The Covenant of Baha'u'llah
by Adib Taherzadeh
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Chapter 26
Building the Foundations of the Administrative Order
When the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá was circulated among the friends, many who studied its provisions reached the conclusion that the formation of the Universal House of Justice had to take place at an early date. Indeed, in January 1922, soon after the announcement of his appointment as the Guardian of the Faith was made Shoghi Effendi wrote a very inspiring letter to the Bahá'Ãs of Persia [26-1] in which he indicated that he would be sending them detailed arrangements for the establishment of the Universal House of Justice.Shortly before Shoghi Effendi's departure for Europe, a number of prominent Bahá'Ãs visited the Holy Land at his invitation. They impressed upon him the necessity of bringing into being the House of Justice. This opinion, as we have seen, was shared by most members of Abdu'l-Bahá's family as well as some high-ranking government officials. Most likely the government authorities were concerned about Shoghi Effendi's ability to govern the affairs of the Bahá'à world single-handed. This lack of faith by non-Bahá'Ãs was understandable, but from the members of the family it revealed a sign of weakness in the Covenant.
Apart from his own thoughts, the pressure of public opinion for the establishment of the House of Justice must have exercised Shoghi Effendi's mind for some time, but the guidance of Bahá'u'lláh and His protection, as promised by Abdu'l-Bahá, were always vouchsafed to the Guardian, and his decisions were divinely guided. It did not take long before Shoghi Effendi decided that the time was not ripe for the formation of the Universal House of Justice. In retrospect it can be seen that such an august institution needed a solid foundation upon which it could be built. The Local Spiritual Assemblies[1] which are the foundation of this Supreme Institution were weak and very few in number, and National Spiritual Assemblies,[2] the pillars upon which it had to be erected, were non-existent.
[1 The Local Spiritual Assembly is a council of nine members elected by the Bahá'Ãs in a locality. It is the body which has jurisdiction over the affairs of the local Bahá'à community.]
[2 The National Spiritual Assembly is elected by the national community through its delegates; it has jurisdiction over the affairs of the Bahá'à community in a country or region.]
It must be remembered that towards the end of Abdu'l-Bahá's Ministry, there were only a few rudimentary local Bahá'à institutions in America and Persia.[1]They were loosely organised, and the believers had no conception of the real function of a Local Spiritual Assembly, nor did they have any experience in the art of Bahá'à consultation. In these circumstances, Shoghi Effendi wisely concentrated his attention on the building of the local and national institutions of the Faith which were later to buttress and support the structure of the international institutions. Although he was physically under a great deal of strain and stress, nevertheless Bahá'u'lláh's protection was surrounding him. With the unshakeable resolve and determination which were characteristic of him, and before departing for Europe in April 1922, Shoghi Effendi sent verbal messages to Germany and Britain to form Local Spiritual Assemblies and to arrange for the election of a National Assembly in each country. To the United States he sent a message to transform the body known as 'Executive Board' into a legislative institution. As we look back upon these early days of Shoghi Effendi's ministry, we may see these actions as initial steps towards the erection of the framework of the Administrative Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
[1 For a detailed account of the formation of the first Spiritual Assembly in the Bahá'à world, see The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 4, pp. 290-3.]
On his return to the Holy Land in December 1922, Shoghi Effendi, recovered from his fatigue, refreshed and re-invigorated, took over the reins of the Cause of God and actively dedicated himself to the task of directing the many activities of the Bahá'à communities in the East and the West. From the start he found himself in need of a competent secretariat for English and Persian letters. The only person who responded to his call for such service was the renowned Dr John Esslemont who served the Guardian with the utmost devotion, zeal and enthusiasm until his untimely death in 1925 robbed Shoghi Effendi of one of his ablest assistants. Although he tried to invite others to undertake a similar service, there were no suitable candidates available anywhere in the Bahá'à world.
