The Will And Testament of \'Abdu\'l Baha
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Edition 1, (September 2006)
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CONTENTS
Baha'i Terms of Use
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
PART ONE
Herein Follow the Tablets and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha
All-praise To Him Who, by the Shield of His Covenant, hath guarded the
Temple of His Cause from the darts of doubtfulness, Who by the Hosts of
His Testament hath preserved the Sanctuary of His most Beneficent Law and
protected His Straight and Luminous Path, staying thereby the onslaught of
the company of Covenant-breakers, that have threatened to subvert His
Divine Edifice; Who hath watched over His Mighty Stronghold and
All-Glorious Faith, through the aid of men whom the slander of the
slanderer affect not, whom no earthly calling, glory and power can turn
aside from the Covenant of God and His Testament, established firmly by
His clear and manifest words, writ and revealed by His All-Glorious Pen
and recorded in the Preserved Tablet.
Salutation and praise, blessing and glory rest upon that primal branch of
the Divine and Sacred Lote-Tree, grown out, blest, tender, verdant and
flourishing from the Twin Holy Trees; the most wondrous, unique and
priceless pearl that doth gleam from out the Twin surging seas; upon the
offshoots of the Tree of Holiness, the twigs of the Celestial Tree, they
that in the Day of the Great Dividing have stood fast and firm in the
Covenant; upon the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God that have diffused
widely the Divine Fragrances, declared His Proofs, proclaimed His Faith,
published abroad His Law, detached themselves from all things but Him,
stood for righteousness in this world, and kindled the Fire of the Love of
God in the very hearts and souls of His servants; upon them that have
believed, rested assured, stood steadfast in His Covenant and followed the
Light that after my passing shineth from the Dayspring of Divine
Guidance--for behold! he is the blest and sacred bough that hath branched
out from the Twin Holy Trees. Well is it with him that seeketh the shelter
of his shade that shadoweth all mankind.
O ye beloved of the Lord! The greatest of all things is the protection of
the True Faith of God, the preservation of His Law, the safeguarding of
His Cause and service unto His Word. Ten thousand souls have shed streams
of their sacred blood in this path, their precious lives they offered in
sacrifice unto Him, hastened wrapt in holy ecstasy unto the glorious field
of martyrdom, upraised the Standard of God's Faith and writ with their
life-blood upon the Tablet of the world the verses of His Divine Unity.
The sacred breast of His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my life be a
sacrifice unto Him), was made a target to many a dart of woe, and in
Mazindaran, the blessed feet of the Abha Beauty (may my life be offered up
for His loved ones) were so grievously scourged as to bleed and be sore
wounded. His neck also was put into captive chains and His feet made fast
in the stocks. In every hour, for a period of fifty years, a new trial and
calamity befell Him and fresh afflictions and cares beset Him. One of
them: after having suffered intense vicissitudes, He was made homeless and
a wanderer and fell a victim to still new vexations and troubles. In
'Iraq, the Day-Star of the world was so exposed to the wiles of the people
of malice as to be eclipsed in splendor. Later on He was sent an exile to
the Great City (Constantinople) and thence to the Land of Mystery
(Adrianople), whence, grievously wronged, He was eventually transferred to
the Most Great Prison (Akka). He Whom the world hath wronged (may my life
be offered up for His loved ones) was four times banished from city to
city, till at last, condemned to perpetual confinement, He was
incarcerated in this prison, the prison of highway robbers, of brigands
and of man-slayers. All this is but one of the trials that have afflicted
the Blessed Beauty, the rest being even as grievous as this.
