START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BAHÃYYIH KHÃNUM*** BahÃ­yyih KhÃ¡num by Bahaâi World Centre Edition 1, (September 2006) BAHAâI TERMS OF USE You have permission to freely make and use copies of the text and any other information ("Content") available on this Site including printing, emailing, posting, distributing, copying, downloading, uploading, transmitting, displaying the Content in whole or in part subject to the following: 1. Our copyright notice and the source reference must be attached to the Content; 2. The Content may not be modified or altered in any way except to change the font or appearance; 3. The Content must be used solely for a non-commercial purpose. Although this blanket permission to reproduce the Content is given freely such that no special permission is required, the BahÃ¡âÃ­ International Community retains full copyright protection for all Content included at this Site under all applicable national and international laws. For permission to publish, transmit, display or otherwise use the Content for any commercial purpose, please contact us (http://reference.bahai.org/en/contact.html). CONTENTS Bahaâi Terms of Use [Dedicatory Passage] I: From the Writings of BAHÃâUâLLÃH 1: Let these exalted words be thy love-song on ... 2: O My Leaf! Hearken thou unto My Voice: ... II: From the Writings of âABDUâL-BAHÃ 1: O my well-beloved, deeply spiritual sister! ... 2: O thou my affectionate sister! In the daytime ... 3: Dear and deeply spiritual sister! At morn and ... 4: Dear sister, beloved of my heart and soul! ... 5: O thou my loving, my deeply spiritual ... 6: To my honoured and distinguished sister do ... 7: O DÃ­yÃ¡! It is incumbent upon thee, ... 8: O thou my affectionate sister! ... 9: O my dear sister! ... 10: O my well-beloved sister, O Most Exalted ... 11: O thou my sister, my dear sister! ... 12: My sister and beloved of my soul! ... 13: My sister, for a considerable period, that is, ... 14: O my spiritual sister! ... 15: O my spiritual sister! ... 16: O my affectionate sister! ... 17: O my dear sister! ... 18: O my cherished sister! ... 19: O my sister in the spirit, and the companion ... 20: O thou Greatest and Most Merciful Holy ... 21: I do not know in what words I could ... III: From the Writings of SHOGHI EFFENDI 1: This servant, after that grievous event and ... 2: And in this fervent plea, my voice is once ... 3: GREATEST HOLY LEAFâS IMMORTAL SPIRIT ... 4: GREATEST HOLY LEAF ASCENDED ABHÃ KINGDOM. ... 5: O ye who burn in the flames of bereavement! ... 6: Brethren and fellow-mourners in the Faith ... 7: ENTREAT SORROW STRICKEN AMERICAN BELIEVERS ... 8: YOUR MESSAGE ALLEVIATED LOAD MY AGONIZING ... 9: PRAY ASSURE AMERICAN BELIEVERS BEHALF HOLY ... 10: Your valued message brought strength and ... 11: I deeply appreciate your sympathy. My loss ... 12: I greatly value your sympathy in my cruel, ... 13: Your sweet and touching message imparted ... 14: My great love for the Greatest Holy Leaf and ... 15: The many evidences of your increasing zeal ... 16: Your highly impressive and touching message ... 17: The passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf has ... 18: O well-loved friend, ... 19: I wish to add a few words in person as a ... 20: I am moved to add a few words with my ... 21: The passing of the beloved KhÃ¡num has ... 22: I greatly value the expression of your ... 23: I wish to express to your distinguished ... 24: O ye who share my anguish and are my ... 25: Moved by an unalterable devotion to the ... 26: It was through the arrival of these pilgrims, ... 27: With âAbduâl-BahÃ¡âs ascension, and more ... 28: The Fund associated with the beloved name ... 29: BLESSED REMAINS PUREST BRANCH AND ... 30: O loved ones of God, These two precious ... 31: His nine-year-old son, later surnamed the ... 32: ...as a further testimony to the majestic ... 33: The raising of this Edifice will in turn ... IV: Passages from letters written on behalf of SHOGHI EFFENDI 1: Your touching words in connection with the ... 2: The passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf, so ... 3: The ascension of the Greatest Holy Leaf is, ... 4: His grief is too immense and his loss too ... 5: The irreparable loss which the Faith has ... 6: In these days, when we are all mourning the ... 7: Your message of condolence and sympathy, ... 8: ...The news of the Memorial Service you ... 9: The letter from that spiritual friend has ... 10: The letter dated 5 August 1932, from that ... 11: What you had written concerning the ... 12: ...He is eagerly awaiting to see the friends ... 13: His loss is too immense to be adequately ... 14: The profound sorrow occasioned by the ... 15: The Guardian of the Cause of God has ... 16: The Guardianâs anguish, because of this ... 17: Indeed, the Greatest Holy Leaf, the Trust of ... 18: The Guardian trusts that the explanation he ... 19: The loss of the Greatest Holy Leaf will be ... 20: Even though during these last years she was ... 21: The passing away of the Greatest Holy Leaf ... 22: Even though the Greatest Holy Leaf has left ... 23: Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge ... 24: You should be very happy to have had the ... 25: Surely there is nothing that will console the ... 26: These nine months during which the Guardian ... 27: Surely no matter what we say about her still ... 28: Indeed it would have been for you such a joy ... 29: He fully appreciates the deep sorrow that ... 30: He is sure that all the BahÃ¡âÃ­s throughout ... 31: He deeply appreciates your sincere, well-expressed ... 32: ...He was deeply touched by the strong ... 33: The steps of her holy resting-place represent ... V: Letters of THE GREATEST HOLY LEAF 1: O Leaf of Paradise! ... 