Whale...Swimming in the Ocean of life

Prayer for Forgiveness

2011-01-31T18:06:00.001-05:00

O our Lord! punish us not if we forget, or fall into sin; O our Lord! and lay not on us a load like that which thou has laid on those who have been before us; O our Lord! and lay not on us that for which we have not strength: but blot out our sins and forgive us, and have pity on us.

The Qur'an (Rodwell tr) Sura 2 - The Cow

The Holy Spirit

2011-01-31T17:58:00.001-05:00

An article written 30 years ago for the City of The Covenant News.

The Holy Spirit

In the prayer for the Northeast States revealed by Abdul-Baha[1], a supplication the “is to be read by the teachers and friends daily,” we beseech God to “bestow upon us the breath of the Holy Spirit.” What are we praying for when we read this statement?

A survey of Abdul-Baha’s writings shows us that the Holy Spirit is: a perfect and divine power[2], a divine favor that can revive our souls[3], and “has effective power in the realities of things and creates new creatures”[4]. The Holy Spirit is a force that strengthens us after prayer and supplication[5], and it is a force that teaches every sincere and faithful soul[6]. The Holy Spirit is our companion[7], a heavenly blessing that descends on us[8], a source of help[9], and our assistant[10]. The Holy Spirit is the bestower of life to our hearts [11] and makes our hearts tranquil[12]. It is a personal, and an integral part of our communion with our Creator. The Holy Spirit is a mediator between God and man[13], without whose influence “man would remain dull, helpless and deprived of all attainment. But touched by that Divine Elixir, he becomes tender, loving, responsive and capable of every perfection of life.[14]”

Yet on another level we are told that the Holy Spirit is watchful over the nations[15], that it is the establisher of the congregations of the righteous ones[16] and that the Holy Spirit is the force and power through which our Assemblies should make the souls real Baha’is[17].

Abdul-Baha also tells us that the “teachings of Baha’u’llah are the breaths of the Holy Spirit which create men anew[18]” and that the Holy Spirit is the executive force by which the teachings of God are established in human hearts and conditions[19].

The Holy Spirit is our source of confirmations. The Holy Spirit gives us power to teach[20], and is how the breath of life reaches other souls[21].

The Holy Spirit is that ideal force which we must reflect to our fellowman. It starts small. It starts in being the Power by which we ourselves are transformed, born again into the heaven of reunion, with our Lord Baha’u’llah. The Holy Spirit is the confirming power we need to attract, in order to be effective in transforming the hearts of our fellowmen into organs pulsating to the rhythms of the Will of God. And by virtue of the former two transformations, the Holy Spirit is the force that has the potential to transform our world into the Kingdom of God on earth.

In closing, Abdul-Baha revealed this beautiful exhortation in a tablet to an American believer. “ I pray to God that He may cause to descend upon thee a heavenly blessing, quicken thy heart with the Holy Spirit into an everlasting life and make thy heart a source of merciful sentiments so that thy breath may become a quickener of souls, thine attractions may move the heart of the world, thy strong love may attract the hearts of me that thine abundant affection may become a mercy to mankind in the world of existence[22].

May we pray likewise for ourselves and our coworkers.

[1] Bahai Prayers

[2] Tablets of Abdul-Baha p.1

[3] ibid p.9

[4] ibid p.65

[5] ibid p.75

[6] ibid p.134

[7] ibid p.162

[8] ibid p.210

[9] ibid p.225

[10] ibid p.228

[11] ibid p.646

[12] ibid p.704

[13] ibid p.611

[14] SOW Vol II No.14 p.7

[15] ibid No. 16 p.5

[16] ibid p.8

[17] Tablets of Abdul-Baha, p.148

[18] SOW Vol VIII No 8, p.103

[19] SOW Vol III No18, P.7

[20] SOW Vol VII No.8, p.103

[21] Tablets of Abdul-Baha, P.665

[22] ibid p.201

Prayers can only be answered through action

2011-01-31T17:30:00.001-05:00

Teaching is the source of Divine Confirmation. It is not sufficient to pray diligently for guidance, but this prayer must be followed by meditation as to the best methods of action and then action itself. Even if the action should not immediately produce results, or perhaps not be entirely correct, that does not make so much difference, because prayers can only be answered through action and if someone's action is wrong, God can use that method of showing the pathway which is right....

Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer
From a letter dated 22 August 1957 written on his behalf

Persevering Steps

2011-01-30T12:57:00.002-05:00

Steps to the roof in the Prison at Akka

An article I wrote in 2004 aftrer returning from Pilgrimage.

O SON OF JUSTICE!

Whither can a lover go but to the land of his beloved? and what seeker findeth rest away from his heart's desire? To the true lover reunion is life, and separation is death. His breast is void of patience and his heart hath no peace. A myriad lives he would forsake to hasten to the abode of his beloved.

(Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

Mt. Carmel is a fairly good size hill. It is, being a hill – steep. Being a very large man, I was worried on the trip over to Israel, that I might have trouble climbing the Terraces and walking all over the mountain. My family will tell you that I majored in worrying in college. It’s just part of who I am.

My worries were put to rest the very first afternoon of Pilgrimage. The Pilgrim’s were assembled at the Haifa Pilgrim House and walked quietly to the Shrine of the Bab together for our first visit to the Shrine. We were led by Counselor’s from the International Teaching Center. It was during the walk that I saw H.R. for the first time. H.R. was walking along the crushed tile and pebble walkways hunched over his walker on the way to the Shrine. I wondered how he would be able to go through Pilgrimage in his physical condition. He was obviously in his mid to late seventies and in poor health.

After we had assembled in the Shrine of the Bab and the Shrine of Abdul-Baha and heard the Tablets of Visitation read, we all headed back to the Pilgrim Reception Center. It is a good walk from the Shrine. I ran into H.R. and his wife and son on the way there. H.R. was having some physical difficulty but he was determined to make it to the Pilgrim Reception Center because Hand of the Cause of God Vargha was speaking that evening. He made it. He also made it everywhere else Pilgrim’s go on Pilgrimage.

H.R. is my hero. Nothing in this world, no physical limitations, no health condition was going to stand between him and his Beloved. His desire, his effort, his perseverance, inspired me to let go of my petty preoccupations and concentrate on why I was there, not on any limitations, real or otherwise. Just thinking of H.R. made me happy during my time in Israel and it still does today.

O thou yearning flame, thou who art afire with the love of God! I have read thy letter, and its contents, well-expressed and eloquent, delighted my heart, showing as they did thy deep sincerity in the Cause of God, thy persevering steps along the pathway of His Kingdom, and thy staunchness in His Faith -- for of all great things, this is the greatest in His sight.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 162)

Civilization Out of Control

2011-01-30T12:37:00.000-05:00

“As humanity is tossed and tormented by the ravages inflicted upon it by a civilization gone out of control, let us keep our heads and hearts focused on the divine tasks set before us. For amid this turmoil opportunities will abound that must be exploited "for the purpose of spreading far and wide the knowledge of the redemptive power of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh and for enlisting fresh recruits in the ever-swelling army of His followers." This Plan to which we are now committed is set at one of the most critical times in the life of the planet. It is meant to prepare our community to cope with the accelerating changes that are occurring in the world about us and to place the community in a position both to withstand the weight of the accompanying tests and challenges and to make more visible a pattern of functioning to which the world can turn for aid and example in the wake of a tumultuous transition. Thus, this Plan acquires a special place in the scheme of Bahá'í and world history. Those of us who are alive to the vision of the Faith are particularly privileged to be consciously engaged in efforts intended to stimulate and eventually enhance such processes.

May you all arise to seize the tasks of this crucial moment. May each inscribe his or her own mark on a brief span of time so charged with potentialities and hope for all humanity. Lest you become distracted or preoccupied with the drastic happenings of this age of transition, bear ever in mind the advice of our infallible guide, Shoghi Effendi: "Not ours, puny mortals that we are, to attempt, at so critical a stage in the long and checkered history of mankind, to arrive at a precise and satisfactory understanding of the steps which must successively lead a bleeding humanity, wretchedly oblivious of its God, and careless of Bahá'u'lláh, from its calvary to its ultimate resurrection.... Ours rather the duty, however confused the scene, however dismal the present outlook, however circumscribed the resources we dispose of, to labour serenely, confidently, and unremittingly to lend our share of assistance, in whichever way circumstances may enable us, to the operation of the forces which, as marshalled and directed by Bahá'u'lláh, are leading humanity out of the valley of misery and shame to the loftiest summits of power and glory."
The Universal House of Justice The Four Year Plan Ridvan 153 (1996) Pp 42-44

Civil Disobedience

2011-01-17T11:57:00.003-05:00

Just about every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day - I find myself having an internal argument as to whether Martin Luther King Jr. much beloved by many of my fellow Baha'i's could have been a Baha'i, and whether we should hold him out as a role model to our children.

No Baha'i would argue that Martin Luther King Jr.'s message on how to we should relate to each other as human beings is spot on with the Faith's Teachings.