And still another of His trials was the hostility, the flagrant injustice,
the iniquity and rebellion of Mirza Yahya. Although that Wronged One, that
Prisoner, had through His loving-kindness nurtured him in His own bosom
ever since his early years, had showered at every moment His tender care
upon him, exalted his name, shielded him from every misfortune, endeared
him to them of this world and the next, and despite the firm exhortations
and counsels of His Holiness, the Exalted One (the Bab) and His clear and
conclusive warning;--"Beware, beware, lest the Nineteen Letters of the
Living and that which hath been revealed in the Bayan veil thee!" yet
notwithstanding this, Mirza Yahya denied Him, dealt falsely with Him,
believed Him not, sowed the seeds of doubt, closed his eyes to His
manifest verses and turned aside therefrom. Would that he had been content
therewith! Nay, he even attempted to shed the sacred blood (of
Baha'u'llah) and then raised a great clamor and tumult around him,
attributing unto Baha'u'llah malevolence and cruelty towards himself. What
sedition he stirred up and what a storm of mischief he raised whilst in
the Land of Mystery (Adrianople)! At last, he wrought that which caused
the Day-Star of the world to be sent an exile to this, the Most Great
Prison, and sorely wronged, and in the West of this Great Prison He did
set.
O ye that stand fast and firm in the Covenant! The Center of Sedition, the
Prime Mover of mischief, Mirza Muhammad 'Ali, hath passed out from under
the shadow of the Cause, hath broken the Covenant, hath falsified the Holy
Text, hath inflicted a grievous loss upon the true Faith of God, hath
scattered His people, hath with bitter rancor endeavored to hurt
'Abdu'l-Baha and hath assailed with the utmost enmity this servant of the
Sacred Threshold. Every dart he seized and hurled to pierce the breast of
this wronged servant, no wound did he neglect to grievously inflict upon
me, no venom did he spare but he poisoned therewith the life of this
hapless one. I swear by the most holy Abha Beauty and by the Light shining
from His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my soul be a sacrifice for Their
lowly servants), that because of this iniquity the dwellers in the
Pavilion of the Abha Kingdom have bewailed, the Celestial Concourse is
lamenting, the Immortal Maids of Heaven in the All-Highest Paradise have
raised their plaintive cries and the angelic company sighed and uttered
their moanings. So grievous the deeds of this iniquitous person became
that he struck with his axe at the root of the Blessed Tree, dealt a heavy
blow at the Temple of the Cause of God, deluged with tears of blood the
eyes of the loved ones of the Blessed Beauty, cheered and encouraged the
enemies of the One True God, by his repudiation of the Covenant turned
many a seeker after Truth aside from the Cause of God, revived the
blighted hopes of Yahya's following, made himself detested, caused the
enemies of the Greatest Name to become audacious and arrogant, put aside
the firm and conclusive verses and sowed the seeds of doubt. Had not the
promised aid of the Ancient Beauty been graciously vouchsafed at every
moment to this one, unworthy though he be, he surely would have destroyed,
nay exterminated the Cause of God and utterly subverted the Divine
Edifice. But, praised be the Lord, the triumphant assistance of the Abha
Kingdom was received, the hosts of the Realm above hastened to bestow
victory. The Cause of God was promoted far and wide, the call of the True
One was noised abroad, ears in all regions were inclined to the Word of
God, His standard was unfurled, the ensigns of Holiness gloriously waved
aloft and the verses celebrating His Divine Unity were chanted. Now, that
the true Faith of God may be shielded and protected, His Law guarded and
preserved and His Cause remain safe and secure, it is incumbent upon
everyone to hold fast unto the Text of the clear and firmly established
blessed verse, revealed about him. None other transgression greater than
his can be ever imagined. He (Baha'u'llah) sayeth, glorious and holy is
His Word:--"My foolish loved ones have regarded him even as my partner,
have kindled sedition in the land and they verily are of the
mischief-makers." Consider, how foolish are the people! They that have
been in His (Baha'u'llah's) Presence and beheld His Countenance, have
nevertheless noised abroad such idle talk, until, exalted be His explicit
words, He said:--"Should he for a moment pass out from under the shadow of
the Cause, he surely shall be brought to naught." Reflect! What stress He
layeth upon one moment's deviation: that is, were he to incline a hair's
breadth to the right or to the left, his deviation would be clearly
established and his utter nothingness made manifest. And now ye are
witnessing how the wrath of God hath from all sides afflicted him and how
day by day he is speeding towards destruction. Ere long will ye behold him
and his associates, outwardly and inwardly, condemned to utter ruin.
