No.16 & 17, Months of Perfection & Questions 168 B.E August and Dec شماره 11 و 11 شهرالکمال وشهرالمسائل 118 بدیع آگوست و دسامبر 1111 میالدی

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1 رضوان RIDVAN No.16 & 17, Months of Perfection & Questions 168 B.E August and Dec شماره 11 و 11 شهرالکمال وشهرالمسائل 118 بدیع آگوست و دسامبر 1111 میالدی

2 Message to all the believers in Baha u llah After the first Guardian of the Baha i Faith, Shoghi Effendi, left this world on Nov. 4, 1957, a group of people, then elevated to the rank of the Hands of the Cause of God, led by Ruhiyyah Khanum, openly opposed and challenged the authority of C. M. Remey, the head of the embryo of the Universal House of Justice, who was appointed by the first guardian of the Faith, to that position, on 9 th of January, As the head of the Universal House of Justice and the office of the Guardianship is the same, C.M. Remey became the 2 nd Guardian of the Baha i faith on 4 Nov C.M. Remey declared his position as the 2 nd Guardian of the Baha i Faith and the successor to the 1 st Guardian, in his declaration of Ridvan, 117 of B.E. The group of the ex-hands of the Cause collectively claimed the successor ship to the 1 st Guardian of the Baha i Faith, Shoghi Effendi, and after assuming the reins of authority with no documents * to support them, formed an illegitimate Universal House of Justice in 1963 to mislead the believers. The so called Universal House of Justice does not have the Guardian, in person, as its president, a fundamental requirement under the provision of the Will and Testament of Abdu l-baha. It has not been formed in accordance with the Writings of the Baha i Faith. It has not been the development of the embryo of Universal House of Justice, established by the first Guardian of the Faith in early Thus this body, the budded Universal House of Justice, is false Universal House of Justice and it is illegitimate. The first Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, has rejected, in advance, validity of such an institution in his letter of summer of 1925 where he states: Any institution that is not established in accordance with the Divine Order, not in conformity with the principles and the conditions recorded in the Holy Writings, as it is required for this august institution, consequently such an institution is void of credential deprived of spiritual station, and forbidden to have any right to legislate and enact laws and ordinances which are not explicitly recorded in the Holy Writings. It also lacks the essential qualities and the Divine confirmation. [Reference to the Universal House of Justice] ٩ RIDVAN Is the formal publication of the community of the believers in the continuation of Guardianship. It is published under the direction and guidance of his eminence Jacques Soghomonian the present 4 th Guardian of the Baha i Faith. Its aim is to teach and promote the teachings of the Baha i Faith particularly the Principles of the World Order of Baha u llah, established by its Founder, Baha u llah defined and explained by Abdu l-baha, and promoted and applied by the 1 st Guardian, Shoghi Effendi. After Shoghi Effendi the Faith has been guarded by succeeding Guardians; C.M. Remey and D.A. Harvey. The Baha i Faith is currently protected by the present 4th Guardian of the Faith, Jacques Soghomonian. RIDVAN is published once every four months for distribution among the believers in Baha u llah and others. Address for Correspondence: RIDVAN P.O. Box 563, HORNSBY, NSW, 2077, AUSTRALIA ridván@tpg.com.au Tel *Ref. Introduction to The Ministry of the Custodians by Ruhiyyah Khanum, page 9 2

3 SUMMONS TO THE KINGS AND RULERS OF THE WORLD By Baha u llah O KINGS of the earth! He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is come. The Kingdom is God s, the omnipotent Protector, the Self- Subsisting. Worship none but God, and, with radiant hearts, lift up your faces unto your Lord, the Lord of all names. This is a Revelation to which whatever ye possess can never be compared, could ye but know it. We see you rejoicing in that which ye have amassed for others, and shutting out yourselves from the worlds which naught except My Guarded Tablet can reckon. The treasures ye have laid up have drawn you far away from your ultimate objective. This ill beseemeth you, could ye but understand it. Wash your hearts from all earthly defilements, and hasten to enter the Kingdom of your Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven, Who caused the world to tremble, and all its peoples to wail, except them that have renounced all things and clung to that which the Hidden Tablet hath ordained... O Kings of the earth! The Most Great Law hath been revealed in this Spot, this Scene of transcendent splendour. Every 3

4 hidden thing hath been brought to light, by virtue of the Will of the Supreme Ordainer, He Who hath ushered in the Last Hour, through Whom the Moon hath been cleft, and every irrevocable decree expounded. Ye are but vassals, O Kings of the earth! He Who is the King of kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most wondrous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Take heed lest pride deter you from recognizing the Source of Revelation; lest the things of this world shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is the Creator of heaven. Arise, and serve Him Who is the Desire of all nations, Who hath created you through a word from Him, and ordained you to be, for all time, the emblems of His sovereignty. By the righteousness of God! It is not Our wish to lay hands on your kingdoms. Our mission is to seize and possess the hearts of men. Upon them the eyes of Bahá are fastened. To this testifieth the Kingdom of Names, could ye but comprehend it. Whoso followeth his Lord, will renounce the world and all that is therein; how much greater, then, must be the detachment of Him Who holdeth so august a station! Forsake your palaces, and haste ye to gain admittance into His Kingdom. This, indeed, will profit you both in this world and in the next. To this testifieth the Lord of the realm on high, did ye but know it. How great is the blessedness that awaiteth the king who will arise to aid My Cause in My Kingdom, who will detach himself from all else but Me! Such a king is numbered with the companions of the Crimson Ark, the Ark which God hath prepared for the people of Bahá. All must glorify his name, must reverence his station, and aid him to unlock the cities with the keys of My Name, the omnipotent Protector of all that inhabit the visible and invisible kingdoms. Such a king is the very eye of mankind, the luminous ornament on the brow of creation, the fountainhead of blessings unto the whole world. Offer up, O people of Bahá, your substance, nay your very lives, for his assistance. We have asked nothing from you. For the sake of God We, verily, exhort you, and will be patient as We have been patient in that which hath befallen Us at your hands, O concourse of kings! 4

5 O kings of Christendom! Heard ye not the saying of Jesus, the Spirit of God, I go away, and come again unto you? Wherefore, then, did ye fail, when He did come again unto you in the clouds of heaven, to draw nigh unto Him, that ye might behold His face, and be of them that attained His Presence? In another passage He saith: When He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth. And yet, behold how, when He did bring the truth, ye refused to turn your faces towards Him, and persisted in disporting yourselves with your pastimes and fancies. Ye welcomed Him not, neither did ye seek His Presence, that ye might hear the verses of God from His own mouth, and partake of the manifold wisdom of the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise. Ye have, by reason of your failure, hindered the breath of God from being wafted over you, and have withheld from your souls the sweetness of its fragrance. Ye continue roving with delight in the valley of your corrupt desires. Ye, and all ye possess, shall pass away. Ye shall, most certainly, return to God, and shall be called to account for your doings in the presence of Him Who shall gather together the entire creation... Twenty years have passed, O kings, during which We have, each day, tasted the agony of a fresh tribulation. No one of them that were before Us hath endured the things We have endured. Would that ye could perceive it! They that rose up against Us have put us to death, have shed our blood, have plundered our property, and violated our honor. Though aware of most of our afflictions, ye, nevertheless, have failed to stay the hand of the aggressor. For is it not your clear duty to restrain the tyranny of the oppressor, and to deal equitably with your subjects, that your high sense of justice may be fully demonstrated to all mankind? God hath committed into your hands the reins of the government of the people, that ye may rule with justice over them, safeguard the rights of the down-trodden, and punish the wrongdoers. If ye neglect the duty prescribed unto you by God in His Book, your names shall be numbered with those of the unjust in His sight. Grievous, indeed, will be your error. Cleave ye to that which your imaginations have devised, and cast behind your backs the commandments of God, the Most Exalted, the Inaccessible, the All-Compelling, the Almighty? Cast away the things ye possess, and cling to that which God hath bidden you observe. Seek ye His grace, for he that seeketh it treadeth His straight Path. Consider the state in which We are, and behold ye the ills and troubles that have tried Us. Neglect Us not, though it be for a moment, and judge ye between Us and Our enemies with equity. This will, surely, be a manifest advantage unto you. Thus do We relate to you Our tale, and recount the things that have befallen Us, that ye might take off Our ills and ease Our burden. Let him who will, relieve Us from Our trouble; and as to him that willeth not, My Lord is assuredly the best of helpers. Warn and acquaint the people, O Servant, with the things We have sent down unto Thee, and let the fear of no one dismay Thee, and be Thou not of them that waver. The day is approaching when God will have exalted His Cause and magnified His testimony in the eyes of all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth. Place, in all circumstances, Thy whole trust in Thy Lord, and fix Thy gaze upon Him, and turn away from all them that repudiate His truth. Let God, Thy Lord, be Thy sufficing succorer and helper. We have pledged Ourselves to secure Thy triumph upon earth and to exalt Our Cause above all men, though no king be found who would turn his face towards Thee. 5

