FIRMNESS IN THE COVENANT

                                     A pillar of strength


There are many Writings and prayers revealed for us by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on how to become firm in the Covenant, to be this immovable rock. The word "steadfast" comes to mind when I think of being firm in the Covenant. When one searches and finds the Truth through one's own investigation and not through the blind imitations of others, one then wants to increase one's Faith, steadfastness and firmness. To reach one hundred percent Faith is called certitude. We are all striving to reach that lofty station.
Here is one of the many prayers revealed by the Beloved Master on firmness in the Covenant:

Make firm our steps, O Lord, in Thy path and strengthen Thou our hearts in Thine obedience. Turn our faces toward the beauty of Thy oneness, and gladden our bosoms with the signs of Thy divine unity. Adorn our bodies with the robe of Thy bounty, and remove from our eyes the veil of sinfulness, and give us the chalice of Thy grace; that the essence of all beings may sing Thy praise before the vision of Thy grandeur. Reveal then Thyself, O Lord, by Thy merciful utterance and the mystery of Thy divine being, that the holy ecstasy of prayer may fill our souls—a prayer that shall rise above words and letters and transcend the murmur of syllables and sounds—that all things may be merged into nothingness before the revelation of Thy splendor.

Lord! These are servants that have remained fast and firm in Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, that have held fast unto the cord of constancy in Thy Cause and clung unto the hem of the robe of Thy grandeur. Assist them, O Lord, with Thy grace, confirm with Thy power and strengthen their loins in obedience to Thee.

Thou art the Pardoner, the Gracious.

Attacks on the Covenant of God

Could you ever imagine someone attacking the Cause of God? Who would dare to do such a thing? Who would cause harm to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá?


Well, this sort of thing has happened every time a Manifestation of God comes to us. Often, it is His own followers and even family members who seek power and control. This happened during Baha'u'llah's own lifetime with His half brother, Mirza Yahya. And ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had to deal with his half-brother as well as other family members. They caused great sufferings to the heart of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.


This half-brother of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá held a rank second to none. Mirza Muhammad-'Ali would have succeeded the Master if He passed away. However, that was not to be. He did outlive Abdu'l-Baha by twenty years. The Guardian in his God Passes By shares with us that Mirza Muhammad-'Ali "created an irreparable breach within the ranks of Baha'u'llah's own kindred, sealed ultimately the fate of the great majority of the members of His family, and gravely damaged the prestige, through it never succeeded in causing a permanent cleavage in the structure, of the Faith itself. The true ground of this crisis was the burning, the uncontrollable, the soul-festering jealousy which the admitted preeminence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in rank, power, ability, knowledge and virtue, above all the other members of His Father’s family, had aroused not only in Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí, the archbreaker of the Covenant, but in some of his closest relatives as well. An envy as blind as that which had possessed the soul of Mírzá Yaḥyá, as deadly as that which the superior excellence of Joseph had kindled in the hearts of his brothers, as deep-seated as that which had blazed in thebosom of Cain and prompted him to slay his brother Abel, had, for several years, prior to Bahá’u’lláh’s ascension, been smouldering in the recesses of Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí’s heart and had been secretly inflamed by those unnumbered marks of distinction, of admiration and favor accorded to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá not only by Bahá’u’lláh Himself, His companions and His followers, but by the vast number of unbelievers who had come to recognize that innate greatness which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had manifested from childhood.

The intensity of the emotions which this somber episode aroused within Him were reminiscent of the effect produced upon Bahá’u’lláh by the dire happenings precipitated by therebellion of Mírzá Yaḥyá. “I swear by the Ancient Beauty!,” He wrote in one of His Tablets, “So great is My sorrow and regret that My pen is paralyzed between My fingers.” “Thou seest Me,” He, in a prayer recorded in His Will, thus laments, “submerged in an ocean of calamities that overwhelm the soul, of afflictions that oppress the heart… Sore trials have compassed Me round, and perils have from all sides beset Me. Thou seest Me immersed in a sea of unsurpassed tribulation, sunk into a fathomless abyss, afflicted by Mine enemies and consumed with the flame of hatred kindled by My kinsmen with whom Thou didst make Thy strong Covenant and Thy firm Testament…”"


So what happened to this half-brother? "Surviving ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by almost twenty years," Shoghi Effendi writes in God Passes By, "he who had so audaciously affirmed to His face that he had no assurance he might outlive Him, lived long enough to witness the utter bankruptcy of his cause, leading meanwhile a wretched existence within the walls of a Mansion that had once housed a crowd of his supporters; was denied by the civil authorities, as a result of the crisis he had after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing foolishly precipitated, the official custody of his Father’s Tomb; was compelled, a few years later, to vacate that same Mansion, which, through his flagrant neglect, had fallen into a dilapidated condition; was stricken with paralysis which crippled half his body; lay bedridden in pain for months before he died; and was buried according to Muslim rites, in the immediate vicinity of a local Muslim shrine, his grave remaining until the present day devoid of even a tombstone—a pitiful reminder of the hollowness of the claims he had advanced, of the depths of infamy to which he had sunk, and of the severity of the retribution his acts had so richly merited."


Those who opposed the Cause of God were thrown into darkness. In this day, those who attack the Faith of God and beat at its roots, are thrown out because they are likened unto poison who can contaminate the rest of the body.  We are commanded to shun Covenant-Breakers and avoid them at all cost.  


The Faith of God goes through crisis and victory to purify its followers and to show that it is truly the Faith of God. Every time the Cause went through a crisis, it emerged stronger than ever!


So, we are ever grateful to have the beloved Master who kept the Faith of God unified and moving along its destiny.  This is the Power of the Covenant!

