Bahá'í History: November 2019

Saturday, November 30, 2019

November 30. On this date the Universal House of Justice wrote an individual a letter concerning Hinduism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism, including with it some quotations taken from a compilation of extracts from letters written on behalf of the Shoghi Effendi on these and related subjects.

November 30. On this date the Universal House of Justice wrote an individual a letter concerning Hinduism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism, including with it some quotations taken from a compilation of extracts from letters written on behalf of the Shoghi Effendi on these and related subjects.

1696. Hinduism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism (Following are some quotations taken from a compilation of extracts from letters written on behalf of the Guardian on these and related subjects, enclosed with a letter to an individual believer on November 30, 1980 from the Universal House of Justice)
Lesser Prophets: "Regarding your questions: We cannot possibly add names of people we (or anyone else) think might be Lesser Prophets to those found in the Qur'an, the Bible and our own Scriptures. For only these can we consider authentic Books."
(March 13, 1950, to an individual believer)
Asiatic Prophets: "Regarding your questions: The only reason there is not more mention of the Asiatic prophets is because their names seem to be lost in the mists of ancient history. Buddha is mentioned and Zoroaster in our scriptures--both non-Jewish prophets or non-semitic prophets. We are taught there always have been Manifestations of God, but we do not have any record of their names."
(October 4, 1950, to an individual believer)
Scriptures of Buddha and Krishna: "We cannot be sure of the authenticity of the scriptures of Buddha and Krishna, so we certainly cannot draw any conclusions about virgin births mentioned in them. There is no reference to this subject in our teachings, so the Guardian cannot pronounce an opinion.
"As our teachings do not state Zoroaster is the connecting link between the Euphrates and the Prophets in India, we cannot assert this.
"Abraham and Krishna are two separate individuals, with no connection that we know of.
"We know no more about the prophets mentioned in the Iqan than what Bahá'u'lláh states in that Book."
(November 25, 1950, to an individual believer)
Brahma and Krishna: "Your question concerning Brahma and Krishna: Such matters, as no reference occurs to them in the Teachings, are left for students of history and religion to resolve and clarify."
(April 14, 1941, to an individual believer)
Actual Dates of Prophets of Adamic Cycle Not Given: "There are no dates in our teachings regarding the actual dates of the Prophets of the Adamic Cycle, so we cannot give any. Tentatively we can accept what historians may consider accurate. Naturally the dates referring to Muhammad, the Bab and Bahá'u'lláh we are sure of."
(November 25, 1950, to an individual believer)

November 30. On this date in 1865, Margaret Beveridge Stevenson the first New Zealand member of the Bahá'í Faith, was born in Onehunga. She was the only Bahá'í in New Zealand until the end of 1922 when Clara and Hyde Dunn visited from Australia.

November 30. On this date in 1865, Margaret Beveridge Stevenson the first New Zealand member of the Bahá'í Faith, was born in Onehunga. She was the only Bahá'í in New Zealand until the end of 1922 when Clara and Hyde Dunn visited from Australia.

November 30. On this date in 1879, Laura Clifford Barney, a leading American Bahá’í teacher and philanthropist who was well known for having compiled Some Answered Questions from her interviews with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was born in Cincinnati. She was known as Laura Dreyfus-Barney after marrying Hippolyte Dreyfus, the first French convert to the Bahá’í Faith.

November 30. On this date in 1879, Laura Clifford Barney, a leading American Bahá’í teacher and philanthropist who was well known for having compiled Some Answered Questions from her interviews with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was born in Cincinnati. She was known as Laura Dreyfus-Barney after marrying Hippolyte Dreyfus, the first French convert to the Bahá’í Faith.

November 30. On this date in 1910, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab translated a Tablet written by 'Abdu'l-Bahá "To the Believers of God in Ghalé Darré, Persia," later published in Star of the West.

November 30. On this date in 1910, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab translated a Tablet written by 'Abdu'l-Bahá "To the Believers of God in Ghalé Darré, Persia," later published in Star of the West.

BAHAI NEWS
Vol. 1. Chicago (Dec. 12, 1910) Masa'il No. 15
TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA.
To the Believers of God in Ghalé Darré, Persia.
Upon them be the Glory of God the Most Glorious!
HE IS GOD!
O ye servants of the Blessed Perfection!
In the Day of the Manifestation, you have caught the lights from the Manifestor on the Mount of Sinai and beheld the splendor of the Ray of Truth. Ye are the children of the Period of BAHA'O'LLAH and have become the appearance of the Effulgence of Mercifulness in the Day wherein the rays of the Divine Sun radiate upon all things. Tear down the old garment and clad your sanctified temples with the new robe! Ye have passed from the salty water of ignorance and have drunk the salubrious salsabil of knowledge. Ye have closed your eyes to the wine of heedlessness and became intoxicated with the choice sealed wine of intelligence! Ye have taken the cup of prosperity from the cupbearer of the Covenant and with infinite rejoicing, happiness and beatitude celebrated the Feast of beholding the rays of the Orb of regions!
Now is the time that we may sacrifice, for the sake of the Love of that Beloved, our spirit, our soul, our heart, our mind, our property, our life and our all; and to wish for nothing but His good-pleasure, search for nothing but His Path, and desire nothing but His Service!
Upon ye be Glory!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, November 30, 1910, especially for the BAHAI NEWS.

November 30. On this date in 2001, an article titled "The grass isn't getting greener" by Esther Zandberg in Haaretz began "It is doubtful that visitors to the Bahai Gardens in Haifa have noticed that parts of the spectacular lawns are no more than "fibers manufactured from polyethylene and a blend of polypropylene and processed and woven into a permeable support area." In short, artificial grass."

November 30. On this date in 2001, an article titled "The grass isn't getting greener" by Esther Zandberg in Haaretz began "It is doubtful that visitors to the Bahai Gardens in Haifa have noticed that parts of the spectacular lawns are no more than "fibers manufactured from polyethylene and a blend of polypropylene and processed and woven into a permeable support area." In short, artificial grass."

November 30. On this date in 1950, Shoghi Effendi wrote "There is no objection to your being a journalist as long as you try to keep off political issues; especially the big East-West issues. You have a talent for writing, and it might be of help to you financially and in making contacts for the Faith."

November 30. On this date in 1950, Shoghi Effendi wrote "There is no objection to your being a journalist as long as you try to keep off political issues; especially the big East-West issues. You have a talent for writing, and it might be of help to you financially and in making contacts for the Faith."

355. Journalists
"There is no objection to your being a journalist as long as you try to keep off political issues; especially the big East-West issues. You have a talent for writing, and it might be of help to you financially and in making contacts for the Faith."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, November 30, 1950)

November 30. On this date in 1930, Shoghi Effendi wrote "In fact Bahá’u’lláh clearly states that affairs of state as well as religious questions are to be referred to the Houses of Justice into which the Assemblies of the Bahá’ís will eventually evolve."

November 30. On this date in 1930, Shoghi Effendi wrote "In fact Bahá’u’lláh clearly states that affairs of state as well as religious questions are to be referred to the Houses of Justice into which the Assemblies of the Bahá’ís will eventually evolve."

Regarding the question raised in your letter, Shoghi Effendi believes that for the present the Movement, whether in the East or the West, should be dissociated entirely from politics. This was the explicit injunction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. . . . Eventually, however, as you have rightly conceived it, the Movement will, as soon as it is fully developed and recognized, embrace both religious and political issues. In fact Bahá’u’lláh clearly states that affairs of state as well as religious questions are to be referred to the Houses of Justice into which the Assemblies of the Bahá’ís will eventually evolve.
(30 November 1930)

On March 16, 1900, the nascent Chicago Bahá'í community selected a ten-member Board of Council. Neither Ibrahim George Kheiralla nor any of his supporters were selected to serve on the Board.

On May 15, 1901, the Chicago Bahá'ís elected a nine-man Board of Council for a term of five years.

On May 20, 1901, the number of members on the Board of Council was raised to 12.

