SILENCE STARTED CREEPING ON US

An original Tablet of the Bab in His own handwriting This terrible imprisonment lasted four months, but Baha'u'llah and His companions remained zealous (showing great energy) and enthusiastic, in the greatest of happiness. Almost every day one or more of them was tortured or put to death and the others reminded that their turn might come next. When the executioners came to fetch one of the friends, the one whose name was called would literally dance with joy, kiss the hands of Baha'u'llah, embrace the rest of his fellow-believers and then hasten with glad eagerness to the place of martyrdom.     It was conclusively proved that Baha'u'llah had no share in the plot against the Shah, and the Russian minister testified to the purity of His character. He was, moreover, so ill that it was thought He would die. Instead, therefore, of sentencing Him to death, the Shah ordered that He should be exiled to 'Iraq-i-'Arab, in Mesopotamia; and thither (towards that pl...

A reed pen of Baha'u'llah On display at British Museum, Nov 2017 When the Bab declared His mission in 1844 , Baha'u'llah, who was then in His twenty-seventh year, boldly espoused (supported) the Cause of the new Faith, of which He soon became recognized as one of the most powerful and fearless exponents.               He had already twice suffered imprisonment for the Cause, and on one occasion had undergone the torture of the bastinado (punish or torture by caning the soles of His foot), when in August 1852, an event occurred  fraugh t (worried) with terrible consequences for the Babis. One of the Bab's followers, a youth named Sadiq, had been so affected by the martyrdom of his beloved Master, of which he was an eye-witness, that his mind became deranged (abnormal), and, in revenge, he waylaid (attacked) the Shah and fired a pistol at him. Instead of using a bullet, however, he charged his weapon with small shot, and although a few pell...

    "O thou who art waiting, tarry (await) no longer, for He is come. Behold His Tabernacle (earthly dwelling place of God) and His Glory dwelling therein. It is the Ancient Glory, with a new Manifestation." - BAHA'U'LLAH.  A taj of Baha'u'llah displayed in His room at Bahji.           BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE.       Mirza Husayn 'Ali, who afterwards assumed the title of Baha'u'llah (i.e. Glory of God), was the eldest son of Mirza 'Abbas of Nur, a Vazir or Minister of State. His family was wealthy and distinguished, many of its members having occupied important positions in the Government and in the Civil and Military Services of Persia. He was born in Tihran (Teheran), the capital city of Persia, between dawn and sunrise on the 12th of November, 1817.   He never attended school or college, and what little teaching He received was given at home. Nevertheless, even as a child He showed wonderful wisdom and knowledge. While He was ...

Marriage Certificate of the Bab, 1258 A.H.(1842 A.D)      This last quotation reveals the spirit which animated the Bab's whole life. To know and love God, to mirror forth His attributes and to prepare the way for His coming Manifestation - these were the sole aim and object of His being. For Him life had no terrors (no fear) and death no sting (no pain), for love had cast out fear, and martyrdom itself was but the rapture (feel of intense pleasure) of casting His all at the feet of His Beloved.    Strange ! that this pure and beautiful soul, this inspired teacher of Divine Truth, this devoted lover of God and of His fellow-men should be so hated, and done to death by the professedly (supposedly) religious of His day! Surely nothing but unthinking or wilful (planned) prejudice (partiality) could blind men to the fact that here was indeed a Prophet, a Holy Messenger of God. Worldly greatness and glory He had none, but how can spiritual Power and Dominion be prove...

Mansion of Bahji: Holy place near Akka, Israel, where Baha'u'llah resided from 1879 to 1892.     In His writings the Bab tells His followers that they must be distinguished by brotherly love and courtesy. Useful arts and crafts must be cultivated. Elementary education should be general. In the new and wondrous Dispensation (exemptions) now commencing, women are to have fuller freedom. The poor are to be provided for out of the common treasury, but begging is strictly forbidden, as is the use of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes.      The guiding motive of the true Babi must be pure love, without hope of reward or fear of punishment. Thus He says in the Bayan ( the holy book written by Bab) :-     " So worship God that if the recompense (intensity of spirit we pay back) of your worship were to be the Fire, no alteration of your worship of Him would be produced. If you worship God from fear, that is unworthy of the threshold (the level at which...

Relatives of the Bab. Seated in the center is Haji Mirza Vakilu'd-Dawlih, the Bab's cousin and chief builder of the Mashriqu'l- Adhkar at Ishqabad, Russia.      An important part of the Bab's teaching is His explanation of the terms Resurrection, Day of Judgement, Paradise and Hell. By the Resurrection is meant, He said, the appearance of a new Manifestation of the Sun of Truth. The raising of the dead means the spiritual awakening of those who are asleep in the graves of ignorance, heedlessness (thoughtless) and lust. The Day of Judgement is the Day of the new Manifestation, by acceptance or rejection of whose Revelation the sheep are separated from the goats, for the sheep know the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him. Paradise is the joy of knowing and loving God, as revealed through His Manifestation, thereby attaining to the utmost perfection of which one is capable, and, after death, obtaining entrance to the Kingdom of God and the life everlasting. Hell is s...