2: I feel prompted to offer my sincere best ... 3: The letter in which that leaf had expressed the ... 4: Despite our overwhelming sorrows and ... 5: It is my earnest hope that you, His distinguished ... 6: O exalted leaf, O distinguished friend! May ... 7: May my life be sacrificed for those leaves who ... 8: From this hallowed and snow-white Spot, ... 9: A number of your spiritual sisters, namely ... 10: May the Light of Union radiate with greater ... 11: O my dear sister! I have read what you ... 12: Concerning the remnants of the martyrsâ ... 13: O leaf that has been stirred by the breeze of ... 14: All praise be to the AbhÃ¡ Beauty, the ... 15: At the exalted Threshold of our Lord, the ... 16: On my return from Beyrouth I was sorry to ... 17: O my dear sister! Your excellent letter ... 18: The Festival of RidvÃ¡n is come and the ... 19: You should not think that the record of ... 20: Both in the Persian and Arabic Writings of ... 21: HIS HOLINESS âABDUâL-BAHÃ ASCENDED TO ... 22: NOW IS A PERIOD OF GREAT TESTS. THE FRIENDS ... 23: MEMORIAL MEETING WORLD OVER JANUARY ... 24: IN WILL SHOGHI EFFENDI APPOINTED GUARDIAN ... 25: The hearts of the people of BahÃ¡ are ... 26: We thank you most sincerely for your kind ... 27: REJOICED OVER CONVENTION NEWS. PRAYING ... 28: In this day, those holy souls are divinely ... 29: It is not unknown to those who stand firm ... 30: This dire calamity, this great affliction, the ... 31: Although that supreme calamity, that ... 32: O faithful servant of the Best-Beloved, the ... 33: O God, my God! ... 34: To the doves of faithfulness, ever since ... 35: The passing of âAbduâl-BahÃ¡, may our lives ... 36: The ascension of Him Who was the Temple ... 37: We rejoiced greatly to learn of the unity ... 38: That supreme affliction, the passing of ... 39: The good news that the Word of God is ... 40: All the virtues of humankind are summed ... 41: It is clear how that most dire of calamities, ... 42: All praise to the omnipotent Lord, that in ... 43: Indeed, you have adorned yourself with the ... 44: The deep heartâs love and the longing of the ... 45: The good news has come that the Will and ... 46: In this noblest of all ages the Sun of grace ... 47: The purport of your letter is highly indicative ... 48: At this hour while yet the heart burns with ... 49: O steadfast ones, gathered beneath the ... 50: A physician treats every illness with a ... 51: I was very glad to know of your meeting ... 52: We were delighted to receive your excellent ... 53: Following the ascension of âAbduâl-BahÃ¡ ... 54: The letter that you wrote in your burning ... 55: Although the ascension of the beloved ... 56: You have offered up thanks to the Lord for ... 57: The Ancient Beauty, the Most Great Name, ... 58: After the construction of the BÃ¡bâs Shrine ... 59: At the Threshold of the Lord of Mercy we ... 60: The adherents of the Faith of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡h ... 61: Regarding the Centre of Sedition and his ... 62: Your letter has come, and I myself and the ... 63: The sad news about the death of your ... 64: The letter you have written was received ... 65: All praise be unto the Court of Holiness, ... 66: It has been demonstrated time and time ... 67: The cheque for the amount of two hundred ... 68: It is clear and evident that the body of ... 69: We beseech Godâexalted be His gloryâto ... 70: Your letter of 12th October 1922 is just ... 71: All praise to the beloved AbhÃ¡ Beauty, ... 72: Your kind and loving letter written with an ... 73: Praise be to God that through the gracious ... 74: Your letter was received and its contents ... 75: It was sometime ago that I received your ... 76: You quite well realize, I presume, that ... 77: The Pen of the divine Ordainer has so ... 78: âO God, My God! Thou hast lighted the lamp of ... 79: The tongue of this lowly and grief-stricken ... 80: The question of AvÃ¡rih has surely come to ... 81: Praise be to God that through His gracious ... 82: It is a very long time since we have had any ... 83: Your short and loving note of June 25th has ... 84: Your charming letter of June 20th has ... 85: Your numerous letters written to the ... 86: From this hallowed Spot I send heavenly ... 87: In this Day nothing is so important as service. ... 88: It always cheers my heart to hear from the ... 89: My heart is always cheered when I meet or ... 90: At the holy Threshold of the AbhÃ¡ Beauty ... 91: O dear sisters, ardent lovers of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡h, ... 92: Your letter, laden with many a graceful ... [DEDICATORY PASSAGE] (1) He is the Eternal! This is My testimony for her who hath heard My voice and drawn nigh unto Me. Verily, she is a leaf that hath sprung from this preexistent Root. She hath revealed herself in My name and tasted of the sweet savours of My holy, My wondrous pleasure. At one time We gave her to drink from My honeyed Mouth, at another caused her to partake of My mighty, My luminous Kaw_th_ar. Upon her rest the glory of My name and the fragrance of My shining robe. (BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡hâs original Arabic of the above is inscribed around the circular dome of the Greatest Holy Leafâs monument on Mount Carmel. See illustration between pages 92 and 93.) I: FROM THE WRITINGS OF BAHÃâUâLLÃH 1: Let these exalted words be thy love-song on ... (2) Let these exalted words be thy love-song on the tree of BahÃ¡, O thou most holy and resplendent Leaf: âGod, besides Whom is none other God, the Lord of this world and the next!