So great is the importance and so supreme is the authority of these a.s.semblies that once 'Abdu'l-Baha after having himself and in his own handwriting corrected the translation made into Arabic of the I_sh_raqat (the Effulgences) by Sheikh Faraj, a Kurdish friend from Cairo, directed him in a Tablet to submit the above-named translation to the Spiritual a.s.sembly of Cairo, that he may seek from them before publication their approval and consent. These are His very words in that Tablet:-"His honor, Sheikh Faraju'llah, has here rendered into Arabic with greatest care the I_sh_raqat and yet I have told him that he must submit his version to the Spiritual a.s.sembly of Egypt, and I have conditioned its publication upon the approval of the above-named a.s.sembly. This is so that things may be arranged in an orderly manner, for should it not be so any one may translate a certain Tablet and print and circulate it on his own account.

Even a non-believer might undertake such work, and thus cause confusion and disorder. If it be conditioned, however, upon the approval of the Spiritual a.s.sembly, a translation prepared, printed and circulated by a non-believer will have no recognition whatever."

This is indeed a clear indication of the Master's express desire that nothing whatever should be given to the public by any individual among the friends, unless fully considered and approved by the Spiritual a.s.sembly in his locality; and if this (as is undoubtedly the case) is a matter that pertains to the general interest of the Cause in that land, then it is inc.u.mbent upon the Spiritual a.s.sembly to submit it to the consideration and approval of the national body representing all the various local a.s.semblies. Not only with regard to publication, but all matters without any exception whatsoever, regarding the interests of the Cause in that locality, individually or collectively, should be referred exclusively to the Spiritual a.s.sembly in that locality, which shall decide upon it, unless it be a matter of national interest, in which case it shall be referred to the national body. With this national body also will rest the decision whether a given question is of local or national interest. (By national affairs is not meant matters that are political in their character, for the friends of G.o.d the world over are strictly forbidden to meddle with political affairs in any way whatever, but rather things that affect the spiritual activities of the body of the friends in that land.)

Full harmony, however, as well as cooperation among the various local a.s.semblies and the members themselves, and particularly between each a.s.sembly and the national body, is of the utmost importance, for upon it depends the unity of the Cause of G.o.d, the solidarity of the friends, the full, speedy and efficient working of the spiritual activities of His loved ones.

Committees of the National a.s.sembly

Large issues in such spiritual activities that affect the Cause in general in that land, such as the management of the "Star of the West" and any periodical which the National Body may decide to be a Baha'i organ, the matter of publication, or reprinting Baha'i literature and its distribution among the various a.s.semblies, the means whereby the teaching campaign may be stimulated and maintained, the work of the Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar, the racial question in relation to the Cause, the matter of receiving Orientals and a.s.sociation with them, the care and maintenance of the precious film exhibiting a phase of the Master's sojourn in the United States of America as well as the original matrix and the records of His voice, and various other national spiritual activities, far from being under the exclusive jurisdiction of any local a.s.sembly or group of friends, must each be minutely and fully directed by a special board, elected by the National Body, const.i.tuted as a committee thereof, responsible to it and upon which the National Body shall exercise constant and general supervision.

The time is indeed ripe for the manifold activities, wherein the servants and handmaids of Baha'u'llah are so devoutly and earnestly engaged, to be harmonized and conducted with unity, cooperation and efficiency, that the effect of such a combined and systematized effort, through which an All-powerful Spirit is steadily pouring, may transcend every other achievement of the past, however glorious it has been, and may stand, now that, to the eyes of the outside world the glorious Person of the Master is no more, a convincing testimony of the potency of His everliving Spirit.

Your brother and co-worker in His Cause, SHOGHI.

Haifa, Palestine.

March 5, 1922.

Letter of Circa May, 1922 (undated).

IN THE NAME OF G.o.d

This servant, after that grievous event and great calamity, the ascension of His Holiness 'Abdu'l-Baha to the Abha Kingdom, has been so stricken with grief and pain and so entangled in the troubles (created) by the enemies of the Cause of G.o.d, that I consider that my presence here, at such a time and in such an atmosphere, is not in accordance with the fulfilment of my important and sacred duties.

For this reason, unable to do otherwise, I have left for a time the affairs of the Cause both at home and abroad, under the supervision of the Holy Family and the headship of the Greatest Holy Leaf(2) until, by the Grace of G.o.d, having gained health, strength, self-confidence and spiritual energy, and having taken into my hands, in accordance with my aim and desire, entirely and regularly the work of service I shall attain to my utmost spiritual hope and aspiration.

The servant of His Threshold, SHOGHI.

Haifa, Palestine.

Circa May, 1922 (undated).

Our Common Servitude

May I also express my heartfelt desire that the friends of G.o.d in every land regard me in no other light but that of a true brother, united with them in our common servitude to the Master's Sacred Threshold, and refer to me in their letters and verbal addresses always as Shoghi Effendi, for I desire to be known by no other name save the one our Beloved Master was wont to utter, a name which of all other designations is the most conducive to my spiritual growth and advancement.

Haifa, Palestine.

Circa May, 1922 (undated).

Letter of December 16, 1922

To the loved ones of 'Abdu'l-Baha throughout the continent of America.