A group of Baha'is of the village of 'Avashig, near Baghdad, Iraq, 1929     The Bab has been compared to John the Baptist (was a Jewish itinerant preacher: person who travel from place to place by conveying the message of God to the whole world), but the station of the Bab is not merely that of the Herald (messenger) or Forerunner. In Himself the Bab was a Manifestation of God, the Founder of an independent religion, even though that religion was limited in time to a brief period of years. The Baha'is believe that the Bab and Baha'u'llah were Co-Founders of their Faith, the following words of Baha'u'llah testifying to this truth:-     " That so brief a span should have separated this most mighty and wondrous Revelation from Mine own previous Manifestation, is a secret that no man can unravel (undo) and a mystery such as no mind can fathom (understand deeply). Its duration had been fore-ordained (prearranged unalterably), and no man shall ever discover ...

Shrine of Bab     The writings of the Bab were voluminous (very lengthy and detailed), and the rapidity with which, without study or premeditation. He composed elaborate commentaries, profound expositions (intense explanation of an idea or theory) or eloquent prayers, was regarded as one of the proofs of His divine inspiration.     The purport (intention) of His writings has been summarized as follows:-         " Some of these (the Bab's writings) were commentaries on, and interpretations of, the verses of the Qur'an; some were prayers, homilies (a religious discourse which is intended primarily of spiritual intellectual instructions rather than doctrinal instruction), and hints of (the true significance of certain) passages; others were exhortations, admonitions (firm warning), dissertations (long essay) on the different branches of the doctrine of the Divine Unity..... encouragements to amendment of character, severance (disconnect) from worldly...

Bahai house of worship at Germany       After the Bab's martyrdom, His remains, with those of His devoted companion (Aqa Muhammad 'Ali), were thrown on the edge of the moat (a deep, wide ditch typically filled with water and intended as a defence against attack) outside the city wall. On the second night they were rescued at midnight by some of the Babis, and after being concealed for years in secret depositories in Persia, were ultimately brought, with great danger and difficulty, to the Holy Land. There they are now interred (buried) in a tomb beautifully situated on the slope of Mount Carmel, not far from the Cave of Elijah (where the prophet Elijah took shelter during a journey into the wilderness written in the Hebrew (is one of the old language spoken in ancient Israel which is an example of revived dead language) Bible), and only a few miles from the spot where Baha'u'llah spent his last years and where His remains now lie. Among the thousands of pilgrims from al...

Bahai house of worship at Samoa a country in Oceania     On the 9th of July 1850 (Friday, 28th Sha'ban, 1266 A.H.), the Bab Himself, who was then in His thirty-first year, fell a victim to the fanatical fury (extreme wild and violent anger) of His persecutors. With a devoted young follower named Aqa Muhammad 'Ali, who had passionately begged to be allowed to share His martyrdom, He was led to the scaffold (a raised wooden platform used formerly for public execution of people) in the old barrack square (a drilled ground) of Tabriz (most populated city in northwest Iran). About 2 hours before noon the two were suspended by ropes under their armpits in such a way that the head of Muhammad 'Ali rested against the breast of his beloved Master. A regiment (permanent unit of an Army) of Armenian soldiers was drawn up and received the order to fire. Promptly (with no delay) the volleys (number of bullets) rang out, but when the smoke cleared, it was found that the Bab and His compa...

Bahai House of Worship at Colombia.          In consequence of these declarations of the Bab and the alarming rapidity with which people of all classes, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, were eagerly responding to His teaching, attempts at suppression became more and more ruthless and determined. Houses were pillaged (robbery with violence) and destroyed. Women were seized and carried off. In Tihran, Fars, Mazindaran, and other places great numbers of the believers were put to death. Many were beheaded (execute by cutting off ones head), hanged, blown from the mouths of cannon, burned or chopped to pieces. Despite all attempts at repression (suppression), however, the movement progressed. Nay (or rather), through this very oppression the assurance of the believers increased, for thereby many of the prophecies concerning the coming of the Mihdi were literally fulfilled. Thus in a tradition recorded by Jabir, which the Shi'ihs regard as authentic (genuine), we...

Bahai house of worship at Panama.          The hostility (opposition) aroused by the claim of Babhood was redoubled when the young reformer proceeded to declare that He was Himself Mihdi/Mahdi (in popular Muslim belief, a spiritual leader who will rule before the end of the world and restore religion and justice) whose coming Muhammad had foretold. The Shi'ihs identified this Mihdi with the 12th Imam ( The Imam of the Shi'ihs is the divinely ordained successor of the Prophet whom all the faithful must obey. Eleven persons successively held the office of Imam, the first being 'Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet. The majority of the Shi'ihs hold that the 12th Imam, called by them the Imam Mihdi, disappeared as a child into an underground passage in A.H. 329, and that in the fullness of time he will come forth, overthrow the infidels (unbelievers) and inaugurate an era of blessedness) who, according to their beliefs, had mysteriously disappeared from the...