On May 24, 1901, the name of the Chicago Board of Council was changed to the House of Justice.

One year later, on May 10, 1902, on the request of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the all-male Chicago House of Justice changed its name to the House of Spirituality. The body remained all-male. The Chicago House of Spirituality was complemented by the Women’s Assembly of Teaching.

On March 7, 1903, the House of Spirituality in Chicago, upon hearing from Mírzá Asadu’llah Fádil Mázandarání of the construction of the first Bahá'í House of Worship in Ashgabat, wrote 'Abdu'l-Bahá of their decision to build a House of Worship for Chicago.

In 1909, at the first American Bahá'í National Convention in Chicago, Bahá'í Temple Unity was incorporated to hold title to the Temple property and to provide for its construction. Women are allowed to serve on this body. A constitution was framed and an Executive Board of the Bahá'í Temple Unity elected.

In 1922, on the instructions of Shoghi Effendi, Bahá'í Temple Unity was renamed the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada.

On February 25, 1902, Corinne True wrote 'Abdu’l-Bahá about the exclusion of women from the Chicago Bahá’í governing body, Chicago House of Justice, noting that "many" felt it should be a "mixed board" because "women in America stand so conspicuously for all that is highest & best in every department." In his response 'Abdu’l-Bahá stated that while "in the sight of God, the conduct of women is the same as that of men" and there was "no difference" between the sexes, nevertheless the "House of Justice" had to consist only of men and that the "reason will presently appear, even as the sun at midday." True accepted 'Abdu’l-Bahá’s ruling–which also affirmed the equality of the sexes–and poured her energy into the Chicago Bahá’í women’s organization, which 'Abdu’l-Bahá highly praised. For the next eight years Chicago had two parallel Bahá’í organizations, one confined to men, the other to women.

On November 30, 1930, Shoghi Effendi wrote "In fact Bahá’u’lláh clearly states that affairs of state as well as religious questions are to be referred to the Houses of Justice into which the Assemblies of the Bahá’ís will eventually evolve."

Regarding the question raised in your letter, Shoghi Effendi believes that for the present the Movement, whether in the East or the West, should be dissociated entirely from politics. This was the explicit injunction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. . . . Eventually, however, as you have rightly conceived it, the Movement will, as soon as it is fully developed and recognized, embrace both religious and political issues. In fact Bahá’u’lláh clearly states that affairs of state as well as religious questions are to be referred to the Houses of Justice into which the Assemblies of the Bahá’ís will eventually evolve."
(30 November 1930)

On October 5, 1950, Shoghi Effendi wrote that "the Assembly is a nascent House of Justice."

270. Assembly is a Nascent House of Justice--Individuals Toward Each Other Governed by Love, Unity, etc.
"...There is a tendency to mix up the functions of the Administration and try to apply it in individual relationships, which is abortive, because the Assembly is a nascent House of Justice and is supposed to administer, according to the Teachings, the affairs of the community. But individuals toward each other are governed by love, unity, forgiveness and a sin-covering eye. Once the friends grasp this they will get along much better, but they keep playing Spiritual Assembly to each other and expect the Assembly to behave like an individual...."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, October 5, 1950: Living the Life, p. 17)

When today's Local and National Spiritual Assemblies become local and national Houses of Justice, their membership will once again become exclusively male.

On March 23, 1997, an email to the Universal House of Justice raised concerns about the translation of an undated Tablet from 'Abdu'l-Bahá addressed to Corinne True, who had raised concerns about the exclusion of women from the Chicago House of Justice.

M E M O R A N D U M
To: The Universal House of Justice
Date: 30 March 1997 From: Research Department Translation of "`Umumi" in Tablets of `Abdu'l-Bahá In an email message to the Universal House of Justice dated 23 March 1997, a question has been raised concerning translation. In an undated Tablet from `Abdu'l-Bahá addressed to Mrs. True (first translated into English by Dr. Ameen Farid in July 1909) the following statement has been revealed. According to the ordinances of the Faith of God, women are the equals of men in all rights save only that of membership on the Universal House of Justice, for as hath been stated in the text of the Book, both the head and the members of the House of Justice are men. However, in all other bodies, such as the Temple Construction Committee, the Teaching Committee, the Spiritual Assembly, and in charitable and scientific associations, women share equally in all rights with men. (Revised translation from the Persian, authorized 1987) In the above Tablet, for the title "The Universal House of Justice" the Persian words used are: "Baytu'l-`Adl-i-`Umumi". The question has been asked, whether the translation of the word "`Umumi", as "Universal", could be a mistake, since the word has the connotation of "public" or "general" in addition to its meaning as "universal". Thus, following such an argument, the reference in the above text could perhaps be not to the "Universal House of Justice" but to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Chicago. The word "`umumi" as an adjective qualifying the title of the institution of the "House of Justice" appears three times in the Persian text of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament.1 Shoghi Effendi's translation of this adjective is invariably "Universal" with a capital "U". The passages from the Will and Testament are as follows:2

The sacred and youthful branch, the guardian of the Cause of God as well as the Universal House of Justice, to be universally elected and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abha Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my life be offered up for them both). Whatsoever they decide is of God (page 11).

And now, concerning the House of Justice which God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error, it must be elected by universal suffrage, that is, by the believers. Its members must be manifestations of the fear of God and daysprings of knowledge and understanding, must be steadfast in God's faith and the well-wishers of all mankind. By this House is meant the Universal House of Justice, that is, in all countries a secondary House of Justice must be instituted, and these secondary Houses of Justice must elect the members of the Universal one. Unto this body all things must be referred (page 14). Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the Truth and the Purpose of God Himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath shown forth malice and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant. By this House is meant that Universal House of Justice which is to be elected from all countries, that is from those parts in the East and West where the loved ones are to be found, after the manner of the customary elections in Western countries such as those of England (pages 19-20). There is no doubt whatsoever that by the term "Baytu'l-`Adl-i-`Umumi", in the above-mentioned Tablet, the institution intended, whose membership is to be of men only, is none other than "The Universal House of Justice" and not the Local Spiritual Assembly of Chicago.Note

1. See "Alvah-i-Vasayay-i-Mubarakiy-i-Hadrat-i-`Abdu'l-Bahá" (Cairo: Mirza Abu'l-Qasim Gulistanih-Shirazi, 1924-25), pages 12, 15, and 21. 2. See "Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá" Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1971), pages 11, 14, and 19-20. Translation of "`Umumi" in Tablets of `Abdu'l-Bahá 30 March 1997

November 30. On this date in 1944, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer compares Covenant-breakers to "a contagious spiritual disease," "a cancer," and "a poison." "Bahá'u'lláh and the Master in many places and very emphatically have told us to shun entirely all Covenant-breakers as they are afflicted with what we might try and define as a contagious spiritual disease...Also, it has nothing to do with unity in the Cause; if a man cuts a cancer out of his body to preserve his health and very life, no one would suggest that for the sake of unity it should be reintroduced into the otherwise healthy organism. On the contrary, what was once a part of him has so radically changed as to have become a poison."

November 30. On this date in 1944, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer compares Covenant-breakers to "a contagious spiritual disease," "a cancer," and "a poison." "Bahá'u'lláh and the Master in many places and very emphatically have told us to shun entirely all Covenant-breakers as they are afflicted with what we might try and define as a contagious spiritual disease...Also, it has nothing to do with unity in the Cause; if a man cuts a cancer out of his body to preserve his health and very life, no one would suggest that for the sake of unity it should be reintroduced into the otherwise healthy organism. On the contrary, what was once a part of him has so radically changed as to have become a poison."