Should Baha'i's have been marching arm in arm with Dr. King? Guidance from the NSA would seem to indicate that we could not associate with his organization - here are the criteria:

The following questions must be asked: Are the aims of the organization compatible with Bahá'í laws and principles? Is membership open to persons of all racial and religious backgrounds? Is it free from partisan politics and political controversies? Does it refrain from civil disobedience and violence? To answer these questions it would be necessary to review carefully an organization's activities and charter.

(Compilations, NSA USA - Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities)

Civil disobedience seems to be misguided. We are to willingly submit to government and rule of law no matter how misguided. Indeed the Key Figures in our Faith submitted themselves to the authorities of Their time and endured it patiently.

Additionally, we are to avoid organizations that bring with it the baggage of things that do not accord with the Teachings - example working for the equality of men and women - but advocating abortion and homosexual rights - which on face are against the Teachings of the Faith (see the 12/28/10 UHJ message to the Counselors).

Basically, change is made in the hearts of men by the movement of the Holy Spirit. I do not think that Dr. King would disagree. But the example of the utmost civility, harmony and affinity as opposed to disobedience, disunity, and separation is the powerful remedy prescribed for this day and age.

So I think I will wait some years to try to explain this to my grandchildren. I for one will reflect today, I will not march.

Baha'i History 9/19 1912 - Abdul-Baha in Minneapolis

2010-09-19T13:01:00.003-04:00

(Friends commemorating Abdul-Baha's visit to Minneapolis - 9/18/2010)

1912 – Abdul-Baha was in [Minneapolis -- St Paul]

It was reported to `Abdu'l-Bahá that the proceedings of the Bahá'í meeting the night before had been published in today's newspapers. He said:

Notwithstanding this, the Muslims and the Christians alike are not satisfied with us. They are engaged in pleasurable diversions and enjoyable pastimes in their homes while we are laboring to prove the truths of the divine Manifestations in these great temples. So it is with the mischief-makers and Covenant-breakers. Behold how they are preoccupied with themselves and with the satisfaction of their selfish desires, while I am so wholly occupied with spreading the Cause of God in America that I have not had a moment's rest.

`Abdu'l-Bahá said, `…

When people of the West become wealthy, they begin to collect antique objects in order to render a service to the world of art. But when Persians become wealthy, they keep one hundred horses in their stables, give themselves up to pomp and show, engage themselves in satiating their selfish desires. But in comparison with service to the Cause, both attitudes are barren, producing no result. For example, if the effort these people put into gathering these objects, and the millions of dollars spent acquiring them, were employed for the Cause of God, their stars of happiness and prosperity would shine evermore from the horizon of both worlds. If in this city they brought ten persons into the Cause of God, it would gain momentum and would become the cause of eternal honor and happiness as well as the source of everlasting life. (Mahmud's Diary)

Abdul-Baha visitis Minneapolis

2010-09-19T12:52:00.003-04:00

Abdul-Baha visited Minneapolis 9/18 to 9/20 1912.

Here is a picture of the Master visiting Loring Park.

April 21st in Baha'i History

2010-05-02T21:38:00.002-04:00

First day of the Festival of Riḍván.

21 April 1912 - Abdul-Baha - Talk at Studio Hall 1219 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D.C.

21 April 1912 - Abdul-Baha - Talk at Universalist Church Thirteenth and L Streets, Washington, D.C.

21 Apr 1937 First Seven-Year Plan launched. Goals: to establish at least one local spiritual assembly in every state of the United States and every province of Canada;•

21 Apr 1946 Second Seven-Year Plan launched. This plan focused on Europe, which only had national spiritual assemblies in Great Britain and Germany. It also called for the formation of local spiritual assemblies in Latin America and a vast increase in assemblies in North America.

1963: The first World Congress takes place in London.

1963: The first Universal House of Justice is elected by representatives of 56 National Spiritual Assemblies gathered in Haifa, in synchronization with the end of the Ten Year Crusade.

21 Apr 1964 The Universal House of Justice launches a Nine Year Plan which was to be completed in 1973, the centenary of Bahá'u'lláh's revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdás.

21 Apr 1973 The Universal House of Justice launches a FiveYear Plan.

21 Apr 1979 The Universal House of Justice launches a Seven Year Plan.

21 Apr 1986 The Universal House of Justice launches a SixYear Plan.

21 April 1987 By now, more than 1 million copies of "The Promise of World Peace" had been distributed.

1990: Two Knights of Bahá’u’lláh settle on the island of Sakhalin, the last remaining territory named by Shoghi Effendi in his Ten Year Crusade

21 April 1992 The Holy Year begins, in commemoration of the centenary of the passing of Bahá'u'lláh.

21 Apr 1993 The Universal House of Justice launches a ThreeYear Plan.

21 Apr 1996 The Universal House of Justice launches a FourYear Plan.

21 Apr 1997 National Spiritual Assembly of Rwanda is reformed

21 April 1999 National Spiritual Assemblies formed in Latvia, Lithuania and Macedonia, bringing the total number to 182.

April 21, 2001: Within the Ridván Message for BE 158 (2001), the Universal House of Justice announces the launch of the Five Year Plan that includes an ever progressive expansion of the Faith throughout the world, and expansion of facilities at the Baha'i World Center, including the organization of the Center for the Study of the Sacred Text, and improvements to accommodate greater numbers of pilgrims. Then it calls for the "raising up of National Houses of Worship" and the erection of the Mother Temple of South America in Santiago, Chile.

April 20th in Baha'i History

2010-05-02T21:36:00.001-04:00

20 April 1912 Abdul-Baha - Talk at Orient-Occident-Unity Conference Public Library Hall, Washington, D.C.

April 19th in Baha'i History

2010-05-02T21:28:00.004-04:00

19 April 1896 Nasirid Din Shah is assassinated by an originator of the constitutional movement in Iran and Bahá'ís are blamed.

19 April 1912 Abdul-Baha - Talk at Earl Hall Columbia University, New York

19 April 1912 Abdul-Baha - Talk at Bowery Mission 227 Bowery, New York

19-25 April 1915 First Bahá'í International Congress, held in San Francisco.

1916 - Tablet of the divine Plan Revealed

TABLET TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA Revealed on April 19, 1916, in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's room at the house in Bahji; on April 20, in the pilgrims' quarters of the house in Bahji; on April 22, in the garden adjacent to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. (Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 47)

April 18th in Baha'i History

2010-05-02T21:25:00.002-04:00

18 April 1912 Abdul-Baha - Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall L. Emery 273 West Ninetieth Street, New York

April in Baha'i History

2010-04-17T11:49:00.003-04:00

Shine out like the day-star, be unresting as the sea; even as the clouds of heaven, shed ye life upon field and hill, and like unto April winds, blow freshness through those human trees, and bring them to their blossoming.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 245)

1846 - Vahid meets the Bab

In one of his writings Vahid gives the date of his meeting with the Báb in Shiraz as the month of Jamadiyu'l-Avval in the year 1262 A.H. (April-May 1846). (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 1, p. 326)

1853 - Baha'u'llah arrives in Tihran

1863 - Baha'u'llah departs for Istanbul

Bahá'u'lláh arrived in Baghdad from Tihran in April, 1853 and departed for Istanbul in April, 1863. (Ustad Muhammad-'Aliy-i Salmani, My Memories of Baha'u'llah, p. 144)

1939 - the Guardian wrote:

And in April 1939 he had written: "the sands of a moribund civilization are inexorably running out". (Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, p. 71)

• April 1948 The name Bahá'í International Community is used for the first time for the global non-governmental organization involving the eight National Spiritual Assemblies existing at that time.

• Apr 1953 Formal dedication of the house of worship at Wilmette, Illinois, designed by French-Canadian architect Jean-Louis Bourgeois.

April 17th in Baha'i History

2010-04-17T11:44:00.002-04:00

17 April 1912 Abdul-Baha - Talk at Hotel Ansonia Broadway and Seventy-third Street, New York

17 April 1912 - Abdul-Baha - Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney 780 West End Avenue, New York

April 16th in Baha'i History

2010-04-17T11:40:00.002-04:00

1912: News of the sinking of the RMS Titanic breaks; After praying for the deceased, the friends offered thanks that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had not traveled on that ship.

16 April 1912 - Abdul-Baha - Talk at Hotel Ansonia to Baha’i’ Friends of New Jersey Broadway and Seventy-third Street, New York

April 15th in Baha'i History

2010-04-17T11:36:00.001-04:00

15-20 April 1890 Edward Granville Browne of Cambridge University, interviews Bahá'u'lláh four times and visits with 'Abdu'l-Bahá at Bahjí.

15 April 1912 Abdul- Baha - Talk at Home of Mountfort Mills 327 West End Avenue, New York

April 14th in Baha'i History

2010-04-17T11:01:00.002-04:00

14 April 1912 Talk at Church of the Ascension Fifth Avenue and Tenth Street, New York

14 April 1912 Talk at Union Meeting of Advanced Thought Centers Carnegie Lyceum West Fifty-seventh Street, New York

April 13th in Baha'i History

2010-04-17T10:58:00.002-04:00

13 April 1912 Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Morten 141 East Twenty-first Street, New York

1912 -It was on Saturday, 13 April, that Mamma and I visited the Master. On Friday He had called me early, asking me to meet Him at the MacNutts'.