To consecrate myself in Thy service

While on the topic of servitude, there is a prayer that I wanted to share which touched my heart.  It is a prayer for assisting us to teach the Cause of God.  In this prayer revealed by the Beloved Master, we ask God to have no desire in our heart save to attain His good pleasure because as human beings we may have other desires born out of selfish reasons.  We have to continually strive to improve each day by reflecting on our actions, by making the necessary adjustments, by praying and medidating... We ask God to consecrate ourselves to His service.  Consecrate is an adjective which means to be "dedicated to a sacred purpose" according to the Merriam-Webster.  The synonyms according to this same dictionary are "blessed," "holy," "sacred." It is interesting to note that the Master chose this word.  The imagery raises one's consciousness and reflection of what it really means to consecrate one's being to service.  When I think of consecrate, I think of total dedication and focus towards service.  This involves sacrifice of time, energy, material means, being away perhaps from loved ones... The Master goes on to use the word "labor" as well as "sacrifice". It takes hard work as anyone who has experienced the birth of his/her child knows what labor entails.  He goes on to say that we need to loudly proclaim the Cause of God and "to raise Thy call".  Teaching the Cause of God is a commandment Bahá'u'lláh has enjoined upon us!  What a bounty we have been given!  Then we ask God to show us the way, to endure any ordeal in His path (remember that we are laboring), and even desire to meet any hardship. Why would we want to have hardships? Because with test we grow.  And so right after this, the Master writes: "Protect me from tests."  These are just my humble thoughts and this prayer is loaded with many layers of spiritual meanings like an ocean that has many pearls to be discovered.  


Here is the prayer:


Thou knowest, O God, and art my witness that I have no desire in my heart save to attain Thy good pleasure, to be confirmed in servitude unto Thee, to consecrate myself in Thy service, to labor in Thy great vineyard and to sacrifice all in Thy path.  Thou art the All-Knowing and the All-Seeing.  I have no wish save to turn my steps, in my love for Thee, towards the mountains and the deserts to loudly proclaim the advent of Thy Kingdom, and to raise Thy call amidst all men.  O God!  Open Thou the way for this helpless one, grant Thou the remedy to this ailing one and bestow Thy healing upon this afflicted one.  With burning heart and tearful eyes I supplicate Thee at Thy Threshold.
O God!  I am prepared to endure any ordeal in Thy path and desire with all my heart and soul to meet any hardship.
O God!  Protect me from tests.  Thou knowest full well that I have turned away from all things and freed myself of all thoughts.  I have no occupation save mention of Thee and no aspiration save serving Thee. 

                                                                      ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Give me to drink from the chalice of selflessness

If one has the bounty of going on Pilgrimage to Haifa, for a three day visit, or for service, one has the inestimable privilege of praying in the Shrines.  It was really a bounty for me to be able to go to the Shrines while serving in Haifa.  One develops reverence, love, and appreciation while in the Shrines.  One hopefully also develops selflessness:  "Lord! Give me to drink from the chalice of selflessness...Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones..." This prayer that is often recited in the Shrine of  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is laden with spiritual meaning.  I wanted to share this prayer with you:

(This prayer, revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is read at His Shrine. It is also used in private prayer.)

Whoso reciteth this prayer with lowliness and fervor will bring gladness and joy to the heart of this Servant; it will be even as meeting Him face to face.

He is the All-Glorious!

O God, my God! Lowly and tearful, I raise my suppliant hands to Thee and cover my face in the dust of that Threshold of Thine, exalted above the knowledge of the learned, and the praise of all that glorify Thee. Graciously look upon Thy servant, humble and lowly at Thy door, with the glances of the eye of Thy mercy, and immerse him in the Ocean of Thine eternal grace.

Lord! He is a poor and lowly servant of Thine, enthralled and imploring Thee, captive in Thy hand, praying fervently to Thee, trusting in Thee, in tears before Thy face, calling to Thee and beseeching Thee, saying:

O Lord, my God! Give me Thy grace to serve Thy loved ones, strengthen me in my servitude to Thee, illumine my brow with the light of adoration in Thy court of holiness, and of prayer to Thy kingdom of grandeur. Help me to be selfless at the heavenly entrance of Thy gate, and aid me to be detached from all things within Thy holy precincts. Lord! Give me to drink from the chalice of selflessness; with its robe clothe me, and in its ocean immerse me. Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones, and grant that I may offer up my soul for the earth ennobled by the footsteps of Thy chosen ones in Thy path, O Lord of Glory in the Highest.

With this prayer doth Thy servant call Thee, at dawntide and in the night-season. Fulfill his heart’s desire, O Lord! Illumine his heart, gladden his bosom, kindle his light, that he may serve Thy Cause and Thy servants.

Thou art the Bestower, the Pitiful, the Most Bountiful, the Gracious, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

Here is one more quote by the Beloved Master for us to ponder on:

"O ye loved ones of God! In this, the Bahá’í dispensation, God’s Cause is spirit unalloyed. His Cause belongeth not to the material world. It cometh neither for strife nor war, nor for acts of mischief or of shame; it is neither for quarrelling with other Faiths, nor for conflicts with the nations. Its only army is the love of God, its only joy the clear wine of His knowledge, its only battle the expounding of the Truth; its one crusade is against the insistent self, the evil promptings of the human heart. Its victory is to submit and yield, and to be selfless is its everlasting glory." (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá) 

The Rank and Station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Part 2

That ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is not a Manifestation of God, that He gets His light, His inspiration and sustenance direct from the Fountain-head of the Bahá’í Revelation; that He reflects even as a clear and perfect Mirror the rays of Bahá’u’lláh’s glory, and does not inherently possess that indefinable yet all-pervading reality the exclusive possession of which is the hallmark of Prophethood; that His words are not equal in rank, though they possess an equal validity with the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh;...

