Baha’u’llah 1817-1892Prophet Founder of the Baha’i Faith200th anniversary of His birth
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Table of Contents
4. The hour at which the supreme Manifestation of God revealeth Himself?
5. Does Bahá’u’lláh declare that He represents God to mankind?
7. What is the mission of Bahá’u’lláh?
8. A short summary of the life of Bahá’u’lláh
9. How does Bahá’u’lláh describe the awakening of His revelation?
10. Why did Bahá’u’lláh suffer for mankind?
11. Exiles of Bahá’u’lláh
12. Does Bahá’u’lláh have knowledge of the inner reality of God?
13. What are some of the ways in which Bahá’u’lláh is “The Glory of God?”
14. Why do Bahá’ís believe that Bahá’u’lláh is a return of Christ?
15. Why do we need Prophets and Messengers?
16. What are the three stations of the Prophets of God?
17. A station that cannot be described or alluded to18. Are the original Writings of Bahá’u’lláh available?19. What happened in the world of knowledge since the Revelations of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh?20. Prophecies made by Bahá’u’lláh — Part 121. Prophecies made by Bahá’u’lláh — Part 222. How did Bahá’u’lláh address the Kings and Rulers of the Earth?23. How did Bahá’u’lláh address the Rulers and Presidents of the Americas?24. What did Bahá’u’lláh write to the world’s elected representatives?25. How did Bahá’u’lláh address Great Britain’s Queen Victoria?26. What did Bahá’u’lláh write to Pope Pius IX?27. What did Bahá’u’lláh write to the world’s religious leaders?28. What did Bahá’u’lláh write to the French Emperor Napoleon III?29. What did Bahá’u’lláh write to Austria’s Emperor Francis Joseph?30. What did Bahá’u’lláh write to Iran’s Nasiri‘d-Din Shah?31. What did Bahá’u’lláh write to Russia’s Czar Alexander II?32. Having failed to recognize Bahá’u’lláh in this day…33. Ere the expiration of a thousand years…
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Who is Bahá’u’lláh?
Bahá’ís believe that Bahá’u’lláh is the Messenger of God for this day. His teachings are the basis of the Bahá’í Faith, whose primary aim is the unity of mankind.
Born in 1817, Bahá’u’lláh was a member of one of the great patrician families of Persia. The family could trace its lineage to the ruling dynasties of Persia's imperial past, and was endowed with wealth and vast estates. Turning His back on the position at court which these advantages offered Him, Bahá’u’lláh became known for His generosity and kindliness which made Him deeply loved among His countrymen.
Engulfed in the waves of violence unleashed upon the Bábis after the Báb's execution Bahá’u’lláh suffered not only the loss of all His worldly endowments but was subjected to imprisonment, torture, and a series of banishments. The first was to Baghdad where, in 1863, He announced Himself as the One promised by the Báb. From Baghdad, Bahá’u’lláh was sent to Constantinople, to Adrianople, and finally to Acre, in the Holy Land, where He arrived as a prisoner in 1868. He stayed a prisoner until his passing.
Bahá’u’lláh passed away in 1892 at Bahji, just north of Acre, and is buried there.His message has spread to every country on earth. His Shrine is today the focal point of the Bahá’í world.
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the U.S., dated 2000:
"Spiritual Institutions: The Unique Nature of Bahá’í Institutions"
The Shrine of the Bahá’u’lláh
Bahji, Palestine
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The hour at which the supreme Manifestation of God revealeth Himself
Consider the hour at which the supreme Manifestation of God revealeth Himself unto men. Ere that hour cometh, the Ancient Being, Who is still unknown of men and hath not as yet given utterance to the Word of God, is Himself the All-Knower in a world devoid of any man that hath known Him.
He is indeed the Creator without a creation. For at the very moment preceding His Revelation, each and every created thing shall be made to yield up its soul to God.
This is indeed the Day of which it hath been written: "Whose shall be the Kingdom this Day?" And none can be found ready to answer!
Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 151
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Does Bahá’u’lláh declare that He represents God to mankind?
In mine hand I carry the testimony of God, your Lord and the Lord of your sires of old. Weigh it with the just Balance that ye possess, the Balance of the testimony of the Prophets and Messengers of God. If ye find it to be established in truth, if ye believe it to be of God, beware, then, lest ye cavil at it, and render your works vain….
Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 281
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The Dawn of a New Day
This is the Day in which God's most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness.
Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 120
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What is the mission of Bahá’u’lláh?
The essence of Bahá'u'lláh's World Order is the unity of the human race.
'O ye children of men', He writes, 'the fundamental purpose animating the Faith
of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race...' And He warns, 'The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.' The achievement of this unity is Bahá'u'lláh's declared mission and the aim of all Bahá'í activity.
A quote from the Foreword by the Universal House of Justice, Bahá'u'lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh, p. ix
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A short summary of the life of Bahá’u’lláh
"The face of him on whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot describe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one's very soul; power and authority sat on that ample brow…. No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed myself before one who is the object of a devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain!“
Bahá’u’lláh was thus described by the well-known Cambridge University Orientalist Edward Granville Browne in 1890. Bahá’u’lláh had, at that time, been a prisoner and an exile for almost 40 years…; today He is recognized by millions of followers around the world as the Manifestation of God or Divine Teacher for this age….
Bahá’u’lláh's central message for humanity in this day is one of unity and justice….
Born into a noble family in nineteenth century Persia, Bahá’u’lláh's destiny would seem to have been one of wealth and ease. Yet, from an early age He showed little interest in following in His father's footsteps at the Shah's court, preferring to spend His time and resources in ministering to the poor. Later, His recognition of the religion of The Báb , which arose in 1844 in Persia and was destined to fulfill the prophecies of Islam, caused Him to be cast into prison and subsequently exiled….
Throughout the long years of exile He endured, Bahá’u’lláh revealed divinely inspired passages equivalent to over 100 volumes. This revelation comprises mystical writings, social and ethical teachings, laws and ordinances, and a fearless proclamation of His message to the kings and rulers of the world, including Napoleon III, Queen Victoria, Pope Pius IX, the Shah of Persia, Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, and others….
Bahá’u’lláh passed from this earthly world in 1892, still nominally a prisoner in Palestine. One hundred years later, in 1992, the Bahá’í international community observed a Holy Year to commemorate the centenary of His ascension….
info.bahai.org/bahaullah-manifestation-of-god.html
These images of Holy Places are
© Bahá'í International Community
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How does Bahá’u’lláh describe the awakening of His revelation?
When We entered the prison, on arrival, they conducted us along a dismal corridor, and thence We descended three steep stairs to the dungeon appointed for Us. The place was dark, and its inmates numbered nearly a hundred and fifty – thieves, assassins, and highway robbers. Holding such a crowd as this, it yet had no outlet but the passage through which We entered. The pen fails to describe this place and its putrid stench. Most of the company had neither clothes to wear nor mat to lie on. God knows what We endured in that gloomy and loathsome place! By day and by night, in this prison We reflected on the condition of the Bábís and their doings and affairs, wondering how, notwithstanding their greatness of soul, nobility, and intelligence, they could be capable of such a deed as this audacious attempt on the life of the sovereign. Then did this wronged One determine that, on leaving this prison, He would arise with the utmost endeavor for the regeneration of these souls. One night, in a dream, this all-glorious word was heard from all sides: “Verily We will aid Thee to triumph by Thyself and by Thy pen. Grieve not for that which hath befallen Thee, and have no fear. Truly Thou art of them that are secure. Ere long shall the Lord send forth and reveal the treasures of the earth, men who shall give Thee the victory by Thyself and by Thy name wherewith the Lord hath revived the hearts of them that know.”
Bahá’u’lláh, quoted by Nabil-i A’zam in Nabil's Narrative,
translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 609
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Why did Bahá’u’lláh suffer for mankind?
At last, in this greatest prison, His holy body was extremely weakened from the intense sufferings and His beautiful person became as weak as a web from this continual hardship. His main purpose in bearing this heavy burden and all these troubles which gave forth their waves like an ocean, accepting the chains and fetters and showing forth the great forbearance, was for the sake of harmony, concord and union among all the people of the world and for the establishment of the signs of the real unity among all nations, until the essential Unity (of God) might (at last) appear in the existing realities, and the light of the saying: "Thou seestno difference among the creatures of God" might shine forth upon the whole world.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “Star of the West”, Vol. 7, No. 5: Bahá’í Scriptures, p. 361
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Exiles of Bahá’u’lláh
BORDER OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Bahá’u’lláh
arrived in Acre on
August 31st, 1868
Bahá’u’lláh
left Baghdad
May 3rd, 1863
Bahá’u’lláh
left Tehran on
Jan. 13th, 1853
Bahá’u’lláh
arrived in Constantinople
Aug. 16th, 1863
Bahá’u’lláh
arrived in Adrianople
Dec. 13th, 1863
© Bahá'í International Community
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Does Bahá’u’lláh have knowledge of the inner reality of God?