â Verily, We have elevated thee to the rank of one of the most distinguished among thy sex, and granted thee, in My court, a station such as none other woman hath surpassed. Thus have We preferred thee and raised thee above the rest, as a sign of grace from Him Who is the Lord of the throne on high and earth below. We have created thine eyes to behold the light of My countenance, thine ears to hearken unto the melody of My words, thy body to pay homage before My throne. Do thou render thanks unto God, thy Lord, the Lord of all the world. How high is the testimony of the Sadratuâl-MuntahÃ¡ for its leaf; how exalted the witness of the Tree of Life unto its fruit! Through My remembrance of her a fragrance laden with the perfume of musk hath been diffused; well is it with him that hath inhaled it and exclaimed: âAll praise be to Thee, O God, my Lord the most glorious!â How sweet thy presence before Me; how sweet to gaze upon thy face, to bestow upon thee My loving-kindness, to favour thee with My tender care, to make mention of thee in this, My Tabletâa Tablet which I have ordained as a token of My hidden and manifest grace unto thee. 2: O My Leaf! Hearken thou unto My Voice: ... (3) O My Leaf! Hearken thou unto My Voice: Verily there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise. I can well inhale from thee the fragrance of My love and the sweet-smelling savour wafting from the raiment of My Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous. Be astir upon Godâs Tree in conformity with thy pleasure and unloose thy tongue in praise of thy Lord amidst all mankind. Let not the things of the world grieve thee. Cling fast unto this divine Lote-Tree from which God hath graciously caused thee to spring forth. I swear by My life! It behoveth the lover to be closely joined to the loved one, and here indeed is the Best-Beloved of the world. II: FROM THE WRITINGS OF âABDUâL-BAHÃ 1: O my well-beloved, deeply spiritual sister! ... (4) O my well-beloved, deeply spiritual sister! Day and night thou livest in my memory. Whenever I remember thee my heart swelleth with sadness and my regret groweth more intense. Grieve not, for I am thy true, thy unfailing comforter. Let neither despondency nor despair becloud the serenity of thy life or restrain thy freedom. These days shall pass away. We will, please God, in the AbhÃ¡ Kingdom and beneath the sheltering shadow of the Blessed Beauty, forget all these our earthly cares and will find each one of these base calumnies amply compensated by His expressions of praise and favour. From the beginning of time sorrow and anxiety, regret and tribulation, have always been the lot of every loyal servant of God. Ponder this in thine heart and consider how very true it is. Wherefore, set thine heart on the tender mercies of the Ancient Beauty and be thou filled with abiding joy and intense gladness.... 2: O thou my affectionate sister! In the daytime ... (5) O thou my affectionate sister! In the daytime and in the night-season my thoughts ever turn to thee. Not for one moment do I cease to remember thee. My sorrow and regret concern not myself; they centre around thee. Whenever I recall thine afflictions, tears that I cannot repress rain down from mine eyes.... 3: Dear and deeply spiritual sister! At morn and ... (6) Dear and deeply spiritual sister! At morn and eventide, with the utmost ardour and humility, I supplicate at the Divine Threshold, and offer this, my prayer: âGrant, O Thou my God, the Compassionate, that that pure and blessed Leaf may be comforted by Thy sweet savours of holiness and sustained by the reviving breeze of Thy loving care and mercy. Reinforce her spirit with the signs of Thy Kingdom, and gladden her soul with the testimonies of Thy everlasting dominion. Comfort, O my God, her sorrowful heart with the remembrance of Thy face, initiate her into Thy hidden mysteries, and inspire her with the revealed splendours of Thy heavenly light. Manifold are her sorrows, and infinitely grievous her distress. Bestow continually upon her the favour of Thy sustaining grace and, with every fleeting breath, grant her the blessing of Thy bounty. Her hopes and expectations are centred in Thee; open Thou to her face the portals of Thy tender mercies and lead her into the ways of Thy wondrous benevolence. Thou art the Generous, the All-Loving, the Sustainer, the All-Bountiful....â 4: Dear sister, beloved of my heart and soul! ... (7) Dear sister, beloved of my heart and soul! The news of thy safe arrival and pleasant stay in the land of Egypt has reached me and filled my heart with exceeding gladness. I am thankful to BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡h for the good health thou dost enjoy and for the happiness He hath imparted to the hearts of the loved ones in that land. Shouldst thou wish to know of the condition of this servant of the Threshold of the AbhÃ¡ Beauty, praise be to Him for having enabled me to inhale the fragrance of His tender mercy and partake of the delights of His loving-kindness and blessings. I am being continually reinforced by the energizing rays of His grace, and feel upheld by the uninterrupted aid of the victorious hosts of His Kingdom. My physical health is also improving. God be praised that from every quarter I receive the glad-tidings of the growing ascendancy of the Cause of God, and can witness evidences of the increasing influence of its spread.... 5: O thou my loving, my deeply spiritual ... (8) O thou my loving, my deeply spiritual sister! I trust that by the grace and loving-kindness of the one true God thou art, and wilt be, kept safe and secure beneath the sheltering shadow of the Blessed Beauty. Night and day thy countenance appeareth before mine eyes, and in my mind are engraved the traits of thy character.... 