My name is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. My qualification is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. My reality is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. My praise is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Thraldom to the Blessed Perfection is my glorious and refulgent diadem, and servitude to all the human race my perpetual religion… No name, no title, no mention, no commendation have I, nor will ever have, except ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This is my longing. This is my greatest yearning. This is my eternal life. This is my everlasting glory.”

                                          (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh)


Man has to control his ego and humble himself to serve humanity.  The Universal House of Justice have encouraged us to walk a path of service with a humble posture of learning.  One cannot be arrogant in serving the Cause of God.  This is a defect that man must fight each day if one wants to attain the good pleasure of His Lord.  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sets the tone for all of us to forget oneself and to work for the reconstruction of the world.  He didn't take on any titles but wanted to be known for being the Servant of God.  We also have to be careful as we "scale the heights of service" not to serve so that we seek recognition from others which is so common in the corporate world.  We serve for the love of God.  Those who had pride during the life of the Manifestations of God as well as the Beloved Master were utterly destroyed spiritually.  



This is one of my favorite passages from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:

In the religion of Bahá’u’lláh all are servants and maidservants, brothers and sisters. As soon as one feels a little better than, a little superior to, the rest, he is in a dangerous position, and unless he castsaway the seed of such an evil thought, he is not a fit instrument for the service of the Kingdom.

The Rank and Station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Part 1

It is important for us to understand the rank and station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as He is a unique Figure in human history.  Shoghi Effendi takes us through this explanation:

An attempt I strongly feel should now be made to clarify our minds regarding the station occupied by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the significance of His position in this holy Dispensation. It would be indeed difficult for us, who stand so close to such a tremendous figure and are drawn by the mysterious power of so magnetic a personality, to obtain a clear and exact understanding of the rôle and character of One Who, not only in the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh but in the entire field of religious history, fulfills a unique function. Though moving in a sphere of His own and holding a rank radically different from that of the Author and the Forerunner of the Bahá’í Revelation, He, by virtue of the station ordained for Him through the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, forms together with them what may be termed the Three Central Figures of a Faith that stands unapproached in the world’s spiritual history. He towers, in conjunction with them, above the destinies of this infant Faith of God from a level to which no individual or body ministering to its needs after Him, and for no less a period than a full thousand years, can ever hope to rise. To degrade His lofty rank by identifying His station with or by regarding it as roughly equivalent to, the position of those on whom the mantle of His authority has fallen would be an act of impiety as grave as the no less heretical belief that inclines to exalt Him to a state of absolute equality with either the central Figure or Forerunner of our Faith. For wide as is the gulf that separates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from Him Who is the Source of an independent Revelation, it can never be regarded as commensurate with the greater distance that stands between Him Who is the Center of the Covenant and His ministers who are to carry on His work, whatever be their name, their rank, their functions or their future achievements. Let those who have known ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who through their contact with His magnetic personality have come to cherish for Him so fervent an admiration, reflect, in the light of this statement, on the greatness of One Who is so far above Him in station.

That ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is not a Manifestation of God, that, though the successor of His Father, He does not occupy a cognate station, that no one else except the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh can ever lay claim to such a station before the expiration of a full thousand years—are verities which lie embedded in the specific utterances of both the Founder of our Faith and the Interpreter of His teachings.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s own statements, in confirmation of this warning, are no less emphatic and binding: “This is,” He declares, “my firm, my unshakable conviction, the essence of my unconcealed and explicit belief—a conviction and belief which the denizens of the Abhá Kingdom fully share: The Blessed Beauty is the Sun of Truth, and His light the light of truth. The Báb is likewise the Sun of Truth, and His light the light of truth… My station is the station of servitude—a servitude which is complete, pure and real, firmly established, enduring, obvious, explicitly revealed and subject to no interpretation whatever… I am the Interpreter of the Word of God; such is my interpretation.” (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh)

The Interpreter of His mind

Rooms of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Báb

The Guardian beautifully describes the Beloved Master as "the Interpreter of His [Bahá’u’lláh] mind."  And before that "the Exemplar of His faith."  As Baha'is we can never hope to be like the Manifestations of God.  However, we can strive to follow in the examples of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

"His own beloved Son, the apple of His eye, His vicegerent on earth, the Executive of His authority, the Pivot of His Covenant, the Shepherd of His flock, the Exemplar of His faith, the Image of His perfections, the Mystery of His Revelation, the Interpreter of His mind, the Architect of His World Order, the Ensign of His Most Great Peace, the Focal Point of His unerring guidance—in a word, the occupant of an office without peer or equal in the entire field of religious history—stood guard over it, alert, fearless and determined to enlarge its limits, blazon abroad its fame, champion its interests and consummate its purpose.

The stirring proclamation ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had penned, addressed to the rank and file of the followers of His Father, on the morrow of His ascension, as well as the prophecies He Himself had uttered in His Tablets, breathed a resolve and a confidence which the fruits garnered and the triumphs achieved in the course of a thirty-year ministry have abundantly justified." (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By)

Bahá’u’lláh - Excerpt from Book of the Covenant

Took picture in Haifa

From the Pen of Bahá’u’lláh Himself, His KITÁB-I-‘AHD (Book of the Covenant), an excerpt on the appointment of the Beloved Master:

"The Will of the divine Testator is this: It is incumbent upon the Aghsán, the Afnán 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-Bahá]. Thus have We graciously revealed unto you Our potent Will, and I am verily the Gracious, the All-Powerful. Verily God hath ordained the station of the Greater Branch [Muḥammad ‘Alí] to be beneath that of the Most Great Branch [‘Abdu’l-Bahá]. He is in truth the Ordainer, the All-Wise. We have chosen ‘the Greater’ after ‘the Most Great’, as decreed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

It is enjoined upon everyone to manifest love towards the Aghsán, but God hath not granted them any right to the property of others.