6 . Progress of Soul after Death Tablet by Baha u llah And now concerning thy question regarding the soul of man and its survival after death. Know thou of a truth that the soul, after its separation from the body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the presence of God, in a state and condition which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the changes and chances of this world, can alter. It will endure as long as the Kingdom of God, His sovereignty, His dominion and power will endure. It will manifest the signs of God and His attributes, and will reveal His loving kindness and bounty. The movement of My Pen is stilled when it attempteth to befittingly describe the loftiness and glory of so exalted a station. The honor with which the Hand of Mercy will invest the soul is such as no tongue can adequately reveal, nor any other earthly agency describe. Blessed is the soul which, at the hour of its separation from the body, is sanctified from the vain imaginings of the peoples of the world. Such a soul liveth and moveth in accordance with the Will of its Creator, and entereth the all-highest Paradise. The Maids of Heaven, inmates of the loftiest mansions, will circle around it, and the Prophets of God and His chosen ones will seek its companionship. With them that soul will freely converse, and will recount unto them that which it hath been made to endure in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. If any man be told that which hath been ordained for such a soul in the worlds of God, the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below, his whole being will instantly blaze out in his great longing to attain that most exalted, that sanctified and resplendent station... The nature of the soul after death can never be described, nor is it meet and permissible to reveal its whole character to the eyes of men. The Prophets and Messengers of God have been sent down for the sole purpose of guiding mankind to the straight Path of Truth. The purpose underlying Their revelation hath been to educate all men, that they may, at the hour of death, ascend, in the utmost purity and sanctity and with absolute detachment, to the throne of the Most High. The light which these souls radiate is responsible for the progress of the world and the advancement of its peoples. They are like unto leaven which leaveneth the world of being, and constitute the animating force through which the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest. Through them the clouds rain their bounty upon men, and the earth bringeth forth its fruits. All things must needs have a 6

7 cause, a motive power, an animating principle. These souls and symbols of detachment have provided, and will continue to provide, the supreme moving impulse in the world of being. The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother. When the soul attaineth the Presence of God, it will assume the form that best befitteth its immortality and is worthy of its celestial habitation. Such an existence is a contingent and not an absolute existence, inasmuch as the former is preceded by a cause, whilst the latter is independent thereof. Absolute existence is strictly confined to God, exalted be His glory. Well is it with them that apprehend this truth. Wert thou to ponder in thine heart the behavior of the Prophets of God thou wouldst assuredly and readily testify that there must needs be other worlds besides this world. The majority of the truly wise and learned have, throughout the ages, as it hath been recorded by the Pen of Glory in the Tablet of Wisdom, borne witness to the truth of that which the holy Writ of God hath revealed. Even the materialists have testified in their writings to the wisdom of these divinely-appointed Messengers, and have regarded the references made by the Prophets to Paradise, to hell fire, to future reward and punishment, to have been actuated by a desire to educate and uplift the souls of men. Consider, therefore, how the generality of mankind, whatever their beliefs or theories, have recognized the excellence, and admitted the superiority, of these Prophets of God. These Gems of Detachment are acclaimed by some as the embodiments of wisdom, while others believe them to be the mouthpiece of God Himself. How could such Souls have consented to surrender themselves unto their enemies if they believed all the worlds of God to have been reduced to this earthly life? Would they have willingly suffered such afflictions and torments as no man hath ever experienced or witnessed? The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness. This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, O believers in the Unity of God, that ye may be exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions, that ye might prosper and flourish. He Who hath come to build anew the whole world, behold, how they that have joined partners with God have forced Him to dwell within the most desolate of cities! 7

8 ARMENIA was a magazine for the Armenians living in the Marseille region. In its October 1972 issue, an article about Jacques Soghomonian and the Baha i Faith can be found. Here, we present a reworked version of the original article. The Baha i World Faith Jacques Soghomonian, ardent apostle of the Baha i World Faith, one of humanity s great social and spiritual forces. Mr. Soghomonian doesn t proselytize. He doesn t try to recruit anybody. But if unexpectedly the conversation touches this subject, when the subject is on the table he is hard to stop and extremely convincing because his doctrine doesn t lack in attraction and can gather a number of souls in search of their own spiritual truth. It started in 1863: The son of the Persian prime minister, Baha u llah, received the inspiration from the Most High and wrote down principles that were intended to be spread. He created the world Charter of a religion with ecumenical intentions based on love, understanding of humankind, peace among men on the earth and, of course, the personal search of spiritual truth. The charter contained the following twelve points: Oneness of God and His prophets Oneness of humankind Independent and individual investigation of the truth The Oneness of religion Harmony of religion and science Elimination of prejudices and superstitions Universal compulsory education Equality between men and women Creation of a universal auxiliary language Spiritual solution to economic problems Establishment of an arbitration court on a global level Universal peace As you see, it s generous, rational and by the way, since the proclamation of the charter more than a century ago, several of these principles have been adopted. Baha ullah proclaimed his message across the world, addressing simultaneously Queen Victoria of England, the Emperor Napoleon II, the Tsar of Russia, the German Emperor, and all the heads of state. None remained indifferent. And based on Baha u llah s counsels and encouragements, Queen Victoria decided to abolish slavery. The Baha i World Faith followed its destiny. Of course, like with all the doctrines, some of the people contacted say yes, but, yet the idea gets rooted and continues to spread so well that at this time, the faith has its temples, in particular in Wilmette near Chicago, in Frankfurt, and Kampala in Africa. They are houses of prayer with nine portals representing the nine great world religions. The Baha i World Faith has had many martyrs in the beginning, especially in Persia. There were 20,000 believers persecuted and martyred. Baha u llah, who was considered dangerous by the Arab governments, was resettled consecutively to Tehran, Baghdad, Constantinople and Akka. His body rests in Israel, in Bahji (close to Haifa) to be exact. This is symbolic after all because this inspired hill represents somehow the spiritual 8

9 intersection of the world. By the way, the birth of the Baha i World Faith and his actions were foretold in the Holy Scriptures. It is in Haifa itself that the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, Shoghi Effendi, used to live. He was appointed by Abdu'l-Baha, the son of Baha'u'llah and his successor, in his testament. Alas, after his death there has been a division. His legitimate successor was the American architect, Charles Mason Remey, son of a vice-admiral of the U.S. fleet. He wasn t proclaimed Guardian directly, but he was appointed to a position that only a Guardian can hold. He was opposed by a majority of the Baha is. He went to live in exile in Florence then. He s the head of an (active) minority. The majority of the spiritual movement followed a group called the Hands of the Cause, appointed originally by Shoghi Effendi, and abolished the position of the Guardian created by Abdu'l-Baha in his testament. Mr. Jacques Soghomonian, based on the scriptures, has stayed faithful to Charles Mason Remey because his nomination was according to the testament of Abdu'l-Baha and in conformity with the Writings of Shoghi Effendi. All the Baha i Writings were written by the hand of Baha ullah only, contrary to certain great world religions (with texts written by their disciples). This limits certain divergences and personal interpretations. We give you a very brief explanation of what the Baha i World Faith is. This synopsis doesn t pretend to be complete at all. We try to improve our understanding by asking some questions to Mr. Jacques Soghomonian: How did you become a member of the Baha i World Faith? My grandfather was already a believer and my mother, who was a teacher, imparted to me a will for spiritual search; I entered the faith after my personal research. How is God in your religion, a spiritualized human being, a spirit, something abstract? God is light, harmony, intelligence. You can say that there are five kinds of spirits: the plant spirit, the animal spirit, the human spirit, the spirit of the Faith and the Holy Spirit. What practices does your religion consist of? There is no liturgy, no priesthood, hence neither priest nor mass. Only the 19-day meetings with prayers and meditation. First, the individual has to develop himself spiritually. Then his faith must be expressed through love and kindness in his behavior and social activities. Do you think that there is a compatibility with the other world religions, Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist etc.? Certainly, our faith considers itself to be a synthesis of of all beliefs, for the uplifting of the spiritual being because our aspiration, our God, represents light, knowledge, harmony and universal order. You could talk with Mr. Soghomonian about the Baha i World Faith for hours, of course. There are still more questions to be asked, many points to be discussed. But let s limit ourselves to feature a passage of the texts that show his thinking: The Baha i World Faith doesn t strive to invalidate the eternal principles of the previous religions. Its goal is to broaden their basics, to reformulate their fundamental principles and to restore the simple purity of their teachings. A Baha i, whatever his religious background, doesn t negate the essence of this Faith at all, quite contrary he continues it towards a common fulfillment. That s it! Mr. Soghomonian thought it was good that we know all this and we reckon that we have to inform you because his intentions are generous. 9

10 . Excerpt of a letter from Mason Remey sent to a believer on October 1 st 1965 (original letter written in French) I don t approve that the Baha is under the second Guardian make whatever claim towards the government of Israel for the possession of all the Baha i property in the Holy Land. This is a spiritual matter and should be treated only with spiritual means. Advances to our lost friends must always be amicably, but we also need to get them to know that they are wrong in refusing the second Guardian. At this hour we live in the New Day of God where all our acts must be conform to the laws of God s Kingdom, as it has be given by Baha u llah. Everything must be accomplished with love and harmony... even there where we differ from our lost friends. With this method, we will win this spiritual battle. Henceforth it is this way that the friends under the second Guardian should behave, forgetting the things passed and moving forward in unison in order to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God on earth... having nothing else in our heart that the love for all... making an effort to overcome the animosity of those who consider themselves to be our enemies. The Potentialities Inherent in the Station of Man The All-Merciful hath conferred upon man the faculty of vision, and endowed him with the power of hearing. Some have described him as the "lesser world," when, in reality, he should be regarded as the "greater world." The potentialities inherent in the station of man, the full measure of his destiny on earth, the innate excellence of his reality, must all be manifested in this promised Day of God. Baha u llah 10

11 ای دوست لسانی من قدری تأم ل اختیار كن هرگز شنیده ئی كه یار و اغیار در قلبی بگنجد پس اغیار را بران تا جانان به منزل خود در آید. O SON OF LOVE! Thou art but one step away from the glorious heights above and from the celestial tree of love. Take thou one pace and with the next advance into the immortal realm and enter the pavilion of eternity. Give ear then to that which hath been revealed by the pen of glory. ای اهل دیار عشق 11 شمع باقی را اریاح فانی احاطه نموده و جمال غالم روحانی در غبار تیره ظلمانی مستور مانده. سلطان سالطین عشق در دست رعایای ظلم مظلوم و حمامه قدسی در دست جغدان گرفتار. جمیع اهل سرادق ابهی و مأل اعلی نوحه و ندبه می نمایند و شما در كمال راحت در ارض غفلت اقامت نموده اید و خود را هم از دوستان خالص محسوب داشته اید. فباطل ما أنتم تظن ون.

