Shoghi Effendi

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Shoghi Effendi:
Recollections

by Ugo Giachery

Chapter 5

PART 2:
The World Centre of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh

V
Birth and Development of the World Centre

ALMOST one year before the end of the First World War, the Balfour Declaration,[*] made in the name of the British government, favoured a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. Since the conquest of that land by the Caliph 'Umar - twelve years after the Hijra (A.D. 622, the first year of the Muslim era) - a succession of Islamic dynasties had ruled over the entire Middle East, until the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1922, an Empire that had extended from Turkey and the Balkans to Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean. Thus it had been impossible for the Jewish population, dispersed throughout the Old World, to return to their promised land. The Balfour Declaration brought a ray of hope that their 'diaspora' might end, although the Mandate, which was given to the British government by the League of Nations at the end of the First World War and which lasted until May 1948, could not favour or encourage the return of the Jews to Palestine. It had to maintain the status quo, because of the prevailing Muslim population in the whole territory.

* Arthur James Balfour, First Earl of Balfour (1848-1930), English philosopher and statesman.

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When Bahá'u'lláh, His family and followers were exiled to Akka in 1868, Palestine was a stronghold of Sunni Islam. To understand how terrifying were the forces of opposition against any Faith, other than Sunni Islam, it suffices to recall the intermittent sufferings and persecutions inflicted upon Bahá'u'lláh [*] and those exiled with Him, from 1867 until 1908. It was the revolution of the Young Turks that finally brought an end to the era of tyranny and oppression. Nevertheless, the Omnipotent had already decreed such far-reaching changes that their realization has been a true source of wonder. The construction under the most adverse conditions of the Báb's Sepulchre, on the site blessed and chosen by Bahá'u'lláh on Mt. Carmel, established the Spiritual Centre of the Bahá'í Faith on that holy mountain in the most dramatic and unassailable manner. Moreover, two decades earlier, Sultan 'Abdu'l-Hamid, in person, by assenting to the request to inter the sacred remains of Bahá'u'lláh within the precincts of the Mansion of Bahji, had suddenly and miraculously sanctioned the way to implant in the soil of the Holy Land a new, eternal Qiblih, a point of adoration for countless generations of followers of a regenerating tongue, dynamic and universal Faith. Thus the 'twin cities' of 'Akka and Haifa potentially became the solid spiritual foundations of the evolving World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.

* Bahá'u'lláh died in 1892.

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Much has happened since those days, and the splendour and beauty now surrounding the two Holy Places are the fruits of the vision and skill of Shoghi Effendi.

There is no doubt that he must have been seriously concerned about the political future of Palestine. In some of his messages mentioning the possibility of another world conflict, he expresses anxiety for events which might involve the World Centre of the Faith. I well remember that one evening, at table, Shoghi Effendi related the information imparted by 'Abdu'l-Bahá concerning the erection of a befitting sepulchre for the Báb that would be worthy of a Prophet of God. Shoghi Effendi therefore felt that it fell upon him, the Guardian of the Cause of God, to carry out these instructions when conditions would permit and the political situation would warrant undertaking such a permanent and costly project.

When the devouring flames of the Second World War enveloped the whole earth, the situation in the Middle East became fraught with danger, threatening the very core of the Spiritual Centre of Bahá'u'lláh's Faith. But again, God's plan operated to protect men and possessions, bringing a solution which even today, at thirty years' distance, can only be considered the result of an intervention of Divine Providence. Palestine and all the Middle East were spared the scourge and destruction of war, thus permitting the planning of new developments at the World Centre of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh.[*]

* See Appendix V for details

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In the forefront of Shoghi Effendi's greatest goals and accomplishments in the Faith must be considered the enhancement and beautification of the Holy Places connected with the lives of the Central Figures of the Bahá'í Faith. The setting is Mt. Carmel. No doubt those followers of past religions who came to this holy mountain were fascinated by its great beauty, made interesting by rugged rocks spread over its face like flocks of reposing sheep; by the myriads of wild flowers of incomparable grace and variety, and by its crystal clear skies and the blue Mediterranean Sea. This holy mountain, in a land that for millennia has influenced man's evolution and thinking, was destined to become anew the centre of miraculous developments leading to the regeneration of all mankind.