O ye My Aghsán, My Afnán and My Kindred! We exhort you to fear God, to perform praiseworthy deeds and to do that which is meet and seemly and serveth to exalt your station. Verily I say, fear of God is the greatest commander that can render the Cause of God victorious, and the hosts which best befit this commander have ever been and are an upright character and pure and goodly deeds."


Please note that Aghsán refers to the family of Bahá’u’lláh and Afnán refers to the family of the Báb.

THE MINISTRY OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ 1892–1921 - The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh Part 3

"And now to crown the inestimable honors, privileges and benefits showered upon Him, in ever increasing abundance, throughout the forty years of His Father’s ministry in Baghdád, in Adrianople and in ‘Akká, He had been elevated to the high office of Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, and been made the successor of the Manifestation of God Himself—a position that was to empower Him to impart an extraordinary impetus to the international expansion of His Father’s Faith, to amplify its doctrine, to beat down every barrier that would obstruct its march, and to call into being, and delineate the features of, its Administrative Order, the Child of the Covenant, and the Harbinger of that World Order whose establishment must needs signalize the advent of the Golden Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation." (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By)

Through this expression of love, the Will and Testament of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was able to interpret His Father's teachings. Just imagine if all of a sudden we have a war or some major natural catastrophic disaster and everyone dies except for a handful of people who have not heard of Bahá’u’lláh. And they discover all His Writings which are securely placed all over the globe of which the originals are in Haifa under the mountain of God in a air controlled vault! How will they make sense of it? Where do you start? The revelation of Baha'u'llah is like an ocean and there are innumerable pearls to discover. How can we discover the very hidden pearls if we cannot ourselves agree on a meaning of a word or a passage? The past religions have had many problems with this. In their sincerity and love, the followers of religion disagreed on passages. That is the cause of many sects today. So, we are so fortunate to have been given the Beloved Master who has explained to us the meaning of what Bahá’u’lláh meant, the expression in a sense of Bahá’u’lláh's will for us. That the Master has helped keep the Baha'i Faith united! That's the power of the Covenant! The friends during ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's lifetime were able to seek many clarifications which we have in the numerous Tablets He has revealed for us. We will touch on those Tablets later which shed illumination on our path towards Bahá’u’lláh!

I have to also mention that the Beloved Master suffered tremendously at the hands of His relatives who tried very hard to discredit Him because they wanted power and recognition. But as it is promised to us in the Bible of "the Day which shall not be followed by night." That we will have continual divine Guidance in this Day!

THE MINISTRY OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ 1892–1921 - The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh Part 2

Shoghi Effendi continues to share with us the importance of this Document:

In this weighty and incomparable Document its Author discloses the character of that “excellent and priceless heritage” bequeathed by Him to His “heirs”; proclaims afresh the fundamental purpose of His Revelation; enjoins the “peoples of the world” to hold fast to that which will “elevate” their “station”; announces to them that “God hath forgiven what is past”; stresses the sublimity of man’s station; discloses the primary aim of the Faith of God; directs the faithful to pray for the welfare of the kings of the earth, “the manifestations of the power, and the daysprings of the might and riches, of God”; invests them with the rulership of the earth; singles out as His special domain the hearts of men; forbids categorically strife and contention; commands His followers to aid those rulers who are “adorned with the ornament of equity and justice”; and directs, in particular, the Aghsán (His sons) to ponder the “mighty force and the consummate power that lieth concealed in the world of being.” He bids them, moreover, together with the Afnán (the Báb’s kindred) and His own relatives, to “turn, one and all, unto the Most Great Branch (‘Abdu’l-Bahá)”; identifies Him with “the One Whom God hath purposed,” “Who hath branched from this pre-existent Root,” referred to in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; ordains the station of the “Greater Branch” (Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí) to be beneath that of the “Most Great Branch” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá); exhorts the believers to treat the Aghsán with consideration and affection; counsels them to respect His family and relatives, as well as the kindred of the Báb; denies His sons “any right to the property of others”; enjoins on them, on His kindred and on that of the Báb to “fear God, to do that which is meet and seemly” and to follow the things that will “exalt” their station; warns all men not to allow “the means of order to be made the cause of confusion, and the instrument of union an occasion for discord”; and concludes with an exhortation calling upon the faithful to “serve all nations,” and to strive for the “betterment of the world.”

That such a unique and sublime station should have been conferred upon ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did not, and indeed could not, surprise those exiled companions who had for so long been privileged to observe His life and conduct, nor the pilgrims who had been brought, however fleetingly, into personal contact with Him, nor indeed the vast concourse of the faithful who, in distant lands, had grown to revere His name and to appreciate His labors, nor even the wide circle of His friends and acquaintances who, in the Holy Land and the adjoining countries, were already well familiar with the position He had occupied during the lifetime of His Father.