12 Donald A. Harvey 5, rue Lavoisier Paris France To Mr. E.S. Yazdani 29 th December 1976 P.O. Box 423 Toowong, Q.L.D 4066 AUSTRALIA My Dear Friend Mr. E.S. Yazdani It is with great pleasure that I received and read your 24 th October letter. I am grateful for your Faith in Baha u llah and in praising Him and His doings. The designation by Shoghi Effendi Rabbani of his successor is so clear now even if it was quite veiled then. The veil had to be rent asunder as part of man s spiritual progress. The appointment by The Guardian of his successor at the seat of Guardianship is an open act made before countless witnesses. This appointment cannot be made in secret as is the case with a Will and Testament. Thus Charles Mason Remey appointed me as his successor to the Guardianship, in a general letter circulated throughout the whole Baha i Community, including the group following the Haifa Group which professes to believe the Guardianship over. Mason s letter of appointment was sent mid-may I myself did not expect so soon to find myself all of a sudden to be the Third Guardian, for Mason Remey himself expected to live way beyond the 100 th Year of his Anniversary, to be marked 15 th May As you know Mason left this earthly plane 2 nd February 1974, in the latter part of his 99 th year Cycle on Earth (being born in America 15 th May 1874 A.D. precisely at the time The Blessed Perfection Baha u llah was already incarcerated at Akka after a long and painful journey from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain in fulfillment of Ancient Holy Scriptures, Mason Remey would have completed his full hundred-year cycle on Earth 14 th May 1975, the eve of his 101 st Birthday: Indeed Mason saw himself back in Jerusalem at the age of 120, a feat that would not be impossible at all when considered even on the physical plane). Mason had a healthful body that would have enabled him to live a long, long time upon this Earth. He became discouraged upon seeing the multiple divisions among even and especially the believers who 12

13 professed to be followers of Baha u llah under his Guardianship while at the same time swaying other believers to their particular way of seeing things thus creating small splinter groups, namely starting sects. Mason since 1972 all of a sudden became ill over the whole situation in the pro Guardianship world. Pepe and Mason lived on the small pension Mason was receiving from the Trust Fund established by his beloved parents, and in 1973 were no longer able to make ends meet. Before Joel Marangella made his claim on 12 th November 1969 of being the Third Guardian, while the Second Guardian was living on Earth (such a proclamation being Joel s own, completely outside the Sacred Provision of Abdu l-baha s Will and Testament. The small group of believers under the Second Guardianship sent Mason and Pepe contributions that would go toward affairs of the Faith itself, for Mason had a general letter circulated to the effect that he personally was not in need and what-ever he would receive would go towards the Faith. At that time things started to change and believers started to contribute to Joel Marangella, thus cutting off Mason and Pepe. Joel s proclamation was spiritually and physically a death sentence passed upon Mason Remey, inviting him to get out of Joel s way to the Guardianship. One thing is sure: Joel is not the Guardian now or ever. He could have been the Guardian after Mason s Death. In fact Joel carried a sealed letter entrusted to him by Mason soon after 1961, constituting in fact a test imposed upon Joel. When Mason in particular circumstances wrote about the errors of Shoghi Effendi (one should have read through to see the friends themselves were in error during the first Guardianship and wanted to perpetrate their errors under the second Guardianship) then Joel and other people around him decided that Joel open the sealed letter containing a text whereby Joel is designated Mason s successor to the Guardianship, in conformity with the sacred provisions of The Will and Testament. Joel was to open this letter in a moment of grave danger, and when in 1966 Mason changed his plans about the Second International Baha i Council in the wake of spiritual misbehavior of many of its members, when particularly in May-June 1967 Mason publicly named me to be His Successor and previously asked me if I were willing to be thus named (I replied yes to him confident that Mason Remey would live a long life on Earth as Guardian, possible outliving me), then Joel thought he should step in and substitute himself to the legitimate living Guardian at that time. Thus his 12 th November 1969 Proclamation. All this goes to show many things. One of the most important being when one is not sure of who the Guardian is, and that there is a lack of cohesion in the world wide 13

14 Community then the movement disintegrates and sects are formed to fight one another. True servants should be so busy they would not have time to think about themselves and idly develop ideas of their own utterly foreign to the standards set by Baha u llah and Abdu l-baha. See how in the time of Shoghi Effendi how the Friends, despite being uninformed or naïve about many prescriptions of the Teachings, they formed a cohesive movement to become highly regarded by the outside non-baha i world. Although the spiritual level of their enterprises was low, yet they obtained visible results and built Temples in several places of the Earth s surface. Unfortunately they ignored what was meant by the Covenant of Baha u llah and ignored too much the contents and goals of the Will and Testament. Shoghi Effendi knew about this and dealt with the problem the best he could on the occasion of pilgrims visiting him. In America was overwhelmingly a praiseworthy project of multiplying Centers and Communities, with more and more Groups and Local Spiritual Assemblies year after year. But the great mistake committed right then was to consider the Administrative Order as the Baha i Faith itself while in fact the Administrative Order, at best can only hope to become a perfect instrument of the Baha i Faith. The Faith must be as a light within each of us and all of us before anything else can be at all accomplished, both individually and collectively of Both! The great drama of the Baha is a little over the hundred years of its inception is the failure of most of the believers to remain steadfast to the Teachings of Baha u llah. Said believers allowed themselves to be seduced by the utter materialism of our times and of becoming intoxicated thereby. Far from being a strong and lasting influence among humankind in the name of Baha u llah they allowed themselves to be influenced and governed by materialism and all its evils. The Baha is were licked by the very forces they were with God s help to rent asunder. Anyway the Cause of Baha u llah is no one s particular property, and those today professing publicly to be Baha is cannot for long lay claim to its past promises, properties, endowments, and whatever renown there may be left in it. The True Cause of Baha u llah was and remains meant for all the kindreds of the Earth, so they may become spiritually and physically emancipated. The day peoples everywhere will have learned of Baha u llah and His Blessed Cause, they will flock to it and make their vows to serve it, no more no less as Baha u llah shows us to: we must all be Teachers, not to badger peoples and persuade them with intellectual arguments, no! but Teachers who with the help of God and Baha u llah, will by example show others the true way of Life one dedicated soul gradually acquires. 14

15 Each servant must have a mastery over his own self, soul, body, demeanor as he will naturally be emulated everywhere he goes. This love of God and Baha u llah must be reflected in his love for his fellow men, even to the point of preferring to die that others may live although such extreme instances seldom happen to those who serve with the true spirit. I wrote several friends who have recognized me as the Third Guardian, that the Light must be communicated everywhere. When there should be sufficient dedicated souls at one spot (town, village or city) they may at the following Ridvan form locally a Spiritual Assembly of 9 members. But what counts foremost is the spiritual deepening in each and every one of us, and it will prove to be an eternal quest. As Guardian I cannot in present circumstances do more than remind the Friends of the True Message of Baha u llah for general spiritual regeneration and emancipation that starts necessarily with each and every individual: one s own self! The Guardian will again one day find his true role as reference, spiritual guide when thousands and millions of people will find Baha u llah. As Faith is experienced differently from one individual to the next, there may always develop different opinions, to be necessarily resolved in local, regional or Continental, and finally Universal body, the latter headed by the Guardian himself. To be brief all people must come orderly to God and Baha u llah and participate in elaborating those laws that will supplement those of the Kitab-I- Aqdas. From local and regional areas Houses of Justice will emerge as explained by Abdu l-baha, and in the midst of each activity the Guardian will appoint people of spiritual insight helping all the people to the Spiritual Kingdom, before there can be successfully built the actual promised Kingdom of God on Earth. The Guardian is appointed and in turn appoints his successor in his own lifetime, in an open or series of open acts that may not always be at first understood. Thus Shoghi Effendi s naming of the Head of the Embryonic Universal House of Justice, nothing could be clearer to all, but how many even to this day, can see it clearly? Mason Remey s public appointment of myself as his successor, there is no excuse for any believer failing to see it, Mason s general letter spells out my name is clear. This he did in a very hectic period of turmoil where each and many were disobedient to Baha u llah, and using the Guardian then for their own personal designs. Thus the designation of a succeeding Guardian is not by Testament, in a hidden fashion, such as was the letter sealed and carried by Joel. The designation is out in the open, for all to see and understand, as part of general activities carried out by 15