I swear by Thy Beauty, O King of Eternity Who sittest on Thy most glorious Throne! He (Bahá’u’lláh) Who is the Day Spring of Thy signs and the Revealer of Thy clear tokens hath, notwithstanding the immensity of His wisdom and the loftiness of His knowledge, confessed His powerlessness to comprehend the least of Thine utterances, in their relation to Thy most exalted Pen how much more is He incapable of apprehending the nature of Thine all glorious Self and of Thy most august Essence!
Bahá’u’lláh, Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, p. 273
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What are some of the ways in which Bahá’u’lláh is “The Glory of God?”
© Bahá'í International Community
He Who in such dramatic circumstances was made to sustain the overpowering weight of so glorious a Mission was none other than the One Whom posterity will acclaim, and Whom innumerable followers already recognize, as the Judge, the Lawgiver and Redeemer of all mankind, as the Organizer of the entire planet, as the Unifier of the children of men, as the Inaugurator of the long-awaited millennium, as the Originator of a new "Universal Cycle," as the Establisher of the Most Great Peace, as the Fountain of the Most Great Justice, as the Proclaimer of the coming of age of the entire human race, as the Creator of a new World Order, and as the Inspirer and Founder of a world civilization.
Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, pp. 93-94
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Why do Bahá’ís believe that Bahá’u’lláh is a return of Christ?
…the light of this evening is the light of last evening relighted.
Jesus Christ, speaking of John the Baptist, declared he was Elias. When John the Baptist was questioned, "Art thou Elias?" he said, "I am not." These two statements are apparently contradictory, but in reality they do not contradict. The light is one light. The light which illumined this lamp last night is illuminating it tonight. This does not mean that the identical rays of light have reappeared but the virtues of illumination. The light which revealed itself through the glass reveals itself again so that we can say the light of this evening is the light of last evening relighted. This is as regards its virtues…. We believe in that which Jesus Christ and all the Prophets have believed.
‘Abdu'l-l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 167
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Why do we need Prophets and Messengers?
Holy Manifestations of God are the centers of the light of reality, of the source of mysteries, and of the bounties of love. They are resplendent in the world of hearts and thoughts, and shower eternal graces upon the world of spirits; they give spiritual life and are shining with the light of realities and meanings. The enlightenment of the world of thought comes from these centers of light and sources of mysteries. Without the bounty of the splendor and the instructions of these Holy Beings the world of souls and thoughts would be opaque darkness…
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 162
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What are the three stations of the Prophets of God?
The first station is the physical; the second station is the human, which is that of the rational soul; the third is that of the divine appearance and the heavenly splendor.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 151
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A station that cannot be described or alluded to
Indeed He was a hidden treasure. This is a station that can never be described nor even alluded to. And in the station of 'I did wish to make Myself known', God was, and His creation had ever existed beneath His shelter from the beginning that hath no beginning, apart from its being preceded by a Firstness which cannot be regarded as firstness and originated by a Cause inscrutable even unto all men of learning.
Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 140
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Are the original Writings of Bahá’u’lláh available?
Cut-reed pen and ink spoon used by Bahá’u’lláh.
Photo © Bahá'í International Community
Several of the carved seals of Bahá’u’lláh used to stamp letters or tablets to verify the author.
Photo © Bahá'í International Community
Concerning access by individuals to source materials held in the Bahá’í International Archives, incoming requests are dealt with on a case-by-case basis, as the gradually expanding facilities of the Bahá’í World Center permit.
The Universal House of Justice,
1995 May18, “Administration by Email”
Bahá’u’lláh authored thousands of books, tablets, and letters that today comprise the sacred scripture of the Bahá’í Faith. A unique feature of the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is the authenticity of its scripture. Unlike the teachings of Christ, for example, which were written down by others decades after they were uttered, the words of Bahá’u’lláh were recorded and authenticated at the time they were revealed….