He alone had been accorded the privilege of being called “the Master,” an honor from which His Father had strictly excluded all His other sons. Upon Him that loving and unerring Father had chosen to confer the unique title of “Sirru’lláh” (the Mystery of God), a designation so appropriate to One Who, though essentially human and holding a station radically and fundamentally different from that occupied by Bahá’u’lláh and His Forerunner, could still claim to be the perfect Exemplar of His Faith, to be endowed with super-human knowledge, and to be regarded as the stainless mirror reflecting His light. To Him, whilst in Adrianople, that same Father had, in the Súriy-i-Ghusn (Tablet of the Branch), referred as “this sacred and glorious Being, this Branch of Holiness,” as “the Limb of the Law of God,” as His “most great favor” unto men, as His “most perfect bounty” conferred upon them, as One through Whom “every mouldering bone is quickened,” declaring that “whoso turneth towards Him hath turned towards God,” and that “they who deprive themselves of the shadow of the Branch are lost in the wilderness of error.” To Him He, whilst still in that city, had alluded (in a Tablet addressed to Ḥájí Muḥammad Ibráhím-i-Khalíl) as the one amongst His sons “from Whose tongue God will cause the signs of His power to stream forth,” and as the one Whom “God hath specially chosen for His Cause.” On Him, at a later period, the Author of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, in a celebrated passage, subsequently elucidated in the “Book of My Covenant,” had bestowed the function of interpreting His Holy Writ, proclaiming Him, at the same time, to be the One “Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.” To Him in a Tablet, revealed during that same period and addressed to Mírzá Muḥammad Qulíy-i-Sabzívarí, He had referred as “the Gulf that hath branched out of this Ocean that hath encompassed all created things,” and bidden His followers to turn their faces towards it. To Him, on the occasion of His visit to Beirut, His Father had, furthermore, in a communication which He dictated to His amanuensis, paid a glowing tribute, glorifying Him as the One “round Whom all names revolve,” as “the Most Mighty Branch of God,” and as “His ancient and immutable Mystery.” He it was Who, in several Tablets which Bahá’u’lláh Himself had penned, had been personally addressed as “the Apple of Mine eye,” and been referred to as “a shield unto all who are in heaven and on earth,” as “a shelter for all mankind” and “a stronghold for whosoever hath believed in God.” It was on His behalf that His Father, in a prayer revealed in His honor, had supplicated God to “render Him victorious,” and to “ordain … for Him, as well as for them that love Him,” the things destined by the Almighty for His “Messengers” and the “Trustees” of His Revelation. And finally in yet another Tablet these weighty words had been recorded: “The glory of God rest upon Thee, and upon whosoever serveth Thee and circleth around Thee. Woe, great woe, betide him that opposeth and injureth Thee. Well is it with him that sweareth fealty to Thee; the fire of hell torment him who is Thy enemy.”

THE MINISTRY OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ 1892–1921 - The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh Part 1

Bahá’u’lláh teaches us that God has created everything: the heavens and the earth, the mountains, the valleys, the rivers, the sun and the moon, the animals, and human beings. In one of Bahá’u’lláh's Writings, He says: "O SON OF MAN! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life." The reason for God's creation is His love for us! How blessed are we? And the expression of His deep love for us is through the eternal covenant He gave mankind.

Bahá’u’lláh has also written a covenant to help guide and protect His Faith from division. The beloved Guardian shares with us this exciting process of how it all unfolded:

   To direct and canalize these forces let loose by this Heaven-sent process, and to insure their harmonious and continuous operation after His ascension, an instrument divinely ordained, invested with indisputable authority, organically linked with the Author of the Revelation Himself, was clearly indispensable. That instrument Bahá’u’lláh had expressly provided through the institution of the Covenant, an institution which He had firmly established prior to His ascension. This same Covenant He had anticipated in His Kitáb-i-Aqdas, had alluded to it as He bade His last farewell to the members of His family, who had been summoned to His bed-side, in the days immediately preceding His ascension, and had incorporated it in a special document which He designated as “the Book of My Covenant,” and which He entrusted, during His last illness, to His eldest son ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

   Written entirely in His own hand; unsealed, on the ninth day after His ascension in the presence of nine witnesses chosen from amongst His companions and members of His Family; read subsequently, on the afternoon of that same day, before a large company assembled in His Most Holy Tomb, including His sons, some of the Báb’s kinsmen, pilgrims and resident believers, this unique and epoch-making Document, designated by Bahá’u’lláh as His “Most Great Tablet,” and alluded to by Him as the “Crimson Book” in His “Epistle to the Son of the Wolf,” can find no parallel in the Scriptures of any previous Dispensation, not excluding that of the Báb Himself. For nowhere in the books pertaining to any of the world’s religious systems, not even among the writings of the Author of the Bábí Revelation, do we find any single document establishing a Covenant endowed with an authority comparable to the Covenant which Bahá’u’lláh had Himself instituted.

   “So firm and mighty is this Covenant,” He Who is its appointed Center has affirmed, “that from the beginning of time until the present day no religious Dispensation hath produced its like.” “It is indubitably clear,” He, furthermore, has stated, “that the pivot of the oneness of mankind is nothing else but the power of the Covenant.”

   And finally: “The power of the Covenant is as the heat of the sun which quickeneth and promoteth the development of all created things on earth. The light of the Covenant, in like manner, is the educator of the minds, the spirits, the hearts and souls of men.” To this same Covenant He has in His writings referred as the “Conclusive Testimony,” the “Universal Balance,” the “Magnet of God’s grace,” the “Upraised Standard,” the “Irrefutable Testament,” “the all-mighty Covenant, the like of which the sacred Dispensations of the past have never witnessed” and “one of the distinctive features of this most mighty cycle.”