Bahá'u'lláh was brought to Palestine in 1868 as a prisoner of the rulers of the Persian and Turkish governments. During the long years of His sufferings and bondage it was not timely to provide an appropriate and dignified resting-place for the remains of the martyred Herald of His Revelation, the Báb, nor even to prepare an adequate place for this purpose in the Holy Land. During the last years of His life, however, He visited Haifa and pitched His tent on the slopes of Mt. Carmel. On one such occasion He expressed to His eldest son, Abdu'l-Bahá, the wish that a worthy memorial and resting-place be erected on the spot designated by Him, near a cluster of cypress trees.[5] These trees are still standing today, in great beauty and dignity, on the upper level of the ground south of the Shrine of the Báb, now part of the enchanting gardens surrounding that Holy Edifice.

[5] Cited GPB p.194

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The eagerness of Abdu'l-Bahá to comply with Bahá'u'lláh's instructions brought to Him, in His turn, additional and untold suffering, which He summarized in the following remark: 'Every stone of that building, every stone of the road leading to it, I have with infinite tears and at tremendous cost, raised and placed in position.'[6] In God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi enumerates some of the problems that beset 'Abdu'l-Bahá in His efforts to erect the Báb's Sepulchre, a strong building of Palestinian stone, of simple architecture, necessarily reinforced by buttresses - this prompted His enemies to accuse Him of building a fortress and a store for ammunition - and provided with heavy, majestic iron doors and multiple windows.

To describe the situation existing in Palestine during the last decades of the nineteenth and the first of the twentieth centuries is beyond the purpose of these recollections, but I wish to mention briefly what I learned from Shoghi Effendi himself In his childhood and youth he witnessed the end of an era in a land overrun by tyranny, plagued by corrupt government, epidemics and poverty.

"There were no opportunities available in those years,' he once stated, 'because the collapse of the military, cultural and political structure of the Ottoman Empire was at hand, and the signs of the imminent disintegration of the last vestige of an ancient glory were evident even to my young eyes."

These were the trying conditions under which the beloved Master, Abdu'l-Bahá, had to fulfil His mission, single-handed, opposed by a relentless foe, and with all His fortitude and strength undermined by forty years of privation and discomfort.

The Báb's remains arrived in 'Akka at the beginning of the year 1899, after almost fifty years of removal from hiding-place to hiding-place. The ascension of Bahá'u'lláh had taken place seven years earlier; during His lifetime He had arranged for several transfers of the remains to ensure their safety. But it was left to Abdu'l-Bahá personally to gather the precious dust of the Martyr-Prophet, and place it with His own hands in the Mausoleum He had erected for that purpose on the slope of Mt. Carmel, at the spot designated by Bahá'u'lláh Himself Interment of the Báb's remains took place on the evening of the Feast of Naw-Ruz, 1909, one year after 'Abdu'l-Bahá'í release from imprisonment and bondage.

Shoghi Effendi, as a youth of thirteen, had been an eye-witness of this historical and moving event. He related to me the whole episode of the placing of the Báb's luminous remains in the alabaster sarcophagus that had been donated and sent by the Bahá'í's of Rangoon, Burma. They were placed in the crypt in the now central room of the Mausoleum, which today consists of nine rooms, but at that time had only six rooms in two parallel rows, the crypt being then in the centre room of the row facing south. The heartrending events that took place that night in that hallowed shelter, dimly illumined by candle light, were unfolded in precise and dramatic words which gave me a true vision of that long-awaited ceremony, the first stage in the unfoldment of many events to come, leading to the establishment of the World Centre of the Faith around that Sacred Spot.[*]

* See Shoghi Effendi's letter of 29 March 1951, entitled 'Spiritual Conquest of the Planet', for an explanation of the significance of the World Centre and the Shrine of the Báb. (Citadel of Faith, pp. 91-8.)

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(There are 9 historian photos between pages 54-55 in the book)

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Transported by Shoghi Effendi's eloquent narrative I well understood the eagerness and urgency with which he had undertaken the construction of the outer Shrine of the Báb, which now graces the holy mountain. The hand of destiny made me his co-worker in securing the carved marble for that Holy Sepulchre in my native Italy, a privilege and honour that has blessed my mature years. That particular night, although I had already started on the work of obtaining and shipping the carved marble to Haifa, I realized more than ever how Shoghi Effendi had the ability to surmount any obstacle that came his way, shedding his inspiration and loving guidance in all directions. During the nine years (1948-57) that I assisted him in securing the material for the Báb's Shrine and the International Archives, I became more and more aware of the power emanating from his spiritual dynamism, which assisted me in overcoming serious difficulties threatening, at the time, the continuance and completion of the work.[*]

* See 'An Account of the Preparatory Work in Italy', The Bahá'í World vol.XII pp. 240-6

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That same evening Shoghi Effendi related how, on 25 December 1939, thirty years after the interment of the Báb's remains and following a well-conceived plan, he had entrusted to the sacred soil of Mt. Carmel, not far from the Báb's Shrine, the bodies of the Purest Branch and the mother of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Their burial-places are also near those of 'Abdu'l-Bahá'í sister and His wife, thus establishing the focal point of the Bahá'í administrative institutions of the World Centre of the Faith. While Shoghi Effendi was relating these vital episodes in the historical development of the Faith in the Holy Land, I could strongly feel his anticipation of great things to come.