604. Afflicted with Contagious Spiritual Disease
"Regarding Mr. ... question about the Covenant-breakers, Bahá'u'lláh and the Master in many places and very emphatically have told us to shun entirely all Covenant-breakers as they are afflicted with what we might try and define as a contagious spiritual disease; they have also told us, however, to pray for them. These souls are not lost forever. In the Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh says that God will forgive Mirza Yahya if he repents. It follows, therefore, that God will forgive any soul if he repents. Most of them don't want to repent, unfortunately. If the leaders can be forgiven it goes without saying that their followers can also be forgiven.
"Also, it has nothing to do with unity in the Cause; if a man cuts a cancer out of his body to preserve his health and very life, no one would suggest that for the sake of unity it should be reintroduced into the otherwise healthy organism. On the contrary, what was once a part of him has so radically changed as to have become a poison."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, November 30, 1944: Principles of Bahá'í Administration, pp. 22-23)

Friday, November 29, 2019

November 29. On this date in 1947, U.N. General Assembly adopted the Partition Plan for Palestine. It is worth reflecting on the multiple instances during which Bahá'ís have advocated for Zionism and the establishment of the State of Israel in historic Palestine.

November 29. On this date in 1947, U.N. General Assembly adopted the Partition Plan for Palestine. It is worth reflecting on the multiple instances during which Bahá'ís have advocated for Zionism and the establishment of the State of Israel in historic Palestine.

On February 23, 1914, at the eve of World War I, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had hosted Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, a member of the Rothschild banking family who was a leading advocate and financier of the Zionist movement, during one of his early trips to Palestine.

On September 8, 1919, subsequent tothe British occupation of Palestine, at a time when tens of thousands of Jewish settlers were arriving under the auspices of the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association, an article in the "Star of the West" quoted 'Abdu'l-Bahá praising the Zionist movement, proclaiming that "Thereis toomuch talktoday ofwhat theZionists are goingto dohere. Thereis no need of it. Let them come and do more and say less" and that "A Jewish government might come later."

At the time of 'Abdu'l-Bahá 's death, Shoghi Effendi was matriculated at Balliol College. In a letter to Marzieh Gail, Shoghi Effendi outlined his educational ambitions at Balliol College, specifically to study with eminent professors and Orientalists, noting alumni who were all Imperialists.

After 'Abdu'l-Bahá 's death, Shoghi Effendi would continue to have close relations with the leading political administrators and prominent Zionist leaders. For example, on January 24, 1922, Shoghi Effendi received a letter from Herbert Samuel, the British High Commissioner for Palestine. The receipt of the letter is mentioned in Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum's The Priceless Pearl. As High Commissioner, Herbert Samuel was the first Jew to govern the historic land of Israel in 2,000 years, and his appointment was regarded by the Muslim-Christian Associations as the "first step in formation of Zionist national home in the midst of Arab people." Herbert Samuel welcomed the arrival of Jewish settlers under the auspices of the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association and recognised Hebrew as one of the three official languages of the Mandate territory.

While Shoghi Effendi was thus occupied and was gathering his powers and beginning to write letters such as these to the Bahá'ís in different countries, he received the following letter from the High Commissioner for Palestine, Sir Herbert Samuel, dated 24 January 1922:

Dear Mr. Rabbani,
I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of Jan. 16., and to thank you for the kind expression it contains. It would be unfortunate if the ever to be lamented death of Sir 'Abdu'l-Bahá were to interfere with the completion of your Oxford career, and I hope that may not be the case. I am much interested to learn of the measures that have been taken to provide for the stable organization of the Bahá'í Movement. Should you be at any time in Jerusalem in would be a pleasure to me to see you here.
Yours sincerely,
Herbert Samuel

On March 29, 1925, Effie Baker wrote in her diary "He referred to the return of the Jews to Palestine, and said they would first make a great contribution to the material civilization of Palestine and then eventually will (as the Master foretold) come into the Bahá'í Faith. There are 14 million Jews in the world and it appears they are concentrating upon Palestine and their advanced ideas and wealth will help Palestine considerably."

Fourth interview with our Beloved Guardian 29 March 1925
Shoghi Effendi sent for Margaret and myself. He referred to the return of the Jews to Palestine, and said they would first make a great contribution to the material civilization of Palestine and then eventually will (as the Master foretold) come into the Bahá'í Faith. There are 14 million Jews in the world and it appears they are concentrating upon Palestine and their advanced ideas and wealth will help Palestine considerably.
Soheil then came to ask us to come and have our photos taken with the Arab pilgrims from Baghdad. Shoghi Effendi declined. He does not wish his photo taken since he has become Guardian of the Cause, as he does not wish any attachment to his personality.

The Master bought from time to time some land in various villages. Asfiya and Daliya, near Haifa--these two properties He bestowed upon Diya'u'llah and Badi'u'llah, the two younger half-brothers, at the request of Bahá'u'lláh.
Land was also acquired in the villages of Samrih, Nughayb, and 'Adasiyyih, situated near the Jordan.

In his book All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948, the historian Walid Khalidi details the history of many of these Palestinian villages and how they were depopulated. For example, he notes that in the 1880s most of the village land of al-Samra was purchased by the Bahá'u'lláh, with the villagers continuing to farm as tenant farmers. In the 1920s, this land was sold by Shoghi Effendi to the Jewish National Fund.
Bahá'í Villagesin The Chosen Highway chronicles in some detail how 'Abdu'l-Bahá used the grain he had grown in these villages to supply the British Army during World War I.

We learned that when the British marched into Haifa there was some difficulty about the commissariat. The officer in command went to consult the Master.
"I have corn," was the reply.
"But for the army?" said the astonished soldier.
"I have corn for the British Army," said 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
He truly walked the Mystic way with practical feet. [footnote: Lady Blomfield often recounted how the corn pits proved a safe hiding-place for the corn, during the occupation of the Turkish army. -Ed.]

According to Harry Charles Luke, an official in the British Colonial Office who served as assistant Governor of Jerusalem,

Sir 'Abbas Effendi 'Abdu'l Baha had travelled extensively in Europe and America to expound his doctrines, and on the 4th December, 1919, was created by King George V a K.B.E. for valuable services rendered to the British Government in the early days of the Occupation.

On April 27, 1920, 'Abdu’l-Bahá was ceremonially knighted, an event which was prominently reported in the Bahá'í periodical Star of the West.

THE following beautiful description of this event was written by Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi who was at that time in Haifa: "Among the kings and governments of the world who have become convinced that Abdul Bahá was the well-wisher and the lover of mankind are King George and his government. The King sent a medal to Abdul Bahá with the title, "Sir", thus making him a member of his household. On the 27th of April, 1920, the Governor and high officials of Haifa, Palestine presented in a beautiful garden a most wonderful celebration for the knighting of Abdul Baha. Bahai pilgrims from Persia, America and all parts of the world were present. Mohammedan, Christian, Jewish leaders, clergymen, notables and local officials from Haifa, Acca and other towns attended. A tent was pitched in the center of the garden. English troops stood on both sides, from the gate of the garden to the center where Abdul Bahá was seated. The military music added wonderful melody to the rustling leaves of the beautiful trees. The breezes of the spring on that sunny afternoon imparted a remarkable vigor to the physical body just as the presence of Abdul Baha strengthened the souls. The Governor stood behind Abdul Bahá and, after a short speech, interpreted by Mr. Wadie Bistani, presented the medal. Then Abdul Baha, rising from his seat, gave a brief talk and a prayer for the British government.

On September 17, 1954, Ruhaniyyih Ruth Moffett left Israel. She described the founding of that country six years previous as "a most remarkable bloodless revolution occurred, when 4,000,000 Moslems fled and 1,000,000 Jews marched in and began tilling their ancestral soil, and a new nation was born. Today the blue and white flag with the star of Bethlehem flutters proudly over the world'' youngest democracy --"" nation as eternally old as yesterday, as eternally young as tomorrow". Phonex-like, from the ashes have risen again to build a new homeland, to develop the most stupendous, life-salvaging operation ever undertaken in the whole history of mankind, and to fulfil the promise of the Ages!"