   Extolled by the writer of the Apocalypse as “the Ark of His (God) Testament”; associated with the gathering beneath the “Tree of Anísá” (Tree of Life) mentioned by Bahá’u’lláh in the Hidden Words; glorified by Him, in other passages of His writings, as the “Ark of Salvation” and as “the Cord stretched betwixt the earth and the Abhá Kingdom,” this Covenant has been bequeathed to posterity in a Will and Testament which, together with the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and several Tablets, in which the rank and station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are unequivocally disclosed, constitute the chief buttresses designed by the Lord of the Covenant Himself to shield and support, after His ascension, the appointed Center of His Faith and the Delineator of its future institutions. (Shoghi Effendi)

It is crucial for us to reflect on the covenant left to mankind by Bahá’u’lláh. Without this mighty covenant, we would have no doubt had over 1,000 sects. But, thank God for this covenant which has protected and shielded this true Faith of God until now and will continue into the future!

Recap - A Dynamic Process Set in Motion

Shoghi Effendi captures beautifully an overall vision from the time of the Báb until Bahá’u’lláh’s ministry. This is a good recap before moving forward:

Bahá’u’lláh was exiled to the The Most Great Prison in Akká 

"A dynamic process, divinely propelled, possessed of undreamt-of potentialities, world-embracing in scope, world-transforming in its ultimate consequences, had been set in motion on that memorable night when the Báb communicated the purpose of His mission to Mullá Ḥusayn in an obscure corner of Shíráz. It acquired a tremendous momentum with the first intimations of Bahá’u’lláh’s dawning Revelation amidst the darkness of the Síyáh-Chál of Ṭihrán. It was further accelerated by the Declaration of His mission on the eve of His banishment from Baghdád. It moved to a climax with the proclamation of that same mission during the tempestuous years of His exile in Adrianople. Its full significance was disclosed when the Author of that Mission issued His historic summonses, appeals and warnings to the kings of the earth and the world’s ecclesiastical leaders. It was finally consummated by the laws and ordinances which He formulated, by the principles which He enunciated and by the institutions which He ordained during the concluding years of His ministry in the prison-city of ‘Akká."  Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, Chapter XIV: The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh

Bahá’u’lláh

Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh - The Most Holy Spot on earth

The Báb through His first disciple, Mulla Husayn, sent Bahá’u’lláh His Writings. Upon reading it, He immediately accepted and arose to proclaim this Cause. Through His efforts, a number of souls became followers of the Báb. And because of this, Bahá’u’lláh was thrown in a dungeon for four months. Bahá’u’lláh received the first intimation of His mission which the Guardian shares with us from God Passes By:

“One night in a dream,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself, recounting His soul-shaking experience of the first stirrings of His prophetic Mission, in the Year Nine, in that abominable pit, has written, “these exalted words were heard on every side: ‘Verily, We shall render Thee victorious by Thyself and by Thy Pen. Grieve Thou not for that which hath befallen Thee, neither be Thou afraid, for Thou art in safety. Ere long will God raise up the treasures of the earth—men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as have recognized Him’.” And again, “During the days I lay in the prison of Ṭihrán, though the galling weight of the chains and the stench-filled air allowed Me but little sleep, still in those infrequent moments of slumber I felt as if something flowed from the crown of My head over My breast, even as a mighty torrent that precipitateth itself upon the earth from the summit of a lofty mountain. Every limb of My body would, as a result, be set afire. At such moments My tongue recited what no man could bear to hear.”

The authorities gave Bahá’u’lláh one month to leave His native country. With His family which included ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, they were exiled to Baghdad. With lots of suffering they arrived in Baghdad. This was not the last of Bahá’u’lláh exiles. Everywhere He went, He attracted so many people. Just imagine Christ walking from place to place in the Holy Lands. The Manifestations of God have a tremendous influence on the heart of men. People feel drawn to Them. It is a magnetic attraction, a spiritual force which cannot be resisted. And so Bahá’u’lláh was again exiled to Turkey. Before leaving Baghdad, He unveiled to a small group of people that He was a Manifestation of God for today. He left that country with Majesty and Sovereignty that kings would envy. In Turkey, the authorities of government and clergy again were so worried because He attracted a number of souls. He was then further banished with His family and a few followers to a prison in Akka (Israel) which He referred to the “Most Great Prison”.

Despite the opposition of the two most powerful kings of the earth as well as the clergies, Bahá’u’lláh’s influence is penetrating deep into the world. He continued to reveal the Word of God for forty years which will help guide and order the affairs of the world! Bahá’u’lláh passed away in 1892 in Israel, near Akka.

What is the point of me sharing all of this and how does this all relate to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá? The above story, however brief, illustrates the crisis and victories He shared with His Beloved Father. In addition, before Bahá’u’lláh's passing, He revealed a Will and Testament in which He commands all His followers to follow ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor. So all the Baha’is of the world are to turn to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Many people including His family tried to divide the Baha'i Faith. This Covenant is truly powerful and unique in human history as we will see later.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá was a tremendous help to His Father during those days of exiles. He would sacrifice all rest and personal comfort to ensure everyone's ease and comfort were met. Further, He would prepare each person before attaining the presence of Bahá’u’lláh! One has to really prepare to be in the presence of the King of Kings. He was on behalf of His Father the point of daily contacts for the authorities and the general public. He would make sure everyone was happy and received their share. He was loved and respected by all.