What deviation can be greater than breaking the Covenant of God! What
deviation can be greater than interpolating and falsifying the words and
verses of the Sacred Text, even as testified and declared by Mirza
Badi'u'llah! What deviation can be greater than calumniating the Center of
the Covenant himself! What deviation can be more glaring than spreading
broadcast false and foolish reports touching the Temple of God's
Testament! What deviation can be more grievous than decreeing the death of
the Center of the Covenant, supported by the holy verse:--"He that layeth a
claim ere the passing of a thousand years...," whilst he (Muhammad 'Ali)
without shame in the days of the Blessed Beauty had advanced such a claim
as this and been confuted by Him in the aforementioned manner, the text of
his claim being still extant in his own handwriting and bearing his own
seal. What deviation can be more complete than falsely accusing the loved
ones of God! What deviation can be more evil than causing their
imprisonment and incarceration! What deviation can be more severe than
delivering into the hands of the government the Holy Writings and
Epistles, that haply they (the government) might arise intent upon the
death of this wronged one! What deviation can be more violent than
threatening the ruin of the Cause of God, forging and slanderously
falsifying letters and documents so that this might perturb and alarm the
government and lead to the shedding of the blood of this wronged one,--such
letters and documents being now in the possession of the government! What
deviation can be more odious than his iniquity and rebellion! What
deviation can be more shameful than dispersing the gathering of the people
of salvation! What deviation can be more infamous than the vain and feeble
interpretations of the people of doubt! What deviation can be more wicked
than joining hands with strangers and with the enemies of God!
A few months ago, in concert with others, he that hath broken the
Covenant, hath prepared a document teeming with calumny and slander
wherein, the Lord forbid, among many similar slanderous charges,
'Abdu'l-Baha is deemed a deadly enemy, the ill-wisher of the Crown. They
so perturbed the minds of the members of the Imperial Government that at
last a Committee of Investigation was sent from the seat of His Majesty's
Government which, violating every rule of justice and equity that befit
His Imperial Majesty, nay, with the most glaring injustice, proceeded with
its investigations. The ill-wishers of the One True God surrounded them on
every side and explained and excessively enlarged upon the text of the
document whilst they (the members of the Committee) in their turn blindly
acquiesced. One of their many calumnies was that this servant had raised
aloft a banner in this city, had summoned the people together under it,
had established a new sovereignty for himself, had erected upon Mount
Carmel a mighty stronghold, had rallied around him all the peoples of the
land and made them obedient to him, had caused disruption in the Faith of
Islam, had covenanted with the following of Christ and, God forbid, had
purposed to cause the gravest breach in the mighty power of the Crown. May
the Lord protect us from such atrocious falsehoods!
According to the direct and sacred command of God we are forbidden to
utter slander, are commanded to show forth peace and amity, are exhorted
to rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and harmony with all the
kindreds and peoples of the world. We must obey and be the well-wishers of
the governments of the land, regard disloyalty unto a just king as
disloyalty to God Himself and wishing evil to the government a
transgression of the Cause of God. With these final and decisive words,
how can it be that these imprisoned ones should indulge in such vain
fancies; incarcerated, how could they show forth such disloyalty! But
alas! The Committee of Investigation hath approved and confirmed these
calumnies of my brother and ill-wishers and submitted them to the presence
of His Majesty the Sovereign. Now at this moment a fierce storm is raging
around this prisoner who awaiteth, be it favorable or unfavorable, the
gracious will of His Majesty, may the Lord aid him by His grace to be
just. In whatsoever condition he may be, with absolute calm and quietness,
'Abdu'l-Baha is ready for self-sacrifice and is wholly resigned and
submitted to His Will. What transgression can be more abominable, more
odious, more wicked than this!
In like manner, the focal Center of Hate, hath purposed to put
'Abdu'l-Baha to death and this is supported by the testimony written by
Mirza _Sh_u'a'u'llah himself and is here enclosed. It is evident and
indisputable that they are privily and with the utmost subtlety engaged in
conspiring against me. The following are his very words written by him in
this letter:--"I curse at every moment him that hath kindled this discord,
imprecate in these words 'Lord! have no mercy upon him' and I hope ere
long God will make manifest the one that shall have no pity on him, who
now weareth another garb and about whom I cannot any more explain."