At 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 18, the Royal Sabena glided along the runway to the first stop in Brussels, Belgium, after the long transoceanic flight. There the same plane was reconditioned and flew over Europe, and Brindisi, the tip of the heel of Italy, over the Ionian and Mediterranean Seas, and arrived in Athens, where the plane was again reconditioned, and arrived at 10:30 p.m., May 18, 1954 at the airport at Jappa, Tel Aviv, Israel. This is the modern miracle, to travel thousands of miles from Chicago to Tel Aviv in only thirty nine hours!
As the Royal Sabena plane winged its way toward Israel, Ruhaniyyih wondered how it would look in comparison with when she saw it before - a desert land filled with rocks, sand, thorny bushes and confusion, and where everyone seemed to be against his neighbor. As the approaching lights of the Holy Land again came into view, her heart was filled with joyful and reverential expectancy and she thought to the words of the song, "Israel - The Land of Promise Welcomes You".
As she gazed meditatively at the approaching lights of the Holy Land, the panorama of history seemed to unroll before her mind: of how Palestine was peopled by cave dwellers in about 3500 B.C.; of how Abraham was led to this land, and God made a covenant with Him, "that in the seed of Abraham shall all the nations of the earth be blest"; of the Cananites, and later how Moses led the Israelites out of bondage, and for forty years in the wilderness, and Joshua led them to the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey; how the Jewish people built up the land but turned away from God to gods of their own making. Then Saul became the first king and established a civic kingdom, but he died. David became the king unifying the kingdom and calling them to return to God: and David died and was called to his fathers. Solomon, his son became King. He expanded the kingdom, and to this day, the glory and unity of his kingdom is still sung. But Solomon died and the tribes became divided. Then the Assyrians in 1722 B.C., destroyed Damascus and Israel and took the tribes into captivity, and they became scattered. After the Babylonian invasion in 586 B.C. the remaining tribes of Judah were taken into Babylonia and scattered. Alexander the Great captured Palestine in 332 B.C. The coming of Jusus, the Christ, had a profound effect on the history of this land, which became a noted center of pilgrimages.
Under the Moslem dominion from 636 A.D. for four centuries, and the long period of the Christian Crusades, one lasting 100 years, there was much destruction and a little progress. It was under the control of the Ottoman Turks from 1516 until the first World War, then it cecame a mandate of Great Britain, under the League of Nations. "The White Paper" gave the promise that the doors of Palestine would again open to her people. Many outbreaks of violence have occurred between the Jews and Arabs, which have caused this land to become on of the danger spots of the world. After World War II, the Jews began returning in large numbers, until today there are about 1,465,000 Jews, gathered from 75 countries, 125,000 Moslems, 40,000 Christians, and 16,000 Druzes in Israel.
On May 14, 1948, a most remarkable bloodless revolution occurred, when 4,000,000 Moslems fled and 1,000,000 Jews marched in and began tilling their ancestral soil, and a new nation was born. Today the blue and white flag with the star of Bethlehem flutters proudly over the world'' youngest democracy --"" nation as eternally old as yesterday, as eternally young as tomorrow". Phonex-like, from the ashes have risen again to build a new homeland, to develop the most stupendous, life-salvaging operation ever undertaken in the whole history of mankind, and to fulfil the promise of the Ages!

On November 5, 2002, MosheSharon, the first Chair in Bahá'í Studies at Hebrew University, gave a lecture titled "The Bahá'í Faith: The Birth of a New World Religion" at the University of Haifa. Called "Israel's greatest Middle East scholar," he has repeatedly voiced extremist political views and maintains close connections with the Bahá'í Administrative Order.
Moshe Sharon was born in Haifa on December 18, 1937. He joined the faculty of Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1965 and would go on to earn a Ph.D. at the same institution in 1971. He served as an Arab Affairs adviser to Prime Minister Menachem Begin and served in the Ministry of Defense, during which took part in the negotiations for peace with Egypt. Sharon established the Centre of Jewish Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, which he directed while serving as director of the World Zionist Organization branch in Johannesburg. In 1999 he was appointed to the chair of Bahá'í Studies at Hebrew University. Sharon serves as a policy expert for the Ariel Center for Policy Research. He and his wife, Judy, have six children.
Moshe Sharon has written about early Islamic history and the development of Shia Islam. He is a specialist in Arabic epigraphy and papyrology, with his opus being Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae. In 2005 he published the first translation into Hebrew of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and included a study of the history and theology of the religion.
Frequently interviewed by Israeli media, he has been called "Israel's greatest Middle East scholar." Among his political views is that there is "no possibility of peace between Israel and the Palestinians whatsoever, for ever" and that peace agreements with Arabs are "pieces of paper, parts of tactics, strategies...with no meaning." Moshe Sharon opposed the Oslo peace accords and believes the dismantling the Israeli settlements, which he terms "expulsions," serve to "increase the appetite of the other side and only achieve the killing of Jews." He blames the Bosnians' being Muslim for the Yugoslav conflict of the 1990's and argues that "The only way to avoid military confrontation with Iran is to leave this military confrontation to powers bigger than Israel."
In the Israeli documentary film "Bahais in My Backyard," during an interview, MosheSharon denies the existence of Bahá'u'lláh's descendants in Israel. Despite Sharon's denial of the existence of such relatives, they do exist, and one of Bahá'u'lláh's great-granddaughters, Nigar Bahai Amsalem, is featured in the film. The denial of these descendants, no less by a purported academic who is "Chair of Bahá'í Studies" at arguably Israel's best university, is curious.
Moshe Sharon has close connections with the Bahá'í Administrative Order. For example, in December 2000, Moshe Sharon and Hossain Danesh, the Rector of the now-defunct Landegg Academy, a Bahá'í-sponsored institution of higher education in Switzerland, co-convened the First International Conference on Modern Religions and Religious Movements in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and the Babi and Baha'i Faiths at Hebrew University. The conference was covered in a Bahá'í World News Service article.

JERUSALEM — Some 54 scholars of religion -- Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Mormon and Baha'i-- gathered in December at the Hebrew University to discuss the impact of modernism on their traditions. The conference, co-sponsored by the Chair in Baha'i Studies at the Hebrew University's Faculty of Humanities and Landegg Academy, has advanced Baha'i studies as an independent field of academic study and enriched the dialogue on the core values common to the monotheistic faiths.
The First International Conference on Modern Religions and Religious Movements in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and the Babi and Baha'i Faiths, was held from 17 to 21 December 2000 and focused on common approaches within Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Baha'i Faith toward the philosophical, social and psychological challenges of modernity.
"Religious studies often deal with the origins or history of religions. For example we study the origins of Islam or medieval Judaism," said Yair Zakovitch, Dean of the Hebrew University's Faculty of Humanities. "But the study of religion in modern times is so relevant, so important to the lives of people. It was very significant that these scholars, despite the delicate political situation, were able to gather in Jerusalem to discuss their commonalities and appreciate their differences. People are generally suspicious, and the walls of suspicion collapsed."
The President of the Hebrew University, Menachem Magidor, described to the conference participants his vision of making the Hebrew University into a preeminent center for the study of religion, with research centers devoted to each of the monotheistic faiths. "The Chair in Baha'i Studies is the first link in this chain," he said.
Moshe Sharon, the holder of the Chair in Baha'i Studies and co-convenor of the conference, said that the field of Baha'i studies is emerging as an independent area of academic inquiry and that this was the first conference convened by a major international university for the study of the Baha'i Faith and its relationship to its sister faiths.
"Through this conference," said Dr. Sharon, "the Hebrew University has declared its interest in Baha'i studies and its recognition of the importance of this field alongside Jewish, Christian and Islamic studies."
The other co-convenor of the conference was Hossain Danesh, the Rector of Landegg Academy, a Baha'i-sponsored institution of higher education in Switzerland.
"The conference focused on fundamental issues that are common to religions, held in a city and at a time when religious conflict in political terms was considerable," Dr. Danesh said.