I shall never cease to see Him as He looked speaking from their stairway, standing below a stained glass window in a ray of sunlight, the powerful head, the figure in its flowing robes, outlined in light. The Master has a strange quality of beautifying His environment, of throwing a glamour over it and blotting out the ugly. The MacNutts' house is ugly; the one redeeming feature of that stairway, its window. All I saw as the Master stood there was Himself, the window, the ray of light. His words lifted my soul on wings! (Diary of Juliet Thompson)

April 12th in Baha'i History

2010-04-17T10:52:00.002-04:00

12 April 1912 Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard MacNutt 935 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York

12 April 1912 Talk at Studio of Miss Phillips 39 West Sixty-seventh Street, New York

April 11th in Baha'i History

2010-04-17T10:48:00.002-04:00

11 Apr 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá arrives in New York City at the request of the American Bahá'ís.

11 April 1912 Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney 780 West End Avenue, New York

1916 - Tablet of the Divine Plan revealed:

TABLET TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA Revealed on April 11, 1916, in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's room at the house in Bahji, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. (Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 37)

1922 - Guardian receives word of Jahrom martyrdoms

April 11th, from Shiraz, which badly stated:v"Twelve friends in Jahrom martyred agitation may extend elsewhere,"to which he replied the same day, "Horrified sudden calamity.Suspend activities. Appeal central authorities. Convey relativesvtenderest sympathy". He also wired that same day to Tihran avmessage so significant of the spirit of the Faith that its conjunction with the events in Jahrum cannot be ignored: "I earnestly request all believers Persia Turkistan Caucasus participate whole-heartedly in renewal Spiritual Assemblies election. No true Bahá'í can stand aside. Results should be promptly forwarded Holy Land through central Assemblies communicate immediately with every centre. Proceed cautiously. Imploring Divine assistance." The following day, having received a more detailed wire from Shiraz advising that the chief instigator of the agitation there had been arrested and giving certain suggestions, Shoghi Effendi telegraphed Tihran: "Grief-stricken Jahrom martyrdom. Convey His Majesty on behalf all Bahá'ís and myself our profound appreciation his prompt intervention and our earnest entreaty to inflict immediate punishment on perpetrators of such atrocious crime. Urge all Persian Assemblies send similar message." It is a slight, but significant indication of his mental state, that in the first cables he spells "Jahrom" phonetically, but later switches to the transliterated "Jahrum". (Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, p. 36)

April 10th in Baha'i History

2010-04-17T10:46:00.001-04:00

1848: The Báb is transfered to the fortress of Chihríq by orders of Hájí Mírzá Áqásí

1854: Bahá’u’lláh retreats to the Sulaymaniyah mountains within Kurdistan

April 9th in Baha'i History

2010-04-17T10:45:00.000-04:00

9 April 1899 Upheaval at Najafubad

1848: The Báb is removed from the fortress of Máh-Kú by orders of Hájí Mírzá Áqásí

April 8th in Baha'i History

2010-04-07T21:39:00.002-04:00

8 Apr 1853 Bahá'u'lláh arrives in Baghdád.
.
1883 - Birth of Elizabeth Hopper, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh named for pioneering to the Madeira Islands

1916 - Tablet of the Divine Plan Revealed

TABLET TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA Revealed on April 8, 1916, in the garden outside the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada (Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 29)

1922 - On April 8th the Greatest Holy Leaf wrote a general letter to the friends.

She first acknowledges the letters of allegiance they have sent and says Shoghi Effendi is counting upon their co-operation in spreading the Message; the Bahá'í world must from now on be linked through the Spiritual Assemblies and local questions must be referred to them. She then goes on to say: "Since the ascension of our Beloved 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi has been moved so deeply ... that he has sought the necessary quiet in which to meditate upon the vast task ahead of him, and it is to accomplish this that he has temporarily left these regions. During his absence he has appointed me as his representative, and while he is occupied in this great endeavour, the family of 'Abdu'l-Bahá is assured that you will all strive to advance triumphantly the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh..." The typewritten letter in English is signed in Persian "Bahá'íyyih" and sealed with her seal.
(Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, p. 19)

April 7th in Baha'i History

2010-04-07T21:32:00.003-04:00

1887: Horace Holley, prominent Bahá’í and Hand of the Cause is born in Torrington, Connecticut

1922 - The Greatest Holy Leaf Reporsts the Guardian has left the Holy Land to recuperate.

He appointed a body of nine people to act tentatively as an Assembly and we find that on April 7,1922, this body enters in its records that a letter has been received from the Greatest Holy Leaf in which she states that "the Guardian of the Cause of God, the Chosen Branch, the Leader of the people of Baha, Shoghi Effendi, under the weight of sorrows and boundless grief, has been forced to leave here for a while in order to rest and recuperate, and then return to the Holy Land to render his services and discharge his responsibilities." (Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, p. 19)

April 6th in Baha'i History

2010-04-05T21:11:00.002-04:00

1954 - Guardian directs the Hands to appoint Auxiliary Boards

A significant development in the unfoldment of the institution of the Hands of the Cause took place when the Guardian directed the Hands to appoint Auxiliary Boards in each continent of the globe to act as their deputies and advisers. He announced this decision in a cablegram on 6 April 1954.

(Adib Taherzadeh, The Child of the Covenant, p. 335)

1954 - The Guardian calls for the Initiation of Continental Funds

As to the expenses of the institution itself, in a message dated 6 April 1954, the Guardian called for the initiation of five Continental Bahá'í Funds. These Funds, now well established, support the activities of the Counsellors and their auxiliaries -- their travels and their administrative expenses -- and are managed each by one member of the Board appointed the Trustee of the Continental Fund by the Universal House of Justice.

(The Universal House of Justice, The Institution of the Counsellors, p. 14)

April 5th in Baha'i History

2010-04-05T21:07:00.002-04:00

1916 - Tablet of the Divine Plan Revealed

TABLET TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF CANADA AND GREENLAND Revealed on April 5, 1916, in the garden adjacent to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of Canada -- Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Mackenzie, Keewatin, Ungava, Franklin Islands -- and Greenland. (Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 25)

1922 - Shoghi Effendi left Haifa for Europe, on April 5th, accompanied by his eldest cousin. (Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, p. 19)

April 4th in Baha'i History

2010-04-05T21:02:00.002-04:00

1923 - Birth of Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir, Hand of the Cause of God and Knight of Bahá’u’lláh

2006 - Egyptian administrative court recognizes the independence of the Bahá’í Faith

April 3rd in Baha'i History

2010-04-02T17:23:00.002-04:00

1867 - Petition to assist in getting Baha'u'llah released from prison presented to the United States.

In 1867 the considerable number of Bahá'ís remaining in Baghdad, four years after Bahá'u'lláh's exile to Constantinople [Istanbul] and hence to Adrianople [Edirne], petitioned the United States Congress for assistance for Bahá'u'lláh's release and for assistance for the Bahá'ís in general. The twenty-four line petition was signed with ringstone emblems by 53 Bahá'ís in Baghdad on March 16, 1867. It reached the United States Consul General's office in Beirut, Syria on April 3, 1867*.

(Misc Baha'i, Petition from Baghdad Baha'is to US)

1961 - Death of Hand of the Cause of God Corinne True

April 2nd in Baha'i History

2010-04-02T17:19:00.002-04:00

2004 - Death of Ola Pawlowska, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh named for pioneering to St. Pierre and Miquelon.

April 1st in Baha'i History

2010-04-02T17:14:00.002-04:00

1 Apr 1847 Bahá'u'lláh sends a letter and gifts to the Báb.

1916 - TABLET TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE WESTERN STATES Revealed

Revealed on April 1, 1916, in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's room at the house in Bahji, addressed to the Bahá'ís of eleven Western States of the United States: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, California, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 19)

March 31st in Baha'i History

2010-04-02T17:11:00.001-04:00

31 March 1966 Eduardo Duarte Vieira died in prison in Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau) after months of harassment and beatings because of his faith. He was designated the first African martyr.

31 March 1980 - Release of a Compilation on the Importance of Prayer, Meditation, and the Devotional Attitude

March 30th in Baha'i History

2010-03-30T20:38:00.003-04:00

1937: Birth of Universal House of Justice member Hooper Dunbar

March 29th in Baha'i History

2010-03-29T20:47:00.002-04:00

1916 - Tablet of the Divine Plan for the Central States - revealed

Revealed on Wednesday morning, March 29th 1916, outside the house in Bahji, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of twelve Central States of the United States: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. (H.M. Balyuzi, Abdu'l-Baha - The Centre of the Covenant, p. 420)

3/29/45 The Guardian writes what becomes p.78-79 of Messges to America - the unfoldment of the Tablets of the Divine Plan. Reference to a "rising Administrative system as the nucleus and pattern of its future world-embracing order" (Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

3/29/51 The Guardian writes what becomes p.91-98 of Citadel of Faith - Spiritual Conquest of the Planet - nine concentric circles surrounding the Sepulcher of the Bab (Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

1952 - Death of Hand of the Cause William Sutherland Maxwell

2006 - Death of Ruth Katharine Meyer, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, named for pioneering to Margarita Island.