16 the growing Baha i Community. Each Guardian is guided by Baha u llah himself in appointing the proper branch, his own or another s, in the general configuration of believers and servants at the time. Another important point to stress: We must remember the words of Shoghi Effendi stating that it would be abusive for any Guardian to legislate all by himself laws binding upon the peoples. The Guardian is the Interpreter of the Word of God and Baha u llah revealed the Kitab- I-Aqdas to be supplemented by laws to be enacted by the future Universal House of Justice in the Dispensation of Baha u llah. In that House of Justice, the Guardian, its sacred Head and member for life, has one vote as each of the other members, so he can partake in legislation on an equal basis with each elected member. Thus is limited his boundary as legislator. But as Interpreter of the Word of God each and all, near and afar owe obedience and attention to the one who is the Guardian so they can be the cause of felicity, praise, and wholesomeness in the world Community, as a Luminary among other Luminaries. The hectic competition and selfish monopolies we are witness to in the present day world is the diametrical opposite of conditions to be attained by all in the future when Baha u llah will become known and followed by all. How will we arrive at such a state, from our present-day conditions? The secret lies in spiritual personal emancipation to be conducted by the individual upon his own self. Abdu l-baha is and remains our True Example for each and all to follow. His obedience to Baha u llah was so complete and through that He was among men what Baha u llah should have been Himself and was, except He was imprisoned most of His earthly life after 1852 A.D. The Guardian is not necessarily an example although he ought to be, circumstances permitting. The Guardian is the interpreter of the Word of God on Earth among man, this being his utmost role among men. Please accept my thanks for your check for FF As you know I am not presently seeking any contributions from the believers. There will be times in the future when provisions of the Aqdas, and of the Will and Testament will be generally adhered to. Right now our tasks are mainly spiritual. The Believers should expand their money and other resources locally in their own Community. I do at times receive contributions, generally in bank checks or in bank credit transfers, coming from individual believers. I don t want to discourage them but they should know that small amounts on individual checks reaching me, are turned over to my bank account to be deposited, but with fixed fees applying to checks emitted by foreign Banks, much of their value is eaten up, and for every dollar sent me, only 60 or 70 cents is deposited on my account while the 16

17 other 30 or 40 cents is for the bank itself in handling the check. The ideal solution would be for contributing friends in a given area to group their individual contributions onto a single check showing a sizeable amount thus the bank fixed fee would proportionally be much smaller. But in our times, are other requirements. I hope to see Pepe in Italy, and I bring him the money from these contributions. Now the Tomb of Mason Remey is just about completed in Trespiano Cemetery near Florence, Italy, and it is beautifully done under the direction of Pepe who served so faithfully Mason. He didn t see Mason in his lifetime as the Guardian, but he sees him now after death, as having been the Guardian of the Baha i Faith. Mason declared that Pepe has a very special position in The true Baha i Faith. This fact should never be forgotten now and for all times. Ten years ago some Baha i Believers (persons then calling themselves) thought Pepe was a bad influence for Mason, precisely because Pepe was a real assistant and protection for the Guardian, as God and Baha u llah means it. Those complaining believers had secret designs of their own and wanted to be an influence upon Mason that would have been an evil influence. See how peoples are prone to carry upon others their own defects and shortcomings. As to your question: WAS OUR BELOVED SHOGHI EFFENDI RABBABI -- DIED NATURALLY OR WAS HE MARTYRED? If he was, by who? And why? From accounts of Shoghi Effendi s death published after November 1957 by Ruhiyyih Khanum, I have no reason to believe Shoghi Effendi died a martyr. He was recovering from the general flu epidemic, dominant all over Europe at that time, the consulting physician in London had confined Shoghi Effendi to his hotel room, and declared his patient was well recovering and would be allowed in a few days to journey back to Haifa. Ruhiyyih Khanum and Shoghi Effendi had their own rooms in the hotel, and it was alone that Shoghi Effendi died on the night between 3 and 4 November 1957 A.D. His heart just stopped, his eyes were open. He was found in that state early the following morning (4 th November) by Ruhiyyih Khanum. In spite of her present unwarranted influence over countless misled believers, I have no reason at all to believe she world have engineered something against the person of Shoghi Effendi. If she did however, it is not for the believers to unduly dwell upon the matter which belongs solely to God and Baha u llah. What again is meant by martyrdom? Certainly Shoghi Effendi was aware that the greater amount of registered believers would not make the grade caused him untold worry. He would receive reports to the effect that somewhere a spiritual assembly on grounds reminding those of power politics 17

18 had suspended the voting rights of a believer recusant in falling into line prescribed by the clique of the community and Shoghi Effendi had to intervene and order the Assembly to reinstate the victimized believer. On such instances Shoghi Effendi was unable to eat, and for several days secluded himself. He was well aware, from what I am able to gather, that spirituality among the believers, especially those busy pioneering, tended to decline as goals in teaching and conquering for the Faith of Baha u llah were being increasingly realized. Did he accept this situation? No one can ever tell. I am tempted to deliver my impression as follows: Shoghi Effendi, observing increasing cheats and short-cuts, and the flouting of increasing numbers of Laws and Principles by the Baha i Crusaders (remember that name he gave to that particular period with all the things it entails), felt his end nearing. As he already had appointed his successor the way we know he did, Shoghi Effendi reconciled himself to the fact that a great change would be made in the Baha i Community, that with the return to the True Spirit of Baha u llah under the guidance of Mason Remey. Either that, and renewed, confirmed growth of the Baha i Communities all over the world both spiritually and physically. Otherwise, the catastrophe bringing the Baha i Community as it had always been up to that time, to utter oblivion and discredit. Shoghi Effendi, when he appointed the Hands of The Cause, said he did so as part of his duties to the Will and Testament of Abdu l- Baha. What did he mean in such a statement? Had he misgivings when appointing such and such Hands? On another occasion he is known through a returning Pilgrim to have said at the table at meal time: There is God s minor plan and God s Greater Plan. The time may be coming when they will come into collision with each other. At any rate under Shoghi Effendi s Guardianship, was launched an impossible task of conquering the whole earth with Communities composed of believers showing increasingly dwindling spirituality. Was it the fault of these believers? Yes to the measure each is responsible before God for his or her spiritual growth and development; and again one might say no when considering how surrounding materialism causes each and every one of us to compromise, ever so slightly with the Truth which is uncompromising, bringing this insidious process to its term, namely leading astray from The Spirit before one realizes it, and by that time it is too late! Shoghi Effendi, like any Guardian, cannot substitute himself to each believer and make up for each of them the spirituality in himself they are lacking. That is not the true role of the Guardian. If Shoghi Effendi thought he was obliged to do so, then he would have been a martyr. However he, like 18

19 Mason Remey, and as each Guardian will ever state, will say that the true example of the Faith Who lived in closeness with His Father, and also with men everywhere He went, the True Example to be followed and emulated by all the peoples, is none but the Center of The Covenant, Abdu l-baha. Aside from these considerations, Shoghi Effendi was martyred by his own kin, for since the time he assumed the Guardianship in , his blood family unceasingly put every obstacle to his plans. He had to pronounce them Covenant Breakers in order to preserve the integrity of the Baha i Community, and Faith. This sentence reportedly broke his heart and appeared as a final measure separating for all eternity mother and son, brother and sister. How could in such circumstances Shoghi Effendi and Ruhiyyih Khanum give birth to any children? All this stemmed from Shoghi Effendi s unwillingness to continue bowing to his parent s wishes to cover up certain privileged believers in their irregularities and wrong actions within the Community. You probably know that from the start of his Guardianship, Shoghi Effendi stood all alone, misunderstood or even opposed with great hostility from those who like Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, had plans of their own to personally inherit the fame and renown Abdu l-baha bestowed upon the Community then. Probably Shoghi Effendi, all alone before Baha u llah, was misunderstood by most believers, and this can pain very deeply such a sensible man who must then shed most of his sensitivity away thus becomes more distant with other people. Shoghi Effendi was grieved by such a prevailing situation in this world. People are quoted as saying he was distant and solitary: the truth is Shoghi Effendi rightly would not subscribe to their mundane and all the attending hypocrisy, and bow to such materialism, man-made, for no purpose than disturb and stamp out the order of God still remaining in Creation. Others say Shoghi Effendi didn t like children. The truth is Shoghi Effendi deplored the way children in this age are brought up, in order to search material advantages and excluding God from their preoccupations. Anyone may voice the same criticism, is it a reason to condemn children? We see the impossibly wide gulf separating the world of God and the world of man. Mason Remey was quoted as saying that in our times when the Dispensation of Baha u llah formally was present, in 1970, the World of man and its attendant materialism had declared war upon the world of the Kingdom of God. This I fear will last a long time. But it cannot last forever. I remain, Dear Mr. E.S. Yazdani, Faithfully in El Abha Donald A. Harvey 19

20 A LAST APPEAL TO THE HANDS OF THE BAHA I FAITH A PRIVATE AND SECRET DOCUMENT TO BE READ ONLY BY THE HANDS OF THE FAITH BY MASON REMEY HAND OF THE FAITH AND PRESIDENT OF THE BAHA I INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL APPOINTED BY THE BELOVED GUARDIAN OF THE FAITH

21 A LAST APPEAL TO THE HANDS OF THE FAITH EXHORTING THEM TO ABANDON THEIR PROGRAM FOR 1963 AND THAT THEY SEEK TO FIND THE SECOND GUARDIAN OF THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH AND THAT THEY UPHOLD THE WILL AND TESTAMENT OF THE MASTER ABDU L- BAHA AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE FAITH AS ESTABLISHED BY THE BELOVED GUARDIAN SHOGHI EFFENDI THAT AT PRESENT IS UNDER A CLOUD OF VIOLATION THAT THREATENS THE FULFILLMENT OF ITS MISSION TO MANKIND BY MASON REMEY PRESIDENT OF THE BAHA I INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL APPOINTED BY THE FIRST GUARDIAN OF THE BAHA I FAITH APRIL