Shoghi Effendi further shares with us the following account: "On Him Bahá’u’lláh, as the scope and influence of His Mission extended, had been led to place an ever greater degree of reliance, by appointing Him, on numerous occasions, as His deputy, by enabling Him to plead His Cause before the public, by assigning Him the task of transcribing His Tablets, by allowing Him to assume the responsibility of shielding Him from His enemies, and by investing Him with the function of watching over and promoting the interests of His fellow-exiles and companions. He it was Who had been commissioned to undertake, as soon as circumstances might permit, the delicate and all-important task of purchasing the site that was to serve as the permanent resting-place of the Báb, of insuring the safe transfer of His remains to the Holy Land, and of erecting for Him a befitting sepulcher on Mt. Carmel. He it was Who had been chiefly instrumental in providing the necessary means for Bahá’u’lláh’s release from His nine-year confinement within the city walls of ‘Akká, and in enabling Him to enjoy, in the evening of His life, a measure of that peace and security from which He had so long been debarred. It was through His unremitting efforts that the illustrious Badí had been granted his memorable interviews with Bahá’u’lláh, that the hostility evinced by several governors of ‘Akká towards the exiled community had been transmuted into esteem and admiration, that the purchase of properties adjoining the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan had been effected, and that the ablest and most valuable presentation of the early history of the Faith and of its tenets had been transmitted to posterity. It was through the extraordinarily warm reception accorded Him during His visit to Beirut, through His contact with Midhát Páshá, a former Grand Vizir of Turkey, through His friendship with Azíz Páshá, whom He had previously known in Adrianople, and who had subsequently been promoted to the rank of Valí, and through His constant association with officials, notables and leading ecclesiastics who, in increasing number had besought His presence, during the final years of His Father’s ministry, that He had succeeded in raising the prestige of the Cause He had championed to a level it had never previously attained."


Through ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s efforts, He was able to secure the Ridvan Garden for Bahá’u’lláh to enjoy some level of comfort as well as rent a house in Maz’rai. There are many things I hope to share in the coming weeks and months on the station of the Beloved Master.

The Báb and brief explanation of the Covenant of God

Shrine of the Báb

As mentioned earlier, the Báb came to the world to prepare the people for the coming of Bahá’u’lláh. His mission is similar to that of Christ in that it was short and swift, 1844 to 1850. The Manifestations of God usually appear in a place where the degradation of a people is at its worse. In reviewing history briefly, we see Moses appearing amongst a people who were in slavery. Look at His Holiness Christ and the people He had to deal with. Muhammad appeared in Arabia where the conditions had degenerated to such an extent. But look after a number of years what the Teachings of Moses, Christ, and Muhammad has done. And the Bab and Bahá’u’lláh appeared in a place no different than that of Moses, Christ, and Muhammad. Iran which was a vast empire known as the “Persian Empire” was reduced to a small country. We can all witness the conditions today of what is transpiring.

Imagine the Báb coming to this people and bringing a beautiful message for this day. A message that will bring the whole world together as one. A message that One will come after Me [the Báb] and through His Teachings humanity will be able to build a world of justice, harmony, and peace. A beautiful message that will unite all of us through a Covenant.  A covenant is an agreement between two parties and each party has to fulfill his part of the contract. God has promised the world through a covenant that He will always send us Divine Guidance through a Manifestation of God who will appear amongst us from time to time.  That is God's expression of love for us.  He created us in His image.  However, God is Unknowable and we should not think of God as an image or some human being.  We cannot understand the nature of God.  There is a wonderful analogy taught to us by Baha'u'llah.  God is like the sun. As you know, if the sun comes down, we would all perish.  The Manifestations of God are like the stainless mirrors that reflect the light of God in all its glory and splendor.  They appear to us to give us God's Message for each day.  And through Them, we get closer to our creator.  Our duty in fulfilling this covenant is to investigate for ourselves who is the Manifestation of God for this day we are fortunate to live in. We are asked not to investigate reality through the eyes of others but through our own earnest search. This requires of us detachment from all human learning, a prayerful attitude, and seeking to find the Truth. Through my own personal journey, I have found Bahá’u’lláh to be the Manifestation of God for this Day. You will have to do your own search.

Let’s go back a bit. Sorry for the digression but felt it important to convey the above. Thousands of people accepted the Message of the Báb. Despite several house arrests and imprisonments in mountainous areas, the Báb's influence was tremendous just like all the other Manifestations of God. Yes, the Báb was also a Manifestation of God!

The government of Iran and the powerful clergy there arose against Him. You must note that the clergy occupied a powerful position and whatever they said goes. So, His followers were persecuted and put to death. The Báb only at the age of 30 was put to death at the orders of the government in a public square. The remains of His body were recovered, hidden, and taken from place to place through Bahá’u’lláh’s guidance, and finally to be buried in the Holy Land. The story of the Báb is very interesting and it is my hope for all of us to further study it.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá's Childhood and Youthful Days

‘Abdu’l-Bahá as a young man

‘Abdu’l-Bahá was born on 23 May 1844 in Tehran, the capital of Iran. His birth coincided with that historical night the Báb declared His Mission to Mulla Husayn. Have you ever stopped to think of this incredible day where you have the Manifestation of God addressing His first disciple and the birth of the One Who was to carry the infant Faith of God after the passing of Bahá’u’lláh! What a bounty to those who were alive to the vision at that time in Iran. 

