April 20. On this date in 1958, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab died. He had served as 'Abdu'l-Bahá's secretary and interpreter from 1912 to 1919, and in 1929, with Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler and his wife Julie, formed the "New History Society" in order to propagate the Bahá'í Faith.

April 20. On this date in 1958, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab died. He had served as 'Abdu'l-Bahá's secretary and interpreter from 1912 to 1919, and in 1929, with Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler and his wife Julie, formed the "New History Society" in order to propagate the Bahá'í Faith. For example, aside from accompanying 'Abdu'l-Bahá during his tour of North America in 1912, on December 23, 1918, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent Ahmad Sohrab to the United States to deliver the Tablets of the Divine Plan, a collection of 14 letters written between September 1916 and March 1917 by 'Abdu’l-Bahá to Bahá’ís in the United States and Canada. These collective letters, along with Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet of Carmel and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's Will and Testament were described by Shoghi Effendi as three of the "Charters" of the Bahá’í Faith. Conflict arose when Horace Holley, member of the National Spiritual Assembly, and the New York Spiritual Assembly attempted to gain control of the "New History Society," ultimately resulting in Ahmad Sohrab and the Chanlers' being declared Covenant-breakers around 1939.

On March 31, 1941, the New York Supreme Court dismissed a court case brought by National Spiritual Assembly and Trustees of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada against Mirza Ahmad Sohrab for the use of the word "Bahá'í." The judge granted a motion to dismiss, stating that "the plaintiffs have no right to a monopoly of the name of a religion. The defendants, who purport to be members of the same religion, have an equal right to use the name of the religion..."

On May 11, 1948, Shoghi Effendi wrote that "The case of Ahmad Sohrab is, for one who has had any experience of orientals and of psychology, easily understandable."

On January 24, 1957, Shoghi Effendi addressed a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States admonishing the Assembly that an unnamed individual "cannot consider himself spiritually a Bahá'í and be associated with the avowed enemies of the Faith such as the New History Society; and that he should discontinue supporting their work or having anything to do with them; otherwise, he will find that he has been deprived wholly of his association with the Bahá'í Cause; in other words, he will not only lose his voting rights, but be outside the Faith."

1394. New History Society--Avowed Enemies of the Faith 

"As regards ..., he should be kindly but firmly admonished by your Assembly that he cannot consider himself spiritually a Bahá'í and be associated with the avowed enemies of the Faith such as the New History Society; and that he should discontinue supporting their work or having anything to do with them; otherwise, he will find that he has been deprived wholly of his association with the Bahá'í Cause; in other words, he will not only lose his voting rights, but be outside the Faith." 

(From a letter of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, January 24, 1957)

On  April 27, 1958, the Custodians cabled all Bahá'ís announcing the death of Ahmad Sohrab, "striking evidence (of) God's avenging wrath."

BAHA'I WILMETTE
APRIL 27,1958
SOHRAB RELENTLESS ENEMY FAITH AFTER WITNESSING THIRD CENTURY IRRESISTIBLE SPREAD HOLY CAUSE FORTYFIVE HUNDRED CENTRES GUIDANCE BELOVED GUARDIAN DIED FIRST RIDVAN EVERY HOPE FRUSTRATED EVERY PLAN EXTINGUISHED EVERY AMBITION THWARTED STOP STRIKING EVIDENCE GODS AVENGING WRATH ONE HAND ON OTHER UNFAILING PROTECTION COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS REARED BELOVED GUARDIAN INSPIRES BELIEVERS ARISE SERVE RENEWED COURAGE DEDICATION ENSURE COMPLETE SUCCESS CRUSADE STOP SHARE MESSAGE HANDS NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES
HANDSFAITH