There were very few believers, if any, who had the vision and the experience needed to work with Shoghi Effendi in his efforts to build the foundations of the institutions of the Faith around the world. Although there were a number of outstanding scholars of the Faith in Persia who had studied all the Holy Writings available to them and were well versed in the history of the Faith as well as in the Scriptures of older religions, it is highly unlikely that any of them had perceived the significance of the institutions of the Faith, the inevitability of their rise and the emergence of the Administrative Order of Bahá'u'lláh, the framework of His World Order for mankind. These learned Bahá'Ãs were fully conscious of the importance of the Spiritual Assemblies, which Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá had emphasized. But probably none of them realized that the Local Spiritual Assembly was destined to become the primary institution of the Administrative Order, of which very little was known at the time. Nor did anyone realize that the institutions of the Faith would become channels for the flow of the spiritual forces latent within the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh.
It becomes clear now only after the lapse of many decades how little the early Bahá'Ãs understood the basic principles of Bahá'u'lláh's Administrative Order, whose foundations Shoghi Effendi had begun to build. This is perhaps the main reason why Shoghi Effendi could not find a single believer who sufficiently understood the nature of the work which he had set himself to carry out, and who was free to come to the Holy Land and assist him. In the West, for example, there was Horace Holley, an able administrator who had grasped the significance of what Shoghi Effendi was doing, and would serve him faithfully in the important work of building the local and national institutions of the Faith in America. But because of his work there, he could not be spared to go to the Holy Land to assist Shoghi Effendi.
It is important to realize that whoever was given the privilege to work with the Guardian was never in a position to make a decision for him. It was he and he alone who directed the affairs of the Cause. Unlike world leaders who usually authorize their subordinates to make decisions, Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi were the sole decision-makers, because they alone were the recipients of divine guidance and no one else was. Indeed, the writings of Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi are all products of that infallible guidance which was conferred upon them by the Author of the Faith Himself.
In order to comprehend the workings and development of the Administrative Order of Bahá'u'lláh, one should study its genesis. It goes back to the Author of the Faith Himself. A distinguishing feature of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh is that the Word of God, sent down for the spiritualization and guidance of man, has been preserved in its original purity and freed from every manner of human interference. This vast and glorious Revelation is not subject to man's meddling, for to no one is given the right to tamper with His Word or His teachings.
In a previous chapter[1] we stated that the revelation of the Word of God may be likened to the rain which falls and creates a pool which in this analogy represents the repository of the Word of God — of the holy scriptures of each religion. In this Dispensation, the outpourings of the words of Bahá'u'lláh have been so copious as to create a veritable ocean of Revelation, and Bahá'u'lláh sealed off this ocean from all intruders. During His lifetime, He Himself proffered the Water of Life to the peoples of the world, and after His passing, the outpouring of His Revelation was channelled through the person of Abdu'l-Bahá. He it was who was created especially by God to act after the passing of Bahá'u'lláh as a container and reservoir for this great ocean. Bahá'u'lláh did not simply hand over His word and His Revelation free for all to manipulate. Rather, He entrusted them to Abdu'l-Bahá and enjoined upon all the believers to turn to Him in order to receive their portion of the bounties of God which were enshrined within His Revelation. To no one did He give the right to interpret His words, to add or take away even a dot from His Writings. Using the above analogy, this mighty ocean was placed within the Person of Abdu'l-Bahá, who acted as a wall around it and sealed it off from man's interference. So thoroughly did He embody the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh within His soul that after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, it was only through Abdu'l-Bahá that the redeeming power of His Faith and the spiritual energies He had released could flow to mankind.
[1 See above, pp. 100-102.]
Despite the many unscrupulous attempts to break through the walls which protected that ocean, despite those several outstanding followers of the Faith who rebelled against the Centre of the Covenant in order to promote their own selfish desires, to introduce their own ideas into the teachings, to divide the Faith of God and consequently to contaminate the heavenly stream of the Word of God, the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh was based on a firm foundation and the walls around the ocean — the Covenant — were impregnable. This great ocean surged within the soul of Abdu'l-Bahá for twenty-nine years, and He bestowed its life-giving waters upon thousands of men and women throughout the East and the West. He left for posterity the unadulterated Word of God free of every trace of distortion or defilement.
