretold by the Báb, whose laws were revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, whose outlines were delineated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in His Will and Testament, and whose foundations are now being laid by national and local councils which are elected by the professed adherents of the Faith, and which are paving the way for the constitution of the World Council, to be designated as the Universal House of Justice, which in conjunction with me, as its appointed Head and the authorized interpreter of the Bahá'í teachings, must coordinate and direct the affairs of the Bahá'í community, and whose seat will be permanently established in the Holy Land, in close proximity to its world spiritual center, the resting-places of its Founders."
Sunday, April 10, 2011
FOLLOWERS OF BOGUS UHJ ARE CONFUSED
The Hand of Cause, the Vice President of Third International Baha'i Council, Nosrat u llah Bahremand replies to the comment:
Kevin’s question shows how the Baha’is who are following the bogus UHJ are confused due to their disobedience and infidelity to the current Guardian, Joel B Marangella, and on the other hand because of the misrepresentation of the bogus UHJ and its infringement upon the sacred and prescribed domain of the Guardian.
In 1992 when they translated and published the Aqdas in English without having authority to do so, they added some notes to this sacred Book, many of which contain unauthorized and erroneous interpretations. Equally they were guilty of similar transgressions in the introduction which they added to the Book.
Baha’u’llah, Himself, in that Most Holy Book has warned:
“Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of them that have perverted the Sublime Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book.” (The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 57)
The Birthdays of Baha’u’llah and the Bab were registered in the Hijri calendar which is a lunar calendar previously used in Iran and other Muslim dominated countries but today is mostly used for religious purposes. The Hijri calendar which is based on the Moon’s cycles consists of 12 months without a link to the seasons, a Hijri lunar year is usually 11 to 12 days shorter than a solar year so that an event which is registered at the same time in both calendars takes approximately 33 Hijri years to match up again. The Baha’is in Iran and the Middle East still celebrate these Holy Days on the lunar basis: the birth of the Bab on the first day and the birth of Baha’u’llah on the second day of the month of Muharram (the first month of Hijri calendar). The Baha’i calendar is on the solar basis, so it becomes obvious why the question is raised. Baha’u’llah relieved Baha’is from fasting if those Holy Days fall on the month of Alá’ (Loftiness).
To decide whether the Baha’is of Iran and the Middle Eastern countries will continue to celebrate these Holy Days on the basis of the solar calendar, as the Baha’is of the West currently do, or otherwise, will be left to the establishment of a true Universal House of Justice which will then have the Guardian of the Cause of God as its “Sacred Head,” as stipulated in the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha, and accordingly thereby posses “the necessary guidance to define the sphere of legislative action of its elected representatives”.
Nosrat
In 1992 when they translated and published the Aqdas in English without having authority to do so, they added some notes to this sacred Book, many of which contain unauthorized and erroneous interpretations. Equally they were guilty of similar transgressions in the introduction which they added to the Book.
Baha’u’llah, Himself, in that Most Holy Book has warned:
“Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of them that have perverted the Sublime Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book.” (The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 57)
The Birthdays of Baha’u’llah and the Bab were registered in the Hijri calendar which is a lunar calendar previously used in Iran and other Muslim dominated countries but today is mostly used for religious purposes. The Hijri calendar which is based on the Moon’s cycles consists of 12 months without a link to the seasons, a Hijri lunar year is usually 11 to 12 days shorter than a solar year so that an event which is registered at the same time in both calendars takes approximately 33 Hijri years to match up again. The Baha’is in Iran and the Middle East still celebrate these Holy Days on the lunar basis: the birth of the Bab on the first day and the birth of Baha’u’llah on the second day of the month of Muharram (the first month of Hijri calendar). The Baha’i calendar is on the solar basis, so it becomes obvious why the question is raised. Baha’u’llah relieved Baha’is from fasting if those Holy Days fall on the month of Alá’ (Loftiness).
To decide whether the Baha’is of Iran and the Middle Eastern countries will continue to celebrate these Holy Days on the basis of the solar calendar, as the Baha’is of the West currently do, or otherwise, will be left to the establishment of a true Universal House of Justice which will then have the Guardian of the Cause of God as its “Sacred Head,” as stipulated in the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha, and accordingly thereby posses “the necessary guidance to define the sphere of legislative action of its elected representatives”.
Nosrat
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