It is my hope to read more about His childhood of which I could not find many references. He was the eldest Son of Bahá’u’lláh. He was only nine years of age when He went to visit His Father in prison called the Síyáh-Chál or Black Pit. Can one imagine being that age and visiting one's father in prison? We can only imagine the feelings that flooded the Beloved Master during that time. While His Father was still in prison, He was attacked by a mob of people who "pelted Him with stones, vilified Him and overwhelmed Him with ridicule. His had been the lot to share with His Father, soon after His release from imprisonment, the rigors and miseries of a cruel banishment from His native land, and the trials which culminated in His enforced withdrawal to the mountains of Kurdistán. He it was Who, in His inconsolable grief at His separation from an adored Father, had confided to Nabíl, as attested by him in his narrative, that He felt Himself to have grown old though still but a child of tender years. His had been the unique distinction of recognizing, while still in His childhood, the full glory of His Father’s as yet unrevealed station, a recognition which had impelled Him to throw Himself at His feet and to spontaneously implore the privilege of laying down His life for His sake. From His pen, while still in His adolescence in Baghdád, had issued that superb commentary on a well-known Muḥammadan tradition, written at the suggestion of Bahá’u’lláh, in answer to a request made by ‘Alí-Shawkat Páshá, which was so illuminating as to excite the unbounded admiration of its recipient. It was His discussions and discourses with the learned doctors with whom He came in contact in Baghdád that first aroused that general admiration for Him and for His knowledge which was steadily to increase as the circle of His acquaintances was widened, at a later date, first in Adrianople and then in ‘Akká. It was to Him that the highly accomplished Khurshíd Páshá, the governor of Adrianople, had been moved to pay a public and glowing tribute when, in the presence of a number of distinguished divines of that city, his youthful Guest had, briefly and amazingly, resolved the intricacies of a problem that had baffled the minds of the assembled company—an achievement that affected so deeply the Páshá that from that time onwards he could hardly reconcile himself to that Youth’s absence from such gatherings." (God Passes By, pages 240-241)

He had incredible spiritual capacity to be able to recognize the Manifestation of God for this day in His early years. Surely through the grace of God and as we will see later, He was endowed with these special gifts of knowledge and insights, abilities, and skills to carry out the pressing work for His Father. As human beings, we have to work very hard to develop over time a body of knowledge which includes that of the spiritual realm. We have to attend school to learn reading and writing, mathematics, sciences and arts. And we also have to learn to develop our spiritual attributes in our homes as well as attending children classes, going to our junior youth groups, and then the sequence of courses and deepening ourselves in the Cause. Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list. It is a life long effort. Bahá’u’lláh tells us that man is "a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom." (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh”, Sec. 122, pp. 259–60)


‘Abdu’l-Bahá to my limited knowledge did not have much education. So the question is how did He acquire this? This is something that we can all ponder on and reflect on the mysteries and bounties of God.

We can learn from the examples the Beloved Master set for us in His willingness to sacrifice His life for the Cause, in the eloquence of His Writings, in the manner of His Talks, in the meaningful and distinctive conversations that took place where He naturally and effortlessly elevated the discourse, and in the ability to solve difficult problems. Surely, we will at some point explore the concept of Sacrifice as well as the other mentioned examples He left for us!

Some questions for reflection: How do we sacrifice more for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during our lifetime? What can we do to have more meaningful and distinctive conversations during our days? How do we build that skill? How do we go about solving difficult problems?

The hope of the blog is to generate questions that arise as I write this so that I can be thinking about them and perhaps share a few humble thoughts. I conclude by saying that it has been wonderful for me to dive deeply into the Writings the last few days before writing this. We are living in a great time!


                                             (Picture from Baha'i Media Bank)

Introduction

While serving in Haifa

The purpose of the blog titled "A Tribute to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá" is simply because of my love for the Beloved Master whom I have felt a close connection since my childhood in Africa, in the States, and especially during my brief time serving at the Baha'i World Centre.  In addition, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came to America in 1912, almost 100 years ago which is a good time than ever for reflection.

A word of caution: this blog will contain my own experiences, feelings, thoughts unless quoted directly from the Writings.  You will want to compare with your own understanding and in light of the Revelation.

This space will also allow me to dive more deeply into the Writings.  I had the bounty of serving in Haifa for almost three years; one appreciates the beauty of the gardens and is aware of the spiritual forces that surrounds us particularly in the Shrines.  There is a certain force or energy that captures one's heart.  In going to the Shrines, one feels rejuvenated each time.  In Haifa, on Mount Carmel is laid to rest The Báb as well as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.  We are fortunate to be able to pray in these two Blessed Rooms.  And Bahá’u’lláh is buried in Bahji, the Most Holy Spot on earth for Baha'is.  To be alone in the Shrines is also an incredible experience! This is one of the main things those of us who have served there miss: being able to go to the Shrines each day to pray to our Beloved, and to walk in the gardens and meditate.

As one studies the Writings of the Cause and meditates deeply on them, through prayers, through action, through having spiritual conversations with others, and of course the grace of Bahá’u’lláh, one starts to appreciate and understand a bit more the greatness of this Faith which is less than two hundred years old, the infant Faith of God! While In Haifa, one also realizes the tireless work of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith which I am hoping to touch upon in this blog.  My father had a dream from the Guardian to go to Chad, Africa and that is how we ended up there.  I also fell deeply in love with the Universal House of Justice.  This is an Institution that is not well understood by the world.  The Universal House of Justice is a gift by Baha'u'llah to humanity (not just the Baha'is).

Bahá’u’lláh has protected His Faith through a Covenant.  This Covenant helps us remain united since the aim of the Baha'i Faith is the oneness of humanity.  Bahá’u’lláh in His written Will and Testament has appointed Abdu'l-Baha as the sole interpreter of His writings.  And in turn, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá appointed in writing Shoghi Effendi to succeed Him.  I am emphasizing the word "writing" since this is the first time in religious history we have a will in ink.  So there are no disputes later on.  And now all the Baha'is of the world turn to the Universal House of Justice who direct the Baha'i world to move forward in carrying out the will of Bahá’u’lláh for humanity.  This is a brief explanation for now.  More to come!