God in His everlasting Covenant has bestowed upon mankind two priceless gifts. One is the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, which is supreme over all things; the other, His Centre of the Covenant. He has given man both the ocean and the receptacle for it. These two gifts are God's part in His Covenant. Man's part is to draw the life-giving waters of His Revelation from this reservoir. But how was it possible for this objective to be achieved after the passing of Abdu'l-Bahá? To bring this about, the Master delineated in His Will and Testament the outlines of a marvellous scheme: the institutions of the Administrative Order, designed to provide access to this spiritual reservoir.
The believers in the Formative Age had now to play their part, as bidden by Abdu'l-Bahá, in the building up of the institutions of the Faith which were to act as channels for carrying the energies released by the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh to every part of the planet. The raising of these institutions is to be regarded as the role that man has to fulfil in the eternal Covenant which God has made with him in this Dispensation.
Knowing their inadequacy and immaturity, Abdu'l-Bahá did not leave the believers alone in this task. He gave them Shoghi Effendi, whom He extolled as a pearl, unique and priceless, the Sign of God on earth, the Guardian of the Cause of God and the Expounder and Interpreter of His Word. The blue-print of the institutions, local, national and international — the channels designed to carry the water of life — had been given by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá. Shoghi Effendi's task then was that of the builder. In the same way as a city engineer distributes clean water to each home from the reservoir by means of the pumping station and the use of main ducts and local pipes, the world-vitalizing forces of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh pour out from its World Centre through the institutions of the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice into the National Spiritual Assemblies and through these to the Local Spiritual Assemblies all over the planet. Thus the water of life, deposited within the ocean of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation and protected by the institution of the Covenant, is carried to the peoples of the world through the national and local institutions of the Faith without being adulterated by man.
In the course of his thirty-six years of Guardianship, Shoghi Effendi acted, in terms of the above analogy, as the pumping station, connecting the ocean of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation to the National and Local Assemblies. Today this function is performed by the Universal House of Justice, and the world-vivifying forces of the Faith stream out from this divinely ordained institution into a vast network of Assemblies, bestowing spiritual life upon multitudes in every part of the world. Concerning the significance of these divinely ordained channels, Shoghi Effendi makes this remarkable statement:
"The moment had now arrived[1] for that undying, that world-vitalizing Spirit that was born in Shiraz, that had been rekindled in Tihran, that had been fanned into flame in Baghdad and Adrianople, that had been carried to the West, and was now illuminating the fringes of five continents, to incarnate itself in institutions designed to canalize its outspreading energies and stimulate its growth." [26-2]
[1 The beginning of the Formative Age.]
The 'world-vitalizing spirit' mentioned by Shoghi Effendi is generated by the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh and is the cause of the quickening of mankind. It is the vivifying energies released by this spirit which penetrate the hearts of men and enable them to recognize the station of Bahá'u'lláh and embrace His Faith.
This statement by Shoghi Effendi conferred a completely new insight upon the followers of Bahá'u'lláh in every land. It became evident to them that whereas in the Heroic Age[1] this 'world-vitalizing spirit' which bestowed spiritual life upon the believers had been released by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá Themselves, in the Formative Age this same spirit reaches humanity through the instrumentality of the local, national and international institutions of the Faith. It follows therefore, that in this day, a Local Spiritual Assembly becomes a channel through which the forces of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh can reach a locality. Once this institution is established, the believers in that locality can bring this 'world-vitalizing spirit' into contact with the people, thus enabling its life-giving energies to enter their hearts.
[1 The period covering the Ministries of the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh, and Abdu'l-Bahá, 1844-1921.]
The usual process by which an individual is influenced by the Message of Bahá'u'lláh and becomes assured of its truth is through the instrumentality of a Bahá'à teacher, or by reading some literature on the Faith. But in the final analysis, what makes a person a confirmed Bahá'à is the spirit of the Faith which touches his heart. This spirit flows today through the Spiritual Assembly and permeates the locality where this institution is established. The Spiritual Assembly thus plays a vital part in releasing the spiritual energies emanating from the ocean of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh in a town, city or village.