His enthusiasm, always an element of his eloquence, lent a deep tone of certainty to the exposition of his plans for the future, not only at the World Centre but also throughout the whole globe. As on previous occasions when I was privileged to listen to his enumeration of far-reaching plans for the expansion of the Faith he so much loved, my soul was fined with awe and gratitude, for he was indeed the master-builder of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.

As my recollections return on the wings of memory, I feel again that sense of joyfulness and elation which was with me whenever I was near him, a mysterious, unbreakable bond that influenced and guided me in all the manifold activities he called upon me to perform. It was not personal magnetism, but the influence of the spiritual force that constantly emanated from him, a power made up of inspiration, insight, understanding, acquiescence, faith, vision and, above all, of full reliance upon the divine assistance of the Omnipotent.

The task of erecting the outer building surrounding the Shrine of the Báb was not a simple one, under the conditions prevailing at the conclusion of the Arab-Israel conflict in 1948. Shoghi Effendi was fully aware of the almost insurmountable obstacles he had to face in order to carry out the diligently prepared architectural project in which time had to play the most important role.

Very little has been written concerning Shoghi Effendi's plans, inaugurated well before the erection of the outer Shrine of the Báb, except for his mention in God Passes By (p. 411): "The dome, the final unit which, as anticipated by Abdu'l-Bahá, is to crown the Sepulchre of the Báb, is as yet unreared." It is quite evident, however, from the vast and extremely beautiful grounds now gracing the environs of the Shrine, that the development of the gardens and of other buildings in its immediate vicinity was a continuous process in his mind, dating from the early days of his Guardianship when, in messages addressed to the Bahá'ís in the Western Hemisphere, he stressed the importance of donations of funds to enable him to purchase additional land around the Shrine. The manner in which he developed the gardens, leaving spacious areas on which other buildings could be erected, is definite proof that he was carrying out a well-envisioned plan for development and establishment of the spiritual and administrative seats of the World Centre of the Faith.

It is a saga of joy and dismay, of victories and delays, of hope persistence and vision which if fully narrated would soften and conquer every heart. In the centuries to come, it will be seen that this enterprise, as embodied in this glorious and almost impossible task, was accomplished only by the will and determination of Shoghi Effendi. His boundless foresight and his indefatigable labours were the Pole star of his existence, by which he surmounted the difficulties and obstacles that very often opposed and threatened his plans during all the years of his stewardship.

In the months I spent in the Holy Land during the spring and early summer of 1952, when construction of the outer building surrounding the original Shrine was progressing with considerable difficulty - entailed by the illness and subsequent death of its architect, William Sutherland Maxwell, and by the serious illness of the building's contractor who was never able to return to the work - I learnt from Shoghi Effendi's own lips the magnitude of his vision and determination to create on Mt. Carmel the Spiritual Capital of the very first universal Faith. He often cited passages from the Tablet of Carmel,[*] and I became aware that each word of the text of this Tablet was ever present in his mind, as the inspiration guiding him in the vast and magnificent development of that area which, alas, was not to be completed by himself... A glimpse of the glory to come is given in his message dated 27 November 1954.[**]

Messages to the Bahá'í World,

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His oft-repeated, rather critical references to the present neglected condition of the spiritual centres of both Christianity and Islam revealed his determination to enhance, in contrast, the ultimate beauty and future prestige of the World Centre of the Faith, which he so earnestly and lovingly had evolved in his mind and was eagerly trying to bring into reality on Mt. Carmel.

If the Master, Abdu'l-Bahá, had met with infinite difficulties in the erection of the inner building of the Báb's Shrine, it is certain that Shoghi Effendi had to face and carry on under an equal if not greater share of obstacles, anxiety, material and financial problems. Only his patience, courage and unfailing faith enabled him to overcome them. With a grieved heart he refers to some of these 'recurrent crises' in that historic message to the believers in the United States and Canada dated 25 December 1938,[*] when racial animosity, strife and terrorism were interfering with the project initiated to preserve and extend the area surrounding the Sacred Spots on Mt. Carmel and with the flow of pilgrims, whom he considered the 'life-blood' of the heart and nerve centre of the world-embracing Faith of Bahá'u'lláh.