6: To my honoured and distinguished sister do ... (9) To my honoured and distinguished sister do thou convey the expression of my heartfelt, my intense longing. Day and night she liveth in my remembrance. I dare make no mention of the feelings which separation from her has aroused in mine heart; for whatever I should attempt to express in writing will assuredly be effaced by the tears which such sentiments must bring to mine eyes.... 7: O DÃ­yÃ¡! It is incumbent upon thee, ... (10) O DÃ­yÃ¡!(11) It is incumbent upon thee, throughout the journey, to be a close, a constant and cheerful companion to my honoured and distinguished sister. Unceasingly, with the utmost vigour and devotion, exert thyself, by day and night, to gladden her blessed heart; for all her days she was denied a moment of tranquillity. She was astir and restless every hour of her life. Moth-like she circled in adoration round the undying flame of the Divine Candle, her spirit ablaze and her heart consumed by the fire of His love.... 8: O thou my affectionate sister! ... (12) O thou my affectionate sister! God be praised, according to what we hear the climate in that land hath proved not unfavourable. It is to be hoped that out of the grace of the Blessed Beauty thy illness will be completely cured and thou wilt return in the best of health, so that once again I may gaze upon that wondrous face of thine. Write thou a full account of thy condition by every post, for I am most anxious for news of thee. Let me know if thou shouldst desire anyone from here to come to thee, that I may send the person alongâeven MunÃ­rihâso that thou wilt not be homesick. That thou shouldst spend a few days of peace and rest, is my dearest wish. We here, God be thanked, are all enjoying the best of health. I have been better lately, and sleeping well at night. Rest assured. 9: O my dear sister! ... (13) O my dear sister! Praise be to God, within the sheltering grace of the Blessed Beauty, here in the lands of the West a breeze hath blown from over the rose-gardens of His bestowals, and the hearts of many people have been drawn as by a magnet to the AbhÃ¡ Realm. Whatever hath come to pass is from the confirmations of the Beloved; for otherwise, what merit had we, or what capacity? We are as a helpless babe, but fed at the breast of heavenly grace. We are no more than weak plants, but we flourish in the spring rain of His bestowals. Wherefore, as a thank-offering for these bounties, on a certain day don thy garb to visit the Shrine, the kaâbih of our heartâs desire, turn thyself toward Him on my behalf, lay down thy head on that sacred Threshold, and say: O divine Providence! O Thou forgiving Lord! Sinner though I be, I have no refuge save Thyself. All praise be Thine, that in my wanderings over mountains and plains, my toils and troubles on the seas, Thou hast answered still my cries for help, and confirmed me, and favoured me, and honoured me with service at Thy Threshold. To a feeble ant, Thou hast given Solomonâs might. Thou hast made of a gnat a lion in the thicket of Thy Mercy. Thou hast bestowed on a drop the swelling waves of the sea, Thou hast carried up a mote to the pinnacles of grace. Whatever was achieved, was made possible through Thee. Otherwise, what strength did the fragile dust possess, what power did this feeble being have? O divine Providence! Do not seize us in our sins, but give us refuge. Do not look upon our evil ways, but grant forgiveness. Consider not our just deserts, but open wide Thy door of grace. Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful! Thou art the Seer, the Knower! 10: O my well-beloved sister, O Most Exalted ... (14) O my well-beloved sister, O Most Exalted Leaf! Thou didst leave for AkkÃ¡ to remain but two days or so and then return, but now thou hast been gone from us for quite a while. We have stayed behind in Haifa, all alone, and it is very difficult to get along. We hear that thou art a little indisposed; the Haifa air would have been better for thee. We had everything ready in Haifa to receive thee, but in fact, this caused thee some difficulty. There is no way but to endure the toil and trouble of Godâs path. If thou dost not bear these hardships, who would ever bear them? In any case, no matter how things are, come thou here today, because my heart is longing for thee. 11: O thou my sister, my dear sister! ... (15) O thou my sister, my dear sister! Divine wisdom hath decreed this temporary separation, but I long more and more to be with thee again. Patience is called for, and long-suffering, and trust in God, and the seeking of His favour. Since thou art there, my mind is completely at rest. In recent days, I have made a plan to visit Egypt, if this be Godâs will. Do thou, on my behalf, lay thy head on the sacred Threshold, and perfume brow and hair in the dust of that Door, and ask that I may be confirmed in my work; that I may, in return for His endless bounties, win, if He will, a drop out of the ocean of servitude. 12: My sister and beloved of my soul! ... (16) My sister and beloved of my soul! Here on the slopes of Mount Carmel, by the cave of Elijah, we are thinking of that Most Exalted Leaf, and the beloved and handmaids of the Lord. We pass our days in writing and our nights now in communion with God, now in bed to overcome failing health. And although, to outward seeming, we are absent from you all, and far away, still our thoughts are with you always. I can never, never forget thee. However great the distance that separates us, we still feel as though we were seated under the same roof, in one and the same gathering, for are we not all under the shadow of the Tabernacle of God and beneath the canopy of His infinite grace and mercy? 