Should there be no Spiritual Assembly in a locality, a Bahá'à group[1] will provide this channel, for it is an institution which is destined to evolve into a Spiritual Assembly. The same is true of a Bahá'à centre[2] when the lone individual acts as a nucleus of an Assembly. It can be seen therefore that the institution of the Spiritual Assembly is the essential element in the propagation of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh throughout the world. The other element is the individual Bahá'Ã, who is the means for diffusing 'divine fragrances' among the people. All this demonstrates that the local, national and international institutions of the Faith, the carriers of the 'world-vitalizing spirit', are an essential means for the propagation of the Faith, its establishment in every land, and its emergence in the fullness of time.
[1 A Bahá'à group consists of two to eight believers in a locality.]
[2 A Bahá'à centre is a locality in which one believer resides.]
It took several years for the Bahá'Ãs to appreciate the significance of the Local and National Spiritual Assemblies and their relationship to the institution of the Universal House of Justice. A clear picture emerged when Shoghi Effendi built a monument over the grave of the Greatest Holy Leaf on Mount Carmel. He described this monument as a symbol of the Administrative Order. It consists of a base, symbolic of the Local Spiritual Assemblies, a number of columns placed upon the base, symbolic of the National Spiritual Assemblies, and a dome built upon these representing the Universal House of Justice. The weight of this supreme institution of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh is placed upon the National Spiritual Assemblies which in turn rest upon the Local Spiritual Assemblies. This interdependence of the institutions of the Administrative Order, which is built from the grass roots upwards (and not from the top down!) demonstrates that, in the absence of Local and National Spiritual Assemblies, it was not possible for Shoghi Effendi to arrange for the election of the Universal House of Justice.
The Administrative Order is the nucleus and the pattern of the promised World Order of Bahá'u'lláh which must come into being in the distant future; this Administrative Order has been developing since the ministry of Shoghi Effendi began in 192'. It is functioning today and is concerned with the affairs of the Bahá'à community, but the writings of Shoghi Effendi make it clear that it is destined in the fullness of time to evolve into that new World Order designed to govern the whole of the human race under one universal Faith. It is important to note that Bahá'u'lláh Himself revealed the principles of His new World Order and ordained the establishment of some of its institutions. Abdu'l-Bahá, in His Will and Testament, created further institutions and thus filled the gaps which Bahá'u'lláh had deliberately left open. Like an architect, Abdu'l-Bahá, in this important document, delineated the features of the Administrative Order and appointed Shoghi Effendi to be its builder.
Barely two months had passed from the passing of the Master when Shoghi Effendi, grief-stricken and disconsolate, and encompassed by a number of distressing problems including bitter opposition from Mirza Muhammad-'Ali and the 'old' Covenant-breakers, turned his attention to the two major communities of the Bahá'à world, Persia and America. In January 1922 he wrote important letters to these two communities in which he urged the believers in tender and moving language to arise in service for the triumph of His Cause. The following excerpts from his first letter to the friends in North America demonstrate his extraordinary capacity to rise above the intense afflictions which had assailed him from every direction, to entirely detach himself from his other cares and to turn his attention to the vital issues of enthusing the believers and assuring them of the promise of divine assistance.
"Dearly beloved brethren and sisters in Abdu'l-Bahá:
"At this early hour when the morning light is just breaking upon the Holy Land, whilst the gloom of the dear Master's bereavement is still hanging thick upon the hearts, I feel as if my soul turns in yearning love and full of hope to that great company of His loved ones across the seas, who now share with us all the agonies of His separation.
"...the shock has been too terrible and sudden for us all to recover from in so short a time, but whenever we recall His Sayings and read His Writings, hope springs in our hearts and gives us the peace that no other material comfort can give.
"How well I remember when, more than two years ago, the Beloved Master turning to a distinguished visitor of His, who was seated by Him in His garden, suddenly broke the silence and said: — 'My work is now done upon this plane; it is time for me to pass on to the other world.' Did He not in more than one occasion state clearly and emphatically: — 'Were ye to know what will come to pass after Me, surely would ye pray that my end be hastened.' In a Tablet sent to Persia when the storm raised years ago by that Committee of Investigation was fiercely raging around Him, when the days of His incarceration were at their blackest, He reveals the following: — 'Now in this world of being, the Hand of Divine Power hath firmly laid the foundations of this all-highest Bounty and this wondrous Gift. Gradually whatsoever is latent in the inner-most of this Holy Cycle shall appear and be made manifest, for now is but the beginning of its growth and the dayspring of the revelation of its Signs. Ere the close of this Century and of this Age, it shall be made clear and manifest how wondrous was that Springtide and how heavenly was that Gift!'
