The Báb paved the way for the coming of Bahá’u’lláh; Bahá’u’lláh brought the teachings of the new age; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá exemplified the teachings and offered interpretations and clarifications. One major task remained: the building of Bahá’u’lláh’s Administrative Order. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away in 1921, and in His Will and Testament appointed Shoghi Effendi, His grandson, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith. Shoghi Effendi served the new Revelation in many ways. Perhaps his most significant contribution was to fashion the Bahá’í administration, to form and offer a model of Bahá’u’lláh’s social order.
During his time as the Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi nourished Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic World Order, which matured at an ever-increasing pace. The Bahá’í community reached the point of embodying in itself the chief components of Bahá’u’lláh’s new World Order, setting a pattern for the world’s future Order. Further, the twin tasks of interpretation and revelation reached their final phase of evolution. Only the expansion or execution of the Plan remained to continue under the guiding hands of a supreme institution—one whose powers and responsibilities Bahá’u’lláh Himself had specified.
One reason the Bahá’í Faith has remained undivided is this: both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá left a will appointing the one to serve after them.219
Baba alifungua njia kwa ajili ya kuja kwa Bahá'u'lláh; Bahá'u'lláh alileta mafundisho ya enzi mpya; 'Abdu'l-Bahá alionyesha mafundisho na kutoa tafsiri na ufafanuzi. Kazi moja kubwa ilibaki: ujenzi wa Amri ya Usimamizi ya Bahá'u'lláh. Alipokufa mwaka 1921, 'Abdu'l-Bahá alimweka Shoghi Effendi, mjukuu wake, kuwa Mlinzi wa Imani ya Baha'i. Shoghi Effendi alitumikia Ufunuo mpya kwa njia nyingi. Labda mchango wake muhimu zaidi ulikuwa kuunda utawala wa Bahá'í, kuunda na kutoa mfano wa utaratibu wa kijamii wa Bahá'u'lláh. Wakati wa wakati wake kama Mlinzi wa Imani, Shoghi Effendi alimlisha utaratibu wa ulimwengu wa Bahá'u'lláh, ambao ulikua kwa kasi inayoongezeka. Jumuiya ya Baha'i ilifikia hatua ya kujumuisha ndani yake vipengele vikuu vya Amri Mpya ya Ulimwengu ya Bahá'u'lláh, ikiweka mfano wa Amri ya Ulimwengu ya baadaye. Isitoshe, kazi mbili za tafsiri na ufunuo zilifikia hatua yao ya mwisho ya mageuzi. Ni upanuzi au utekelezaji tu wa Mpango uliobaki kuendelea chini ya mikono ya kuongoza ya taasisi ya juu - moja ambayo mamlaka na majukumu Bahá'u'lláh mwenyewe alikuwa maalum. Sababu moja ya Imani ya Baha'i kubaki bila kugawanyika ni hii: wote Bahá'u'lláh na 'Abdu'l-Bahá waliacha mapenzi ya kumteua yule atakayetumikia baada yao.219