13: My sister, for a considerable period, that is, ... (17) My sister, for a considerable period, that is, from the day of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡hâs ascension, had grown so thin and feeble, and was in such a weakened condition from the anguish of her mourning, that she was close to breakdown. Although, so far as she was concerned, it was her dearest wish to drain her cup and wing her way to the realms where the Divine Essence shineth in glory, still this servant could not bear to behold her in that state. Then it occurred to me that, God be thanked, I have such an unfailing comforter as Jinab-i-á¸¤Ã¡jÃ­,(18) and it would be well to make him my partner in distress. I therefore determined to send her to Egypt, to provide her with a change of air. Although this will certainly cause thee trouble and inconvenience, still, I trust that out of Godâs bounty, it will also bring thee much joy and good cheer. 14: O my spiritual sister! ... (19) O my spiritual sister! Thou didst go away to Haifa, supposedly for only three or four days. Now it becometh apparent that the spiritual power of the Shrine hath brought thee joy and radiance, and even as a magnet is holding thee fast. Thou surely wouldst remember us as well. Truly the spiritual quality of the holy place, its fresh skies and delicate air, its crystal waters and sweet plains and charming seascape, and the holy breathings from the Kingdom all do mingle in that Sacred Fold. Thou art right to linger there... Kiss the light of the eyes of the company of spiritual souls, Shoghi Effendi... 15: O my spiritual sister! ... (20) O my spiritual sister! God be praised, through the Ancient Beautyâs grace and bounty, we have set foot safe and sound upon this shore, and arrived in this town(21) ... These coasts were once the place where the breezes of Godâs loving kindness blew, and here in this sacred Vale the Son of Spirit(22) raised up His call of âHere am I, O Thou My Lord! Here am I!â That is why we here perceive, from every direction, the sweet breathings of holiness. My meaning is, rest thou assured, this servant is suffering neither from any trouble, nor hardship, nor fatigue. I am looking after myself, and keeping away from all mental preoccupations; all, that is, except for one thought, which doth indeed disquiet the mindâand that is, God forbid, that thou shouldst sorrow. I hope that out of the bestowals and bounties of the Ancient Beauty, He will in His grace bring comfort to every heart. 16: O my affectionate sister! ... (23) O my affectionate sister! God be praised, through His grace and favour, my health and well-being are now restored, but it is very hard for me to bear thine absence. We think of thee at all times, here on the slopes of this sacred, holy and blessed Mount Carmel, and we are being happy on thy behalf... 17: O my dear sister! ... (24) O my dear sister! It is quite a while now, since thou hast left us, and gone away to Nazareth and Haifa. This journey hath lasted too long. The weather in AkkÃ¡ is fine and moderate. If thou comest back, it will rejoice our hearts.... 18: O my cherished sister! ... (25) O my cherished sister! Thou art never absent from my thoughts. I speak of thee and call thee to mind at all times. It is my hope that out of Godâs favour and grace thou dost keep safe and well, and dost visit the two Sacred Thresholds on my behalf. 19: O my sister in the spirit, and the companion ... (26) O my sister in the spirit, and the companion of my heart! God willing, the climate of Haifa hath proved favourable. I hope that out of the bounties of the Ancient Beauty thou wilt gain a measure of peace and health. I bring thee to mind both night and day. Just recently I had hoped to come to Haifa to visit thee, but various problems and the pressure of work have left me no time; for I want to see the travellers off, and every one of them presented a long list of names. God be thanked, I have written to them all. Kiss the fresh flower of the garden of sweetness, Shoghi Effendi. 20: O thou Greatest and Most Merciful Holy ... (27) O thou Greatest and Most Merciful Holy Leaf! I arrived in New York in the best of health, and I have been at all times thinking of thee, and supplicating fervently at the threshold of the Blessed Beauty that He may guard thee in the stronghold of His protection. We are in the utmost fellowship and joy. I hope that thou wilt be sheltered under His bountiful care. Write to me at once about RÃºhÃ¡ _Kh_Ã¡numâs and Shoghi Effendiâs condition, informing me fully and hiding nothing; this is the best way. Convey my utmost longing to all. 21: I do not know in what words I could ... (28) I do not know in what words I could describe my longing for my honoured sister. Whatever it may write, my pen falls short. III: FROM THE WRITINGS OF SHOGHI EFFENDI 1: This servant, after that grievous event and ... (29) This servant, after that grievous event and great calamity, the ascension of His Holiness âAbduâl-BahÃ¡ to the AbhÃ¡ Kingdom, has been so stricken with grief and pain and so entangled in the troubles created by the enemies of the Cause of God, 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 until, by the Grace of God, 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. 