22 Continues from RIDVAN # 15 issues: THE FAITH IS PROTECTED Whether or not the Beloved Guardian realized or knew of his approaching death, he left his Cause fully protected when he appointed me President of the Baha i International Council, for by so doing he vested in me, Mason Remey, the authority to guard the Faith against this violation of the Administration even though this violation be perpetrated by the Hands of the Faith as proposed in the report of the Conclave at Bahjí of 1959 that was signed by 22 of the 27 Hands of the Faith. Thus these friends have gone on record as upholding this violation. Therefore the only stand for me to take now is to forbid all the plans of the Hands for AWAKE, FRIENDS OF THE HANDS! AWAKE! Violation conscious or unconscious so poisons and distorts the spiritual vision of the one or ones infected that they are not able to help themselves to see the truth of the matter. Every concerted action of the Hands of the Faith since their stand was taken in the first Conclave at Bahjí, to put aside the administration of the Faith by making changes in its fabric or structure, has been to violate and to confuse the believers more and more by leading them farther and farther away from the way as established by the Beloved Guardian. They started out by assuming command of the Faith shortly followed by their actual acceptance of the Chicago Manifesto "The New Baha i Era", but that they decided was too strongly put to give out to the people of the Faith at that time, so its publication was suppressed. But, as I have shown in other parts of this writ, they the Hands highly approved of by the letter that the Custodian Hands wrote to Horace Holley, approving highly of the Manifesto declaring SANS GUARDIANSHIP. Now since that Manifesto has been withdrawn from circulation among the friends, the Custodian Hands have adopted a beating-down process, trying to beat down any hope that they may find bobbing up now and then among the believers, here and there, by discouraging all hopes that any may have of another Guardian to follow Shoghi Effendi. But as time goes on, these Hands now go so far as to insist that the Baha is abandon all hopes, going so far as practically to forbid any discussion at all of the possibility of the Guardian, who awaits in occultation, and has waited in occultation since the death of Shoghi Effendi until the moment for him to come forth with the clear proofs to prove his Guardianship to the Baha i World. The Second Guardian of the Baha i Faith, whose presence upon earth is as yet unknown to any believers, save to himself, will ere long be obliged to come forth from his concealment ere the sufferings of the firm believers be too great for them to sustain these present conditions any longer for they, these firm ones who cling to the Administration as established by the Beloved Guardian, must not be made to suffer too long and too much ere even their faith be put to too great a test. Christ prayed that these days be shortened for the sake of the very elect, lest even they, the elect, might fall. This moment is indeed the eleventh hour in the judgment of the Hands of the Faith. Let them beware and understand this and turn from the way they have made for themselves in their program for HANDS OF THE FAITH! Abandon your program. Awake! Desire that the Guardianship continue and diligently seek your Guardian so when he comes forth from his present occultation, he will find you desiring him, looking for him, and ready to follow him as he leads the Faith 22

23 onto victory promised to the world by the Divine Manifestations, Christ and the Prophets since the creation of the world. The Guardian of the Faith, who ere long will appear, is calling to you to make you ready for his coming. Awake, Hands of the Faith, and make yourselves ready to meet him, the Second Guardian of the Baha i Faith. VIOLATION The present stand of the Hands of the Faith against the continuation of the Guardianship beyond that of Shoghi Effendi is indeed a most clearly stated and defined violation of both the Will and Testament of the Master 'Abdu l-baha, and also a violation of the Administrative System of Baha i law and order that the Beloved Guardian constructed and built up upon the Will and Testament and was getting into running performance in all parts of the Baha i World when death interrupted his mission. The normal and logical procedure of the Hands of the Faith under such conditions should have been to take up his work of carrying on Administration according to the plan and the Will and Testament, of assuming their own responsibility of protecting the Faith by seeking the Second Guardian to continue on where the services of Shoghi Effendi so-without-anywarning had come to such a sudden end. Such procedure would have been carrying out the intent of the Will and Testament. But NO, an influential group of individuals within the body of the twenty-seven Hands of the Faith consulted together in private from the others, made a covenant between themselves and then proceeded to put this over the others (and with a certain success too) that is to say they have up until the present time been able to hold up and hold back the carrying on of the Administration of the Faith as given in the Will and Testament, which Administrative principle centered about the infallibility of the Guardianship, perpetrated by fallaciously promising the people an infallible Universal House of Justice that they, the Hands, would form in This is indeed a violation of the Will and Testament, a violation clear and distinct! There is but one method of meeting violation, and that is to cut it out completely and cast it out from the Cause without any compromising whatsoever! Some of the enlightened Baha is in Germany in letters and by telegram called the attention of the Hands of the Faith to the fact that the Faith, according to the Revealed Word that the Hands should not abandon the Guardianship. Their missives were sent to the Conclave of Hands in Bahjí, but these were not read nor discussed in the conferences by the Hands, save that it was understood that when two German Hands returned to Frankfurt that they would explain to the friends of their National Spiritual Assembly that all of these matters would be taken up and settled by the infallible Universal House of Justice that they would establish in As I view this situation of our Faith, I see it started to develop because the Hands did not distinguish the difference between violation and disunion or in harmony for violation and in harmony are two very different things and are not to be treated or handled in the same manner. A simple case of in harmony between believers is to be treated by love and by one giving into the other and by following the opinion of the majority, but according to the Teachings of Baha u llah and 'Abdu l-baha, violation is an entirely different matter from disunity and in harmony; one that has to be treated of in altogether different manner than in harmony; for violation must be cut out absolutely and not palliated at all. I don't know what individual experience, if any, that the Hands of the Faith may have 23

24 had with violation, but I doubt if any of the occidental Hands of the Faith have had any experience with violation, with but the exception of Mrs. True and myself. The Khirella violation and that of the Kirchners in Chicago, followed by that of Fareed, of the Ispahani family of Haifa, the Woodcock family of Montreal and others, were all so long ago in the rapidly moving history of our Faith as to be out of the present consciousness of those believers who have come into the Faith in the more recent times than these that I mention. However, all of the Hands of the Faith know of the defection of Ahmad Sohrab because this is of so recent date as still to be an enemy movement that in its Various branches in different parts of the world is actively working against the Baha i Faith. Now why is it that the Hands of the Faith cannot see that the stand that they are now united upon is one of violation? The Hands of the Baha i Faith claim to be following the teachings of Baha u llah, 'Abdu l-baha and the interpretation and application of those teachings by the Beloved Guardian, but with no continuation of the Guardianship. Theirs is the same stand as that taken by Ahmad Sohrab! Ahmad Sohrab announced in print that he accepted the Teachings of Baha u llah and 'Abdu l-baha, but without the Guardianship. Why is it that the Hands of the Faith cannot see this point of my argument? When Ahmad Sohrab made his defection, we had the Beloved Shoghi Effendi here with us to lead us, but now the Guardian has not yet appeared to take the command of the situation before us. Only the Second Guardian of the Faith can pull the Cause out of its present dilemma. While the Hands, as well as all other members of the Faith, were in deep sorrow at the death of Shoghi Effendi, there was never any expression of desire amongst the Hands of the Faith that they have another Guardian to take his place infallibly to direct the Cause. No, the majority of the Hands definitely in their attitude do not want a Second Guardian. When confronted blankly by me with this accusation, some of them hastened to affirm by spoken words that of course they would like to have another Guardian etc., etc. But surely their attitudes deny their words. When the National Spiritual Assembly of Baha i s of Germany expressed the hope of having a Second Guardian of the Faith to the Second Bahjí Conclave, nothing was done about these messages save to commission the two German Hands of the Faith upon their return to Frankfurt to talk with the members of their Assembly and tell them that the Universal House of Justice, that they would establish in 1963 with the infallibility that they attributed to it, would decide about all Baha i procedures, including whether or not the Guardianship should be continued. I've never heard how this fallacious teaching was received by the German National Assembly. Several of the Hands, knowing how I felt about the Guardianship, came to me and talked to the effect that the Universal House of Justice in 1963, being infallible, might reestablish the Guardianship, but as none of these friends in their attitudes and their speech appeared to me to want anything of me save for me to be quiet and cease agitating the subject of Guardianship. I saw plainly that they were trying to get my support of their violation to put over their House of Justice in 1963 and that they were baiting the hook of their violation with this fallacious possibility of Guardianship, hoping that I would be satisfied with this ruse upon their part to carry their point, that from that first Bahjí Conclave and since then ever has been the abolition of Guardianship. Inasmuch as some of the Hands of the Faith are going to such length to kill the Cause, I feel it is high time that this matter be brought to a head and cut out from the Cause before it becomes worse and more difficult to handle than it now is. Therefore I am putting into writing in this document an account of these things between us as I see them, in the hope that the Hands will reconsider their stand. To be continued in the next issue of RIDVAN 24

25 A Ghazal from Hafez Though I am old and decrepit and weak My youth returns to me every time your name I speak. Thank God that whatever my heart ever desired God gave me that, and more than I ever could seek. O young flower, benefit from this bounty In this garden I sing through a canary s beak. In my ignorance I roamed the world at first In thy longing, I have become wise and meek. Fate directs my path to the tavern, in life Though many times I stepped from peak to peak. I was blessed and inspired on the day That at the abode of the Magi spent a week. In the bounty of the world, await not your fate I found the Beloved, when of wine began to reek. From the time I was entrapped by thy eyes I was saved from all traps and paths oblique. The old me, befriended the unreliable moon Passage of time is what makes me aged and weak. Last night came good news that said, O Hafiz I forgive all your errs, even though may be bleak. 25