March 28th in Baha'i History

2010-03-28T18:57:00.002-04:00

1911 - Birth of Hand of the Cause and prominent American Bahá’í William Sears.

3/28/43 The guardian writes what becomes p.61-63 of Messages to America on the significance of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar (Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

March 27th in Baha'i History

2010-03-27T12:45:00.001-04:00

1885 - Birth of Knight of Bahá’u’lláh Charles Dunning

1916 - Tablet of the Divine Plan

Revealed on Monday morning, March 27th 1916, in the garden adjacent to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, addressed to the Bahá'ís of sixteen Southern States of the United States: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas Oklahoma, and Texas. (H.M. Balyuzi, Abdu'l-Baha - The Centre of the Covenant, p. 420)

March 26th in Baha'i History

2010-03-25T21:24:00.003-04:00

26 Mar 1863 Bahá'u'lláh reveals the Tablet of the Holy Mariner, in which He reveals gloomy predictions. Prompted by the stirrings of the clergy and the Persian Consul General of Baghdád, Bahá'u'lláh was invited to Istanbul on March 26th and given a sum of money for the journey by the Governor of Baghdád. Bahá'u'lláh accepts the invitation but gives all the money to the poor.

1916 - Tablet of the Divine Plan for the Northeast states - Revealed on Sunday morning, March 26th 1916, in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's room at the house in Bahji, addressed to the Bahá'ís of nine North-Eastern States of the United States: Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. (H.M. Balyuzi, Abdu'l-Baha - The Centre of the Covenant, p. 420)

March 25th in Baha'i History

2010-03-24T19:19:00.002-04:00

• 1912 - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá boards the S.S. Cedric in Alexandria, heading for the United States

1930 - As Shoghi Effendi's secretary wrote on his behalf to an individual believer on 25 March 1930, 'The contents of the Will of the Master are far too much for the present generation to comprehend. It needs at least a century of actual working before the treasures of wisdom hidden in it can be revealed...' (Adib Taherzadeh, The Covenant of Baha'u'llah, p. 441)

• 1957 - Death of Hand of the Cause of God George Townshend

• 1992 - Death of Hand of the Cause and prominent American Bahá’í William Sears

• 1998 - Death of Universal House of Justice member Hugh Chance

March 24th in Baha'i History

2010-03-23T19:00:00.002-04:00

24 Mar 1881 Mirza Yahya is freed by the British administration in Cyprus. He is denied British citizenship and remains in Cyprus until his death.

1937: Shoghi Effendi marries Mary Maxwell, renamed Rúhíyyih Khánum. The wedding was a symbol of the uniting of the East and West.

3/24/39 The Guardian writes what becomes p.18 of Messages to America - more on dissolution of old order. Refers to "ominous rumblings" foreshadowing the "final eruption involving the dissolution of a lamentably defective international order." (Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

March 22nd in Baha'i History

2010-03-21T11:01:00.002-04:00

1966 - Fiftieth anniversary of the Revelation of the Tablets of the Divine Plan

JOYOUSLY HAIL FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY REVELATION FIRST OF TABLETS DIVINE PLAN CHARTER PROPAGATION FAITH THROUGHOUT WORLD. PRAYING SHRINES OBSERVANCE OCCASION MAY BE SOURCE RENEWED ENTHUSIASM DEDICATION FRIENDS ACCOMPLISH GOALS WIN FRESH LAURELS SHARE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES CANADA ALASKA HAWAII.
[The Tablets of the Divine Plan are fourteen Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá revealed in 1916 and 1917 to the Bahá'ís of the United Sates and Canada. In them He conveys His mandate for the transmission of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh throughout the world.]
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

March 21st in Baha'i History

2010-03-20T11:32:00.002-04:00

1888-Sulayman Khan arrives in India

For over ten years Sulayman Khan travelled throughout the sub-continent; then he departed for the Holy Land to attain the presence of Bahá'u'lláh. He was accompanied by two believers whom he had brought under the shadow of the Cause of God. He also took with him a young lad to work as a domestic helper in the household of Bahá'u'lláh. He attained the presence of His Lord in 'Akká for the third time, but his sojourn in the Holy Land was cut very short, for Bahá'u'lláh instructed him to return to India and continue his teaching exploits in that vast country. This time he again took one of the believers to accompany him in his travels, arriving back in India on the eve of Naw-Ruz[1] 1888. (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 4, p. 182)

21 Mar 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá inters the remains of the Báb on the spot chosen by Bahá'u'lláh years earlier.

On March 21st 1909, 'Abdu'l-Bahá placed the remains of the Báb in a central vault beneath the mausoleum, then completed, in the heart of Mount Carmel. To the Bahá'ís He wrote:
The most joyful tidings is this, that the holy, the luminous body of the Báb . . . after having for sixty years been transferred from place to place, by reason of the ascendancy of the enemy, and from fear of the malevolent, and having known neither rest nor tranquillity has, through the mercy of the Abha Beauty, been ceremoniously deposited, on the day of Naw-Ruz, within the sacred casket, in the exalted Shrine on Mt. Carmel . .
.
By a strange coincidence, on that same day of Naw-Ruz, a cablegram was received from Chicago, announcing that the believers in each of the American centers had elected a delegate and sent to that city . . . and definitely decided on the site and construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
(H.M. Balyuzi, Abdu'l-Baha - The Centre of the Covenant, p. 126)

1909 - Opening of the first American Bahá’í Convention
(H.M. Balyuzi, Abdu'l-Baha - The Centre of the Covenant, p. 133)

3/21/30 The Guardian writes what becomes pages 15-26 of the The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh - Further Considerations (Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

3/21/32 The Guardian writes what becomes pages 51-68 of the World Order of Baha'u'llah - The Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh (Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

3/21/33 The Guardian writes what becomes pages 71-94 of the World Order of Baha'u'llah - America and the Most Great Peace (Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

21 March 1993 The Most Holy Book (Kitáb-i-Aqdás) is published in English for the first time.

21 March 1990 Bahá'ís in Cluj, Romania, formed the first LSA in Eastern Europe since World War II.

March 20th in Baha'i History

2010-03-20T11:26:00.003-04:00

20 Mar 1848 Mulla Husayn arrives at Máh-kú to see the Báb.

3/20/29 The guardian pens what becomes Baha'i Administration p.175-80 regarding League of Nations' favorable pronouncement on the Baghdad House (Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

March 19th in Baha'i History

2010-03-20T11:23:00.001-04:00

1856 - At the request of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’u’lláh returns to Baghdad after His period of seclusion in the Sulaymaniyyih mountains of Kurdistan.

1856 - Louis Bourgeois, architect and designer of the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, is born in Saint-Célestin-de-Nicolet, Quebec.

1965 - Incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Korea

The Dedication of the Panama Temple 19 March 1972 (The Universal House of Justice, Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1968-1973, p. 86)

March 18th in Baha'i History

2010-03-20T11:21:00.001-04:00

18 March 1992 Word of the secret execution of Mr. Bahman Samandari in Irán is made known, the first execution since 1988.

March 17th in Baha'i History

2010-03-20T11:18:00.002-04:00

17 March 1879 Martyrdom of Haji Siyyid Muhammad-Hasan (the King of the Martyrs) and Jahi Siyyid Hummad-Husayn (the Beloved of the Martyrs).

Death sentence was pronounced by Shaykh Muhammad-Baqir, "the Wolf". They were put in chains, decapited and dragged for public viewing.

"On the sixth day of their imprisonment, 17 March 1879, watched by the Raqsha (the She-Serpent) and the Dhi'b (the Wolf), these noble brothers, the twin 'shining lights', stood with their arms around each other ready to give their lives in the path of God. Their faces portrayed the beauty and the strength of their faith as they communed in spirit with their Lord, invoking Him to accept from them the sacrifice of their earthly lives and admit them into the spiritual realms of nearness to Him. At the time of execution, each one pleaded with the other to be the first. The younger brother, Mirza Hasan, the King of the Martyrs, was beheaded first, followed immediately by Mirza Husayn, the Beloved of the Martyrs." (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 4, p. 76)

March 16th in Baha'i History

2010-03-15T18:32:00.002-04:00

1906: Birth of Universal House of Justice member Borrah Kavelin

3/16/33 MA 2 non-participation in political affairs. Reiterated in 9/24/38 message in MA 15 (Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

1981 - SORROWFUL NEWS JUST RECEIVED TWO BELIEVERS FROM ABADIH IMPRISONED SHIRAZ WERE EXECUTED MONDAY NIGHT 16 MARCH BY GOVERNMENT FIRING SQUAD SHIRAZ CHARGE LIST INCLUDES USUAL FALSE IMPUTATIONS LEVELLED AGAINST DEFENCELESS BELIEVERS. NAMES THESE TWO VALIANT FRIENDS MIDHI ANVARI AND HIDAYATU'LLAH DIHQANI ADDED LIST OTHER SELFLESS MARTYRS WHO WITH THEIR BLOOD HAVE TESTIFIED TRUTH GOD'S GLORIOUS REVELATION. OMINOUS SIGNS VISIBLE FURTHER AGGRAVATION PERILOUS SITUATION FACING BELEAGUERED PERSIAN COMMUNITY. ...
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 480)