2: And in this fervent plea, my voice is once ... (30) And in this fervent plea, my voice is once more reinforced by the passionate, and perhaps, the last, entreaty, of the Greatest Holy Leaf, whose spirit, now hovering on the edge of the Great Beyond, longs to carry on its flight to the AbhÃ¡ Kingdom, and into the presence of a Divine, an almighty Father, an assurance of the joyous consummation of an enterprise,(31) the progress of which has so greatly brightened the closing days of her earthly life. 3: GREATEST HOLY LEAFâS IMMORTAL SPIRIT ... (32) GREATEST HOLY LEAFâS IMMORTAL SPIRIT WINGED ITS FLIGHT GREAT BEYOND. COUNTLESS LOVERS HER SAINTLY LIFE IN EAST AND WEST SEIZED WITH PANGS OF ANGUISH, PLUNGED IN UNUTTERABLE SORROW. HUMANITY SHALL ERELONG RECOGNIZE ITS IRREPARABLE LOSS. OUR BELOVED FAITH, WELL-NIGH CRUSHED BY DEVASTATING BLOW OF âABDUâL-BAHÃâS UNEXPECTED ASCENSION, NOW LAMENTS PASSING LAST REMNANT OF BAHÃâUâLLÃH, ITS MOST EXALTED MEMBER. HOLY FAMILY CRUELLY DIVESTED ITS MOST PRECIOUS, MOST GREAT ADORNING. I, FOR MY PART, BEWAIL SUDDEN REMOVAL MY SOLE EARTHLY SUSTAINER, THE JOY AND SOLACE OF MY LIFE. HER SACRED REMAINS WILL REPOSE VICINITY HOLY SHRINES. SO GRIEVOUS A BEREAVEMENT NECESSITATES SUSPENSION FOR NINE MONTHS THROUGHOUT BAHÃâÃ WORLD EVERY MANNER RELIGIOUS FESTIVITY. INFORM LOCAL ASSEMBLIES AND GROUPS HOLD BEFITTING MANNER MEMORIAL GATHERINGS, EXTOL A LIFE SO LADEN SACRED EXPERIENCES, SO RICH IMPERISHABLE MEMORIES... ADVISE HOLDING ADDITIONAL COMMEMORATION SERVICE OF STRICTLY DEVOTIONAL CHARACTER AUDITORIUM MA_SH_RIQUâL-A_DH_KÃR. 4: GREATEST HOLY LEAF ASCENDED ABHÃ KINGDOM. ... (33) GREATEST HOLY LEAF ASCENDED ABHÃ KINGDOM. OUR GRIEF IMMENSE, OUR LOSS IRREPARABLE. INFORM LOCAL ASSEMBLIES COMMEMORATE BEFITTINGLY SACRED EXPERIENCES SO RICH, SO SUBLIME, SO EVENTFUL A LIFE. MAGNITUDE OF OUR SORROW DEMANDS COMPLETE SUSPENSION FOR NINE MONTHS THROUGHOUT BAHÃâÃ WORLD EVERY FORM RELIGIOUS FESTIVITY. HER MORTAL REMAINS LAID VICINITY HOLY SHRINE. 5: O ye who burn in the flames of bereavement! ... (34) O ye who burn in the flames of bereavement! By the Day-star of the World, my bereaved and longing heart is afire with a grief that is beyond my description. The sudden, the grievous and calamitous news that the Most Exalted, the pure, the holy, the immaculate, the brightly shining Leaf, the Remnant of BahÃ¡, and His trust, the eternal fruit and the one last remembrance of the Holy Treeâmay my life be offered for the wrongs she sufferedâhas ascended, reached me like live coals cast into a frail and afflicted heart. The foundations of my serenity were shattered, and tears of desolation came like a flood that carries all away. Alas, that I was prevented from being with her at the close of her earthly days, at that moment when she ascended to her Lord, her Master, and when her delicate body was placed in the tomb. Not mine that honour, that high privilege, for I was far away, deprived, bereft, excluded. O brothers and sisters in the spirit! In this solemn hour, from one direction we can hear the sounds of loud weeping, and cries of mourning and woe, rising out of the throats of the people of BahÃ¡ throughout this nether world, because of their separation from that rich mine of faithfulness, that Orb of the heaven of eternal gloryâbecause of her setting below the horizon of this holy Spot. But from another direction can be heard the songs of praise and holy exultation from the Company on High and the undying dwellers in Paradise, and from beyond them all Godâs Prophets, coming forth to welcome that fair being, and to place her in the retreats of glory, and to seat her at the right hand of Him Who is the Centre of Godâs Mighty Covenant. The community of BahÃ¡, whether in the East of the world or the West, are lamenting like orphans left destitute; fevered, tormented, unquiet, they are voicing their grief. Out of the depths of their sorrowing hearts, there rises to the AbhÃ¡ Horizon this continual piercing cry: âWhere art thou gone, O torch of tender love? Where art thou gone, O source of grace and mercy? Where art thou gone, O symbol of bounty and generosity? Where art thou gone, O day-spring of detachment in this world of being? Where art thou gone, O trust left by BahÃ¡ among His people, O remnant left by Him among His servants, O sweet scent of His garment, shed across all created things!â O ye who loved that luminous face! The oil within that shining lamp was used up in this world and its light was extinguished; and yet, in the lamp-niche of the Kingdom, the fingers of the Lord of the heavenly throne have kindled it so bright, and it has cast such a splendour on the maids of Heavenâdwelling in chambers of red rubies and circling about herâthat they all called from out their souls and hearts, âO joy upon joy!â and with shouts of, âWell done! Well done! Upon thee be Godâs blessings, O Most Exalted Leaf!â did they welcome that quintessence of love and purity within the towering pavilions of eternity. At that time, as bidden by the Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, did the heavenly Crier raise up his voice and cry out: âO Most Exalted Leaf! Thou art she who did endure with patience in Godâs way from thine earliest childhood and throughout all thy life, and did bear in His pathway what none other hath borne, save only God in His own Self, the Supreme Ruler over all created things, and before Him, His noble Herald, and after Him, His holy Branch, the One, the Inaccessible, the Most High. The people of the Concourse on High seek the fragrance of thy presence, and the dwellers in the retreats of eternity circle about thee. To this bear witness the souls of the cherubim within the tabernacles of majesty and might, and beyond them the tongue of God the One True Lord, the Pure, the Most Wondrous. Blessedness be thine and a goodly abode; glad tidings to thee and a happy ending!