Reference he doth make by these words to the sacred verse that beginneth
as follows:--"He that layeth a claim ere the passing of a thousand
years..." Reflect! How intent they are upon the death of 'Abdu'l-Baha!
Ponder in your hearts upon the phrase "I cannot any more explain" and
realize what schemes they are devising for this purpose. They fear lest,
too fully explained, the letter might fall into alien hands and their
schemes be foiled and frustrated. The phrase is only foretelling good
tidings to come, namely that regarding this all requisite arrangements
have been made.
O God, my God! Thou seest this wronged servant of Thine, held fast in the
talons of ferocious lions, of ravening wolves, of bloodthirsty beasts.
Graciously assist me, through my love for Thee, that I may drink deep of
the chalice that brimmeth over with faithfulness to Thee and is filled
with Thy bountiful Grace; so that, fallen upon the dust, I may sink
prostrate and senseless whilst my vesture is dyed crimson with my blood.
This is my wish, my heart's desire, my hope, my pride, my glory. Grant, O
Lord my God, and my Refuge, that in my last hour, my end may even as musk
shed its fragrance of glory! Is there a bounty greater than this? Nay, by
Thy Glory! I call Thee to witness that no day passeth but that I quaff my
fill from this cup, so grievous are the misdeeds wrought by them that have
broken the Covenant, kindled discord, showed their malice, stirred
sedition in the land and dishonored Thee amidst Thy servants. Lord! Shield
Thou from these Covenant-breakers the mighty Stronghold of Thy Faith and
protect Thy secret Sanctuary from the onslaught of the ungodly. Thou art
in truth the Mighty, the Powerful, the Gracious, the Strong.
In short, O ye beloved of the Lord! The Center of Sedition, Mirza Muhammad
'Ali, in accordance with the decisive words of God and by reason of his
boundless transgression, hath grievously fallen and been cut off from the
Holy Tree. Verily, we wronged them not, but they have wronged themselves!
O God, my God! Shield Thy trusted servants from the evils of self and
passion, protect them with the watchful eye of Thy loving kindness from
all rancor, hate and envy, shelter them in the impregnable stronghold of
Thy care and, safe from the darts of doubtfulness, make them the
manifestations of Thy glorious Signs, illumine their faces with the
effulgent rays shed from the Dayspring of Thy Divine Unity, gladden their
hearts with the verses revealed from Thy Holy Kingdom, strengthen their
loins by Thy all-swaying power that cometh from Thy Realm of Glory. Thou
art the All-Bountiful, the Protector, the Almighty, the Gracious!
O ye that stand fast in the Covenant! When the hour cometh that this
wronged and broken-winged bird will have taken its flight into the
Celestial Concourse, when it will have hastened to the Realm of the Unseen
and its mortal frame will have been either lost or hidden neath the dust,
it is incumbent upon the Afnan, that are steadfast in the Covenant of God
and have branched from the Tree of Holiness; the Hands, (pillars) of the
Cause of God (the glory of the Lord rest upon them), and all the friends
and loved ones, one and all to bestir themselves and arise with heart and
soul and in one accord, to diffuse the sweet savors of God, to teach His
Cause and to promote His Faith. It behooveth them not to rest for a
moment, neither to seek repose. They must disperse themselves in every
land, pass by every clime, and travel throughout all regions. Bestirred,
without rest, and steadfast to the end, they must raise in every land the
triumphal cry "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha!" (O Thou the Glory of Glories), must
achieve renown in the world wherever they go, must burn brightly even as a
candle in every meeting and must kindle the flame of Divine love in every
assembly; that the light of truth may rise resplendent in the midmost
heart of the world, that throughout the East and throughout the West a
vast concourse may gather under the shadow of the Word of God, that the
sweet savors of holiness may be diffused, that faces may shine radiantly,
hearts be filled with the Divine spirit and souls be made heavenly.