"With such assuring Utterances and the unmistakable evidences of His sure and clear knowledge that His end was nigh, is there any reason why the followers of His Faith, the world over, should be perturbed? Are not the prayers He revealed for us sufficient source of inspiration to every worker in His Cause? Have not His instructions paved before us the broad and straight Path of Teaching? Will not His now doubly effective power of Grace sustain us, strengthen us and confirm us in our work for Him? Ours is the duty to strive by day and night to fulfil our own obligations and then trust in His Guidance and never failing Grace. Unity amongst the friends, selflessness in our labours in His Path, detachment from all worldly things, the greatest prudence and caution in every step we take, earnest endeavour to carry out only what is His Holy Will and Pleasure the constant awareness of His Presence and of the example of His Life, the absolute shunning of whomsoever we feel to be an enemy of the Cause ... these, and foremost among them is the need for unity, appear to me as our most vital duties, should we dedicate our lives for His service. Should we in this spirit arise to serve Him, what surer and greater promise have we than the one His Glorious Father, Bahá'u'lláh, gives us in His Most Holy Book: — 'Verily, We behold you from Our Realm of Effulgent Glory, and shall graciously aid whosoever ariseth for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Celestial Concourse and a company of Our chosen angels.'" [26-3]
Shoghi Effendi thus embarked upon the building of the foundations of the Administrative Order. Issuing his second letter to the friends in America as early as March 1922, a little over three months after the passing of Abdu'l-Bahá, he began a programme of education of the believers in the art of Bahá'à administration. In this letter, Shoghi Effendi calls on the American believers to recognize 'the full significance of this Hour of Transition', calls on them to set aside 'minor considerations' and to 'present a solid united front to the world animated by no other desire but to serve and propagate His Cause'. He emphasizes the importance of having Local Spiritual Assemblies 'in every locality where the number of adult declared believers exceeds nine', and advocates the establishment, through indirect election by the believers, of a National Body to administer 'the spiritual activities of the body of the friends in that land'. He quotes the words of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá describing the duties and functions of the Spiritual Assemblies, the attitude of those who take counsel together, the spirit that must animate them during consultation, and the steps they must take to bring about unity, love and harmony among the members of the Assembly. Indeed, Bahá'à consultation is one of the most important subjects which Shoghi Effendi dwells upon in this letter.
He quotes parts of a celebrated Tablet by Abdu'l-Bahá which may be regarded as a charter for the functioning of every Spiritual Assembly in the Bahá'à world:
"The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Baha shall be vouchsafed to them. In this day, assemblies of consultation are of the greatest importance and a vital necessity. Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory. The members thereof must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should any one oppose, he must on no account feel hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions. If after discussion, a decision be carried unanimously well and good; but if, the Lord forbid, differences of opinion should arise, a majority of voices must prevail.