â To one who was reared by the hands of her loving kindness, the burden of this direst of calamities is well nigh unbearable; and yet praised be the God of glory that her fragile frame has escaped from the prison of continual ordeals and afflictions which, with an astonishing forbearance, and for more than eighty years, she accepted and endured. Now is she free; delivered from her chains of care and sorrow; safe from all the suffering and pain, released from the ills of this nether world. She rolled up and packed away the years of longing for her mighty Father, and for Him, her loving and well-favoured Brother, and departed to her abode in the midmost heart of the Heavens. This heavenly being, during all the turmoil of her days, did not rest for a moment, nor ever did she seek quiet and peace. From the beginning of her life, from her very childhood, she tasted sorrowâs cup; she drank down the afflictions and calamities of the earliest years of the great Cause of God. In the tumult of the Year of á¸¤in,(35) as a result of the sacking and plundering of her glorious Fatherâs wealth and holdings, she learned the bitterness of destitution and want. Then she shared the imprisonment, the grief, the banishment of the AbhÃ¡ Beauty, and in the storm which broke out in âIrÃ¡qâbecause of the plotting and the treachery of the prime mover of mischief, the focal centre of hateâshe bore, with complete resignation and acquiescence, uncounted ordeals. She forgot herself, did without her kin, turned aside from possessions, struck off at one blow the bonds of every worldly concern; and then, like a lovelorn moth, she circled day and night about the flame of the matchless Beauty of her Lord. In the heaven of severance, she shone like the Morning Star, fair and bright, and through her character and all her ways, she shed upon kin and stranger, upon the learned, and the lowly, the radiance of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡hâs surpassing perfection. Because of the intense and deep-seated sorrows and the manifold oppressive trials that assailed herânever failing spring of grace that she was, essence of loving-kindnessâin the Land of Mystery(36) her lovely form was worn away to a breath, to a shadow; and during the Most Great Convulsion, which in the years of âStressâ made every heart to quake, she stood as a soaring pillar, immovable and fixed; and from the blasts of desolation that rose and blew, that Leaf of the eternal Lote-Tree did not wither. Rather did she redouble her efforts, urging herself on the more, to servitude and sacrifice. In captivating hearts and winning over souls, in destroying doubts and misgivings, she led the field. With the waters of her countless mercies, she brought thorny hearts to a blossoming of love from the All-Glorious, and with the influence of her pure loving-kindness, transformed the implacable, the unyielding, into impassioned lovers of the celestial Beautyâs peerless Cause. Yet another wound was inflicted on her injured heart by the aggressions and violations of the evil-doers within the prison-fortress,(37) yet another blow was struck at her afflicted being. And then her anguish was increased by the passing of the AbhÃ¡ Beauty, and the cruelty of the disloyal added more fuel to the fires of her mourning. In the midst of that storm of violation, the countenance of that rare treasure of the Lord shone all the brighter, and throughout the BahÃ¡âÃ­ community, her value and high rank became clearly perceived. By the vehement onslaught of the chief of violators against the sacred beliefs of the followers of the Faith, she was neither frightened nor in despair. In the days of the Commission of Investigation, she was a staunch and trusted supporter of the peerless Branch of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡h, and a companion to Him beyond compare. At the time of His absence in the western world, she was His competent deputy, His representative and vicegerent, with none to equal her. In a Tablet from the pen of the Centre of the Covenant, addressed to His consort, are these words referring to His brilliant sister: âTo my honoured and distinguished sister do thou convey the expression of my heartfelt, my intense longing. Day and night she liveth in my remembrance. I dare make no mention of the feelings which separation from her has aroused in my heart, for whatever I should attempt to express in writing will assuredly be effaced by the tears which such sentiments must bring to my eyes.â After the ascension of âAbduâl-BahÃ¡ to the realm of the All-Glorious, that Light of the Concourse on High enfolded me, helpless as I was, in the embrace of her love, and with incomparable pity and tenderness, persuaded, guided, and urged me on to the requirements of servitude. The very elements of this frail being were leavened with her love, refreshed by her companionship, sustained by her eternal spirit. Never for a moment will her kindnesses, her favours, pass from my memory, and as the months and the years go by, the effects of them on this mourning heart will never be diminished. O Liege Lady of the people of BahÃ¡! Broken is our circle by thy goingâ Broken our circle, broken too, our hearts. That my tongue, my pen could thank thee were a hopeless task, nor can any praise of mine befit thine excellence. Not even a droplet of all thine endless love can I aspire to fathom, nor can I adequately praise and tell of even the most trifling out of all the events of thy precious life. In the courts of the Almighty, for this frail being thy sacred spirit intercedeth, and in this darksome world, the sweet memory of thee is the succourer and friend of this lowly one. Thy comely face is etched for ever on the tablet of my grieving soul, those smiles that refreshed my life are forever and safely imprinted in the innermost recesses of my stricken heart. Let me not be forgotten by thee in the glorious precincts on high; leave me not despairing, nor excluded from the never-ceasing reinforcements that come from the living Lord; and in this world and the Kingdom, help me to reach what thou knowest to be my dearest hope. O faithful friends! It is right and fitting