Aqsá Mosque

Index term: Aqsá Mosque

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O Emperor of Austria! He Who is the Dayspring of God's Light dwelt in the prison of 'Akká at the time when thou didst set forth to visit the Aqsá Mosque. Thou passed Him by, and inquired not about Him by Whom every house is exalted and every lofty gate unlocked. We, verily, made it a place whereunto the world should turn, that they might remember Me, and yet thou hast rejected Him Who is the Object of this remembrance, when He appeared with the Kingdom of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. We have been with thee at all times, and found thee clinging unto the Branch and heedless of the Root. Thy Lord, verily, is a witness unto what I say. We grieved to see thee circle round Our Name, whilst unaware of Us, though We were before thy face. Open thine eyes, that thou mayest behold this glorious Vision, and recognize Him Whom thou invokest in the daytime and in the night season, and gaze on the Light that shineth above this luminous Horizon.
Reference

Days of the Guardian

One evening Shoghi Effendi came over, and he was rather, …, hadn’t been well. He was rather disturbed, badly disturbed, in fact. And he sat down, pushed his plate aside, and Ruhiyyih Khanum said, “Shoghi Effendi, won’t you eat? You haven’t eaten all day. You’re hungry. You’re getting weak. You should eat. And then you can talk to the friends later about your cablegram and the matters you want to talk about.” So he said, well, all right, and he pulled his plate back and the servant gave him some food. He ate one or two mouthfuls, and then he pushed it back and started to talk. Well, Shoghi Effendi, we who lived there got to knew if Shoghi Effendi was well or if he was happy, just your whole life was around that of Shoghi Effendi. And if he was well, you got up in the morning and everything was fine. If he was happy, everything was sunshine. Sometimes you got up in the morning and everything was wrong. Why was it wrong? You didn’t know, but you found out during the day that Shoghi Effendi wasn’t well. So this is when he pushed his plate aside, again without eating, and he started to talk. And he said, “You know, shortly before Bahá’u’lláh passed away, the Master went to see him in Bahji, and He went up to His room and He found His papers all over the floor. So the Master collected them, put them in a neat order, laid them on a divan, and said, Bahá’u’lláh, I collected your papers and put them in order, and I‘ve put them out here so that you can have them. Bahá’u’lláh took them in His hands and threw them all over the floor again and said, “It doesn’t make any difference. It’s all done.” I don’t want to these papers any more. No more papers!” That was said before Bahá’u’lláh passed away. So, he said, when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, shortly before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away (‘Abdu’l-Bahá was always very meticulous in everything He did), and they found His papers scattered around in His room, and his secretaries collected them and put them in order for Him – put them together – and they took them to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá who took the papers and threw them and said, “I‘m done with the papers. It doesn’t make any difference now. It’s all finished now. I don’t want any more papers.” And shortly after, He passed away.
He said, “I‘m so tired of these papers, I don’t want them anymore. I just don’t want these papers any more. I don't want them.” Well, we talked to Shoghi Effendi and said, “Don’t talk that way! How can you say these things! You are going to kill your friends here.” And I said to Shoghi Effendi, “Why don’t you give these papers to Ruhiyyih Khanum and myself. Give them to us. We‘ll do something with them. We‘ll handle them. We‘ll digest them. We‘ll give you an outline, and so all you have to do is give us the answers, so that if a person raises a question, we‘ll give it to you, and all you have to do is say, “Tell him so-and-so. Tell him so-and-so.” And I said, “Shoghi Effendi, no Guardian of this Cause in the future is going to be able to do what you’re doing. No Guardian can receive all these people and give them personal audiences, give them personal contact and answer personal questions, and deal with the personal problems. I said, they have to in the future deal through the intermediaries. Why don’t you just set up now to have an audience with the pilgrims, one hour in the afternoon. Just one hour. Talk to everyone, have a general talk, and then it’s all finished and you can have a little time, so you can rest a little bit, so you won’t have so many burdens, and you’re not so pressed So I talked along that line and Shoghi Effendi said, “Well, it is not time for any change now.” And that was it.
(In the Days of the Guardian – a Talk by Hand of the Cause of God Leroy Ioas in Johannesburg, South Africa, 1958) ::: source :::

Guardian Letter to Ruhiyyih Khanum

Read Full Letter

Belief of Orthodox Bahá'ís

1) We are the "true Bahá'ís" We have not altered the true Faith of God. We believe just the same as all Bahá'ís believed before 1957 that the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh requires obedience to the Guardian of the Cause of God. We believe the present Guardian is Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand.

2) Orthodox Bahá'ís have all of the Institutions of the Cause of God as set forth in the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, including the Hands of the Cause of God, and an international body with the Guardian at its head, the International Bahá'í Council, which is destined in time to become the Universal House of Justice.

3) The Orthodox Baha'is, being under the shade of the Tree of Covenant are divinely guided and blessed. The "table of heaven is prepared" for them, "the angels of heaven" are their "assistants and helpers", and "the life of the Holy Spirit is breathing upon" them (from `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 214). 

The Guardian's web page is at www.bahai-guardian.com.

Amazing Way to Teach

Is this the way to teach the Baha'i Faith?

Guardian never would have approved this.

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Power of God

Bahá’í Calendar Associated with a Lunar Calendar

The friends in the West had always known, through books such as God Passes By and The Dawn-Breakers, that many Bahá’í historical dates were recorded and mentioned based on the lunar calendar of Islam. They had been also aware that a few Bahá’í anniversaries were being observed in some countries in the East in accordance with the lunar calendar, while the rest adhered to the dates of the solar calendar.

The Writings and Utterances of Bahá’u’lláh, such as those published in ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh’, clearly stipulate that Tehran was indeed the “mother of the world,” “the source of the joy of all mankind,” “the holy and shining city” and “the land of resplendent glory.” What other city had been so praised by the Blessed Beauty? It seems Tehran was destined to be the meridian of the future World Order. To an Oriental pilgrim Shoghi Effendi once said that the Prophet Muhammad had called Mecca “the mother of villages,” but Bahá’u’lláh had conferred the title “mother of the world” to His native city.

As to the question of the observances of the Twin Birthdays, as indicated in Note 138 of The Kitáb-i-Aqdas (pages 224–225), what Bahá’u’lláh meant by the two birthdays being as one day (in Questions and Answers #2) was that they should fall on two consecutive days. This is confirmed in a letter written on behalf of the Guardian. To explain fully this provision in the Aqdas, I will quote the following passage from Note 138 mentioned above:

“In the Muslim lunar calendar these [i.e. the anniversaries of the Births of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb] fall on consecutive days, the birth of Bahá’u’lláh on the second day of the month of Muharram 1233 A.H. (12 November 1817), and the birth of the Báb on the first day of the same month 1235 A.H. (20 October 1819), respectively. They are thus referred to as the ‘Twin Birthdays’ and Bahá’u’lláh states that these two days are accounted as one in the sight of God (Q&A 2).”

Mullá Husayn: A Student of Siyyid Kázim

Sword of Mulla Husayn

The story of Mullá Husayn begins in the year 1840 in Karbilá, 'Iráq. At the time he had already been a student of Siyyid Kázim for five years. Siyyid Kázim was a teacher of the Qur'án who was preparing the people for the coming of a new Prophet of God.
One day Siyyid Kázim said to his followers, "I wish that one of  you would go to the city of Isfahán, and deliver a message to a great man there named Hájí Siyyid Muhammad Báqir. If one of you can get him to support our teachings, it will greatly help to spread our Cause". Many times Siyyid Kázim repeated this rquest, but no one offered to make the journey.

At this time Mullá Husayn was only twenty-two years old. He was one of the youngest of Siyyid Kázim's students, but certainly one of his best. He sat in Siyyid Kázim's classes quietly and humbly. He was always the last one to arrive before each lecture, and the first one to leave after it was finished. He never stayed after the lecture to ask questions or argue as did many of the others. Ever since childhood he had studied to gain more knowledge--especially about religion and the subject of law.

One day, in 1840, Siyyid Kázim again repeated the question to his students: "Will someone arise and take this Message to Hájí Siyyid Muhammad Báqir in Isfahán?" Still, nobody offered to go, except a man whom Siyyid Kázim did not consider intelligent enough to do it properly. At that moment he turned to Mullá Husayn and said, "You are the one I have chosen. Arise and carry out this mission. With the help of God you will succeed."
Mullá Husayn was filled with joy! He had been too humble to offer himself, but when he was called upon to serve God in this way, he jumped to his feet, kissed the hem of   Siyyid Kázim's coat, and immediately left on his journey to Isfahán.

In a few day' time, Siyyid Kázim received a letter from Mullá Husayn containing the Hájí's declaration of support. When the letter was handed to him, he was lecturing to his followers. However, he read the letter and the declaration to all the men present. He immediately wrote an answer to Mullá Husayn, and also read that to his students. In this letter he praised Mullá Husayn so highly for his service that a few of Siyyid Kázim's followers thought that Mullá Husayn must be the Promised One. The letter was written with such love and tenderness that it was clear that Siyyid Kázim was saying goodby to Mullá Husayn. He knew that he would never see him again on this earth. Siyyid Kázim died on the 31st of December 1843.

It was on the 22nd of January 1844, twenty-two days after the death of Siyyid Kázim, that Mullá Husayn returned to Karbilá. For three days he received visitors at his home, all of whom expressed their sorrow because of the passing of Siyyid Kázim. After listening to their cries he invited the most trusted and outstanding ones to tell him what Siyyid Kázim had told them to do before he died. They told him that Siyyid Kázim had said over and over, "You must leave your homes, travel far and wide, purify your hearts, and search for the Promised One. The only way you can find Him is to search. You must pray to make your hearts pure---and search." Read Full

Center of the Covenant

Abdu'l-Bahá has received no greater hospitality than that accorded him by the clergy in America.   Pulpits in so many churches have been opened to him that on account of the time it has been possible for him to accept comparatively few of these invitations to address religious congregations.   The doors of various secular societies and associations have also been opened to Abdu'l-Bahá and in many conferences he has voiced the message of the peace of the Covenant of which his life of service is the Center.

Many people have been drawn to Abdu'l-Bahá by a spiritual force which they could not explain; a force which affected them so deeply as to make them observe that a change had been produced in their very souls.   These people are now realizing the reason why Abdu'l-Bahá's presence and words have a spiritual effect that no other man's presence nor words have.   This is because he stands in his mission, quite distinct from other men.   In his life of service to mankind is centered the great power of the Divine covenant.

The Covenant of God has ever been the source of man's spiritual enlightenment in past ages; it is the source of his spiritual enlightenment in this present day, and it will be the source of his spiritual enlightenment during the ages to come. Read Full

MESSAGES TO THE BAHÁ’Í WORLD

Cablegram of 24 December 1951, reviews "chain of recent historic events heralding long anticipated rise and establishment of the World Administrative Center of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in the Holy Land" including among others the "creation of the International Bahá’í Council" and the acquisition of properties in the vicinity of the Báb’s Sepulcher destined to serve as the site of future edifices envisaged by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to house auxiliary agencies revolving around the twin institutions of the Guardianship and the House of Justice.

" This cablegram also announces the first contingent of twelve Hands of the Cause, including Mason Remey, which he points out "paralleled preliminary measure of the formation of the International Council destined to culminate in the emergence of the Universal House of Justice."  (MESSAGES TO THE BAHÁ’Í WORLD 1950-1957 by Shoghi Effendi).

Quddus: Fellow-Pilgrim of the Bab on Haj to Mecca

“Quddus, immortalized by Him [the Bab] as Ismu'llahi'l-Akhir (the Last Name of God); on whom Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet of Kullu't-Ta'am later conferred the sublime appellation of Nuqtiy-i-Ukhra (the Last Point); whom He elevated, in another Tablet, to a rank second to none except that of the Herald of His Revelation; whom He identifies, in still another Tablet, with one of the ‘Messengers charged with imposture’ mentioned in the Qur'án; whom the Persian Bayan extolled as that fellow-pilgrim round whom mirrors to the number of eight Vahids revolve; on whose ‘detachment and the sincerity of whose devotion to God's will God prideth Himself amidst the Concourse on high;’ whom 'Abdu'l-Bahá designated as the ‘Moon of Guidance;’ and whose appearance the Revelation of St. John the Divine anticipated as one of the two ‘Witnesses’ into whom, ere the ‘second woe is past,’ the ‘spirit of life from God’ must enter” (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 49) – such a person showed incredible humility towards the Bab as documented below by the great historian Nabil:

"Upon His arrival in Jaddih, the Báb donned the pilgrim's garb, mounted a camel, and set out on His journey to Mecca [to perform His pilgrimage]. Quddus, however, notwithstanding the repeatedly expressed desire of his Master, preferred to accompany Him on foot all the way from Jaddih to that holy city. Holding in his hand the bridle of the camel upon which the Báb was riding, he walked along joyously and prayerfully, ministering to his Master's needs, wholly indifferent to the fatigues of his arduous march. Every night, from eventide until the break of day, Quddus, sacrificing comfort and sleep, would continue with unrelaxing vigilance to watch beside his Beloved, ready to provide for His wants and to ensure the means of His protection and safety." (Nabil, The Dawn-Breakers, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi, p. 132) (For a brief account of his life please visit Baha'i Talks, Messages and Articles)

Baha'i Faith and Zoroastrianism

In 19th-century Iran, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, Bahá'u'lláh, was acclaimed by a significant number of Zoroastrian converts, mainly from Yazd and Kerman, as the promised Sháh Bahrám Varjávand, a Zoroastrian messianic king foretold in several Pahlavi and New Persian texts. Later, still other Zoroastrians, primarily from the Írání Zoroastrian community in India, were won over to the nascent faith. (There were actually few converts from among the Parsis.) Indeed, Zoroastrians were among the first non-Muslim converts to the Bahá'í Faith in its formative era.

Recognition of the advent of this promised saviour depended greatly on one's perception and acceptance of Bahá'u'lláh's fulfilment of Zoroastrian prophecies. This fulfilment was not literal at the level of text, which required certain prodigies to establish prophetic warrant, and had laid out a scenario wherein the Zoroastrian religion and the vanquished Sasanian empire would be restored and the golden age of Zoroastrianism reign triumphant. 

Sháh Bahrám was supposed to be a Zoroastrian warlord, who would fight an apocalyptic battle of cosmic proportions. But Bahá'u'lláh was a prisoner and exile during his forty-year ministry (1852-92). He did not restore Sasanian Iran, nor did he re-establish the Zoroastrian religion. Nor did he reinvest Zoroastrian high priests with their former authority, nor has the golden age of Zoroastrian Iran been revived as the messianic era, the Renovation. A messiah is supposed to be a victor, not a victim. In Judaism, for example, the notion of a crucified messiah was absurd, incredible. (St. Paul calls the idea of a crucified messiah a "scandal" among Jews.) In traditional Zoroastrian terms, an imprisoned messiah was no messiah at all. Drawing from the Jewish ideal of the three highest offices (tria munera), which gave rise to an expectation of three messiahs at the time of John the Baptist (note the three questions addressed to the Baptist in the first chapter of the gospel of John), Bahá'u'lláh was neither a "royal" messiah, nor was he a "priestly" messiah. But was he a "prophetic" messiah? Read More

Kalimat (Words), The Month

Words ( Kalimat) is the standard for the Bahá'í month we are currently honoring, from July 13 until August 1, when the month of Perfection (Kamal) gets the spotlight. Until then, there are a number of things that we may do as Bahá'ís to honor The Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, `Abdu'l-Bahá, and the three Guardians who have all worked so diligently and fearlessly for the propagation of this Most Great Revelation.  
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” -- Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, John 1:1 page 103 --  

One may interpret that as saying that the Word was the beginning of all this, this planet,  the several continents, the history of humans with all their false starts and small victories. Words, words, words are in the forefront in this day. We have words flowing incessantly on the Internet, along with Instant Messaging ruling our lives. Words form the bulk of what we are told by the News Media every second of every day. Words, words, words.  Perhaps an overload of words is what we see around us. For better or worse, words  dominate.   

Words are our primary means of expressing ourselves, guided by our individual egos,  cultural upbringing, parental images, and education from the school of hard knocks.  Words can be the source of goodness or evil. Ever since the failings of Adam and Eve introduced, according to Biblical tradition, the element of evil into the world, humans have been on a limited spiritual quest to overcome the evil and replace it with the goodness that God has reflected toward us through His several Manifestations during the Adamic Cycle. We are now in the Bahá'í Cycle and have been given instructions through the twin Manifestations of The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh that will eventually lead us away from the human tendency to elevate ourselves above each other, and attain the peace foretold of old. Read Further

Krishna and the Baha'i Faith

The 'Song of God' or Bhagavad-Gita was first given to Arjuna around 1246 B.C. by Krishna. It is considered the 'gospels' of Hinduism. The essence of the teachings of Krishna is this: that we should detach from materialism in order to evolve spiritually. In the Baha'i Faith, we have a similar teaching that we should detach from all save God.

The full teaching to the Indian people are called the Vedas. They constitute six times the bulk of the Bible and recount similar stories and figures; such as the coming of Adam, the flood of Noah, and the missions of Shem and Abraham.
For example, one of the oldest figures in the Vedas was Manu. He was the "progeniter of humanity." His followers were known as the Manus. "According to the Vedas, the Manus represent the earliest Divine Lawgivers, who established sacrificial acts and religious ceremonies." (Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religions, pg. 220) An enlightening parallel when compared with the book of Genesis which recounts Adam as the first divine lawgiver. It was Adam who taught his descendants their rituals of sacrifice. This is but one of the numerous parallels that occur throughout the texts of all the world's religions.

There is a relationship between the Vedas to the Holy Bible. In part, this is due to the lineage of Krishna and the Indian people which can be traced back to Adam. Krishna is a descendent of Adam (Manu) through Abraham's third wife Keturah. Moses and the Israelites share a lineage tracing back to Adam through Abraham's first wife Sarah. More importantly, the religions of the Hindus and of the Jews and Christians all originate from the same, Omniscient Creator of the universe. All dissimilarities are due to the tamperings of the clergy classes.

The Hindu texts speak of teachers or prophets that are sent from Brahma (the One True Invisible God). They call them Avatars which means, "an incarnation of divine consciousness on Earth." These teachers have this title because they recieve the "Logos" which is "thought of God." Baha'is refer to these great Avatars as "Manifestations" because they manifest the attributes of God to mankind. They come progressively and teach humanity spiritual truths and reveal laws for an ever advancing civilization. The Vedas speak of 10 Avatars that are to come in this cycle of humanity known as the Adamic cycle which was started with the coming of Adam 6000 years ago.

These Avatars, chronologically, were Adam, Moses, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, the Bab and Baha'u'llah. Baha'u'llah was the 9th Avatar (aka - the "reincarnation of Krishna). Baha'u'llah revealed the "New" Song of God for this day. His is the message desperately needed for a demoralized society. The 10th Avatar is called Kalki Avatar; he appears at the end of this cycle or age (now) with his sword drawn for the final destruction of the wicked. What you will find here is Proof that Baha'u'llah truly is the one sent from Brahma. His proof is given from The Holy Bible because we live in a predominately Christian society. If you would like to read the proof for the Kalki Avatar, LINK

The Aghsans and the Afnans

In the Kitab-i-`Ahd, moreover, Baha'u'llah solemnly and explicitly declares: "It is incumbent upon the Aghsan, the Afnan and My kindred to turn, one and all, their faces towards the Most Mighty Branch. Consider that which We have revealed in Our Most Holy Book: `When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.' The object of this sacred verse is none other except the Most Mighty Branch (`Abdu'l-Baha). Thus have We graciously revealed unto you our potent Will, and I am verily the Gracious, the All-Powerful." ... (The World Order of Baha'u'llah, Pages 131-140: gr10)

O my loving friends! After the passing away of this wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Aghsan (Branches), the Afnan (Twigs) of the Sacred Lote-Tree, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God and the loved ones of the Abha Beauty to turn unto Shoghi Effendi--the youthful branch branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees and the fruit grown from the union of the two offshoots of the Tree of Holiness,--as he is the sign of God, the chosen branch, the guardian of the Cause of God, he unto whom all the Aghsan, the Afnan, the Hands of the Cause of God and His loved ones must turn. He is the expounder of the words of God and after him will succeed the first-born of his lineal descendants. ...(Baha'i World Faith--Selected Writings of Baha'u'llah and `Abdu'l-Baha (`Abdu'l-Baha's Section Only), Pages 438-449: gr10)

Jesus Christ is My Saviour

I believe that Jesus Christ is my Saviour,that He is the Manifestation of God. Does that preclude me from becoming an Orthodox Bahá'í? Perhaps as an Orthodox Bahá'í I will become a better Christian?

I do think that your belief in the Lord Jesus Christ does not preclude you from becoming an Orthodox Bahá'í  and I do believe that it would make you a better Christian.
Before I explain, I want to make sure that you know that you have reached the Orthodox Bahá'ís,  which is a small group of believers and which is not to be confused with the larger group of Bahá'ís whose headquarters presently is in Haifa Israel. Although we have many beliefs in common, we have fundamental religious disagreement with them and our organizations are not the same.

I also want to preface my response that the Orthodox Bahá'ís are not seeking to convert anyone, although we certainly do wish to share what we consider to be uplifting and deeply spiritual teachings and Writings, and a spiritual power that emanates from them, with anyone who is interested about our Faith. I say this because I want to be clear that we do not feel, as many others do, that the circumstance of whether someone accepts or rejects our Faith will enhance or diminish us. The acceptance of the Manifestation of God in every age is a matter between God and the individual.


From my experience and observations, it seems to me that the Writings of His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh, the Manifestation of God for this Day and the Founder of the Bahá'í religion, are keys that unlock the truths contained in the Holy Scriptures of all revealed religions. I have found that to become a true Bahá'í, I first had to become a true Jew, a true Christian, and a true Muslim. M O R E

Bahai Calendar (July)

July 7, 1968
Death of Hermann Grossman, Hand of the Cause of God
He was appointed a Hand of the Cause of God by Shoghi Effendi December 24, 1951

July 9, 1850 (Holy Day)
The Martyrdom of the Bab
On July 9, Bahais commemorate the date on which the Bab was executed in 1850 by a 750-man firing squad in Tabriz, Persia (Iran). The body of the Bab is retrieved as directed by Bahau'llah and ultimately interred at the Shrine of the Bab on the slope of Mt. Carmel, Israel

July 9, 1950
Completion of the Arcade and Parapet of the Shrine of the Bab

July 12, 1960
Horace Holley, prominent Baha'i and Hand of the Cause passes away in Haifa, Israel
Horace Holley (April 7, 1887 - July 12, 1960) was a prominent follower of the Baha'i Faith, having been elected to several Spiritual Assemblies and appointed by Shoghi Effendi in 1951 to be a Hand of the Cause of God and later elected to be one of the nine Custodians who stewarded the Faith from 1957-1963. He was born in Torrington, Connecticut in 1887 and was introduced to the Baha'i Faith in 1909. He died in Haifa, Israel on July 12, 1960.

July 15, 1932
Baha'u'llah's daughter the Greatest Holy Leaf passes away
The Greatest Holy Leaf, Bahiyyih Khanum (1846 - July 15, 1932) was the second child and first daughter of Baha'u'llah and his wife Asiyih Khanum. The Greatest Holy Leaf was born in a rented house in Tehran in 1846 and passed away on July 15th 1931 aged 86.

July 21, 1848
Mulla Husayn hoists the Black Standard and marches from Mashad with 202 fellow disciples to assist Quddus in Mazindaran

July 21, 1875
Birth of Hand of the Cause Agnes Alexander
Agnes Baldwin Alexander (July 21 1875 - January 1, 1971) was a prominent American Baha'i and Hands of the Cause of God. She was born in a Christian missionary family in Hawaii, and became a Baha'i in 1900 while visiting Italy. In November 1914 she moved to Japan, at the request of Abdu'l-Baha, where she lived the rest of her life. She was appointed a Hands of the Cause of God by Shoghi Effendi on 27 March 1957 and she passed in 1971 in Hawaii.

July 21, 1953
The Ten Year World Crusade launched during the Internatinal Conference in Stockholm, Sweden

July 22, 1965
Death of distinguished Baha'i Leroy Ioas, Hand of the Cause and past Secretary General of the International Baha'i Council

July 24, 1953
Death of Siegfried Schopflocher, Hand of the Cause of God in Canada
Siegfried Schopflocher, or Fred Schopflocher, as he was commonly called, was born in Germany in 1877 of Jewish parentage.

July 29, 1831
Birth of Apostles of Baha'u'llah and noted historian Nabil-i-A'zam
Mulla Muḥammad-i-Zarandi (July 29, 1831 - 1892), more commonly known as Nabil-i-A'ẓam (the Great Nabil) or Nabil-i-Zarandi (Nabil of Zarand), was an eminent Baha'i historian during the time of Baha'u'llah, and one of the nineteen Apostles of Baha'u'llah. He is most famous for authoring The Dawn-breakers, which stands out as one of the most important and extensive accounts of the ministry of the Bab.

July 30, 1951
Death of Hand of the Cause Louis Gregory in Eliot, Maine
Louis George Gregory (June 6, 1874, Charleston, South Carolina - July 30, 1951, Eliot, Maine) was a prominent member of the Baha'i Faith. In 1951 he was posthumously appointed a Hand of the Cause by Shoghi Effendi. 

The Day That Shall Not Be Followed By Night

A critical statement regarding the continuing Guardianship of Shoghi Effendi's appeared in Bahá'í News, June, 1950, p. 8, under "Divine Guidance". On the basis of this statement alone, it should be clear to those who have accepted Shoghi Effendi as the first appointed interpreter of the writings of the Faith after 'Abdu'l-Bahí that, if they do not recognize that the first Guardian appointed his successor, they can no longer maintain that the Faith which they follow has the promise contained in the words "the day which will not be followed by night." Shoghi Effendi's statement reads as follows:

        "Once the mind and heart have grasped the fact that God guides men through a Mouthpiece, a human being, a Prophet, infallible and unerring, it is only a logical projection of this acceptance to also accept the station of 'Abdu'l-Bahí and the Guardians. The Guardians are the evidence of the maturity of mankind in the sense that at long last men have progressed to the point of having one world, and of needing one world management for human affairs. In the spiritual realm they have also reached the point where God could leave, in human hands (i.e. the Guardians'), guided directly by the Bab and Bahí'u'llíh, as the Master states in His Will, the affairs of His Faith for this Dispensation. This is what is meant by 'this is the day which will not be followed by night'. In this Dispensation, divine guidance flows on to us in this world after the Prophet's ascension, through, first the Master, and then the Guardians. If a person can accept Bahí'u'llíh's function, it should not present any difficulty to them to also accept what He has ordained in a divinely guided individual in matters pertaining to the Faith." More

Charter of the New World

Even though the content of the letters and manuscripts which I composed and sent to the Auxiliary Board Member for Protection and other official addresses of the Heterodox Bahá'í administration during the past two years vividly articulated my personally held belief that the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha' must, by deeds and application, be recognized as the Charter of the New World Order, the Child of the Covenant, not merely by words or in theory, I have received no official word from the Heterodox Baha'i administration concerning my membership within that Baha'i community, namely membership #137661, Ross W. A. Campbell.
The Maxwell Pilgrim Notes of Jan.-Mar. 1937 speak of the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah, as the "spiritual testament" of the first of our Guardians, Shoghi Effendi:
"There was a danger that the friends might misunderstand the Master's Will, and thus the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah was written, Shoghi Effendi's spiritual testament in detail. He has fixed in it the relations of things to each other. We cannot go beyond what he has defined. However, the second Guardian can interpret the "Dispensation" itself. He has the same promise to be the inspired interpreter. The Guardian is the interpreter, expounder of the Cause and the protector of the Cause."...
"The Guardian can overrule a decision of the International House of Justice if he conscientiously feels it is not in accord with the teachings. This is the interpretive right. The second part of his part of his work is participation in the legislative body. All endowments, international and local, are to be deferred to the International House of Justice. The Guardian has no right whatsoever in these matters. He has the Huquq...."
Of course, the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah eloquently speaks for itself, clearly defining the position of the Guardians in God's Kingdom on Earth, which will be brought to accomplishment by mankind's obedience to the Charter of the New World Order, the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, the Child of the Covenant.
The continuing disobedience to that sacred Child of the Covenant, by the current Heterodox Bahá'í administration leaves me no alternative other than to officially withdraw my membership (#137661) as Bahá'í under the current Heterodox administration, while simultaneously presenting again the document which I sent to many addresses of Bahá'ís under the current Heterodox administration, which manuscript expresses my submission to the 3rd Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith:

What Ian Roebuck Believes?

The Orthodox Bahá’í Faith has its early roots in that of Islam.  A young Muhammadan Man announced in Persia on May 23rd, 1844, that He was the forerunner of the Promised One of all the previous religions.  It created uproar in that area of the world.  No less than 20,000 of His followers, known as Bábi’s, were martyred.  In 1850, the Báb was publicly executed.
One of the Báb’s followers became known as Bahá’u’lláh.  That title roughly translates as “the Glory of God”.  Bahá’u’lláh announced that He was the One foretold by the Báb.  He began his ministry in 1853, and publicly announced it in 1863.  Bahá’u’lláh was banished successively from Persia to Baghdad to Constantinople, to Adrianople, and finally to the prison city of Akka located across the bay from Haifa, Israel.  He later pitched His tent upon Mount Carmel.  He passed away in 1892.
`Abdu’l-Bahá, another title meaning “Servant of Bahá’u’lláh”, was the appointed successor and Center of the Covenant and Interpreter of the Word.  Released from imprisonment, He traveled to Europe and America in 1911 – 1912.  He passed away in 1921.
Shoghi Effendi, the eldest grandson of `Abdu’l-Bahá, was appointed by Him to be Guardian of the Faith, and under his leadership the Faith expanded to over 250 different countries.  Shoghi Effendi passed away in London in 1957.
  
Shoghi Effendi, in the only Proclamation he ever issued, appointed Charles Mason Remey as the Head of the International Bahá’í Council, the embryonic Universal House of Justice.  Mason Remey remained silent until 1960, as he tried to preserve unity among the believers.  In 1960 he publicly announced that Shoghi Effendi had appointed him second Guardian of the Faith.  The appointment being in the known fact that only a Guardian can be the Head or President of the Universal House of Justice, whether fully formed or in embryonic condition.  With the passing of Shoghi Effendi the embryonic House of Justice, provisionally designated as the International Bahá’í Council, which had never been activated, had immediately become the active organ, and Mason as its president, the Guardian.
Mason himself both appointed in writing, and by appointing to the second International Bahá’í Council as President, Joel Bray Marangella third Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith.  When Mason activated the Council in 1965, Joel, as its President and Head, became the Guardian.
The Orthodox Bahá’í Faith teaches the unity of God and His Prophets, the unity of the human race, the independent investigation of the truth, elimination of all forms of prejudice, the fundamental agreement of science and religion, equal opportunities, rights, and privileges for both sexes, abolishes extremes of poverty and wealth, establishes the need for an international script and language, universal education, a universal system of currency, weights, and measures, and promotes the establishment of world peace. Link

To Live the Life

"To be no cause of grief to anyone.
To be kind to all people and to love them with a pure spirit.
Should opposition or injury happen to us, to bear it, to be as kind as ever can be, and through all, to love the people.   Should calamity exist in the greatest degree, to rejoice, for these things are the gifts and favors of God.
To be silent concerning the faults of others, to pray for them, and to help them, through kindness, to correct their faults.
To look always at the good and not at the bad.  If a man has ten good qualities and one bad one, look at the ten and forget the one. And if a man has ten bad qualities and one good one, to look at the one and forget the ten.
Never to allow ourselves to speak one unkind word about another, even though that other be our enemy.
To do all of our deeds in kindness.
To cut our hearts from ourselves and from the world.
To be humble.
To be servants of each other, and to know that we are less than anyone else.
To be as one soul in many bodies, for the more we love each other, the nearer we shall be to God; but to know that our love, our unity, our obedience must not be by confession, but of reality.
To act with cautiousness and wisdom.
To be truthful.
To be hospitable.
To be reverent.
To be the cause of healing for every sick one, 

                    a comforter for every sorrowful one,
                    a pleasant water for every thirsty one.
                    a heavenly table for every hungry one,
                    a star to every horizon,
                    a light for every lamp,
                    a herald to everyone who yearns for the kingdom of God"
Source

Prayers for America

O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is turning to Thee.   
These hearts are radiant with Thy Love.   
These minds and spirits are exhilarated by the message of Thy glad-tidings.   
O God!   Let this American demorcacy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to material degrees, 
and render this just gov ernment victorious.    
Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, 
to promulgate the Most Great Peace, 
to become therby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the naitons of the world.   
O God!   This American nation is worthy of Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy.   
Make it precious and near to Thee through Thy bounty and besowal.

`Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í Prayers    Click for more prayers

Will of God will Prevail

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::: Drive Out Darkness :::

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: 
only light can do that. 
Hate cannot drive out hate: 
only love can do that.” 

― Martin Luther King Jr., 
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches

We Want Peace