"The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and absolute unity be non-existent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that assembly be brought to naught. The second condition: — They must when coming together turn their faces to the Kingdom on High and ask aid from the Realm of Glory. They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care and moderation to express their views. They must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one's views will lead ultimately to discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden. The honoured members must with all freedom express their own thoughts, and it is in no wise permissible for one to belittle the thought of another, nay, he must with moderation set forth the truth, and should differences of opinion arise a majority of voices must prevail, and all must obey and submit to the majority. It is again not permitted that any one of the honoured members object to or censure, whether in or out of the meeting, any decision arrived at previously, though that decision be not right, for such criticism would prevent any decision from being enforced. In short, whatsoever thing is arranged in harmony and with love and purity of motive, its result is light, and should the least trace of estrangement prevail the result shall be darkness upon darkness.... If this be so regarded, that assembly shall be of God, but otherwise it shall lead to coolness and alienation that proceed from the Evil One. Discussions must all be confined to spiritual matters that pertain to the training of souls, the instruction of children, the relief of the poor, the help of the feeble throughout all classes in the world, kindness to all peoples, the diffusion of the fragrances of God and the exaltation of His Holy Word. Should they endeavour to fulfil these conditions the Grace of the Holy Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto them, and that assembly shall become the centre of the Divine blessings, the hosts of Divine confirmation shall come to their aid, and they shall day by day receive a new effusion of Spirit." [26-4]
The pattern of the institutions of the Faith was thus to be first built up in North America, which he referred to as 'the Cradle of the Administrative Order'. Later, Bahá'à institutions in other countries were to be fashioned on the same model. This was a noteworthy action, which as the years went by proved to be of vital importance for the development of the institutions of the Faith throughout the world. Shoghi Effendi's directives, embodied in his letters, for the establishment and proper functioning of spiritual assemblies and other agencies of the Faith, were issued in the course of several years and were implemented and put into practice first by the North American community, thus creating a suitable pattern for other communities to adopt.
In the early years of the Guardianship there were two major Bahá'à communities in the world: Persia and North America. Persia was the Cradle of the Faith. The twin Manifestations of God, the Bab and Bahá'u'lláh, had appeared in that country when its people were sunk in the depths of ignorance and perversity, but from within such a corrupt nation God raised up heroes and heroines, men and women who were transformed into spiritual giants and who became immortalized through their sacrificial deeds during the Heroic Age of the Faith. Through this transformation the power of God and the influence of His word could be demonstrated to the peoples of the world.
Now, in the Formative Age, this same process was to be repeated in the West. Shoghi Effendi decided to build up the institutions of the new world order in North America, a continent which despite its spirit of enterprise and benevolence, was 'notorious', he said, for its political and social corruption. Once again God's omnipotence was to be demonstrated, through the building up of the Faith's nascent institutions within such a materialistic society. Concerning this development, Shoghi Effendi writes:
"In the light of this fundamental principle it should always be borne in mind, nor can it be sufficiently emphasized, that the primary reason why the Bab and Bahá'u'lláh chose to appear in Persia, and to make it the first repository of their Revelation, was because, of all the peoples and nations of the civilized world, that race and nation had, as so often depicted by Abdu'l-Bahá, sunk to such ignominious depths, and manifested so great a perversity, as to find no parallel among its contemporaries. For no more convincing proof could be adduced demonstrating the regenerating spirit animating the Revelations proclaimed by the Bab and Bahá'u'lláh than their power to transform what can be truly regarded as one of the most backward, the most cowardly, and perverse of peoples into a race of heroes, fit to effect in turn a similar revolution in the life of mankind. To have appeared among a race or nation which by its intrinsic worth and high attainments seemed to warrant the inestimable privilege of being made the receptacle of such a Revelation would in the eyes of an unbelieving world greatly reduce the efficacy of that Message, and to detract from the self-sufficiency of its omnipotent power. The contrast so strikingly presented in the pages of Nabil's Narrative between the heroism that immortalized the life and deeds of the Dawn-Breakers and the degeneracy and cowardice of their defamers and persecutors is in itself a most impressive testimony to the truth of the Message of Him Who had instilled such a spirit into the breasts of His disciples. For any believer of that race to maintain that the excellence of his country and the innate nobility of its people were the fundamental reasons for its being singled out as the primary receptacle of the Revelations of the Bab and Bahá'u'lláh would be untenable in the face of the overwhelming evidence afforded so convincingly by that Narrative.