In these days, the most important of all things is the guidance of the
nations and peoples of the world. Teaching the Cause is of utmost
importance for it is the head corner-stone of the foundation itself. This
wronged servant has spent his days and nights in promoting the Cause and
urging the peoples to service. He rested not a moment, till the fame of
the Cause of God was noised abroad in the world and the celestial strains
from the Abha Kingdom roused the East and the West. The beloved of God
must also follow the same example. This is the secret of faithfulness,
this is the requirement of servitude to the Threshold of Baha!
The disciples of Christ forgot themselves and all earthly things, forsook
all their cares and belongings, purged themselves of self and passion, and
with absolute detachment scattered far and wide and engaged in calling the
peoples of the world to the divine guidance; till at last they made the
world another world, illumined the surface of the earth, and even to their
last hour proved self-sacrificing in the pathway of that beloved One of
God. Finally in various lands they suffered glorious martyrdom. Let them
that are men of action follow in their footsteps!
O my loving friends! After the passing away of this wronged one, it is
incumbent upon the A_gh_san (Branches), the Afnan (Twigs) of the Sacred
Lote-Tree, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God and the loved ones of
the Abha Beauty to turn unto Shoghi Effendi--the youthful branch branched
from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees and the fruit grown from the
union of the two offshoots of the Tree of Holiness,--as he is the sign of
God, the chosen branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, he unto whom all
the A_gh_san, the Afnan, the Hands of the Cause of God and His loved ones
must turn. He is the Interpreter of the Word of God and after him will
succeed the first-born of his lineal descendents.
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 the Exalted One (may my life be
offered up for them both). Whatsoever they decide is of God. Whoso obeyeth
him not, neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God; whoso rebelleth
against him and against them hath rebelled against God; whoso opposeth him
hath opposed God; whoso contendeth with them hath contended with God;
whoso disputeth with him hath disputed with God; whoso denieth him hath
denied God; whoso disbelieveth in him hath disbelieved in God; whoso
deviateth, separateth himself and turneth aside from him hath in truth
deviated, separated himself and turned aside from God. May the wrath, the
fierce indignation, the vengeance of God rest upon him! The mighty
stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to him who
is the Guardian of the Cause of God. It is incumbent upon the members of
the House of Justice, upon all the A_gh_san, the Afnan, the Hands of the
Cause of God to show their obedience, submissiveness and subordination
unto the Guardian of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly
before him. He that opposeth him hath opposed the True One, will make a
breach in the Cause of God, will subvert His Word and will become a
manifestation of the Center of Sedition. Beware, beware, lest the days
after the ascension (of Baha'u'llah) be repeated when the Center of
Sedition waxed haughty and rebellious and with Divine Unity for his excuse
deprived himself and perturbed and poisoned others. No doubt every
vainglorious one that purposeth dissension and discord will not openly
declare his evil purposes, nay rather, even as impure gold, will he seize
upon divers measures and various pretexts that he may separate the
gathering of the people of Baha. My object is to show that the Hands of
the Cause of God must be ever watchful and so soon as they find anyone
beginning to oppose and protest against the Guardian of the Cause of God,
cast him out from the congregation of the people of Baha and in no wise
accept any excuse from him. How often hath grievous error been disguised
in the garb of truth, that it might sow the seeds of doubt in the hearts
of men!
O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the Guardian of the Cause
of God to appoint in his own life-time him that shall become his
successor, that differences may not arise after his passing. He that is
appointed must manifest in himself detachment from all worldly things,
must be the essence of purity, must show in himself the fear of God,
knowledge, wisdom and learning. Thus, should the first-born of the
Guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the
words:--"The child is the secret essence of its sire," that is, should he
not inherit of the spiritual within him (the Guardian of the Cause of God)
and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must
he, (the Guardian of the Cause of God) choose another branch to succeed
him.
The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine
persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in
the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God. The election of these nine
must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company of the
Hands of the Cause of God and these, whether unanimously or by a majority
vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the Guardian of
the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor. This assent must be given
in such wise as the assenting and dissenting voices may not be
distinguished (i.e., secret ballot).