March 15th in Baha'i History

2010-03-14T09:40:00.003-04:00

15 Mar 1973 Mazra'ih is purchased
OCCASION NAW-RUZ JOYOUSLY ANNOUNCE BAHÁ'Í WORLD ACQUISITION BY PURCHASE MANSION MAZRA'IH RESULT SEVERAL YEARS PATIENT PERSISTENT DETERMINED NEGOTIATIONS THEREBY ADDING TO BAHÁ'Í ENDOWMENTS HOLY LAND FIRST RESIDENCE BAHÁ'U'LLÁH AFTER NINE YEARS SPENT WALLED PRISON CITY 'AKKA. CONTROL THIS HOLY SITE REACQUIRED BY BELOVED GUARDIAN AFTER LAPSE MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS WHEN HE SECURED LEASE MANSION 1950 EXTENDED TO PRESENT TIME. PURCHASE INCLUDES LAND AREA APPROXIMATING TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND SQUARE METRES HIGHLY SUITABLE EXTENSION GARDENS CULTIVATION. OFFERING PRAYER THANKSGIVING SACRED THRESHOLD THIS GREATLY CHERISHED BOUNTY.
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 236)

March 14th in Baha'i History

2010-03-14T09:37:00.002-04:00

1914 - Birth of Richard Nolen, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh named for pioneering to Azores.

March 12th in Baha'i History

2010-03-11T18:25:00.002-05:00

12 Mar 1923 Shoghi Effendi calls for the establishment of Local and National Bahá'í Funds.

3/12/23 The Guardian pens a letter which becomes Baha'i Administration P.34-43 about:
The condition of the world; erection of administrative framework: Local and National Assemblies, the Fund; the importance of teaching. Referred to as "fresh and momentous decisions", undertaken in accordance with the provisions of the Aqdas. Reference to Spiritual Assemblies as precursors to Houses of Justice, and the foundation of the Master's Will. Outlines duties of Spiritual Assemblies. Emphasizes that this is an age of transition, and that the implications of the Will have not yet been fully grasped. "The need for the centralization of authority in the NSA, and the concentration of power in the various local Assemblies, is made manifest when we reflect that the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh is still in its age of tender growth and in a stage of transition; when we remember that the full implications and the exact significance of the Master's world-wide instructions, as laid down in His Will, are as yet not fully grasped, and the whole Movement has not sufficiently crystallized in the eyes of the world." Warns against the forces of separation and sectarian tendencies, "lest extreme orthodoxy on one hand, and irresponsible freedom on the other, cause it to deviate from that Straight Path which alone can lead it to success." (Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

1983 - 4 Baha'i's Executed in Iran
DISTRESSED ANNOUNCE EXECUTION BY HANGING ON 12 MARCH TWO INNOCENT FRIENDS SHIRAZ YADU'LLAH MAHMUDNIZHAD AND RAHMATU'LLAH VAFA'I. THIS HEINOUS CRIME PERPETRATED ON MORROW PASSAGE RESOLUTION UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION EXPRESSING CONCERN VIOLATION FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS AND REQUESTING SECRETARY GENERAL CONTINUE EFFORTS SAFEGUARD RIGHTS BAHÁ'ÍS IRAN. ...

SUPPLICATING DIVINE THRESHOLD DELIVERANCE BRETHREN IRAN BRAVELY FACING INTENSE CRUELTIES.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

FURTHER OUR TELEX 14 MARCH JUST LEARNED DISTRESSING NEWS MRS TUBA ZA'IRPUR WAS EXECUTED BY HANGING TOGETHER TWO FRIENDS MENTIONED OUR PREVIOUS MESSAGE. BODIES OF THREE WERE BURIED IN BAHÁ'Í CEMETERY BY PRISON GUARDS WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE, PRESENCE RELATIVES. EXECUTIONS WERE NOT ANNOUNCED EVEN TO FAMILIES. ...

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

(The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 573)

MISS MUNA MAHMUDNIZHAD, 18 YEARS OLD, DAUGHTER OF YADU'LLAH, EXECUTED 12 MARCH (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 581)

12 March 1986 - Passing of Angus Cowan, Continental Counsellor

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada

HEARTS GRIEF-STRICKEN PASSING OUTSTANDING PROMOTER CAUSE ANGUS COWAN. HIS SERVICES AS PRE-EMINENT BAHÁ'Í TEACHER OF INDIAN PEOPLES, HIS UNCEASING LABOURS THROUGHOUT LONG YEARS DEVOTION RANGED FROM LOCAL AND NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES TO AUXILIARY BOARD AND BOARD COUNSELLORS. HIS COMPASSION, COURTESY, HUMILITY, MAGNANIMITY UNFORGETTABLE. BAHÁ'Í COMMUNITY CANADA ROBBED OF A DEDICATED NOBLE WORKER WHO BORE HIS SUFFERINGS TO THE VERY END WITH EXEMPLARY FORTITUDE. CONVEY LOVING CONDOLENCES HIS BELOVED WIFE AND FAMILY AND ASSURANCES ARDENT PRAYERS HIS RADIANT SOUL'S PROGRESS THROUGHOUT WORLDS GOD.
[For an account of the life and services of Angus Cowan, see BW 19:703-06.]

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

March 11th in Baha'i History

2010-03-10T20:43:00.002-05:00

3/11/36 - the Guardian pens "The Unfoldment of World Civilization" which appears in
WOB 161-206 (Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

March 10th in Baha'i History

2010-03-10T20:40:00.002-05:00

1866 - With the revelation of the Suriy-i-Amr and Mirza Yahya's reactions, the contest between the forces of light and darkness came to a head. Embarking on an action reminiscent of His solitary retirement to the mountains of Kurdistan when the unfaithful were shamefully destroying the Cause of God, Bahá'u'lláh, who at this time was residing in the house of Amru'llah, withdrew with His family to the nearby house of Rida Big which was rented by His order, and refused to associate with anybody. This was on 10 March 1866. The reason for this withdrawal, which fortunately was of short duration, was similar to that which had motivated Him to retire to Kurdistan a decade earlier: namely, to relieve the tension and alleviate the feelings of enmity which during the course of years had been engendered in the hearts of some by Mirza Yahya and were fanned into flame by his latest actions.
(Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 2, p. 162)

10 March 1993 A further strong resolution was passed at the 49th Session of the Commission on Human Rights by a margin of 22 votes to 11, with 14 abstentions, noting "that there was no appreciable progress in the Islamic Republic of Iran towards improved compliance with human rights standards in conformity with international instruments."

March 8th in Baha'i History

2010-03-08T20:15:00.002-05:00

8 March 1873 Marriage of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Munírih Khánum. Four of their daughters survived the long imprisonment and distinguished themselves in their lives dedicated to service. Shoghi Effendi was born to the eldest daughter later. Five other children died very young.

Tablet of the Divine Plan revealed -

Revealed in the afternoon of Thursday, March 8th 1917, in the summer-house (Isma'il Aqa's room) at 'Abdu'l-Bahá's house in Haifa, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. (H.M. Balyuzi, Abdu'l-Baha - The Centre of the Covenant, p. 421)

March 7th in Baha'i History

2010-03-08T20:09:00.002-05:00

7 Mar 1948 Shoghi Effendi decides to commence work on the Shrine of the Báb superstructure.

7 March 1985 - Passing of Lloyd Gardner, Continental Counsellor

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

DEEPLY GRIEVED UNTIMELY PASSING ESTEEMED LLOYD GARDNER STALWART DEFENDER INTERESTS FAITH AMERICAS. HIS DISTINGUISHED LONG-TIME SERVICE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CANADA AND MEMBERSHIP BOARD COUNSELLORS AMERICAS SINCE INCEPTION MARKED BY INDEFATIGABLE LABOURS ALL ASPECTS TEACHING WORK AND COMMUNITY LIFE, NOTABLY YOUTH ACTIVITIES. HIS STERLING CHARACTER, HIGH INTEGRITY, WARM-HEARTED NATURE, TOTAL DEDICATION FAITH WORTHY EMULATION. FERVENTLY PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS LUMINOUS SPIRIT ABHA KINGDOM AND SOLACE HIS SORROWING FAMILY. ADVISING ALL COMMUNITIES AMERICAS OFFER PRAYERS IN HIS NAME. REQUESTING NATIONAL ASSEMBLY UNITED STATES HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERING TEMPLE WILMETTE.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

March in Baha'i History

2010-03-06T10:51:00.001-05:00

March 1995- World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen involving 250 Bahá'ís from more than 40 countries. "The Prosperity of Humankind", produced by the Bahá'í International Community's Office of Public Information, was distributed and discussed

March 5th in Baha'i History

2010-03-06T10:47:00.002-05:00

1985 - Execution of MR NUSRATU'LLAH SUBHANI IN TIHRAN

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

RECENTLY SAD NEWS OF FURTHER EXECUTIONS OF TWO BAHÁ'ÍS IN IRAN RECEIVED. MR RUHU'LLAH BAHRAMSHAHI, AGE 50, EXECUTED YAZD 25 FEBRUARY, MR NUSRATU'LLAH SUBHANI IN TIHRAN 5 MARCH. ...