To a lesser degree this principle must of necessity apply to the country which has vindicated its right to be regarded as the cradle of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. So great a function, so noble a role, can be regarded as no less inferior to the part played by those immortal souls who, through their sublime renunciation and unparalleled deeds, have been responsible for the birth of the Faith itself. Let not, therefore, those who are to participate so predominantly in the birth of that world civilization, which is the direct offspring of their Faith, imagine for a moment that for some mysterious purpose or by any reason of inherent excellence or special merit Bahá'u'lláh has chosen to confer upon their country and people so great and lasting a distinction. It is precisely by reason of the patent evils which, notwithstanding its other admittedly great characteristics and achievements, an excessive and binding materialism has unfortunately engendered within it that the Author of their Faith and the Centre of His Covenant have singled it out to become the standard-bearer of the New World Order envisaged in their writings. It is by such means as this that Bahá'u'lláh can best demonstrate to a heedless generation His almighty power to raise up from the very midst of a people, immersed in a sea of materialism, a prey to one of the most virulent and long-standing forms of racial prejudice, and notorious for its political corruption, lawlessness and laxity in moral standards, men and women who, as time goes by, will increasingly exemplify those essential virtues of self-renunciation, of moral rectitude, of chastity, of indiscriminating fellowship, of holy discipline, and of spiritual insight that will fit them for the preponderating share they will have in calling into being that World Order and that World Civilization of which their country, no less than the entire human race, stands in desperate need. Theirs will be the duty and privilege, in their capacity first as the establishers of one of the most powerful pillars sustaining the edifice of the Universal House of Justice, and then as the champion-builders of that New World Order of which that House is to be the nucleus and forerunner, to inculcate, demonstrate, and apply those twin and sorely-needed principles of Divine justice and order — principles to which the political corruption and the moral license, increasingly staining the society to which they belong, offer so sad and striking a contrast.
Observations such as these, however distasteful and depressing they may be, should not, in the least, blind us to those virtues and qualities of high intelligence, of youthfulness, of unbounded initiative, and enterprise which the nation as a whole so conspicuously displays, an which are being increasingly reflected by the community of the believers within it. Upon these virtues and qualities, no less than upon the elimination of the evils referred to, must depend, to a very great extent, the ability of that community to lay a firm foundation for the country's future role in ushering in the Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh." [26-5]
In the first sixteen years of his Guardianship Shoghi Effendi devoted his efforts to teaching the principles of Bahá'à administration patiently and with the utmost love and perseverance to the Bahá'Ãs of the East and the West. He taught them how to build spiritual assemblies, how to serve on them, and how to reinforce and consolidate their foundations. In the course of innumerable letters which he wrote in English and Persian to individuals as well as to Assemblies during this period, he explained the significance of the Administrative Order, the role of the institutions of the Faith in Bahá'à communities, and their future emergence as the framework of the new World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
In pursuit of this he elaborated on various aspects of the functioning of these Assemblies, the manner of their election, the election of delegates to the National Convention and their responsibilities in electing the National Spiritual Assembly, the relationship which must bind the Local to the National bodies, the management of the Bahá'à Fund, and other details which ensure, on the one hand, uniformity of practice in the Bahá'à world on matters of principle, and on the other, diversity on issues of a secondary nature.
It is important to state at this juncture that during the thirty-six years of his Guardianship and as a consequence of his building the foundations of the Administrative Order, Shoghi Effendi did not add anything to, or take anything from, the teachings, laws and principles which Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá had promulgated. In his capacity as the authorized Interpreter of the Word of God, and as the Guardian of the Cause appointed by Abdu'l-Bahá, he applied those teachings and ordinances to the structuring of the Bahá'à community, and implemented those directives which Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá had either implicitly or explicitly issued in Their Writings for the building up of these institutions. These, he explained were to be the channels for the flow of the spiritual forces released by the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. Indeed, Shoghi Effendi did not make pronouncements or issue explanations or directives on matters which were not already included in the Sacred Text. He referred these to the Universal House of Justice, which is authorized by Bahá'u'lláh to legislate on those subjects which are either obscure, or not mentioned in the Writings.
It did not take very long for the believers in both the East and the West to realize that the day had now dawned for the structuring of the Bahá'à community throughout the world. In the Heroic Age of the Faith, the believers were so enamoured of Bahá'u'lláh that they hardly paid any attention to anything but Him; they were intoxicated by the wine of His presence. Many of the early believers who had come in contact with Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá had become new creations endowed with divine qualities and ablaze with His love. These souls were oblivious of themselves, so wholly were they attracted to Bahá'u'lláh. Most of them did not know much about the laws and the teachings of the Faith, but they were so carried into the realms of the spirit by His all-swaying power that they willingly offered up their lives for their Beloved.