In his keynote address Dr. Danesh reviewed the common elements of the monotheistic religions that have made them cornerstones of civilizations, as well as some of the teachings and principles of the Baha'i Faith that address challenges unique to the modern age. He presented President Magidor with a volume of fine pen and ink drawings of Baha'i holy places in the Old City of Acre by the Persian architect and draftsman Hushang Seyhoun.
Other presentations and panel discussions were grouped around themes such as "Religion in Modern Times: Philosophical, Social and Psychological Reflections," "Mysticism and Messianism," "Eschatology and Ethics," "Tradition, Renewal and Reform," and "Religion and the Realm of Science." Most of the panelists spoke on aspects of Judaism or the Baha'i Faith, but there were also contributions on Sufism, the Wahhabi movement, modern Islam, and Mormonism.
The participants came mainly from the United States and Israel, but also from Canada, Denmark, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Prof. Degui Cai from China's Shandong University gave a presentation on the fundamental principles of the Baha'i Faith and their relevance to Chinese society.
The final panel discussion, on "Contemporary Meeting of Ultimate Differences," featured presentations about African Christians in Israel and about the Baha'i Faith, Christianity and indigenous religions in the Pacific islands. The panel closed with a presentation by Dr. Amnon Netzer of the Hebrew University on "The Jews and the Baha'i Faith." A Jew of Iranian background, Prof. Netzer spoke about the conditions that led as many as ten percent of Iran's Jews to convert to the Baha'i Faith.
"The courteous talk, in which Dr. Netzer showed great respect for those who converted, created an atmosphere of interfaith reconciliation for the audience, which included several Israeli Jews with Baha'i relatives," said Robert Stockman, Coordinator of the Institute for Baha'i Studies in Wilmette, Illinois.
Another significant element of the conference was the participation of many young scholars alongside well-known and outstanding professors and scholars in the field of religious studies.
"The juxtaposition of youth and experience was very insightful and promising for the future of religious studies. It demonstrated that there are fine minds coming up, and this augurs well for the emergence of new insights into the role of religion in the development of civilization," said Dr. Danesh said.
The conference also featured a number of cultural activities. The opening day closed with a program of classical music by the King David String Ensemble, one of the foremost chamber music groups in Israel. Among the selections they performed was a piece well known to Baha'is, "Dastam Bigir Abdu'l-Baha," which the composer had arranged especially for the occasion.
Kiu Haghighi, a Persian Baha'i and master of the santour, closed the conference with a virtuoso performance of an original piece he composed for the event.
On the final day of the conference, 21 December, the participants made a special trip to the Baha'i World Center in Haifa and Acre. They visited the Shrine of the Bab and toured the nearly completed garden terraces stretching above and below the Shrine on the slopes of Mount Carmel. After a luncheon at the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, they visited the Shrine of Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i holy places in Acre.
A compilation of articles based on the proceedings of the conference will be published during the coming year, and many of the papers will be made available through the Landegg Academy Web site, www.landegg.org.
The Hebrew University and Landegg Academy have agreed to sponsor annual conferences of this nature, with the venue alternating between Jerusalem and the Landegg campus in Wienacht, Switzerland. The overarching theme of this series of conferences will be "Religion and Science." The next conference is planned for late January 2002 at Landegg.
The Chair in Baha'i Studies at the Hebrew University was established in 1999 as the first academic chair in the world devoted to the study of the Baha'i Faith. Other academic centers and programs, most notably the Baha'i Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland's Center for International Development and Conflict Management, have been established to study Baha'i perspectives on and contributions to other academic disciplines.
"The systematic study of Baha'i religion, history and literature was introduced into the Hebrew University in the 1990s," wrote Prof. Sharon in the published proceedings of the dedication ceremonies for the Baha'i Chair, held at Mount Scopus and at the Baha'i World Center in Haifa in June 1999.
"The magnitude of the material involved, and the vast scope of research which has already been done in the field persuaded the University of the necessity of creating a proper framework for research and teaching designed to accommodate the future development of the field within the academic vision of the University of forming a cluster of research centers dedicated to the study of the major religions of the world."

November 29. On this date in 1932, Abdullah Cevdet, an Ottoman intellectual, died. In 1922, Cevdet was tried for his advocacy of the Bahá'í Faith, which he considered an intermediary step between Islam and the final abandonment of religious belief.

November 29. On this date in 1932, Abdullah Cevdet, an Ottoman intellectual, died. In 1922, Cevdet was tried for his advocacy of the Bahá'í Faith, which he considered an intermediary step between Islam and the final abandonment of religious belief.

From M. Şükrü Hanioğlu's Young Turks in Opposition...

Abdullah Cevdet, later asked the Muslims to convert to Bahaism, which he regarded as an intermediary step between Islam and Materialism, and the Young Turks’ efforts to create a very liberal and progressive Islam reflected a core endeavor.

This topic is discussed in some detail in Ayşe Polat's A Conflict on Baha‘ism and Islam in 1922: Abdullah Cevdet and State Religious Agencies and in several articles by Necati Alkan, including 'The Eternal enemy of Islam': Abdullah Cevdet and the Bahá'í religion, Ottoman Reform Movements and the Bahá'í Faith, 1860s-1920s, and The Young Turks and the Bahá'ís in Palestine.

November 29. On this date in 2008, three of the conferences among a series of 41 regional conferences of the Five Year Plan took place, one in Antofagasta, Chile, one in Manila, Philippines, and another in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

November 29. On this date in 2008, three of the conferences among a series of 41 regional conferences of the Five Year Plan took place, one in Antofagasta, Chile, one in Manila, Philippines, and another in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Universal House of Justice member Peter Khan would later give a talk on July 3, 2009, later published as "Reflections on the Ridvan 2009 Message," stating,

As you are, I am sure, aware, that series of conferences had a galvanizing effect on the Bahá'í Community throughout the world and ultimately on the larger society. It was a tangible demonstration of the global spread of the Faith and it created a most welcome surge toward the goal of 1500 Intensive Programs of Growth by the end of the present plan.

How does membership in the International Teaching Centre lead to election to the Universal House of Justice?

How is it that with its nine members elected every five years from the male membership in good standing of the worldwide Bahá'í community by an electoral college consisting of all the members of each Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly throughout the world, the membership of the Universal House of Justice consists exclusively of men who have previously been appointed to the International Teaching Centre by the Universal House of Justice?

With no overt campaigning or politicking permitted, upon what does the electoral college base its election of new members to the Universal House of Justice?

In the Bahá'í electoral system, the exposure of potential candidates to electors is a premium. Members of the International Teaching Centre routinely travel throughout the world, giving them vital face-time with members of the National Spiritual Assemblies who serve as electors for the Universal House of Justice.

Consider the cases of Stephen Birkland and Stephen Hall. Stephen Birkland was appointed to the International Teaching Centre in 2008 and elected to the Universal House of Justice in 2010. Stephen Hall was appointed to the International Teaching Centre in 2005 and elected to the Universal House of Justice in 2010.

In a letter dated October 20, 2008, the Universal House of Justice called for a series of 41 Regional Conferences intended to mark the mid-point of the Five Year Plan and motivate participants to re-dedicate themselves to the goals of the Plan upon returning home. The Regional Conferences were held from November 1, 2008 through March 1, 2009.

In that period, Stephen Birkland attended the following Bahá'í Regional Conferences...

Date	Location of Bahá'í Regional Conference
November 1-2, 2008	Lusaka, Zambia
November 8-9, 2008	Johannesburg, South Africa
November 29-30, 2008	Antofagasta, Chile
December 6-7, 2008	Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
January 17-18, 2009	Vancouver, Canada
February 7-8, 2009	Frankfurt, Germany
February 21-22, 2009	Accra, Ghana

Source: Bahá'í World News Service search for "Stephen Birkland"

In that period, Stephen Hall attended the following Bahá'í Regional Conferences...

Date	Location of Bahá'í Regional Conference
November 15-16, 2008	Bangui, Central African Republic
November 22-23, 2008	Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
November 29-30, 2008	Yaoundé, Cameroon
December 6-7, 2008	Portland, Oregon, United States of America
December 13-14, 2008	Stamford, Connecticut, United States of America
January 3-4, 2009	Abidjan, Ivory Coast
January 17-18, 2009	Lae, Papua New Guinea
January 24-25, 2009	Sydney, Australia
January 31-February 1, 2009	Auckland, New Zealand
February 7-8, 2009	Frankfurt, Germany

Source: Bahá'í World News Service search for "Stephen Hall"

No other Bahá'ís receive as much exposure to electors of the Universal House of Justice as do members of the International Teaching Centre.