* See the Advent of Divine Justice p.4.

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For every difficulty he conquered, his compensation in the joy of achievement was boundless. Day by day, with regular visits, he observed the erection of the superstructure. As the carved marble and granite were in position, piece by piece, block by block, his vision took form. The project became a living reality in all its beauty - beyond all expectation. His happiness could not be contained.

How well I remember the light of elation that radiated from his handsome face when we gathered at his table for the evening meal, during those days and months after the quadrangular colonnade had been completed in all its majesty and work had begun on the octagon with its slender minarets, like immense white fingers reaching into space as if supplicating the infinity of God's love. It was an unforgettable period of Shoghi Effendi's life: appointment of the Hands of the Cause of God; creation of the International Council, the forerunner of the Universal House of Justice; the projected birth of the twelfth National Spiritual Assembly (Italy-Switzerland); preparation for launching the Ten Year Global Crusade and the very first Intercontinental Conferences in four continents of the world; acquisition of land at Bahji around the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh and beautification of that land; anticipation of completing the Báb's Shrine to coincide with the centenary of Bahá'u'lláh's first intimation of His Prophethood revealed to Him in the 'Black Pit' (or prison) of Tihran; drafting by his own hand the cleverly devised map showing all the goals of the Crusade - these were like golden threads which he adroitly manipulated to weave a world-wide pattern of enterprises involving the ingenuity, interest and efforts of every follower of Bahá'u'lláh. All these activities were for him the source of an intense happiness and intimate satisfaction that spurred him forward in the practical execution of God's plan for mankind.

I beg the reader to pause for a moment and consider how the erection of the outer structure of the Báb's Shrine was an integral part of Shoghi Effendi's universal conception of the expansion of the Faith and of the consolidation of its institutions at its World Centre, so that the mighty 'Ark' of God would sail on the slopes of Mt. Carmel and bring thereon the 'people of Baha'.[*]

* See Appendix VI for a discussion of the Tablet of Carmel, which is the Charter of the World Spiritual and Administrative Centres of the Bahá'í Faith.

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On that particular evening to which I have referred, when Shoghi Effendi spoke to me alone, he expressed his deep sorrow that even the immediate members of his family had never understood his persistent efforts to beautify the grounds around the Shrine of the Báb, in anticipation of the day when the Great Shrine, desired by Bahá'u'lláh, would come into existence in all its regal splendour and beauty and be surrounded by gardens of loveliness and perfection, gardens already being laid out during the long years of patient waiting. "Never," he said, "in the religious history of mankind has a Prophet of God been so highly honoured within a century of His Mission, by almost His own generation, and with so much love and world-wide concurrence." Again, the flame of eager enthusiasm was lighting his face as he spoke. I could then fully share with him the vision of the New Jerusalem, the new City of God, the Abode of Peace, and understand his labours around that Sacred Spot, urged on by the impelling necessity of preparing the haven in which the Ark of Salvation would sail.[*] To it the world would turn for spiritual guidance, as the source of inspiration, of sincerity, of divine justice and illumination.

The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh,

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In retrospect we can see how much was accomplished in that brief period of years and why Shoghi Effendi seemed to be ever aware of the shortness of time in which so much had to be made ready. Of all the great qualities that adorned his character, zeal and eagerness were outstanding. These two virtues acted as spearheads for all his manifold and burdensome activities, keeping him abreast of events and material limitations, inspiring all who understood his plight and dedicated themselves, mind and body, to lighten his burden and help him bring into reality his long-range plans. So great was his appreciation that many times, grateful for the modest assistance I could render him, he would look at me with loving eyes and, smiling, would say, 'I wish there were one more believer like you.'

As the Faith expanded and its institutions multiplied under his far-sighted guidance, it was imperative that the Shrine and its environs - the fountain-head of inspiration - should evolve with great power, prestige and dynamic impulse. This is the reason that Shoghi Effendi could not spare any effort, or hesitate, or brook any delay. For him it was like racing through space toward a luminous star, when speed and skill were of supreme importance, with no turning back or change of heart. The Faith of God was in the balance, and the propelling power was coming from the Almighty Creator.

The golden threads, spreading and weaving through all continents, oceans and islands of the world - sustained and strengthened by that celestial power that he, the Guardian of the Cause of God, knew how to tap - were slowly but surely enmeshing the earth, each strand carrying with it the vibrations of understanding, compassion and love, issuing forth from the mystic heart of the Guardianship.

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