The original manuscripts of Bahá’u’lláh’s writings, some written in His own hand and others meticulously transcribed by His personal secretaries, are today kept at the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa, Israel, in a vault equipped with state-of-the-art environmental control technology. Researchers at the Center for the Study of the Texts are charged with organizing and indexing the thousands of documents in the collection and producing translations, compilations and commentaries.
www.bahai.us/welcome/founders-and-history/bahai-sacred-writings
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What happened in the world of knowledge since the Revelations of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh?
Now consider, in this great century which is the cycle of Bahá’u’lláh, what progress science and knowledge have made, how many secrets of existence have been discovered, how many great inventions have been brought to light and are day by day multiplying in number. Before long, material science and learning, as well as the knowledge of God, will make such progress and will show forth such wonders that the beholders will be amazed. Then the mystery of this verse in Isaiah, “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord,” will be completely evident.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, pp. 64-65
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Prophecies made by Bahá’u’lláh — Part 1
1. The fall from power of the French Emperor Napoleon III and the consequent loss of his empire.
2. The defeat of Germany in two bloody wars, resulting in the ‘lamentations of Berlin’.
3. The success and stability of Queen Victoria’s reign.
4. The dismissal of Ali Pasha as prime minister of Turkey.
5. The overthrow and murder of Sultán Abdu’l-Aziz of Turkey.
6. The breakup of the Ottoman Empire, leading to the extinction of the ‘outward splendor’ of its capital, Constantinople.
7. The downfall of Nasiri’d-Din Shah, the Persian monarch.
8. The advent of constitutional government in Persia.
9. A massive (albeit temporary) decline in the fortunes of monarchy throughout the world.
10. A worldwide erosion of ecclesiastical authority.
11. The collapse of the Muslim Caliphate.
12. The spread of communism, the ‘movement of the left’, and its rise to world power.
13. The catastrophic decline of that same movement (Communism), triggered by the collapse of its egalitarian economy.
14. The rise of Israel as a Jewish homeland.
15. The persecution of Jews on the European continent (the Nazi holocaust).
16. America’s violent racial struggles.
Gary L. Matthews, The Challenge of Bahá’u’lláh
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Prophecies made by Bahá’u’lláh — Part 2
17. Bahá’u’lláh’s release from the prison of `Akká and the pitching of His tent on Mount Carmel.
18. The seizure and desecration of Bahá’u’lláh’s House in Baghdad.
19. The failure of all attempts to create schism within the Bahá’í Faith.
20. The explosive acceleration of scientific and technological progress.
21. The development of nuclear weapons.
22. The achievement of transmutation of elements, the age-old alchemist’s dream.
23. Dire peril for all humanity as a result of that achievement.
24. The discovery that complex elements evolve in nature from simpler ones.
25. The recognition of planets as a necessary by-product of star formation.
26. Space travel.
27. The realization that some forms of cancer are contagious or communicable. *Viral…(high linkage to some STDs)
28. Failure to find evidence for a “missing link” between man and ape.
29. The non-existence of a mechanical ether (the supposed light-carrying substance posited by classical physics), and its redefinition as an abstract reality.
30. The breakdown of mechanical models (literal images) as a basis for understanding the physical.
Gary L. Matthews, The Challenge of Bahá’u’lláh
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How did Bahá’u’lláh address the Kings and Rulers of the Earth?
Germany’s Kaiser
Wilhelm I
Austria’s Emperor
Francis Joseph
Catholicism’s Pope
Pius IX
France’s Emperor
Napoleon III
Russia’s Czar
Alexander II
Great Britain’s
Queen Victoria
Ye are but vassals, O Kings of the earth! He Who is the King of kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most wondrous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Take heed lest pride deter you from recognizing the Source of Revelation; lest the things of this world shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is the Creator of heaven…. The treasures ye have laid up have drawn you far away from your ultimate objective…. Wash your hearts from all earthly defilements, and hasten to enter the Kingdom of your Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven….
Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 5
Iran’s
Nasiri‘d-Din Shah
The Ottoman Empire’s
Sultan Abdu‘l-'Aziz
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How did Bahá’u’lláh address the Rulers and Presidents of the Americas?