With the turnover of the Universal House of Justice's nine members and with the International Teaching Centre's being composed of nine members, some of whom are women and therefore ineligible for election to the Universal House of Justice, a man's appointment to the International Teaching Centre serves as a presumption to eventual election to the Universal House of Justice.

When the Universal House of Justice appoints members to the International Teaching Centre, they are in fact selecting their own replacements.

In the Bahá'í electoral system, with no overt campaigning and politicking permitted, the exposure of potential candidates to electors is a premium. The nine members of the International Teaching Centre routinely travel throughout the world, giving them vital face-time with members of the National Spiritual Assemblies who serve as electors for the Universal House of Justice. In fact, every single one of the current members of the Universal House of Justice previously served as a Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre.

With the turnover of the Universal House of Justice's nine members and with the International Teaching Centre's being composed of nine members, some of whom are women and therefore ineligible for election to the Universal House of Justice, a man's appointment to the International Teaching Centre serves as a presumption to eventual election to the Universal House of Justice.
To illustrate further, in a letter dated October 20, 2008, the Universal House of Justice called for a series of 41 Regional Conferences intended to mark the mid-point of the Five Year Plan and motivate participants to re-dedicate themselves to the goals of the Plan upon returning home. The Regional Conferences were held from November 1, 2008 through March 1, 2009.

Each of the 41 Regional Conferences was attended by two Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre with the exception of the Conference held at Uvira, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which had only one representative. The Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre at the time of the Regional Conferences were Juan Francisco Mora, Ayman Rouhani, Stephen Hall, Stephen Birkland, Zenaida Ramirez, Joan Lincoln, Rachel Ndegwa, Uransaikhan Baatar, and Penelope Walker.

Of this cohort of Counsellors, the five lady members (Zenaida Ramirez, Joan Lincoln, Rachel Ndegwa, Uransaikhan Baatar, and Penelope Walker) were ineligible for election to the Universal House of Justice.

Of the four male members at the time of the 41 Regional Conferences (Juan Francisco Mora, Ayman Rouhani, Stephen Hall, and Stephen Birkland), all have been elected to the Universal House of Justice.

In practice, the Bahá’í electoral system most closely resembles council democracy as it still exists in Cuba, wherein individuals elect Local Spiritual Assemblies, who then elect National Spiritual Assemblies, who then elect the Universal House of Justice. With no politicking or partisanship allowed, there is little turnover in leadership and Universal House of Justice members almost invariably serve until retirement or death. In the people's democracies of the Eastern Bloc, these career bureaucrats were known as the nomenklatura.

The next member elected to the Universal House of Justice will be Andrej Donoval, who is the longest tenured male member of the International Teaching Centre, having been appointed to that body in 2013.

November 29. On this date in 1937, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer stated the identification of Jesus as the "Son of God" is "entirely spiritual...all Prophets can be regarded as Sons of God, as they all reflect His light."

November 29. On this date in 1937, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer stated the identification of Jesus as the "Son of God" is "entirely spiritual...all Prophets can be regarded as Sons of God, as they all reflect His light."

1644. Regarding the Station of Jesus--All Prophets Can Be Regarded as Sons of God for They All Reflect His Light
"As regards your questions concerning the station of Jesus Christ, and His return as explained in the Gospel. It is true that Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of God, but this, as explained by Bahá'u'lláh in the Iqan, does not indicate any physical relationship whatever. Its meaning is entirely spiritual, and points out to the close relationship existing between Him and the Almighty God. Nor does it necessarily indicate any inherent superiority in the station of Jesus over other Prophets and Messengers. As far as their spiritual nature is concerned all Prophets can be regarded as Sons of God, as they all reflect His light, though not in an equal measure, and this difference in reflection is due to the conditions and circumstances under which they appear."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, November 29, 1937)

Thursday, November 28, 2019

November 28. On this date in 2000, the Universal House of Justice addressed a letter answering a series of "Questions about Obligatory Prayer."

Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book): The Obligatory Prayers

by Universal House of Justice, Ismael Velasco, Peter Terry, and Michael W. Sours

2000-11-28

Letter from the Universal House of Justice on Obligatory Prayer:

To: The Universal House of Justice
Date: 28 November 2000
From: Research Department

Questions about Obligatory Prayer

In its email message of 4 August 2000, the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom seeks clarification of a number of details in relation to the Obligatory Prayers. The questions posed by the National Assembly were raised by an Auxiliary Board member. We provide the following response.

1. Recitation of the Short Obligatory Prayer at meetings
With regard to the appropriateness of a believer's reciting the Short Obligatory Prayer at meetings, the extract from a letter dated 4 July 1995, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, cited below, provides the following guidance:

"Regarding the use of the Obligatory Prayers..., it is clear that when any of these three prayers is to be performed as a prescribed daily Obligatory Prayer, the worshipper is required to follow the instructions that accompany that prayer. Although there is no explicit prohibition on the use of these prayers, wholly or in part, as regular prayers without any genuflections, to open or close a meeting or fireside, it is preferable for the friends not to follow such a practice. Bahá'ís have so many other beautiful prayers revealed by the Twin Manifestations and 'Abdu'l-Bahá for such meetings."

2. Substitution of "daughter of" for "son of"
As to whether or not it is appropriate for a female to substitute the words "daughter of" for "son of" when reciting the Long Obligatory Prayer, we provide the following extract from a letter dated 31 August 1997, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice. The letter addresses this specific issue:

"With respect to your question as to whether it is permissible for a female in reciting the Long Obligatory Prayer to say, "I am Thy handmaiden, O my Lord, and the daughter of Thy handmaiden", you are correct in your understanding that the Guardian did not wish Bahá'ís to change the gender of pronouns and nouns in the revealed prayers. The following excerpt from a letter dated 14 January 1947 written on his behalf makes this clear:"

'In regard to the question you asked him: As Bahá'u'lláh Himself specified, in the long prayer for the dead, that the gender could be changed and "his" said for "her", etc., it is permissible to do it - nay obligatory - but in all other prayers, including those for the dead, we must adhere to the exact text and not change the gender.'

"The House of Justice does not feel it appropriate to change Shoghi Effendi's usage of certain nouns in his translations. The challenge, therefore, is to accept the use of pronouns and of certain nouns such as "son" and "servant" in their generic sense, which will lead one to view the matter in terms of a spiritual response, rather than one of semantics."

3. Repetition of the Greatest Name in the Long obligatory Prayer
The National Spiritual Assembly observes that in the Long Obligatory Prayer, there are three occasions on which one has to repeat the Greatest Name three times. While it is clear that, on the first occasion, the believer has to raise his or her hands once and repeat the Greatest Name three times, the National Assembly enquires whether it is also necessary to raise one's hands on (1) the other two occasions.

In relation to the first of the three instances, the Universal House of Justice stated on 22 April 1991 that, in following the instruction "Let him then raise his hands, and repeat three times the Greatest Name", the believer is required to raise his hands once and to repeat the Greatest Name three times in conjunction with that act. In relation to the second and third occasions, the Research Department has not, to date, been able to locate any specific guidance. It is, however, informative to consider the wording of the instructions:

"Let him then repeat the Greatest Name thrice, and bend down with hands resting on the knees, and say..." "Let him then repeat the Greatest Name thrice, and kneel with his forehead to the ground, and say..."

In contrast to the first occasion where the raising of the hands forms part of the explicit instructions, in the second and third instances no mention is made of raising the hands.

4. Raising hands twice in supplication
The National Spiritual Assembly refers to the instruction to stand and raise one's hands twice in supplication, and say the words that follow. It enquires "whether one should say each (of the two) phrase(s) each time one raises one's hands". While the intent of the question is not exactly clear to the Research Department, we provide the following extract from the letter dated 22 April 1991 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice. The letter addresses a question about the performance of this particular part of the Long Obligatory Prayer:

(1) Bahá'í Prayers: A Selection of Prayers Revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, the Báb, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1993), p. 10; 14 and 15.