that out of honour to her most high station, in the gatherings of the followers of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡h, whether of the East or the West, all BahÃ¡âÃ­ festivals and celebrations should be completely suspended for a period of nine months, and that in every city and village, memorial meetings should be held, with all solemnity, spirituality, lowliness and consecrationâwhere, in the choicest of language, may be described at length the shining attributes of that most resplendent Leaf, that archetype of the people of BahÃ¡. If it be possible for the individual believers to postpone their personal celebrations for a period of one year, let them unhesitatingly do so thus to express their sorrow at this agonizing misfortune. Let them read this letter, this supplication, in their memorial gatherings, that perchance the Almighty will lighten my burden, and dispel the clouds of my bereavement; that He will answer my prayers, and fulfil my hopes, out of His bounty, His power, His grace. 6: Brethren and fellow-mourners in the Faith ... (38) Brethren and fellow-mourners in the Faith of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡h! A sorrow, reminiscent in its poignancy, of the devastating grief caused by âAbduâl-BahÃ¡âs sudden removal from our midst, has stirred the BahÃ¡âÃ­ world to its foundations. The Greatest Holy Leaf, the well-beloved and treasured Remnant of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡h entrusted to our frail and unworthy hands by our departed Master, has passed to the Great Beyond, leaving a legacy that time can never dim. The Community of the Most Great Name, in its entirety and to its very core, feels the sting of this cruel loss. Inevitable though this calamitous event appeared to us all, however acute our apprehensions of its steady approach, the consciousness of its final consummation at this terrible hour leaves us, we whose souls have been impregnated by the energizing influence of her love, prostrated and disconsolate. How can my lonely pen, so utterly inadequate to glorify so exalted a station, so impotent to portray the experiences of so sublime a life, so disqualified to recount the blessings she showered upon me since my earliest childhoodâhow can such a pen repay the great debt of gratitude and love that I owe her whom I regarded as my chief sustainer, my most affectionate comforter, the joy and inspiration of my life? My grief is too immense, my remorse too profound, to be able to give full vent at this moment to the feelings that surge within me. Only future generations and pens abler than mine can, and will, pay a worthy tribute to the towering grandeur of her spiritual life, to the unique part she played throughout the tumultuous stages of BahÃ¡âÃ­ history, to the expressions of unqualified praise that have streamed from the pen of both BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡h and âAbduâl-BahÃ¡, the Centre of His Covenant, though unrecorded, and in the main unsuspected by the mass of her passionate admirers in East and West, the share she has had in influencing the course of some of the chief events in the annals of the Faith, the sufferings she bore, the sacrifices she made, the rare gifts of unfailing sympathy she so strikingly displayedâthese, and many others stand so inextricably interwoven with the fabric of the Cause itself that no future historian of the Faith of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡h can afford to ignore or minimize. As far back as the concluding stages of the heroic age of the Cause, which witnessed the imprisonment of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡h in the SÃ­yÃ¡h-_Ch_Ã¡l of á¹¬ihrÃ¡n, the Greatest Holy Leaf, then still in her infancy, was privileged to taste of the cup of woe which the first believers of that Apostolic Age had quaffed. How well I remember her recall, at a time when her faculties were still unimpaired, the gnawing suspense that ate into the hearts of those who watched by her side, at the threshold of her pillaged house, expectant to hear at any moment the news of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡hâs imminent execution! In those sinister hours, she often recounted, her parents had so suddenly lost their earthly possessions that within the space of a single day from being the privileged member of one of the wealthiest families of á¹¬ihrÃ¡n she had sunk to the state of a sufferer from unconcealed poverty. Deprived of the means of subsistence her illustrious mother, the famed NavvÃ¡b, was constrained to place in the palm of her daughterâs hand a handful of flour and to induce her to accept it as a substitute for her daily bread. And when at a later time this revered and precious member of the Holy Family, then in her teens, came to be entrusted by the guiding hand of her Father with missions that no girl of her age could, or would be willing to, perform, with what spontaneous joy she seized her opportunity and acquitted herself of the task with which she had been entrusted! The delicacy and extreme gravity of such functions as she, from time to time, was called upon to fulfil, when the city of Ba_gh_dÃ¡d was swept by the hurricane which the heedlessness and perversity of MÃ­rzÃ¡ Yaá¸¥yÃ¡ had unchained, as well as the tender solicitude which, at so early an age, she evinced during the period of BahÃ¡âuâllÃ¡hâs enforced retirement to the mountains of SulaymÃ¡nÃ­yyih, marked her as one who was both capable of sharing the burden, and willing to make the sacrifice, which her high birth demanded. How staunch was her faith, how calm her demeanour, how forgiving
{'title': "Bahíyyih Khánum by Baha'i World Centre", 'source': 'Project Gutenberg', 'lang': 'en'}