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

March 5th in Baha'i History

2010-03-04T21:45:00.002-05:00

1855 - Birth of Hyde Dunn, appointed posthumously as a Hand of the Cause of God by Shoghi Effendi

1922- 3/5/22 (Baha'i Administration p. 17-25) Shoghi Effendi writes -The Mission of the Cause; emphasis on unity, avoidance of contention. Urges avoidance of emphasis on "negative Teachings" of Bahá'u'lláh, and to "obliterate as much as possible all traces of censure, of conflicting discussions, of cooling remarks, of petty unnecessary observations that impeded the onward march of the Cause, that damp the zeal of the firm believer and detract from the sublimity of the Bahá'í Cause in the eyes of the inquirer". Basic principles of consultation (from Tablets of the Master) - Includes: prayer for Spiritual Assemblies; quotation from the Aqdas about Houses of Justice; Tablets from the Master on "prime requisites" and "the first condition is absolute love and harmony...". The importance of prepublication review.
(Misc Baha'i, Chronology of Major Letters of the Guardian)

2007 - Start of Bahaikipedia - The Bahá’í encyclopedia

March 4th in Baha'i History

2010-03-03T19:56:00.002-05:00

1929 - Resolution of the Council of the League of Nations upholding the claim of the Bahá’í community to the House of Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad

March 3rd in Baha'i History

2010-03-03T19:41:00.003-05:00

1935: Birth of Universal House of Justice member Glenford E. Mitchell

1977 - Release of a Compilation on the Individual and Teaching

March 1st in Baha'i History

2010-03-01T21:39:00.002-05:00

1873- Lawh-i-Ru'ya (Tablet of Vision)

The Lawh-i-Ru'ya in Arabic, similar in style to the Lawh-i-Húríyyih,[1] was revealed in 1873 in the house of 'Udi Khammar on the eve of the anniversary of the birth of the Báb which in that year fell on 1 March.[2] Bahá'u'lláh revealed this Tablet for one of the believers in order to show him a glimpse of the world of the spirit in this dark world, stating that if it were His will, He could make manifest from an atom the lights of the sun, and from a drop the waves of an ocean. This Tablet, remarkable for its allusive language, portrays a spiritual vision beautiful in its concept and descriptive in its style of imagery. Its perusal uplifts the heart and fascinates the mind. (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 3, p. 223)

1897 - Birth of Shoghi Effendi

On the 27th day of Ramadan, 1314 of the Muslim calendar, Shoghi Effendi was born. This was Sunday, 1 March 1897 of the Gregorian calendar. These dates have been found in one of Shoghi Effendi's notebooks which he kept during his boyhood, written in his own hand. He was the eldest grandchild and first grandson of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, born of His eldest daughter, Diya'iyyih "Khanum, and her husband Mirza Hadi "Shirazi, one the Afnans and a relative of the Báb. He was invariably addressed by his grandfather as "Shoghi Effendi"; indeed, He gave instructions that he should at all times have the "Effendi" added and even told Shoghi Effendi's own father he must address him thus and not merely as "Shoghi". The word "Effendi" signifies "sir" or "mister" and is added as a term of respect; for the same reason ""Khanum", which means "lady" or "madame", is added to a woman's name. (Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Priceless Pearl, p. 4)

1972 - Release of a compilation on music and singing
(The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 210)

February 22nd in Baha'i History

2010-02-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

1847: Birth of Disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Hand of the Cause Thornton Chase

February 19th in Baha'i History

2010-02-21T09:38:00.002-05:00

19-20 Feb 1849 The famous Seven Martyrs of Tihrán are martyred.

1968 - His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, of Western Samoa, embraces the Faith

February 18th in Baha'i History

2010-02-21T09:38:00.001-05:00

1967: Incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Philippines

February 17th in Baha'i History

2010-02-21T09:37:00.000-05:00

1941 - Death of Hyde Dunn, appointed posthumously as a Hand of the Cause of God by Shoghi Effendi

February 16th in Baha'i History

2010-02-21T09:36:00.000-05:00

16 Feb 1923 Declaration of the first native Hawaiian Bahá'í on (Mae Tilton Fantom, Maui).

February 15th in Baha'i History

2010-02-15T08:52:00.000-05:00

1896 - Birth of distinguished Bahá’í Leroy Ioas, Hand of the Cause and Secretary General of the International Bahá’í Council.

February 14th in Baha'i History

2010-02-15T08:51:00.000-05:00

1910 - Birth of Ola Pawlowska, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh named for pioneering to St. Pierre and Miquelon.

14 Feb 1929 Work begins on three additional chambers of the Shrine of the Báb.

February 12th in Baha'i History

2010-02-13T10:11:00.000-05:00

12-18 Feb 1953 Ten Year World Crusade launched at the first Intercontinental Teaching Conference in Kampala, Uganda. The Crusade would conclude in 1963 with the election of the first Universal House of Justice: the centenary of Bahá'u'lláh's declaration in the Garden of Ridván. The goal was to extend the Faith to 132 more countries and the existing 120 countries and territories were to be expanded.

1980: Hand of the Cause of God and well celebrated author Hasan Balyuzi dies.

February 11th in Baha'i History

2010-02-10T21:12:00.001-05:00

11 Feb 2000: President Clinton said he was deeply troubled that the death sentences had been reaffirmed for Sirus Zabihi-Moghaddam and Hadayet Kashefi-Najafabadi and the same sentence had been imposed on Manucher Khulusi. "Executing people for their religious faith is contrary to the most fundamental human rights principles,'' Clinton said, holding the Iránian government responsible for the safety of the Baha'is of Irán and strongly urged that the executions not be carried out.

February 8th in Baha'i History

2010-02-09T07:13:00.000-05:00

1917 - TABLET TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE CENTRAL STATES
Revealed on February 8, 1917,in Bahá'u'lláh's room at the house of Abbud in 'Akká, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the twelve Central States of the United States:Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana,Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri,North Dakota, South Dakota,Nebraska and Kansas. (Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 75)

1965 - Appointment of five Continental Pioneer Committees (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 47)

February 7th in Baha'i History

2010-02-07T07:19:00.000-05:00

Feast of Mulk - Dominion - 7 February - 25 February (Misc Baha'i, Unknown - Details of the Baha'i Calendar)

1844 – Birth of Shaykh Kazim-i-Samandar, designated by the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith an 'Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh', was born in the month of Muharram AH 1260 - being born on the 17th day of Muharram [7 February 1844 (H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, p. 192)

1862 - Edward G. Browne, one of the few Westerners to meet Bahá’u’lláh, is born in England.

1875 – Birth of Habibu'llah Afnan, Haji Mirza

Haji Mirza Habibu'llah was born in Shiraz on 7 February 1875. He was called Muhammad-'Ali at birth, but his father later changed his name to Habibu'llah out of respect for the fact that one of Bahá'u'lláh's children was named Muhammad-'Ali. Haji Mirza Habibu'llah grew up in Shiraz in constant contact with the wife of the Báb, who was his aunt. In September 1890, he set out with his mother, brothers and sister to join his father in Egypt. From there they proceeded to Haifa where they remained for nine months in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh. The family then returned to Port Sa'id, where they had a trading establishment. After the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, Mirza Habibu'llah's father left for Iran, while he himself remained in Egypt. He was often at this time in the company of Mirza Abu'l-Fadl who was also then residing in Egypt. He visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the Holy Land on several occasions. Then in 1900, he was instructed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to return to Shiraz to assist with the repair of the House of the Báb, and he was appointed Custodian of that House by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He died in 1951. (H.M. Balyuzi, Baha'u'llah - The King of Glory, p. 471)

7 Feb 1974 Announcement of the design for the Permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice.

February 4th in Baha'i History

2010-02-03T20:02:00.001-05:00

1975 - Acquisition of Land Adjacent to the Guardian's Resting-Place in London (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 290)

February 3rd in Baha'i History

2010-02-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

1917 - TABLET TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE SOUTHERN STATES

Revealed on February 3, 1917, in Haifa in Isma'il Aqa's room, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the sixteen Southern States of the United States: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas (Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 67)

1944 – NYC LSA Honors Woodrow Wilson

Exactly twenty years after the President's death, on February 3, 1944, the Bahá'í Assembly of New York City presented an anniversary program in memory of Woodrow Wilson, chaired by the Honorable William Copeland Dodge. Khan was the featured speaker, and his theme 'Wilson's Ideal World'. The program for the event quoted these words from Shoghi Effendi:
'The ideals that fired the imagination of America's tragically unappreciated President ... bitterly reproach a heedless generation for having so cruelly abandoned them.' (Marzieh Gail, Arches of the Years, p. 169)

February 2nd in Baha'i History

2010-02-03T19:58:00.000-05:00

1849: Mullá Ḥusayn dies in battle at fort at the Shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí.