Regarding the direction "Let him then stand and raise his hands twice in supplication, and say;...", the believer does not have to read twice the paragraph which follows. Whether the believer raises his hands twice before the reciting of the passage, or commences the reciting after having raised his hands once, and raises them a second time soon thereafter, is left to his choice.

Universal House of Justice

Notes by Ismael Velasco:

Following Islamic precedent, the Bahá'í writings distinguish between obligatory prayer (Arabic, salat / Persian, namaz) and supplications and communes (munajat/du'a). The latter are optional and voluntary, whereas obligatory prayer is a ritual law with set obligations and binding on all the believers except within certain health parameters or in situations of danger. The obligatory prayer, together with the fast, are the two most important ritual laws of the Faith, described by Bahá'u'lláh, following Islamic precedent, as the sun and the moon of the law of God. It is also described, following the Imám Ali, as a ladder of ascent unto God. The significance of obligatory prayer is discussed extensively in the Bahá'í writings available in English, including in the Kitáb-i Íqán, the compilation on Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, the compilation on prayer and the devotional attitude, the Kitáb-i Aqdas, Questions and Answers, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Lights of Guidance, among others.

The law of obligatory prayer evolved over time. Following broadly Islamic and subsequently Bábí precedent, Bahá'u'lláh's legislation on the Obligatory Prayer took place in two phases. First Bahá'u'lláh revealed an obligatory prayer consisting of 9 rak'ahs (each rak'ah being a section of prayer accompanied by distinct instructions). This prayer, as Bahá'u'lláh explains in the Questions and Answers relating to the Aqdas, was sent away for safe-keeping and subsequently abrogated by Bahá'u'lláh Himself and replaced with the three obligatory prayers currently binding on the believers. It was finally lost among a group of tablets stolen by Muhammad-Alí, the half-brother and prime opposer of 'Abdu'l-Bahá after Bahá'u'lláh's ascension (see notes to Kitáb-i Aqdas).

What happened is that Bahá'u'lláh had a number of sons beside 'Abdu'l-Bahá, whom He designated as the Master and the Most Great Branch. Another of His sons was Muhammad-Alí, who towards the end of Bahá'u'lláh's days in this world had already earned His displeasure for his behaviour. 'Abdu'l-Bahá interceded at this time of behalf of his brother at the feet of the Blessed Beauty. When Bahá'u'lláh passed away, Muhammad-Alí rejected His Covenant, challenged the authority of the Master, and devoted his efforts to destroying 'Abdu'l-Bahá by all the means available. His story is briefly but heart-breakingly told by 'Abdu'l-Bahá Himself in His holy Will and Testament. He was designated by the Guardian as the arch-breaker of Bahá'u'lláh's covenant and was the foremost Covenant-breaker in the ministry of the Master. Among his destructive deeds was stealing a box of precious tablets, including among others the original Obligatory Prayer ordained by Bahá'u'lláh in the Aqdas, but already superseded by the time of Muhammad-Alí's action.

The regulations applying to all obligatory prayers are set out in the Kitáb-i Aqdas, including the requirement to turn to the Qiblih (meaning "Point of Adoration" in Arabic), which, confirming the Báb's own injunction, Bahá'u'lláh ordains to be Him Whom God shall make manifest (namely His own person). 'Abdu'l-Bahá states in a tablet that subsequently Bahá'u'lláh ordained that after His death the Qiblih should be His luminous resting place, however the tablet containing this instruction was lost. Today the Qiblih is the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Bahji. In the Aqdas are also found the injunctions requiring ablutions before each obligatory prayer; the applicable exemptions, and the requirements in case of unsaid obligatory prayers on account of dangers while travelling or at home.

The text of the three obligatory prayers was revealed in Akká and withheld from the believers for some time, until it was shared with Hand of the Cause Alí Akbar SháhMírzádeh Hajji Akhund in the Lawh-i Bishárát-i 'Uzma (Tablet of the Most Great Glad-tidings), and thus diffused among the community.

Within this text the instructions for each of the three obligatory prayers are set out, expounded and supplemented in the Questions and Answers, and clarified in subsequent letters of Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice. Among these clarifications and expositions are the meaning of morn, noon, and eve, the use of clocks to determine times of prayer, Who to turn to spiritually in prayer, the age of maturity at which obligatory prayer becomes binding, and the resolution of ambiguities in the instructions accompanying each of these prayers, such as how to raise one's hands in supplication, the form of the greatest name to be used, the repetitions of the greatest name and other phrases and their accompanying gestures, the saying of different obligatory prayers on the same day, the necessity or otherwise of fresh ablutions, the inappropriateness of changing the gender and pronouns of the prayer, the prohibition of congregational prayer and injunction to say obligatory prayers individually (not necessarily requiring privacy), and the determination of physical fitness to perform the prayers being ultimately an act of private conscience. The possibility of saying one's obligatory prayer in the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár is also expressed (TAB). From 1999, all the laws and regulations relating to obligatory prayer and fasting became universally binding on all the believers.

The three obligatory prayers consist of a short obligatory prayer to be said once a day between noon and sunset while standing towards the qiblih; a medium obligatory prayer to be said three times a day (morning, noon and evening), including verses to accompany one's ablutions and prescribed movements to accompany various sections of the prayer; and a long obligatory prayer to be recited once in 24 hours and including movements and prostrations accompanying the recitation of this prayer.

No obligation to say one of the three above the others applies, on the contrary, the diversity of prayers being suggested as fitting the spiritual requirements of different temperaments and levels of understanding, such that reciting the short obligatory prayer is encouraged for someone who cannot relate to the requirements of the long obligatory prayer, as well as for someone who finds the use of masculine pronouns problematic (Shoghi Effendi).

The experience of obligatory prayers is held in the Bahá'í writings to be a process rather than an event, varying from individual to individual and deepening with practice. The immense efficacy said to be latent in the obligatory prayers is said to be conditional on the spirit in which it is uttered, and to be gradually released through "perseverance" in practicing the law ('Abdu'l-Bahá, in importance of obligatory prayer and fasting).

The obligatory prayers are considered to be endowed with a special potency, to draw the heart closer to God, to impart humility, to protect from tests, and to contain sweetness, tenderness and joy when recited in the right spirit. The accompanying movements are held to be outward symbols of inner realities, and to contain powerful spiritual mysteries and truth. Obligatory prayer is meant to be offered with radiance and spirituality, in a state of detachment from all save God, and out of love for Bahá'u'lláh, and is described as "conversation with God".

Ismael Velasco

Notes by Peter Terry:

The following questions were asked:

is the obligation to recite verses in the morning and evening fulfilled by the recitation of prayers?
is recitation and reading the same?
what is the purpose of reciting the divinely-revealed verses?

Let us look at what specific recitations are required by Bahá'u'lláh. The obligatory prayer, salat in Arabic, is one requirement, and it is to be recited. Does it "count" if it is recited inwardly, without a sound? I haven't come across any guidance on this point in Bahá'í texts. The 95 times Alláh'u'Abha, dhikr in Arabic, is another requirement, and it is recited. Once more, I am not sure whether silent inner recitation is permitted in place of vocalization. Now, since the salat and dhikr could be recited any time during a twenty-four hour interval, it appears that the command to recite the verses of God every morning and evening is in addition to the salat and dhikr. There are specific prayers revealed to be recited at morning and in the evening, so the fulfillment of this command can be very exact. But inasmuch as Bahá'u'lláh does not indicate which verses are to be read at morn and eventide, it would appear that permission is granted to recite any verses.

The specific context of the passage you cited is as follows: just prior to the statement you have excerpted, Bahá'u'lláh exhorts His readers to "give ear unto the verses of God which He Who is the sacred Lote-Tree reciteth unto you." Here then, Bahá'u'lláh is the reciter, and we are listening to Him speak when we read or recite His verses. He indicates that "through them" (the verses) "the soul of man is caused to wing its flight towards the Dayspring of Revelation, and the heart of every true believer is suffused with light." There is the purpose of listening to the "verses of God" recited by Bahá'u'lláh — to uplift our souls and fill them with light. He reiterates this point then by stating that obedience to this and the other commands of God "is best for you" — this is in our best interest "did ye but know".

Then follows the statement requiring the recitation of the verses of God every morning and evening, and linking this to the Covenant, "whoso turneth away from these holy verses in this Day is of those who throughout eternity have turned away from God." This reminds me of Jesus's statement recorded in the Gospels to the effect that those who turn away from Him are forgiven but that those who turn away from the Holy Spirit have denied themselves the divine bestowal, not only in this life but in the life to come.

This might be interpreted in a strictly literal fashion by some people, and lead to rigid behavior and expectations, if it weren't for the words of wisdom with which Bahá'u'lláh immediately follows this command: "Pride not yourselves on much reading of the verses or on a multitude of pious acts by night and day; for were a man to read a single verse with joy and radiance it would be better for him than to read with lassitude all the Holy Books of God...Read ye the sacred verses in such measure that ye be not overcome by languor and despondency. Lay not upon your souls that which will weary them and weigh them down, but rather what will lighten and uplift them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine verses towards the Dawning-place of His manifest signs; this will draw you nearer to God, did ye but comprehend."

While we may be tempted to think that reading the verses, that is, silent recitation rather than vocalization, is sufficient, there are many indications that vocalized recitation is not only encouraged but required. Immediately following this paragraph in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh enjoins teaching our children to recite the divine verses, "so that, in most melodious tones, they may recite the Tablets of the All-Merciful in the alcoves within the Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs." Are they reciting the verses of God silently in the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár? This doesn't seem likely, considering that Bahá'u'lláh is enjoining recitation "in most melodious tones"! In paragraph 115 we are enjoined to enter into the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár "at the hour of dawn" (reciting the verses of God in the morn), to sit "in silence to listen to the verses of God" and in paragraph 116 those who are actually intoning the verses are addressed: "They who recite the verses of the All-Merciful in the most melodious of tones will perceive in them that which the sovereignty of earth and heaven can never be compared." As a singer and chanter of prayers, my personal experience is that this is not hyperbole, but rather a statement of fact.

There are many statements by the Master as well praising the chanting of the verses in the most melodious of tones and by those with beautiful voices. He also speaks of how potent music is, how it can uplift the soul. This is also stated originally by Bahá'u'lláh in Kitáb-i-Aqdas: "We, verily, have made music as a ladder for your souls, a means whereby they may be lifted up unto the realm on high." (K51) Isn't this precisely what the recitation of the divine verses is meant to do, to uplift our souls? Indeed, Bahá'u'lláh makes the connection between music and the recitation of the divine verses very direct in that same paragraph: "Let your joy be the joy born of My Most Great Name, a Name that bringeth rapture to the heart, and filleth with ecstasy the minds of all who have drawn nigh unto God." The Most Great Name is Abha/Bahá' and this Name is to be recited 95 times every day.

Bahá'u'lláh returns repeatedly to remind us that music and reciting the divine verses and obeying all the other commands in His Kitáb-i-Aqdas have but one purpose: to uplift our souls and bring them closer to God. We must be especially mindful that we do not import the dreary heaviness of some earlier religious traditions (and personal histories) into our devotions, whether private or communal. We are enjoined to be joyful and attracted to God and to one another. This is good news, glad tidings, and we must try not to forget this

Peter Terry

Notes by Michael Sours:

Question: Can we can change the words of a prayers in our own private praying?

Answer: The only texts that I am aware of relating to this question is as follows:

"As to whether or not it is appropriate for a female to substitute the words 'daughter of' for 'son of' when reciting the Long Obligatory Prayer, we provide the following extract from a letter dated 31 August 1997, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice. The letter addresses this specific issue: 'With respect to your question as to whether it is permissible for a female in reciting the Long Obligatory Prayer to say, "I am Thy handmaiden, O my Lord, and the daughter of Thy handmaiden", you are correct in your understanding that the Guardian did not wish Bahá'ís to change the gender of pronouns and nouns in the revealed prayers. The following excerpt from a letter dated 14 January 1947 written on his behalf makes this clear: "In regard to the question you asked him: As Bahá'u'lláh Himself specified, in the long prayer for the dead, that the gender could be changed and 'his' said for 'her', etc., it is permissible to do it — nay obligatory — but in all other prayers, including those for the dead, we must adhere to the exact text and not change the gender." The House of Justice does not feel it appropriate to change Shoghi Effendi's usage of certain nouns in his translations. The challenge, therefore, is to accept the use of pronouns and of certain nouns such as 'son' and 'servant' in their generic sense, which will lead one to view the matter in terms of a spiritual response, rather than one of semantics."

It could be inferred from this that if one cannot change the gender in prayers (other than that one prayer for the dead), and if in that regard the believers are to adhere to the "exact" text, then nothing else in any prayer can likewise be altered. If that conclusion is correct, then the distinction you're making has some basis. That is, songs can be based on prayers, but prayers using the revealed writings should be left unaltered. That would mean that a prayer that alters the texts, becomes in effect a song, and not a proper devotional recitation. In that case there is a distinction between song and prayer (at least prayer using the canonical texts), but I'm not sure that the difference includes a distinction between song and chanting.

In English, the term "chanting" means to simply sing or recite in a melodious voice. This term appears in the Synopsis of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, "To teach one's children to chant the holy verses in the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár", which is no doubt based on the passage,

"Teach your children the verses revealed from the heaven of majesty and power, so that, in most melodious tones, they may recite the Tablets of the All-Merciful in the al coves within the Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs. Whoever hath been transported by the rapture born of adoration for My Name, the Most Compassionate, will recite the verses of God in such wise as to captivate the hearts of those yet wrapped in slumber." (p. 74)

From this, one might argue that chanting is distinct from song. When I think of "prayer," I understand it to be primarily supplication to God or an intercessor and/or the giving of praises of God. And when I think of chanting, I understand it to be a melodious way of reciting or singing the verses and/or prayers. That is, I'm not aware that "chanting" has a specific or exclusive relationship to prayer or that song cannot involve the act of supplication.

In my limited understanding the only distinction in this question would be that some prayers are chanted or sung as they are, without alteration in wording, and (possibly inappropriately) some are chanted or sung with alterations, presumably in a way that is recognizable as such to the chanter or those who might hear the words spoken. Likewise, a person could chant a prayer that is from other scriptures, or even composed by themselves or someone else. That is, I also don't know of any rule that invalidates the spontaneous or composed prayers of individual believers, nor any reason why such prayers could not be chanted by anyone who wants to do so. Obviously it is a great blessing to have prayers revealed by the Manifestations and appointed successors, but acknowledging this is different from actually taking that to mean that individual prayers are prohibited (which of course, I'm not inferring from your message).

When I was a youth and once had the blessing of working on a project with native Americans of the Sioux community, it was common place that the Bahá'ís there chanted their own prayers or traditional prayers and it was not unusual to hear variants on occasion.

I've also noticed that generally, some of the believers read and chant Bahá'í Tablets that are not supplications as if they were, such as "Blessed is the spot..." That is, its not written as a supplication (prayer) but it is often recited and/or chanted during devotional times as if it were. The Tablet of Ahmad is another example. Generally speaking, I can't really see why a person chanting a Bahá'í prayer for devotional reasons would intentionally alter it, but I'm not a musician or composer. However, I have observed that some believers will recite a prayer, even if only in a subtly melodic way and repeat select verses to add a musical or even emotional effect to it, and this during devotionals. Perhaps that is inappropriate or against the teachings. I don't know for sure. I have not observed this often but on the few occasions I have, it didn't occur to me that it was prohibited. I just assumed that it was an acceptable degree of artistic license.