26 STATEMENT BY E.S. YAZDANI 26 April, 2009 I, E. S. Yazdani, currently residing at 1385 Old Northern Road, Middle Dural, 2158, Australia, state that, Mr. J. Soghomonian is the present 4 th guardian of the Baha i Faith and he remains the guardian of the Baha i Faith until his soul is called from this physical plane to the next by the All Mighty God. He was appointed to the position of the 4 th guardian of the Baha i Faith by his predecessor; Mr. D. A. Harvey the 3 rd guardian of the Baha i Faith. It is the duty of all the believers, including his appointed successor, to obey the Guardian of the Faith his eminence Mr. J. Soghomonian, in accordance with the provision of the Will and Testament of Abdu l-baha. It must be stated that it is my great honour to serve the present guardian of the Faith. It is my dignity to obey his order. It is my adoration and adulation to take his direction. I am nothing in his presence. My greatness is to be humble before him. My God protect him and I wish him a very long life in this world. May God assist me to remain faithful in His Covenant. May God protect the Cause of Baha u llah from the violators of His Covenant. E.S. Yazdani Sydney, Australia 26 April, 2009 PS: This statement was published in the last April, 2009 issue of RIDVAN and it is republished again to stress that the unity of the Faith is guarded by obeying the present Guardian of the Faith his eminence Mr. Jacques Soghomonian. He is the present Guardian of the Faith. Signed by E.S. Yazdani 26

27 PARTIE FRANÇAISE 27

28 J. Soghomonian Le 4 e Gardien de la Foi Baha'ie a choisi les textes suivants pour être publiés dans la partie française N'entendez-vous pas, ô rois de la Chrétienté, la voix de Jésus, l'esprit de Dieu, qui dit : «Je m'en vais et Je vous reviendrai?» Pourquoi donc, lorsqu'il vous est revenu environné de célestes nuées, n'êtes-vous pas allés à lui, pour contempler Sa face et être de ceux qui accèdent à Sa présence? Jésus dit dans un autre passage : «Quand viendra l'esprit de Vérité, Il vous enseignera toute vérité.» Et pourtant, voyez comment, lorsqu'il vous a apporté cette vérité, vous vous êtes refusés à tourner vers Lui vos visages, commet vous avez continué de vous livrer à vos caprices et à vos plaisirs. Vous ne L'avez point accueilli, ni vous n avez recherché Sa Présence pour entendre de Sa bouche les versets de Dieu et prendre votre part de la sagesse infiniment variée du Tout- Puissant, le Très-Glorieux, le Très- Sage. Vous avez, par votre faute, empêché que soufflât sur vous l'haleine de Dieu, que s'en répandît dans vos âmes le suave parfum. Vous avez préféré rôder encore, avec une délectation mauvaise, dans la vallée de vos désirs corrompus. Mais vous passerez et avec vous passera ce que vous possédez. Vous serez bientôt rappelés à Dieu et, en la présence de Celui Qui rassemblera toute la création, il vous sera demandé compte de vos actes... Vingt années, ô rois, se sont écoulées, durant lesquelles Nous avons été soumis, chaque jour, à l'agonie d'une tribulation nouvelle. Nul de ceux qui Nous ont précédé n'a enduré ce que Nous avons souffert. Puissiez-vous le comprendre! Ceux-là qui se sont levés contre Nous, Nous ont mis à mort, ils ont répandu notre sang, pillé nos biens et violé notre honneur. Encore qu'informés de la plupart de nos maux, vous n'avez jamais arrêté la main de l'agresseur. N'est-ce pas cependant le plus clair de votre devoir que de refréner la tyrannie de l'oppresseur et de traiter équitablement vos sujets, afin que soit pleinement démontré à toute l'humanité le haut sentiment que vous devez avoir de la justice? Dieu a remis entre vos mains les rênes du gouvernement du peuple pour que vous le gouverniez avec équité, que vous sauvegardiez les droits des opprimés et punissiez les artisans d'injustice. Si vous négligez les devoirs que Dieu vous a imposés dans Son Livre, vos noms ne seront point comptés parmi ceux des justes qui trouvent grâce devant Lui. Lourde serait ainsi votre erreur. Rejetterezvous, pour vous attacher à vos vaines imaginations, les commandements de Dieu, le Très-Exalté, l'inaccessible, l'irrésistible, le Tout-Puissant? Rejetez plutôt ce que vous possédez pour vous attacher à ce que Dieu vous ordonne d'observer. Cherchez Sa grâce, car celui qui la cherche est dans Son droit Sentier. 28

29 Considérez l'état auquel Nous sommes réduits, voyez les maux et tribulations qui Nous accablent. Ne vous désintéressez pas de Notre cas, ne fûtce qu'un instant, et jugez avec équité entre Nous et Nos ennemis. Cela sera pour vous d'un avantage manifeste. Nous vous faisons ce récit et Nous vous rapportons les choses qui Nous sont advenues, afin que vous puissiez Nous délivrer de Nos maux et alléger Notre fardeau. Que celui d'entre vous qui le voudra faire, le fasse ; quant à celui qui s'y refusera, eh bien, Mon Seigneur est assurément le meilleur des secours. Avertis le peuple, ô Serviteur, et communique-lui les choses que Nous T'avons envoyées ; ne Te laisse effrayer par rien, ni personne, et ne sois pas de ceux qui hésitent. Le jour est proche où Dieu exaltera Sa Cause et magnifiera Son témoignage aux yeux de tous ceux qui sont sur la terre et dans les cieux. Mets en Dieu, dans toute rencontre, Ton entière confiance, fixe sur Lui Ton regard et détourne-toi de ceux qui répudient Sa vérité. Que Dieu, Ton Seigneur, soit Ta seule aide, Ton unique secours. Nous Nous sommes engagé à assurer Ton triomphe sur la terre et à exalter Notre cause audessus de tous les hommes, encore qu'aucun roi ne se soit trouvé qui veuille se tourner vers Toi. L homme a reçu du Très-Miséricordieux la faculté de voir, il a été aussi doué par Lui du pouvoir d entendement. D aucuns l ont représenté comme le type du «microcosme», alors qu il est en réalité le type du «macrocosme». Les potentialités inhérentes à la condition de l homme, la pleine mesure de sa destinée sur la terre, l excellence innée de sa réalité essentielle, tout cela doit être manifesté en ce Jour promis de Dieu. (Foi Mondiale Bahaï, p. 228) 29

30 Le progrès de l'âme humaine après la mort Revenons maintenant à ta question relative à l âme humaine et à sa survie après la mort physique. Sache en vérité que l'âme, après qu'elle a été séparée du corps, continue de progresser dans un état et dans des conditions que ne sauraient changer ni les révolutions des âges et des siècles, ni les hasards et vicissitudes de ce monde, jusqu'à ce qu'elle ait accédé à la présence de Dieu. Elle durera autant que dureront le Royaume de Dieu, Sa Souveraineté, Son Empire et Sa Puissance. Et elle continuera ainsi de manifester les signes et attributs de Dieu, de révéler Sa tendre bonté et Ses bienfaits innombrables. Ma plume s'arrête, impuissante, quand Je tente de décrire la gloire d'un si sublime état. L'honneur que la Main de Miséricorde confèrera à l'âme humaine est tel qu'aucune parole ne le peut adéquatement révéler, ni aucun autre moyen d expression le décrire. Bénie l'âme qui, à l'heure où elle est séparée du corps, se trouve purifiée des vaines imaginations des peuples de ce monde! Une telle âme vit et se meut selon la Volonté de son Créateur et parvient aux plus hauts Paradis. Les Célestes Houris, habitantes des plus hautes demeures, s'assemblent autour d'elle et les Prophètes et Messagers de Dieu recherchent sa compagnie. Elle entretient librement ces êtres célestes de tout ce qu'elle a souffert dans le sentier de Dieu, le Seigneur de tous les mondes. Si l'homme savait ce qui est réservé à son âme dans les mondes de Dieu, Seigneur des cieux et de la terre, il se consumerait du désir d'atteindre un si sublime, un si resplendissant état... La nature de l'âme après la mort ne pourra jamais être décrite et il n'est ni opportun, ni permis de révéler son véritable caractère aux yeux des hommes. L'unique mission des Prophètes et Messagers de Dieu est de guider l humanité dans le droit Sentier de la Vérité. Et l''objet fondamental de leur révélation est d'instruire tous les hommes de telle sorte qu'à l'heure de leur mort, il puissent, dans un état de pureté, de sainteté et de parfait détachement, s'élever jusqu'au trône du Très-Haut. De la lumière qui rayonne de l'âme des Prophètes dépendent le progrès du monde et l'avancement de ses peuples. Ils sont le levain qui fait lever le monde de l'être et ils constituent les forces animatrices grâce auxquelles se manifestent les art et toutes les merveilles de ce monde. C'est par eux que les nuages déversent leur eau bienfaisante et que la terre donne ses fruits. Car toutes choses ont une cause, une puissance qui les suscite, un principe qui les anime. Ce sont donc ces âmes, ces symboles d'abnégation qui ont toujours donné et qui continueront de donner l'impulsion suprême au monde de l'être. Le monde de l'au-delà est aussi différent du monde terrestre que celui-ci diffère du monde que connaît l'enfant dans le sein de sa mère. Et quand l'âme sera en la Présence Divine, elle prendra la forme la plus convenable à son immortalité, la plus digne de son habitation céleste. Son existence, toutefois, reste contingente, et non pas absolue, en tant que le contingent dépend d'une cause, tandis que l'absolu en est affranchi. L'existence absolue est le privilège exclusif de Dieu, exaltée soit Sa gloire. Heureux celui qui saisit cette vérité. Si tu méditais dans ton ceour la conduite des Prophètes de Dieu, tu reconnaîtrais et attesterais qu'il doit y avoir nécessairement d'autres mondes que celui-ci. Les sages et les savants ont, en majorité, ainsi qu'il est rapporté par la Plume de Gloire dans la Tablette de Sagesse, rendu témoignage à la vérité de ce que les saintes Ecritures ont révélé. Les matérialistes eux-mêmes ont, en leurs écrits, attesté la sagesse des Messagers divins et reconnu que ce qu'ils disaient touchant l'enfer et le Paradis, la récompense et le châtiment futurs, était inspirés du désir d'éduquer et d'élever les âmes des hommes. Vois donc comment la plupart des hommes, quelles que soient leurs croyances ou leurs théories, ont reconnu l'excellence et admis la supériorité des Prophètes de Dieu. Certains ont salué en ces perles de détachement des incarnations de la sagesse, tandis que d'autres les tenaient pour des interprètes de la Divinité. Et comment de telles âmes eussentelles consenti à s'abandonner aux mains de leurs ennemis si elles avaient cru que tous les mondes de Dieu se réduisent à cette vie terrestre? Auraient-elles, dans ce conditions, souffert de leur plein gré des afflictions et des tourments auxquels nul homme n'a été soumis, dont aucun n'a même jamais été témoin [Texte de Baha u llah]