No less than ninety of the companions were wounded that night, most of whom succumbed. From the day of their arrival at Barfurush to the day they were first attacked, which fell on the twelfth of Dhi'l-Qa'dih in the year 1264 A.H.,[1] to the day of the death of Mulla Husayn, which took place at the hour of dawn on the ninth of Rabi'u'l-Avval in the year 1265 A.H.,[2] the number of martyrs, according to the computation of Mirza Muhammad-Baqir, had reached a total of seventy-two. [1 October 10, 1848 A.D.][2 February 2, 1849 A.D.] (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 382)

1917 - TABLET TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE NORTHEASTERN STATES

Revealed on February 2, 1917, in Isma'il Aqa's room at the house of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Haifa, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the nine Northeastern States of the United States: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut,Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. (Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 59)

1983 - Occupation of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 571)

February 1st in Baha'i History

2010-02-03T19:57:00.000-05:00

1 Feb 1959 Completion of the Bahá'í Home for the Aged in Wilmette, Illinois.

1978 - Release of a Compilation on Bahá'í Consultation

1979 - On 1 February 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran from exile in France and was greeted by three million supporters. (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 415)

2/1/1983 - The Universal House of Justice made 10 Haparsim Street its seat until 1 February 1983. (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 11)

January 31st in Baha'i History

2010-01-29T23:28:00.000-05:00

1899 - Arrival of the Báb's remains in the Holy Land.

1983 - The Universal House of Justice takes up its permanent seat.

January 30th in Baha'i History

2010-01-29T23:27:00.000-05:00

1845 - From Mecca the Báb proceeded to Medina. It was the first day of the month of Muharram, in the year 1261 A.H. when He found Himself on the way to that holy city.

1926 - Martha Root's first interview with Queen Marie of Romania

January 29th in Baha'i History

2010-01-28T20:43:00.000-05:00

1982 – UHJ Call For a Day of Prayer for the Bahá'ís of Iran; Inviting Sympathetic Organizations and Individuals (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 532)

January 28th in Baha'i History

2010-01-27T20:08:00.000-05:00

1919 - Abdul-Baha – Letter to Grace Holley – translated by Shoghi Effendi -

Mrs. Grace Holley; Visalia, California,
Upon her be Baha'o'l Abha!

O, maid-servant of God!

If at every instant thou tenderest thy thanks to Mrs. Brittingham, thou shalt not be able to acquit thyself, for she has been the cause of thy everlasting life and the means of thy being born again. Christ in that connection says:- "The one who is borne of flesh is flesh and the one borne from spirit is spirit, ye must be borne again."

Thou hast been born of the Spirit and hast entered the Kingdom of God. What bestowal is there greater than this? Ever remember it. Strive thou similarly to become the cause of other people's life so that the splendour of the Oneness of the world of Humanity may enlighten the eyes.

Kiss thou the cheeks of thy dear children on my behalf.

Upon thee be Baha'o'llah El-Abha!

(Signed [in English])

Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, January 28, 1919.
Home of Abdul Baha, Haifa, Palestine.

January 27th in Baha'i History

2010-01-27T20:07:00.000-05:00

Foundation Stone Ceremony, site of future House of Worship, Western Samoa, with His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II.

January 26th in Baha'i History

2010-01-26T07:00:00.003-05:00

1987 - Death of Universal House of Justice member Charles Wolcott

2000 - Death of Adib Taherzadeh, prominent Bahá’í, author and member of the Universal House of Justice

January 25th in Baha'i History

2010-01-26T07:00:00.002-05:00

1926 - Death of Edward G. Browne

January 24th in Baha'i History

2010-01-24T00:50:00.000-05:00

May Ellis Maxwell leaves NYC on the Steamship Brazil – headed to pioneer in South America. She dies 6 weeks later in Buenos Aires.

The just words, the words always to remember, were cabled by Shoghi Effendi: " 'Abdu'l-Bahá's beloved handmaid, distinguished disciple May Maxwell (is) gathered (into the) glory (of the) Abhá Kingdom. Her earthly life, so rich, eventful, incomparably blessed, (is) worthily ended. To sacred tie her signal services had forged, (the) priceless honor (of a) martyr's death (is) now added. (A) double crown deservedly won. (The) Seven-Year Plan, particularly (the) South American campaign, derive fresh impetus (from the) example (of) her glorious sacrifice. Southern outpost (of) Faith greatly enriched through association (with) her historic resting-place destined remain (a) poignant reminder (of the) resistless march (of the) triumphant army (of) Bahá'u'lláh. Advise believers (of) both Americas (to) hold befitting memorial gathering."

January 23rd in Baha'i History

2010-01-23T04:48:00.000-05:00

23 Jan 1872 Murder of Siyyid Muhammad (the one who had constantly manipulated Mírzá Yahyá into his cowardly acts), Aqá Ján Big and another companion Covenant-breaker in 'Akká in retaliation for their persecutions. Bahá'u'lláh had forbidden any act of retaliation, but seven of His tormented companions succumbed. An army of men descended upon the Bahá'ís. The seven guilty men were confined for several years. The remainder were confined for six months. The distress caused to Bahá'u'lláh of this event was immeasurable: "That which can make Me ashamed is the conduct of such of My followers as profess to love Me".

January 22nd in Baha'i History

2010-01-21T20:49:00.000-05:00

1844 - It was on the first day of Muharram, in the year 1260 A.H. that Mulla Husayn came back to Karbila. He cheered and strengthened the disconsolate disciples of his beloved chief, reminded them of his unfailing promise, and pleaded for unrelaxing vigilance and unremitting effort in their search for the concealed Beloved. (The Dawn-Breakers, p. 47)

January 21st in Baha'i History

2010-01-21T06:28:00.000-05:00

1914 – the passing of Mirza Abu'l-Fadl-i-Gulpaygani

Mirza Muhammad, who is known to Bahá'ís as Mirza Abu'l-Fadl or Mirza Abu'l-Fada'il, was born in 1844 into a family of religious scholars in Gulpaygan. He studied the Islamic sciences, becoming well versed in both the traditional transmitted branches of knowledge as well as the rational philosophic branches. He studied at Karbila, Najaf and Isfahan and eventually became the head of a religious college, the Madrisiy-i-Madar-i-Shah (the religious college of the Mother of the Shah). The story of his introduction to the Bahá'í Faith through a humble blacksmith is well known to Bahá'ís. The confirmation of his belief came in 1876 after a period of studying the Writings of the Faith and seeing the prophecies of Bahá'u'lláh come true.

His conversion led to his dismissal from his post and imprisonment for five months. He then became the secretary of Manakji Sahib, the Zoroastrian agent in Tihran. In December 1882 he was arrested, together with a large number of Bahá'ís of Tihran, and was in prison for twenty-two months. After this he began extensive travels throughout Iran. It was principally through his writings that the Bahá'í Faith was presented to the Jews of Iran in such a way as to bring a large number of them into the Bahá'í fold. In 1888 he travelled to 'Ishqabad and later to Samarqand and Bukhara. In 1894 he spent ten months in the presence of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 'Akká and then on the instructions of 'Abdu'l-Bahá proceeded to Cairo, where he settled for a number of years and was successful in converting some of the students of the foremost institution of learning of the Sunni world, al-Azhar. Between 1900 and 1904 he travelled to Paris and the United States where his talks and his writings enabled the nascent Bahá'í communities to gain a clearer understanding of the tenets of the Faith. He then lived in Beirut and Cairo until his death in the latter city on 21 January 1914 (Eminent Baha’is in the Time of Baha’u’llah, p.264)

1923 - Birth of Brigitte Lundblade, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh named for pioneering to the Shetland Islands

1949 – The Guardian has an interview with Ben Gurion.

The interview took place on Friday evening, 21 January, in the private home the Prime Minister was staying in on Mt Carmel and lasted about fifteen minutes. Ben Gurion inquired about the Faith and Shoghi Effendi's relation to it and asked if there was a book he could read; Shoghi Effendi answered his questions and assured him he would send him a copy of his own book God Passes By - which he later did, and which was acknowledged with thanks. (Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Priceless Pearl, p. 289)

January 20th in Baha'i History

2010-01-21T06:27:00.001-05:00

1888 - Aqa Mirza Aqa …and his eldest son Aqa Siyyid Aqa received permission to visit Bahá'u'lláh. They both attained His presence for the first time on the anniversary of the Báb's Declaration which that year coincided with 20 January 1888. Bahá'u'lláh bestowed unbounded blessings upon them. He is reported to have honoured them by ordering His servant to place a fur-lined overcoat on the shoulders of each as they were sitting in His presence. (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 4, p. 330)

1922 - Birth of Roy Fernie, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh named for pioneering to the Gilbert and Ellis Islands.