But now in the Formative Age, it was time to put into practice some of the teachings and ordinances of Bahá'u'lláh whose purpose was building the foundations of His new World Order. Through Shoghi Effendi's guidance, new vision and new insight were bestowed upon the believers. They began to appreciate the workings of the Faith, and many souls rendered valuable service in establishing Local and National Spiritual Assemblies in various parts of the world. During these first sixteen years of the Guardianship a growing number of Local Spiritual Assemblies were established in many countries, and no less than eight National Spiritual Assemblies were formed in the five continents.
Among other events which took place during this period, the most grievous was the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf in July 1932. The anguish her death brought to the heart of Shoghi Effendi is indescribable. She had been the only source of solace, encouragement and real support for him in the family. In the course of a few years after her passing, almost the entire family of Abdu'l-Bahá broke the Covenant one after another and rose up against him. Forsaken and betrayed, Shoghi Effendi earned the enormous weight of the responsibilities of the Cause, alone, until, in 1937, he took as his consort Ruhiyyih Khanum, the only daughter of Mr and Mrs Sutherland Maxwell, and she assisted him ably till the end of his life in 1957.
This union brought special joy to the hearts of the American believers. In answer to their message of congratulations, Shoghi Effendi sent the following cable to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'Ãs of the United States and Canada.
"Deeply moved by your message. Institution of Guardianship, head cornerstone of the Administrative Order of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, already ennobled through its organic connection with the Persons of Twin Founders of the Bahá'à Faith, is now further reinforced through direct association with West and particularly with the American believers, whose spiritual destiny is to usher in the World order of Bahá'u'lláh. For my part I desire to congratulate community of American believers on acquisition of tie vitally binding them to so weighty an organ of their Faith." [26-6]
The achievements of the Faith and the important events which took place during these first sixteen years of the Guardianship are numerous. Notable among them was the verdict of the highest ecclesiastical court in Egypt issued on 10 May 1925 declaring the Faith to be heretical in character, and wholly incompatible with Islam. This document was hailed as a victory by the Guardian because it acknowledged that the Faith is an independent religion, and that it is as different from Islam as Islam is from either the Christian or Jewish Faiths.
Another event which created great agitation in the Bahá'à world occupied much of Shoghi Effendi's time, and brought anxiety to him was the seizure of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad by the Shi'ah community there. This resulted in the submission of a petition to the Council of the League of Nations. After a great many deliberations by that body, a resolution upholding the claim of the Bahá'à Community to that House was issued, but was not implemented by the government concerned.
Among the glorious victories in this period were the teaching exploits of Martha Root, who travelled several times around the world and proclaimed the message of Bahá'u'lláh in a spirit of selfless devotion and self-sacrifice to a great many people. This culminated in Queen Marie of Romania's acknowledgement of the truths enshrined in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. In one of her letters to Shoghi Effendi this noble Queen wrote these moving words:
"Indeed a great light came to me with the Message of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá. It came as all great messages come at an hour of dire grief and inner conflict and distress, so the seed sank deeply... We pass on the Message from mouth to mouth and all those we give it to see a light suddenly lighting before them and much that was obscure and perplexing becomes simple, luminous and full of hope as never before... With bowed head I recognize that I too am but an instrument in greater Hands and rejoice in the Knowledge..." [26-7]
Other significant developments during this period were the growth of organized youth activities; the enlargement of Bahá'à endowments and properties in the Holy Land, the United States and Persia; the acquisition of historic sites connected with the Faith in Persia; the formation of an International Bahá'à Archives, and the implementation of the ordinance of the Nineteen Day Feast as enjoined by Bahá'u'lláh. Although the injunction of the Nineteen Day Feast had been well known to the believers in Persia from the days of the Bab, yet it was not strictly observed. The followers of Bahá'u'lláh in those days used to hold meetings quite frequently at their homes, but these were not organized at nineteen-day intervals. It was Shoghi Effendi who encouraged the regular observance of the Feast, explained its significance as the bedrock of the Bahá'à community and delineated its main features as the spiritual, the administrative and social parts.
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