Canada
John Macdonald
Mexico
Benito Juarez
United States
Andrew Johnson
Argentina
Bartolomé Mitre
Brazil
Pedro II
Chile
José Joaquín Pérez
HEARKEN ye, O Rulers of America and the Presidents of the Republics therein Unto that which the Dove is warbling on the Branch of Eternity: There is none other God but Me, the Ever-Abiding, the Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. Adorn ye the temple of dominion with the ornament of justice and of the fear of God the Creator of the heavens….
The Promised One hath appeared in this glorified Station, whereat all beings, both seen and unseen, have rejoiced. Take ye advantage of the Day of God. Verily, to meet Him is better for you than all that whereon the sun shineth, could ye but know it…
Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 63
Bolivia
Mariano Melgarejo
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What did Bahá’u’lláh write to the world’s elected representatives?
O YE the elected representatives of the people in every land! Take ye counsel together, and let your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind, and bettereth the condition thereof, if ye be of them that scan heedfully. Regard the world as the human body which, though at its creation whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes, with grave disorders and maladies….
That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician. This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but error….
Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 65
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How did Bahá’u’lláh address Great Britain’s Queen Victoria?
O QUEEN in London! Incline thine ear unto the voice of thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind…. He, in truth, hath come unto the world in His most great glory, and all that hath been mentioned in the Gospel hath been fulfilled….
Lay aside thy desire, and set then thine heart towards thy Lord, the Ancient of Days. We make mention of thee for the sake of God, and desire that thy name may be exalted through thy remembrance of God, the Creator of earth and heaven…. We have been informed that thou hast forbidden the trading in slaves, both men and women. This, verily, is what God hath enjoined in this wondrous Revelation. God hath, truly, destined a reward for thee, because of this.…
We have also heard that thou hast entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done well, for thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow, whether high or low, will be tranquillized….
Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 33
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What did Bahá’u’lláh write to Pope Pius IX?
O Pope! Rend the veils asunder. He Who is the Lord of Lords is come overshadowed with clouds, and the decree hath been fulfilled by God, the Almighty, the Unrestrained…. He, verily, hath again come down from Heaven even as He came down from it the first time. Beware that thou dispute not with Him even as the Pharisees disputed with Him (Jesus) without a clear token or proof. On His right hand flow the living waters of grace, and on His left the choice Wine of justice, whilst before Him march the angels of Paradise, bearing the banners of His signs. Beware lest any name debar thee from God, the Creator of earth and heaven. Leave thou the world behind thee, and turn towards thy Lord, through Whom the whole earth hath been illumined…Arise in the name of thy Lord, the God of Mercy, amidst the peoples of the earth, and seize thou the Cup of Life with the hands of confidence, and first drink thou therefrom, and proffer it then to such as turn towards it amongst the peoples of all faiths….
Bahá’u’lláh, Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 83
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What did Bahá’u’lláh write to the world’s religious leaders?
O leaders of religion! Weigh not the Book of God with such standards and sciences as are current amongst you, for the Book itself is the unerring balance established amongst men. In this most perfect balance whatsoever the peoples and kindreds of the earth possess must be weighed, while the measure of its weight should be tested according to its own standard, did ye but know it….
O ye leaders of religion! Who is the man amongst you that can rival Me in vision or insight? Where is he to be found that dareth to claim to be My equal in utterance or wisdom? No, by My Lord, the All-Merciful! All on the earth shall pass away; and this is the face of your Lord, the Almighty, the Well-Beloved.
O concourse of divines! When My verses were sent down, and My clear tokens were revealed, We found you behind the veils.
Those divines…who are truly adorned with the ornament of knowledge and of a goodly character are, verily, as a head to the body of the world, and as eyes to the nations. The guidance of men hath, at all times, been and is dependent upon these blessed souls.
Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 71
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What did Bahá’u’lláh write to the French Emperor Napoleon III?
O KING of Paris! Tell the priest to ring the bells no longer. By God, the True One! The Most Mighty Bell hath appeared in the form of Him Who is the Most Great Name, and the fingers of the will of Thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, toll it out in the heaven of Immortality, in His name, the All-Glorious…. Say: He Who is the Unconditioned is come, in the clouds of light…
O King! We heard the words thou didst utter in answer to the Czar of Russia, concerning the decision made regarding the war (Crimean War)…. Thou didst say: 'I lay asleep upon my couch, when the cry of the oppressed, who were drowned in the Black Sea, wakened me.‘…. We testify that that which wakened thee was not their cry but the promptings of thine own passions….