31 Fragments du testament d Abdu l-baha «Il incombe au Gardien de la Cause du Dieu de désigner, de son vivant, celui qui deviendra son successeur, afin qu après sa disparition, des différends ne puissent survenir. Celui qui est désigné doit manifester le détachement de toute chose mondaine ; il doit être l essence de la pureté et montrer dans sa personne la crainte de Dieu, le savoir, la sagesse et la science.» «... et, si sa glorieuse lignée n était pas alliée à un noble caractère, alors il (le Gardien de la Cause de Dieu) devrait choisir une autre branche pour lui succéder.» «... ces neuf élus (Mains de la Cause de Dieu) doivent, par un vote unanime ou majoritaire, agréer celui que le Gardien de la Cause de Dieu a choisi comme successeur...» «... Les Mains de la Cause de Dieu doivent être désignées et nommées par le Gardien de la Cause de Dieu. Chacun doit demeurer sous son ombre et obéir à son commandement. Si quelqu un dans le groupe des Mains, ou en dehors, désobéit et cherche la division, il connaîtra la colère de Dieu et sa vengeance car il aura creusé une brèche dans la vraie Foi de Dieu.» «Les Mains de la Cause de Dieu ont pour devoir de diffuser les Parfums divins, d édifier les âmes des hommes, d encourager l étude, d améliorer le caractère des hommes et d être toujours, et en toutes circonstances, purifiées et détachées des choses terrestres. Leur conduite, leurs manières, leurs actes et leurs paroles, doivent manifester la crainte de Dieu. Ce corps des Mains de la Cause de Dieu est sous la direction du Gardien de la Cause de Dieu...» «... en ce qui concerne la Maison de Justice... Ses membres doivent être les Manifestations de la crainte de Dieu, les aurores du savoir et de la compréhension ; ils doivent être fermes dans la Foi de Dieu et bienveillants envers toute l humanité... Toutes choses doivent être déférées à cet organisme. C est lui qui édicte toutes les lois et tous les règlements qui ne se trouvent pas dans le Texte Sacré explicite. C est par cet organisme que tous les problèmes difficiles doivent être résolus, et le Gardien de la Cause de Dieu en est le chef sacré, le membre éminent et inamovible. S il n assiste pas en personne aux délibérations, il doit désigner quelqu un pour le représenter.» 31

32 Télégramme du Gardien du 9 janvier 1951 Proclame aux Assemblées Nationales d Orient et d Occident, décision marquant lourdement l avenir de la formation du premier Conseil International Baha i, le précurseur de l Institution Administrative suprême, destiné à surgir dans la plénitude du temps, dans l enceinte et sous l ombre du Centre Spirituel Mondial de la Foi déjà établie dans les villes jumelles de Akka et Haïfa... m amène à arriver à cette décision historique marquant la borne significative dans l évolution de l Ordre Administratif de la Foi de Baha u llah, au cours des trente dernières années... A ceux-ci, à cellesci, seront ajoutées d autres fonctions au cours de l évolution de cette première Institution Internationale embryonnaire marquant le développement en une Court Baha i officiellement reconnue, sa transformation en un Corps dûment élu ; son efflorescence dans la Maison Internationale de Justice ; sa floraison définitive par l'établissement de multiples institutions auxiliaires constituant le Centre Administratif Mondial destiné à s'élever et à fonctionner et à demeurer établi permanemment dans le voisinage intime des deux tombeaux sacrés. Accueillons avec coeur joyeux et reconnaissant la constitution, après une longue attente, du Conseil International que l'histoire acclamera comme étant le plus grand événement, répandant sa lumière, sur la deuxième époque de l'age Formatif de la Dispensation Baha'ie, potentiellement non pas dépassée par aucune entreprise, mise en oeuvre depuis la conception de l'ordre Administratif de la Foi aux lendemains de l ascension d'abdu'l- Baha, venant en second seulement avec les événements immortels, glorieux, associés avec les Trois Figures Centrales de la Foi au cours du premier âge de la plus glorieuse Dispensation du Cycle Bahaï de cinq mille siècles. Conseille de publier l'annonce au Comité des Relations Publiques. (signé) SHOGHI Haifa, Israël, le 9 janvier 1951 Shoghi Effendi écrit dans son télégramme qu'il s'agit de l' Institution Internationale embryonnaire. Dans les leçons de Saint-Jean-d'Acre, Abdu'l- Baha nous donne des précisions par rapport à l'embryon. «... l'embryon possède, dès le début, toutes les perfections telles que l'esprit, l'intelligence, la vue, l'odorat, le goût, en un mot toutes les facultés ; mais elle ne sont pas apparentes, et elles ne le deviendront que par degrés.» (Abdu'l-Baha. Les Leçons de Saint- Jean-d'Acre, 1954, p. 217) 32

33 Recherche de la vérité «Magnifié soit ton Nom, O mon Seigneur car tu m a permis de reconnaître la Manifestation de ton Etre et tu as placé en moi l assurance de la vérité des versets qui sont descendus sur Toi. Confère-moi le pouvoir, je T implore, de demeurer attaché avec constance en ce que Tu m as commandé d observer. Aide-moi à garder les perles de Ton amour que par Ton décret, Tu as enchâssées en mon coeur. Envoie-moi, en outre, à chaque instant de ma vie, O mon Dieu, ce qui me préservera de tout autre que Toi, et qui m établira ferment dans Ta Cause.» (Prayers and Meditations, p , traduit de l anglais) «Le premier principe de l enseignement de Baha u llah est : LA RECHERCH PERSONNELLE ET INDEPENDANTE DE LA VERITE» (Entretiens d Abdu l-baha à Paris) «... la connaissance de Dieu est la cause du progrès et de l attraction spirituels ; la vision de vérité, la sublimité de l humanité, la civilisation divine, la droiture des moeurs et l illumination ne s obtiennent que par elle.» (Les leçons de Saint-Jean-d'Acre, chapitre 84) «Toutes les perfections, les bienfaits, les splendeurs, qui viennent de Dieu, sont visibles et évidents dans la réalité des Saintes Manifestations, comme le soleil, qui resplendit dans un miroir poli et clair avec toutes ses perfections et ses bienfaits Donc, tout ce que l'homme sait, trouve, comprend au sujet des noms, des attributs et des perfections de Dieu, se rapporte à ces saintes Manifestations. Il ne peut en être autrement sinon : «Le chemin est fermé, la recherche est interdite.»» (Les leçons de Saint-Jean-d'Acre, chapitre 37) «... L'homme doit donc rechercher la vérité; il la trouvera dans chacune des Essences sacrées.» (Les leçons de Saint-Jean-d'Acre, chapitre 14) «Supplie Baha u llah pour toutes les choses que tu désires.. Si tu désires la Foi, demande-la Lui. Si tu cherches le savoir, Il te l accordera. Il fera descendre sur toi toutes les bénédictions.» (Abdu l-baha, Star of the West, Volume IX, No.9, traduit de l anglais)) «Sa Sainteté Baha u llah a ré-exprimé et ré-établi la quintessence des enseignements de tous les Prophètes, mettant de côté toutes les considérations accessoires et en purifiant la religion des interprétations humaines. Il a écrit un livre intitulé «Les Paroles cachées». La préface de ce livre annonce qu il contient les essences des Paroles des Prophètes du passé, enveloppées du vêtement de la brièveté, pour l enseignement et pour la direction spirituelle des peuples du Monde. Lisez-les, afin que vous compreniez les fondations véritables de la religion et réfléchissiez sur l inspiration des Messagers de Dieu. C est la lumière sur la lumière.» 33