1986 – First observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day – UHJ advises that this is worthy of the Friends support:

The House of Justice has asked us to call your attention to Dr King for these reasons. His widow, Mrs Coretta Scott King, a non-Bahá'í, has written to the House of Justice that a national public holiday has been officially designated in the United States in honour of Dr King. She intends to make an appeal that on 20 January 1986, the first observance of this holiday, "nations and liberation movements all over the world cease all violent actions, seek amnesty and reconciliation both within and outside of their national boundaries, and encourage all of their citizens to recommit themselves to work for international peace, universal justice and the elimination of hunger and poverty in the world." The House of Justice feels that Mrs King has a noble intention to which the friends can lend their moral and spiritual support. Since the date on which action is desired falls within the International Year of Peace, Spiritual Assemblies may consider holding peace conferences on 20 January, or close to that date, and naturally include in the presentations at these conferences references to the life and work of Dr King. An alternative might be to devote the Bahá'í programmes on World Religion Day, 19 January, to peace and on these occasions pay tribute to Dr King. (The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 675)

January 19th in Baha'i History

2010-01-19T05:14:00.001-05:00

The Feast of Sultan is the Feast of Sovereignty, 19 January

19 January 1922 Shoghi Effendi wrote a letter to the Persian believers stating that he would soon establish the Universal House of Justice

He then called a number of well-known believers to the Holy Land in March 1922 for consultation. Among these was Avarih, who arrived late. Many of the believers, including Avarih, thought that Shoghi Effendi should call for the election of the Universal House of Justice immediately. However, it became apparent to Shoghi Effendi that the election of that body had to wait until such time as local and national spiritual assemblies could be formed in various countries and were fully functioning. But Avarih, dissatisfied with this decision, was still determined to press his point of view. (Adib Taherzadeh, The Child of the Covenant, p. 294)

19 January 1973 - Announcement of the Completion of the Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (The Universal House of Justice, Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1968-1973, p. 104)

2000 - Rúhíyyih Khánum passes, representing the last remnant of the family of Bahá’u’lláh who remained loyal to Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice.
On 19 January 2000, a message from the Universal House of Justice announced:

In the early hours of this morning, the soul of Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum, beloved consort of Shoghi Effendi and the Bahá'í world's last remaining link with the family of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, was released from the limitations of this earthly existence.... Her twenty years of intimate association with Shoghi Effendi evoked from his pen such accolades as "my helpmate', 'my shield', 'my tireless collaborator in the arduous tasks I shoulder'...." (Commissioned by The Universal House of Justice, Century of Light, p. 142)

January 18th in Baha'i History

2010-01-18T07:59:00.001-05:00

January 18th 1980 - Release of a Compilation on Divorce

The Universal House of Justice has noted with increasing concern that the undisciplined attitude of present-day society towards divorce is reflected in some parts of the Bahá'í World Community. Our Teachings on this subject are clear and in direct contrast to the loose and casual attitude of the "permissive society," and it is vital that the Bahá'í Community practice these Teachings.
In order to help the believers appreciate the need to preserve the sacred marital bond, the Research Department has, at the instruction of the House of Justice, prepared a compilation of texts on the reprehensibility of divorce in the light of our Teachings. …
With loving Bahá'í greetings, - Department of the Secretariat

January 18, 2001: The announcement is made that 9 Baha'is have been placed under arrest in Egypt.

January 17th in Baha'i History

2010-01-17T11:02:00.001-05:00

1908 - Birth of Ruth Katharine Meyer, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, named for pioneering to Margarita Island.

17 January 1979 -the fall of the Shah
(The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 476)

January 16th in Baha'i History

2010-01-16T02:27:00.000-05:00

16 Jan 1845 The Báb arrives in Medina

On Jan. 16 1922, the Greatest Holy Leaf cabled news of the Guardianship to the Bahá'ís of the United States.

16 Jan, 2001 The Universal House of Justice announces that,the Bahá'í Faith now enters the fifth epoch of the Formative Age.

January 16, 2001 the dedication of the seat of the International Teaching Center.

January 15th in Baha'i History

2010-01-15T04:56:00.000-05:00

15 Jan 1961 Dedication of the House of Worship in Kampala, Uganda.

January 14th in Baha'i History

2010-01-14T02:19:00.000-05:00

1870: May Ellis Bolles, later known as May Maxwell, is born in Englewood, New Jersey.

1954 – The Passing of Harry Ford

Grieve at passing of devoted pioneer Harry Ford, whose death will enrich the spiritual development of foremost center of South Africa. Praying for progress of soul in the Kingdom. (Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 163)

1975: The House of ‘Abdu’lláh Páshá in ‘Akká is purchased.

January 13th in Baha'i History

2010-01-13T06:30:00.000-05:00

1943: Birth of Universal House of Justice member Kiser Barnes

1983 - Release of a Compilation on the Importance of Deepening

At the request of the Universal House of Justice, and with the aim of fulfilling the goal assigned to all National Assemblies to pursue a programme of spiritual enrichment designed to inspire and enlighten the friends regarding the Bahá'í way of life, the Research Department has prepared a compilation from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi on the importance of deepening our knowledge and understanding of the Faith

It is hoped that the loving exhortations and guidelines given in these passages will kindle in the hearts of the believers a spark of longing to delve more deeply into the rich mine of the Writings of the Faith. Such efforts will undoubtedly be abundantly rewarded as the friends attain increased spirituality and understanding, aim at acquiring greater perfection, draw nearer to attracting the good pleasure of their Lord, and seek to become more effective promoters of the Cause of God.
With loving Bahá'í greetings - Department of the Secretariat

January 12th in Baha'i History

2010-01-12T01:30:00.001-05:00

1853 - Bahá’u’lláh and His family begin their journey to Baghdad following His exile from Tehran.

January 10th in Baha'i History

2010-01-10T08:14:00.000-05:00

1977 - Signature of Contract for Erection of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice

JOYFULLY ANNOUNCE SIGNATURE AGREEMENT GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR ERECTION SEAT UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE AT COST JUST OVER TWO MILLION DOLLARS, FIRST SHIPMENT FINISHED MARBLE DELIVERED SITE. LOVING GREETINGS.
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

January 9th in Baha'i History

2010-01-09T08:27:00.000-05:00

1914 - Birth of John Ferraby, Hand of the Cause, and Custodian of the Bahá’í Faith

1951 - Formation of the International Bahá’í Council by Shoghi Effendi

was not, however, until 9 January 1951 that he released this news through an historic cable: "Proclaim National Assemblies East West weighty epoch making decision formation first International Bahá'í Council forerunner supreme administrative institution destined emerge fullness time within precincts beneath shadow World Spiritual Centre Faith already established twin cities 'Akká Haifa." (Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Priceless Pearl, p. 251)

January 8th in Baha'i History

2010-01-07T21:24:00.001-05:00

1924: Birth of Universal House of Justice member Hushmand Fatheazam

January 7th in Baha'i History

2010-01-07T21:23:00.000-05:00

7 Jan 1922 The Will of 'Abdu'l-Bahá is read to a gathering of Bahá'ís from many countries.

January 6th in Baha'i History

2010-01-06T03:03:00.000-05:00

1932: Birth of Catherine Huxtable, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh named for pioneering to the Gulf Islands.

1993: Long time well known Bahá’í Dizzy Gillespie passes

January 5th in Baha'i History

2010-01-05T06:36:00.000-05:00

1982- Iranian Supreme Court's Denial of Execution of Iranian National Spiritual Assembly Members

PRESIDENT SUPREME COURT AYATOLLAH ARDEBILI IS REPORTED BY NEWS SERVICES TO HAVE DENIED EXECUTION EIGHT MEMBERS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IRAN. ... WE CONVINCED EXECUTIONS WERE PLANNED TO BE KEPT SECRET BUT WERE DISCOVERED FORTUITOUSLY. BAHÁ'Í INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REQUESTING SECRETARY GENERAL UNITED NATIONS INVESTIGATE. ...
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

January 4th in Baha'i History

2010-01-04T02:15:00.000-05:00

1913: Birth of Malietoa Tanumafili II

1954 - Nellie French

Deeply regret the passing of valiant pioneer. Long record of her services is highly meritorious. Praying for progress of soul in the Kingdom. (Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 163)

1957 – Passing of Mrs. Gowhar Hakimian

REGRET LOSS DEVOTED STEADFAST SELF SACRIFICING HANDMAID FAITH BAHÁ'U'LLÁH HER PIONEER SERVICES UNFORGETTABLE REWARD GREAT ABHA KINGDOM ASSURE RELATIVES FERVENT PRAYERS SOUL ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS IN REMEMBRANCE DEDICATED LABOURS USE PART TEXT THIS MESSAGE INSCRIPTION TOMBSTONE.
SHOGHI (Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Indian Subcontinent, p. 410)

1982 - Secret Execution of Six Members of Tihran Assembly and Hostess

INFORMATION JUST RECEIVED SIX MEMBERS LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY TIHRAN TOGETHER WITH WOMAN BELIEVER IN WHOSE HOME ARRESTS WERE MADE ON SECOND NOVEMBER WERE SECRETLY EXECUTED ON FOURTH JANUARY. INFORMATION OBTAINED FORTUITOUSLY BY RELATIVES FRIENDS MARTYRS. NAMES THESE VALIANT SOULS ARE:
MR KURUSH TALA'I, MR KHUSRAW MUHANDISI, MR ISKANDAR 'AZIZI, MR FATHU'LLAH FIRDAWSI, MR 'ATA'U'LLAH YAVARI, MRS SHIVA MAHMUDI ASADU'LLAHZADIH, HOSTESS: MRS SHIDRUKH AMIR-KIYA BAQA ...
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE