An illumined Seal of Baha'u'llah

“to speak with ease about the Person of Bahá’u’lláh and His Revelation”

We feel moved, as we take pause on this festive occasion, [“raising the total number worldwide over the 1,500” intensive programmes of growth] to make clear that what evokes such a deep sense of pride and gratitude in our hearts is not so much the numerical feat you have achieved, remarkable as it is, but a combination of developments at the more profound level of culture, to which this accomplishment attests. Chief among them is the rise we have observed in the capacity of the friends to converse with others on spiritual matters and to speak with ease about the Person of Bahá’u’lláh and His Revelation. They have understood well that teaching is a basic requirement of a life of generous giving. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (Ridvan 2010 message; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

The “teachings and instructions of Baha'u'llah” – summarized by ‘Abdu’l-Baha

Thou hast inquired regarding the teachings and instructions of Baha'u'llah! Thou must instruct the people of the world in the Love of God, that they may eradicate the foundation of warfare and strife, be attracted by the Glad-tidings of the kingdom of Abha, lay the basis of love and amity, raise the melody of affinity, and the oneness of the Kingdom of humanity; transmute tyranny and persecution into love and faithfulness, efface the traces of bloodshed and carnage; construct the edifice of reconciliation, dispel the darkness of estrangement, diffuse the light of unity; change the poison of animosity into the honey of sympathetic affection; destroy the religious, national and social prejudices from the individuals of humanity; live and act, with and toward each other as though they were from one race, one country, one religion, and one kind. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (From a Tablet, Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 6, June 24, 1911)

Baha’u’llah’s childhood and youth

The Blessed Perfection Baha’u’llah belonged to the royal family of Persia. From His earliest childhood He became distinguished among His relatives and friends. "This child," they said, "has extraordinary power." Not only in wisdom, but in the realm of new knowledge He was superior to His age and time. All were astonished. Some remarked, "Such a precocious child will not survive," for it has been believed that children who are precocious cannot live very long.

Until the Blessed Perfection reached the age of maturity He had not entered any school. He was not willing to be taught by any teacher. This fact is well known among the Persians of Tehran. Nevertheless He solved the difficult problems of all who came and inquired. In short whatever the meeting, whether scientific gathering or theological discussion, He always explained the abstruse problems presented to Him. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (From a talk, 15 April, 1912, at a gathering of Baha’i friends at the home of Mrs. Emor New York, Star of the West vol. 3, no. 9, August 20, 1912)

“the supernatural feats of Bahá’u’lláh”

I will not mention the miracles of Bahá’u’lláh, for the hearer might say that these are merely traditions which may or may not be true. Such, too, is the case with the Gospel, where the accounts of the miracles of Christ come down to us from the Apostles and not from other observers, and are denied by the Jews. Were I nonetheless to mention the supernatural feats of Bahá’u’lláh, they are numerous and unequivocally acknowledged in the East, even by some of the non-believers. But these accounts cannot be a decisive proof and testimony for all, since the hearer might say that they are not factually true, as the followers of other denominations also recount miracles from their leaders. For instance, Hindus recount certain miracles of Brahma. How can we know that those are false and that these are true? If these are reported accounts, so too are those; if these are widely attested, then the same holds true of those. Thus such accounts do not constitute a sufficient proof. Of course, a miracle may be a proof for the eyewitness, but even then he might not be sure whether what he beheld was a true miracle or mere sorcery. Indeed, extraordinary feats have also been attributed to certain magicians.

In brief, our meaning is that many marvellous things appeared from Bahá’u’lláh, but we do not recount them, for not only do they not constitute a proof and testimony for all mankind, but they are not even a decisive proof for those who witnessed them and who may ascribe them to magic.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)

November 12, 1817: Bahá'u'lláh is born

There was born a Child in an ancient and noble family of Núr, whose father was Mirzá Abbás, better known as Mirzá Buzurg, a favoured minister of the Crown. That Child was Bahá'u'lláh. At the hour of dawn, on the second day of Muharram, in the year 1233 A.H.[12 November 1817 A.D.] the world, unaware of its significance, witnessed the birth of Him who was destined to confer upon it such incalculable blessings.

- Nabil  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated. and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Book: 'Christ and Baha'u'llah’ by George Townshend: - “outlines clearly the relationship of Christ and Baha'u'llah, and presents the manners in which the Baha'is are setting up the Kingdom of God for which the Christians are praying”

The beloved Guardian has been very impressed with the latest book written by our dear departed coworker, George Townshend 'Christ and Baha'u'llah. This book outlines clearly the relationship of Christ and Baha'u'llah, and presents the manners in which the Baha'is are setting up the Kingdom of God for which the Christians are praying. It is challenging, and surely will affect many religious leaders. The Guardian feels your Assembly should make this book the basis of a very active teaching campaign. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 19, 1957: Baha’i News, No. 316, p. 5, June 1957; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

“His [Baha’u’llah’s] gentle nature was excellent and His sweet disposition sublime.”

O ye friends! His gentle nature was excellent and His sweet disposition sublime. He was in the utmost humility and submission, and perfect kindliness and praise.  Worthy courtesy adorned His Being. He was a refuge for every affrighted one; an asylum for every discomfited one; a fountain for every thirsty one; a Highway of Salvation for every wandering one; a healing to every sick one, and a dressing for every wounded one. 

- 'Abdu'l-Bahá  (Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 6, June 24, 1911)

God established Baha’u’llah’s “covenant with every one who hath been created in the kingdoms of earth and heaven and in the realms of revelation and of creation.”

I testify, O my God, that this is the Day whereon Thy testimony hath been fulfilled, and Thy clear tokens have been manifested, and Thine utterances have been revealed, and Thy signs have been demonstrated, and the radiance of Thy countenance hath been diffused, and Thy proof hath been perfected, and Thine ascendancy hath been established, and Thy mercy hath overflowed, and the Day-Star of Thy grace hath shone forth with such brilliance that Thou didst manifest Him Who is the Revealer of Thyself and the Treasury of Thy wisdom and the Dawning-Place of Thy majesty and power. Thou didst establish His covenant with every one who hath been created in the kingdoms of earth and heaven and in the realms of revelation and of creation. Thou didst raise Him up to such heights that the wrongs inflicted by the oppressors have been powerless to deter Him from revealing Thy sovereignty, and the ascendancy of the wayward hath failed to prevent Him from demonstrating Thy power and from exalting Thy Cause.

So highly didst Thou exalt Him that He openly delivered unto the kings Thy messages and commandments, and hath never for one moment sought His own protection, but striven to protect Thy servants from whatever might withhold them from approaching the kingdom of Thy nearness, and from setting their faces towards the horizon of Thy good-pleasure.

Baha’u’llah foretold the downfall of Napoleon III

From inside prison walls He [Baha'u'llah] wrote epistles to all the kings and rulers of nations summoning them to arbitration and Universal Peace. Some of the kings received His words with disdain and contempt. One of these was the sultan of the Ottoman kingdom. Napoleon III of France did not reply. A second epistle was addressed to him. It stated: “I have written you an epistle before this, summoning you to the cause of God but you are of the heedless. You have proclaimed that you were the defender of the oppressed; now it hath become evident that you are not. Nor are you kind to your own suffering and oppressed people. Your actions are contrary to your own interests and your kingly pride must fall. Because of your arrogance God shortly will destroy your sovereignty. France will flee away from you and you will be overwhelmed by a great conquest. There will be lamentation and mourning, women bemoaning the loss of their sons.” This arraignment of Napoleon III was published and spread. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk; April 18, 1912, New York City; Star of the West, vol. 3, no. 9, August 20, 1912; ‘Baha’i World Faith’)

“a real Baha'i would be one who is convinced that Baha'u'llah was a world-teacher and a Messenger of God bearing to mankind a great Message”

As to your third question Shoghi Effendi would like you to understand that when one believes in One to be divinely inspired and when one is convinced that He has a great mission to the world in His teachings, he must very naturally be ready to accept all that that world-teacher that divinely-inspired Man says. It is with this view that he feels that a real Baha'i would be one who is convinced that Baha'u'llah was a world-teacher and a Messenger of God bearing to mankind a great Message and would therefore be ready to accept all that Baha'u'llah has said and the same is true of the Master, Whom we believe to have been the great propounder of the Baha'i teachings and the One through Whom the Covenant of God was firmly established in the world. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 15 February 1926 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation on scholarship prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, 1979)

Bahá’u’lláh “endured personally, all kinds of calamities and bore the most violent ordeals”

The Blessed Beauty of Abha—May the divine souls of the existence be a ransom to His friends!—endured personally, all kinds of calamities and bore the most violent ordeals. There remained no torture which did not come to His holy body and no suffering which did not descend upon His pure spirit. How many nights He could not take rest, under the chains and heaviness of fetters, and how many days He gave Himself not a minute's repose because of the burden of fetters and chains!

From Niyavaran to Teheran that pure spirit, who was brought up on a bed of down, was forced to run, with bare head and bare feet, under chains and fetters, and, in a dark and narrow subterranean prison, He was put with murderers, thieves, criminals and malefactors; at every moment a new torture was inflicted upon Him and at every moment His martyrdom was expected by all.

After a long time, He was sent from the city of His residence to foreign countries. For many years, in Baghdad, at every moment a new arrow was darted toward His holy breast, and at every instant a sword was bent on His pure body. At no instant was there any hope for safety and security, and the enemies, with utmost dexterity, were attacking the blessed soul from all sides, and He alone, personally, resisted them all.

After all these hardships and calamities, He was sent from Baghdad in Asia to Europe, and in that terrible exile, great affliction, vehement torture and constant attack, the plots, calumniations, enmity, rancor and hatred of the people of the Bayan were added to those which came from the people of the Qur’an, The pen is unable to explain it all, but surely you have heard and learned about it.

After twenty-four years in the greatest prison, Acca, His life was ended in great trouble and hardship. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Star of the West, vol. 7, no. 5, June 5, 1916)

Attaining to the presence of God – Baha’u’llah explains its meaning

In all the Divine Books the promise of the Divine Presence hath been explicitly recorded. By this Presence is meant the Presence of Him Who is the Dayspring of the signs, and the Dawning-Place of the clear tokens, and the Manifestation of the Excellent Names, and the Source of the attributes, of the true God, exalted be His glory. God in His Essence and in His own Self hath ever been unseen, inaccessible, and unknowable. By Presence, therefore, is meant the Presence of the One Who is His Vicegerent amongst men. He, moreover, hath never had, nor hath He, any peer or likeness. For were He to have any peer or likeness, how could it then be demonstrated that His being is exalted above, and His essence sanctified from, all comparison and likeness? 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)

“From earliest childhood He was distinguished among His relatives and friends.”

The Blessed Perfection, Bahá’u’lláh, belonged to the nobility of Persia. From earliest childhood He was distinguished among His relatives and friends. They said, “This child has extraordinary power.” In wisdom, intelligence and as a source of new knowledge, He was advanced beyond His age and superior to His surroundings. All who knew Him were astonished at His precocity. It was usual for them to say, “Such a child will not live,” for it is commonly believed that precocious children do not reach maturity. During the period of youth the Blessed Perfection did not enter school. He was not willing to be taught. This fact is well established among the Persians of Ṭihrán. Nevertheless, He was capable of solving the difficult problems of all who came to Him. In whatever meeting, scientific assembly or theological discussion He was found, He became the authority of explanation upon intricate and abstruse questions presented. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (From a talk, 18 April 1912, New York; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

“Jehovah”, “the Spirit of Truth”, “the Great Announcement”

He it is Who in the Old Testament hath been named Jehovah, Who in the Gospel hath been designated as the Spirit of Truth, and in the Qur’án acclaimed as the Great Announcement… But for Him no Divine Messenger would have been invested with the robe of prophethood, nor would any of the sacred scriptures have been revealed. To this bear witness all created things.

- Baha’u’llah  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in a letter dated February 8, 1934; ‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’)

“In numerous Tablets and sundry Epistles He [Baha’u’llah] foretold, in the most explicit language, the present cataclysmal events”

About fifty years ago, His Holiness Baha’u’llah proclaimed certain Teachings and raised the Song of Universal Peace. In numerous Tablets and sundry Epistles He foretold, in the most explicit language, the present cataclysmal events; stating that the world of humanity was facing the most portentious danger and asserting categorically that the realization of Universal War was unfortunately inevitable and unavoidable. For these combustible materials which were stored in the infernal arsenals of Europe would explode by contact with one spark. Among other things, "the Balkans will become a volcano and the map of Europe will be changed." For these and similar reasons He (Baha’u’llah) invited the world of humanity to Universal Peace. He wrote a number of Epistles to the kings and rulers and in those epistles He explained the destructive evils of war and dwelt on the solid benefits and nobler influences of Universal Peace. War saps the foundation of humanity; killing is an unpardonable crime against God, for man is an edifice built by the Hand of the Almighty. Peace is life incarnate; war is death personified. Peace is the divine spirit; war is satanic suggestion. Peace is the light of the world; war is stygian darkness and cimmerian gloom. All the great prophets, ancient philosophers and heavenly Books have been the harbingers of Peace and monitors against war and discord. This is the Divine foundation; this is the Celestial outpouring; this is the basis of all religions of God. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 16, December 12, 1914)

All the “meanings, perfection, and qualities” of previous Manifestations of God are now manifested in Baha’u’llah

In the Book of the Zend-Avesta the Zoroastrians are awaiting the Coming of two Manifestations. Also, in the Old Testament Scriptures there is the promise of Elijah and Messiah. In the Gospel of the New Testament they are expecting the Father and the Second Coming of Christ. Likewise, in the Qur'án the Muhammadans have the promise of the Imám Mihdí and Christ. In brief, all the Holy Scriptures announce the Coming of two Manifestations, and these two Manifestations are the Báb and the Blessed Perfection. If you look into the Bible, it is Elias and Christ; in the Qur'án it is the Mihdí and Christ. These tidings are the same in all the Holy Books, only expressed in different ways -- two successive Manifestations. And all the Universe is promised these two. We must not search for the outer word in Elijah and Christ but look for the Reality. The Blessed Perfection said in His Tablets that once He was Abraham, once Moses, once Jesus, once Muhammad, and once the Báb. This is explained clearly in the 'Book of Íqán,' that is, the meanings and perfection of qualities which were once hidden are now revealed in Bahá‘u’lláh. Therefore, we can consider Bahá‘u’lláh to be all the Prophets, no matter by what Name He chooses to call Himself; for all their meanings, perfection, and qualities are manifest in Him. Bahá‘u’lláh is the center of all their perfections. For instance, in Moses the world received the Revelation of material laws, in Jesus spiritual laws, while in Bahá‘u’lláh we have received both material and spiritual laws. The Laws of Moses would cover but few pages, and the Teachings of Jesus could be gathered into a small pamphlet. The Old Testament contains nothing but material laws; no mention is in it of spiritual laws such as we find in the New Testament. In the New Testament there are no material laws except the laws of divorce and of the Sabbath. The New Testament contains no answers to questions of science. But all knowledge has been revealed by the Blessed Perfection in books which if gathered together would make many volumes. He has revealed demonstrations in sciences, and He is the epitome of all previous Revelations. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (A table talk recorded by Julia M. Grundy in 1905; book: ‘Ten Days In the Light of ‘Akka’)

“the doctrines, the teachings and the Order of Baha'u'llah are the correct thing for this stage in the world's evolution”

The primary reason for anyone becoming a Baha'i must of course be because he has come to believe the doctrines, the teachings and the Order of Baha'u'llah are the correct thing for this stage in the world's evolution. The Baha'is themselves as a body have one great advantage; they are sincerely convinced Baha'u'llah is right; they have a plan, and they are trying to follow it. But to pretend they are perfect, that the Baha'is of the future will not be a hundred times more mature, better balanced, more exemplary in their conduct, would be foolish. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated July 5, 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: 'Lights of Guidance')

Entrance to Bahá’u’lláh's ancestral House in Takur, Iran