34 (Abdu l-baha, Baha i World Faith, p. 251, traduit de l anglais) «Pour saisir les Paroles divines et comprendre les explications des Colombes spirituelles, point n'est besoin d'être un érudit. Il suffit d'avoir un coeur pur, une âme chaste et un esprit libre de préjugés; la preuve en est aujourd'hui les gens qui n'ont jamais rien appris de science humaine et qui reposent sur les divans du savoir. Les nuages de la divine Bonté ont fait pousser dans leur coeur les roses de la sagesse et les anémones de la compréhension. Bénis sont les purs et les sincères pour la part qu'ils ont de la Lumière du plus grand jour!» (Le livre de la Certitude) «Car s'il allume dans son coeur la lampe de la recherche, des efforts, de l'amour, de la passion et de l'extase et si la brise de la Miséricorde divine souffle sur lui, la nuit de l'erreur, du doute et de la crainte ne tardera pas à disparaître pour faire place à la lumière du Savoir et de la Certitude.» (Le livre de la Certitude) «C est pourquoi, il est indispensable que nous renoncions à nos propres préjugés et à nos superstitions, si nous désirons sincèrement trouver la Vérité. A moins de savoir faire la distinction entre dogmes, préjugés et superstitions d un coté la Vérité de l autre, nous ne pouvons réussir. Quand nous voulons sérieusement trouver une chose, nous la cherchons partout. C est ce principelà qu il nous faut suivre pour notre recherche de la Vérité.» (Entretiens d Abdu l-baha à Paris) «La première vallée est celle de la Recherche, où l on chemine dans le véhicule de la Patience, sans lequel le voyageur n arrive nulle part et ne peut obtenir l objet de son désir.» (Les sept Vallées) «... le chercheur doit être paré de certaines qualités. D'abord, il doit être juste et détaché de tout autre que Dieu ; son coeur doit être entièrement tourné vers l'horizon suprême, il doit être affranchi de l'ego et de toute passion, car ce sont des obstacles. De plus, il doit supporter toutes les calamités, vivre dans la pureté et la sainteté les plus parfaites, et être au-dessus de l'amour ou de la haine de tous les habitants du monde :» POURQUOI? «car le poids de son amour pour un parti peut le priver de reconnaître les mérites d'un autre parti, et de même la haine pour un parti risque aussi de l'empêcher de découvrir ses mérites. Tel est l'état qui convient au chercheur. Le chercheur doit avoir ces caractéristiques et ces qualités; autrement, il est impossible que le Soleil de Vérité arrive jusqu'à lui.» (Les leçons de Saint-Jean-d'Acre, chapitre 12) «Le vrai chercheur n a d autre ambition, que de trouver ; l amant ne tient qu à rencontrer l Adoré, mais on ne parvient à une telle condition qu en renonçant à tout, c est à dire à ce qu on a vu, entendu et compris : tout cela il faut le nier, pour arriver à la Cité sacrée de l Affirmation. Et que d efforts, pour cette recherche! Que d assiduité, pour gouter le miel de l Union divine! Mais si nous buvons à cette coupe, nous oublierons le monde entier.» 34

35 (Les sept Vallées) «L ESSENCE DE CES PAROLES EST LA SUIVANTE : Ceux qui marchent dans le chemin de la Foi, et qui désirent boire à la coupe de Certitude, doivent purifier et sanctifier leur âme de toute contingence, c est à dire affranchir leurs oreilles des paroles humaines, leur coeur du doute qui résulte des grands voiles, leur esprit des préoccupations du monde, leurs yeux de la vue des choses périssables ; et, en s en remettant à Dieu et l implorant sans cesse, suivre leur voie, jusqu à ce qu ils soient dignes de recevoir la lumière de la Connaissance divine, et de devenir le lieu de l apparition des Faveurs infinies. Car si l homme veut discuter les instructions de Dieu et des Elus à l aide des paroles ou des actes de ses semblables, savants et ignorants, jamais il n entrera dans le Jardin de la Connaissance, jamais il n arrive à la Source de la Sagesse et du Savoir du Roi unique et jamais in ne parviendra à la Station éternelle, ni ne boira à la Coupe de l Approche et de la Satisfaction :» (Kitab-i-Iquan, Paris 1904, p. 1) «Une question se pose : comment pouvons-nous savoir si nous suivons l inspiration de Dieu ou plutôt les incitations sataniques de l âme humaine? En effet, dans ce monde humain de phénomène matériel, les quatre critères, les sens, la raison, les traditions et l inspiration, sont les seuls qui par leur existence nous permettent d aller vers la connaissance, quoique aucun de ces critères ne soit parfait en soi ni vraiment infaillible. Que nous reste-t-il donc? Comment atteindre le réalité de la connaissance de toutes choses? Par le souffle et l impulsion du Saint-Esprit qui est la Lumière et le Savoir même. Par lui l esprit humain est revivifié et fortifié dans le sens des véritables conclusions et de la connaissance parfaite des choses.» (Bahai World Faith, p , traduit de l anglais) «Contrairement à la dispensation du Christ, contrairement à celle de Muhammad, contrairement à toute les dispensations antérieures, les apôtres de Baha u llah, dans chaque pays, où qu ils oeuvrent et peinent, ont devant eux, en langage clair, vigoureux et sans équivoque, toutes les lois, tous les règlements, les principes, les institutions et la direction spirituelle dont ils ont besoin pour la poursuite et l accomplissement de leur tâche. Pour les problèmes relatifs tant aux dispositions administratives de la dispensation baha ie qu à la succession, incarnées par les institutions jumelles de la Maison de Justice et du Gardiennat, les adeptes de Baha u ullah peuvent recourir à ces preuves irréfutables de la direction divine auxquelles nul ne peut résister, que nul ne peut amoindrir ou ignorer. Là réside le caractère distinctif de la révélation baha ie. Là réside la force de l unité de la foi, celle de la validité d une révélation qui ne prétend pas détruire ou déprécier les révélations antérieures, mais les relier, les unifier et les accomplir.» (L Ordre Mondial de Baha u llah, p ) 35

36 «Celui Qui est la Beauté Ancienne s'est laissé charger de chaînes pour que l'humanité soit libérée de son esclavage, et Il a accepté d'être fait prisonnier dans cette puissante Forteresse pour que le monde parvienne à la vraie liberté. Il a bu jusqu'à la lie le calice de la tribulation, afin que tous les peuples de la terre puissent atteindre à la joie éternelle et qu'ils soient remplis d'allégresse. Cela, par la miséricorde de votre Seigneur, le Compatissant, le Tout-Miséricordieux. Nous avons, ô croyants en l'unité de Dieu, accepté d'être abaissé pour que vous soyez exaltés, et Nous avons souffert multitude d'afflictions pour que vous deveniez florissants et prospères. Or, voyez comment ceux qui s'érigent en partenaires de Dieu ont forcé d'habiter la plus désolée des cités.» Extrait d une lettre de Mason Remey du 1er octobre 1965 adressée à un croyant «Je n approuve pas que les Bahai is sous le deuxième Gardiennat fassent des revendications quelconques auprès du Gouvernement d Israël pour la possession de toute propriété baha ie en Terre Sainte. Ceci est une affaire spirituelle et ne devrais être traitée que par des moyens spirituels. Des avances auprès des amis égarés devraient être toujours amicales, mais aussi nous devrions leur faire savoir qu ils ont tort de refuser le deuxième Gardiennat. Nous vivons à l heure actuelle en ce Nouveau Jour de Dieu où tous nos actes devront être conformes aux lois du Royaume de Dieu, comme elles sont données par Baha u llah. Tout doit être accompli avec amour et harmonie... même là où nous différons des amis égarés. Avec cette méthode, nous gagnerons cette bataille spirituelle. Dorénavant, c est de cette manière que les amis sous le deuxième Guardiennat devraient se conduire, oubliant les choses passées et avançant en unisson pour proclamer la venue du Royaume de Dieu sur terre... n ayant d autre chose dans notre cœur que l amour pour tous... nous efforçant de cette façon de surmonter l animosité de ceux qui se considèrent nos ennemis.» 36

37 The Baha i Faith And The Institution Of Guardianship 37

38 Statement On The Baha i Faith and Its Institution of Guardianship His eminence Mr. J. Soghomonian, the 4 th and the present Guardian of the Baha i Faith has given his cordial approval for publication of this pamphlet The Baha i Faith was heralded by a young man named Siyyid Ali Muhammad, who became known as the Bab. The Bab declared His mission on 23 May 1844, closing the Prophetic Cycle and opening the new Cycle of Light and Truth, destined to last at least 500,000 years. The Babi and the Baha i dispensation are the first two dispensations of the many to come in this new cycle. The Bab directed His followers to spread the new teachings throughout the Persian Empire in the mid-nineteenth century. He stirred the frozen Persian community to its depths, creating waves of opposition within the religious hierarchy and the Persian ruling elites. Many distinguished religious leaders, ruling personnel, and ordinary people accepted His new teachings. The ruling Persian clergy class, however, found Him to be a threat. The Bab was arrested and exiled within Persia. Finally, He was judged by a number of religious leaders in Tabriz and executed by the order of the Persian government in Many of His followers were savagely put to death by mobs, religious leaders, and the Persian government. In 1852, a man named Mirza Husayn-Ali, a follower of the Bab, was arrested in Tehran and put into prison. While in prison, Mirza Husayn-Ali became aware that he was God s new Messenger, fulfilling the Bab s promise of the One to come after Him and formally ending the Babi dispensation, which lasted only nine years. Mirza Husayn-Ali became known as Baha u llah, Arabic for Glory of God ; but it was not until 1863 that He proclaimed His mission and revelation to the world. Like the Bab before him, Baha u llah faced exile and persecution. He was sent into exile to Baghdad, Istanbul, Adrianople, and finally Akka, today part of Israel, where He lived under house arrest until He left this world in A prolific writer, Baha u llah sent tablets to the leaders of His time: Napoleon III; Queen Victoria; Pope Pius IX; Alexander II, Czar of the vast Russian Empire; William I, King of Prussia; Francis Joseph, Kingemperor of Austria-Hungary; Sultan Adul l- Aziz of the Ottoman Empire; and N asiri d-din Shah, the ruler of Persia. He invited the leaders and the people of the world to embrace a new teaching for the establishment of the unity of humankind. 38

39 Charles Mason Remey The 2 nd Guardian of the Baha i Faith Abdu l-baha in His tablet Addressed to C.M. Remey states: Verily I beseech God to make thee confirmed under all circumstances. Do not become despondent, neither be thou sad. ERE LONG, THY LORD SHALL MAKE THEE A SIGN OF GUIDENCE AMONG MANKIND Star of the West, Vol. V, No. 19, 2 March