Bahai house of worship at Santiago, Chile.     The first 18 disciples of the Bab (with Himself as 19th) became known as "LETTERS OF THE LIVING." These disciples He sent to different parts of Persia and Turkistan to spread the news of His advent. Meantime He Himself set out on a pilgrimage to Mecca, where He arrived in December 1844, and there openly declared His mission. On his return to Bushihr(City in Iran) great excitement was caused by the announcement of His Babhood. The first of His eloquence (powerful speech), the wonder of His rapid and inspired writings, His extraordinary wisdom and knowledge, His courage and zeal(energy) as a reformer, aroused the greatest enthusiasm among His followers, but excited a corresponding degree of alarm and enmity among the orthodox Muslims. The Shi'ih doctors vehemently (forcefully) denounced (criticized and attacked) Him, and persuaded the Governor of Fars(Governor of Fars Province in Iran), named Husayn Khan, a fanatica...

Bahai house of worship at Papua New Guinea

Bahai house of worship at Sydney, Australia

"Verily the oppressor hath slain the Beloved of the worlds that he might thereby quench the Light of God amidst His creatures and withhold mankind from the Stream of Celestial Life in the days of his Lord, the Gracious, the Bountiful. "- BAHA'U'LLAH, Tablet to Ra'is . BIRTHPLACE OF THE NEW REVELATION.      Shrine of Bab    Persia, the birthplace of the Baha'i Revelation, has occupied a unique place in the history of the world. In the days of her early greatness she was a veritable queen among nations, unrivalled in civilization, in power and in splendour. She gave to the world great kings and statesmen, prophets and poets, philosophers and artists. Zoroaster, Cyrus and Darius, Hafiz and Firdawsi, Sa'di and 'Umar Khayyam are but a few of her many famous sons. Her craftsmen were unsurpassed in skill; her carpets were matchless, her steel blades unequalled, her pottery world-famous. In all parts of the Near and Middle East she has left traces of her forme...

The First Bahai House of Worship Ashkabad Turkministan.     The endeavour in the following chapters will be to set forth, as far as possible, fairly and without prejudice, the salient features of the history and more especially of the teachings of the Baha'i Cause, so that readers may be enabled to form an intelligent judgement as to their importance, and perhaps be induced to search into the subject more deeply for themselves.     Search after truth, however, important though it be, is not the whole aim and end of life. The truth is no dead thing, to be placed in a museum when found - to be labelled, classified, catalogued, exhibited and left there, dry and sterile. It is something vital which must take root in men's hearts and bear fruit in their lives ere they reap the full reward of their search.     The real object, therefore, in spreading the knowledge of a prophetic revelation is that those who become convinced of its truth may proceed to practise it...

    Baha'i house of worship at Kampala, Uganda      There are, of course, difficulties in the way of the student who seeks to get at the truth about this Cause. Like all great moral and spiritual reformations, the Baha'i Faith has been grossly misrepresented. About the terrible persecutions and sufferings of Baha'u'llah and His followers, both friends and enemies are in entire agreement. About the value of the Movement, however, and the character of its Founders, the statements of the believers and the accounts of the deniers are utterly at variance. It is just as in the times of Christ. Concerning the crucifixion of Jesus and the persecution and martyrdom of His followers both Christian and Jewish historians are in agreement, but whereas the believers say that Christ fulfilled and developed the teachings of Moses and the Prophets, the deniers declare that He broke the laws and ordinances and was worthy of death.      In religion, as in science, t...

Bahai house of worship at Kenya     Baha'u'llah asked no one to accept His statements and His tokens blindly. On the contrary, He put in the very forefront of His teachings emphatic warnings against blind acceptance of authority, and urged all to open their eyes and ears, and use their own judgement, independently and fearlessly, in order to ascertain the truth. He enjoined the fullest investigation and never concealed Himself, offering, as the supreme proofs of His prophethood, His words and works and their effects in transforming the lives and characters of men. The tests He proposed are the same as those laid down by His great predecessors. Moses said:-      " When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him."- Deut. xviii, 22.     Christ put His test just as plainly, an...

'Abdu'l-Baha writes :- Bahai temple Chicago     " When Christ appeared, twenty centuries ago, although the Jews were eagerly awaiting his coming, and prayed every day, with tears, saying: 'O God, hasten the Revelation of the Messiah,' yet when the Sun of Truth dawned, they denied Him and rose against Him with the great enmity, and eventually crucified that divine Spirit, the word of God, and named Him Beelzebub, the evil one, as is recorded in the Gospel. The reason for this was that they said: 'The Revelation of Christ, according to the clear text of the Torah, will be attested by certain signs, and so long as these signs have not appeared, whoso layeth claim to be a Messiah is an impostor. Among these signs is this, that the Messiah should come from an unknown place, yet we all know this man's house in Nazareth, and can any good things come out of Nazareth? The second sign is that He shall rule with a rod of iron, that is, He must act with the swor...