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
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, 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)
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
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
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
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)
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
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.
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