Dear fellow-workers in the Holy Vineyard of Baha!

Now that my long hours of rest and meditation are happily at an end, I turn my face with renewed hope and vigor to that vast continent the soil of which is pregnant with those seeds that our beloved Master has so tenderly and so profusely scattered in the past. Prolonged though this period has been, yet I have strongly felt ever since the New Day has dawned upon me that such a needed retirement, despite the temporary dislocations it might entail, would far outweigh in its results any immediate service I could have humbly tendered at the Threshold of Baha'u'llah.

I am now confident that the energies of my beloved brethren and sisters across the seas, far from being damped by my sudden disappearance from the field of service, will henceforth be fully maintained, nay redoubled in their intensity, that we may all together carry triumphantly to the uttermost corners of the world the glorious Standard of Baha.

Bereft of all news whatsoever during my hours of restful seclusion, I now feel the more the thrill of the various tidings, few but indeed promising, that have been awaiting my return to the Holy Land. The work of the n.o.ble Edifice that the mighty hands of the All-wise Master has reared in this world can suffer no delay, nor can its foundations be made to totter, whatever the apparent obstacles its enemies in their impotent wrath and despair may throw in its way. We need not wait too long, for already from various quarters there comes the news that the awful promises of 'Abdu'l-Baha regarding the Covenant-breakers have been strikingly fulfilled!

But it behooves us not to dwell for a moment on these doomed and darkened efforts, for the shining light of the Master's unfailing guidance is beckoning us to more constructive service, to n.o.bler and worthier achievements.

We have, not a long time ago, with tearful eyes commemorated the world over the pa.s.sing hour of our beloved Master. Would to G.o.d it has marked in our lives, which we all have consecrated to His service, a fresh, solemn and unswerving resolution of devotion and fidelity to His Cause

Your brother and co-worker, SHOGHI.

Haifa, Palestine, December 16, 1922.

Letter of December 23rd, 1922

To the members of the National Spiritual a.s.sembly, the elected representatives of all believers throughout the continent of America.

Esteemed co-workers in the Vineyard of G.o.d:

To have been unable, owing to unforeseen and unavoidable circ.u.mstances, to correspond with you ever since you entered upon your manifold and arduous duties is to me a cause of deep regret and sad surprise! I am however a.s.sured and sustained by the conviction, never dimmed in my mind, that whatsoever comes to pa.s.s in the Cause of G.o.d, however disquieting in its immediate effects, is fraught with infinite Wisdom and tends ultimately to promote its interests in the world. Indeed, our experiences of the distant past, as well as of recent events, are too numerous and varied to permit of any misgiving or doubt as to the truth of this basic principle-a principle which throughout the vicissitudes of our sacred mission in this world we must never disregard or forget.

I cannot refrain from expressing in this, my first letter to you my deep grat.i.tude and great pleasure in learning how promptly, thoroughly and admirably you have conducted the affairs of the Cause in that land. Of the sincerity of your efforts, of the determination with which you have faced your delicate and difficult task, I have never doubted for a moment, as I knew too well of the ardent spirit of service and fellowship which the sudden pa.s.sing of our Beloved had infused in all his followers everywhere.

But great was my surprise to know how the ever-present Hand of the Master has removed so speedily all the difficulties in our way and how the light of His Divine Guidance caused the darkness of doubts, of fears and mistrust to vanish.

The efficient manner in which you have carried out my humble suggestions has been a source of great encouragement to me and has revived confidence in my heart. I have read and re-read the reports of your activities, have studied minutely all the steps you have taken to consolidate the foundations of the Movement in America, and have learned with a keen sense of satisfaction the plans you contemplate for the further rise and spread of the Cause in your great country. I very highly approve of the arrangements you have made for centralizing the work in your hands and of distributing it to the various committees, who each in its own sphere, have so efficiently and thoroughly undertaken the management of their own affairs.

What has given me still greater pleasure is to learn that the members of this Central Body which has a.s.sumed so grave a responsibility and is facing such delicate and difficult tasks, command individually and collectively not only the sympathy of their spiritual brethren and sisters but who also can confidently rely on their active and whole-hearted support in the campaign of service to the Cause of Baha'u'llah. It is indeed as it should be, for if genuine and sustained cooperation and mutual confidence cease to exist between individual friends and their local and national a.s.semblies, the all-beneficent work of the Cause must cease and nothing else can enable it to function harmoniously and effectively in future.

True, the Cause as every other movement has its own obstacles, complications and unforeseen difficulties, but unlike any other human organization it inspires a spirit of Faith and Devotion which can never fail to induce us to make sincere and renewed efforts to face these difficulties and smooth any differences that may and must arise.

I look forward with fervent hope to hear of these renewed efforts on your part and of the strong determination which you will never suffer to slacken, to maintain at any cost the unity, the effectiveness and the dignity of the Cause.

May I through you express my heartfelt grat.i.tude to the members of the Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar Building Committee, Mr. Alfred E. Lunt, Mrs. Corinne True, Dr. Zia Bagdadi, Mr. Charles Mason Remey, Mr. Louis Bourgeois, Mr.

Leo Perron for their incessant labors in speeding the work of this n.o.ble Edifice which when raised and completed will prove to be the most powerful factor in the promulgation of the Cause in America.