For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass from thine hands, as a punishment for that which thou hast wrought…. Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away….
Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 22
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What did Bahá’u’lláh write to Austria’s Emperor Francis Joseph?
O EMPEROR of Austria! He who is the Dayspring of God's Light dwelt in the prison of 'Akká, at the time when thou didst set forth to visit the Aqsa Mosque (Jerusalem). Thou passed Him by, and inquired not about Him, by Whom every house is exalted, and every lofty gate unlocked.
We, verily, made it (Jerusalem) a place whereunto the world should turn, that they might remember Me, and yet thou hast rejected Him Who is the object of this remembrance, when He appeared with the Kingdom of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. We have been with thee at all times, and found thee clinging unto the Branch and heedless of the Root. Thy Lord, verily, is a witness unto what I say. We grieved to see thee circle round Our Name, whilst unaware of Us, though We were before thy face….
Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 35
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What did Bahá’u’lláh write to Iran’s Nasiri‘d-Din Shah?
O KING! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow….
Can any one speak forth of his own accord that for which all men, both high and low, will protest against him? Nay, by Him Who taught the Pen the eternal mysteries, save him whom the grace of the Almighty, the All-Powerful, hath strengthened….
I have seen, O Shah, in the path of God what eye hath not seen nor ear heard…How numerous the tribulations which have rained, and will soon rain, upon Me…
By God! Though weariness lay Me low, and hunger consume Me, and the bare rock be My bed, and My fellows the beasts of the field, I will not complain, but will endure patiently as those endued with constancy and firmness have endured patiently, through the power of God, the Eternal King and Creator of the nations, and will render thanks unto God under all conditions. We pray that, out of His bounty -- exalted be He -- He may release, through this imprisonment, the necks of men from chains and fetters, and cause them to turn, with sincere faces, towards His Face, Who is the Mighty, the Bounteous. Ready is He to answer whosoever calleth upon Him, and nigh is He unto such as commune with Him.
Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 54
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What did Bahá’u’lláh write to Russia’s Czar Alexander II?
O CZAR of Russia! Incline thine ear unto the voice of God, the King, the Holy, and turn thou unto Paradise,…' He Who is the Father is come, and the Son (Jesus), in the holy vale, crieth out: 'Here am I, here am I, O Lord, My God!' whilst Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning Bush calleth aloud: 'The All-Bounteous is come mounted upon the clouds! Blessed is he that draweth nigh unto Him, and woe betide them that are far away.'
Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling Cause, and summon, then, the nations unto God, the Exalted, the Great. Be thou not of them who called upon God by one of His names, but who, when He Who is the Object of all names appeared, denied Him and turned aside from Him, and, in the end, pronounced sentence against Him with manifest injustice….
I am the One Whom the tongue of Isaiah hath extolled, the One with Whose name both the Torah and the Evangel were adorned…. Blessed be the king whose sovereignty hath withheld him not from his Sovereign, and who hath turned unto God with his heart….
Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 22
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Having failed to recognize Bahá’u’lláh in this day…
If, in the Day when all the peoples of the earth will be gathered together, any man should, whilst standing in the presence of God, be asked: "Wherefore hast thou disbelieved in My Beauty and turned away from My Self," and if such a man should reply and say: "Inasmuch as all men have erred, and none hath been found willing to turn his face to the Truth, I, too, following their example, have grievously failed to recognize the Beauty of the Eternal," such a plea will, assuredly, be rejected. For the faith of no man can be conditioned by any one except himself.
Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 143
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Ere the expiration of a thousand years…
Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying imposter. We pray God that He may graciously assist him to retract and repudiate such claim. Should he repent, God will, no doubt, forgive him. If, however, he persisteth in his error, God will, assuredly, send down one who will deal mercilessly with him. Terrible, indeed, is God in punishing! Whosoever interpreteth this verse otherwise than its obvious meaning is deprived of the Spirit of God and of His mercy which encompasseth all created things. Fear God, and follow not your idle fancies. Nay, rather follow the bidding of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Wise.
Bahá’u’lláh, The Most Holy Book, ¶37
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