There is no correspondence or connection between the Hidden Word (Arabic)
no. 1 and the last Arabic Hidden Word, or between these and any passage of
the Seven Valleys.
The Cairo edition of the Hidden Words, approved by the Master, is the one
you must refer to for accuracy, and disregard all other texts. This
answers the questions connected with Hidden Words number 18 and 39 and 1
(two) and 35 (two).
Hidden Word no. 70: this is not addressed to any person but is a mystical
expression and an allusion to the Manifestation of God.
No marginal notes should be added except any of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself or
the notes of the Cairo edition.
The whole question of translation from the original text is very
important. He has just written on this subject, at some length, to
Baroness von Werthern, explaining to her that he considers now is not the
time to translate the teachings into German from Persian and Arabic. No
Persian with a sufficient expert knowledge of German is available to help
in this matter; he does not feel, therefore, that such works as “Some
Answered Questions”, “Seven Valleys”, etc. should be embarked upon at all.
People who have not spent years steeped in the atmosphere and language and
literature of the East cannot possibly grasp the subtleties of oriental
usage. A good example of this very point is that Prof. Süssheim has not
grasped what Bahá’u’lláh means by the word “[Arabic script]“. He is using
it in a loose and colloquial sense which means “a passing thing”, a small
amount, and not literally associating it with food.
He feels you should continue your study of the teachings in the original
and, from time to time, if you desire to, translate material from the
original in short excerpts; but not at present important books and
Tablets. These you can better translate from good English editions.
There is so much teaching work, and administrative work, to be done in
Germany at present that he urges you to concentrate on this form of
service. The public need to receive the Message on a large scale, to have
available literature at once, to read articles on the Bahá’í Faith; and in
all these ways your services can be of great help.
P.S. “Tur” and “Sinai” should not be taken literally; the first is an
allusion to Mt. Sinai, which in this case means the Manifestation of God;
the second, “Sinai”, represents the human heart.
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty bless, sustain and guide you, at all times and under all
conditions, assist you to proclaim the verities of His Faith, and lend a
tremendous impetus to the advancement and consolidation of its new-born
and God-given institutions,
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 13 JUNE 1947(24)
13 June 1947
He was happy to hear the message had been broadcast over the Radio
Frankfurt, and hopes this teaching method can often be used, as it reaches
the people in their homes and many of them would not attend public
meetings.
The very encouraging report you sent him of the work in Germany was most
welcome, and he wishes that the National Teaching Committee or the N.S.A.
would send him a statement showing how many Spiritual Assemblies there
are, how many groups and how many isolated Bahá’ís, and in which cities
and towns they are to be found, respectively.
Generally speaking his instructions to the American Bahá’ís and their
N.S.A. are, whenever they concern administrative principles and procedure
and general statements about and interpretations of the Faith, binding for
all Bahá’ís everywhere. Naturally specific instructions to the American
Bahá’ís are not applicable to other communities. “Bahá’í Procedure”, as
Mr. Holley pointed out, is not binding on other National Assemblies, as
many things in it are purely secondary rulings made by the American N.S.A.
to facilitate the work of the Cause under its jurisdiction.
The believers should certainly, under no circumstances, drink any
alcoholic beverages as this has been forbidden in the Aqdas. Not all of
its laws and precepts can be practiced at present; but those he has, in
his instructions to America, laid down as applicable at present should be
followed.
LETTER OF 4 JULY 1947
4 July 1947
Bahá’í Gemeinde, Karlsruhe
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your letter dated May 23rd was received by our beloved Guardian, and he
wishes me to tell you all how very happy he was to hear that you now have
a Spiritual Assembly there. This is the beginning of your work—not the end
of it!—and you may be sure his ardent and loving prayers will be offered
for your success, and expansion, in the Holy Shrines.
He also takes this opportunity of thanking Mrs. Brauns-Forel for her
letter and assures her of his prayers...
[From the Guardian:]
Assuring you of my loving prayers for your success, for the extension o f
your valued activities, and the realization of your dearest hopes in the
service of the Faith and its divinely appointed institutions,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 19 JULY 1947
19 July 1947
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Stuttgart
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your letter of March 10th was received, and as our beloved Guardian was
very busy he could not reply to you sooner. However, he has now instructed
me to answer you on his behalf.
He has no objection to the Stuttgart Bahá’ís arranging to have a center of
their own on Mrs. Schwarz’ land. As this was a spot visited by the beloved
Master, it is all the more appropriate as a center for the Cause there.
He hopes that the Stuttgart friends will so arrange their affairs that
this new undertaking will not prevent them from assisting the national
interests of the Cause and spending them their full support.
His loving prayers are offered for you all, and for the success of the
work you are doing there, which is so sacred and so vitally important...
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty bless, guide and sustain you in your meritorious and
constant services to His glorious Faith, aid you to extend the range of
your activities, to proclaim the truths of His Faith, multiply its
institutions, and consolidate its foundations,
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 27 SEPTEMBER 1947
27 September 1947
He was very distressed to learn of the conditions in Germany which you say
are getting steadily worse. Both the beloved Guardian and the Persian
N.S.A. have remitted sums to America for Care packages for the believers
in Germany, and he hopes these will soon reach you.
In view of the great hardships the friends must endure he marvels at all
that they are able to do for the Faith. He greatly admires their devotion,
and prays ardently for the conditions they are living under to improve.
LETTER OF 14 NOVEMBER 1947
14 November 1947
He feels that, if your health is now sufficiently good for you to endure
the rigours of life in Germany at the present time, it would certainly be
rendering the Faith a great service for you to return to Berlin and
inspire the believers there, and teach the Cause. In connection with the
question you asked him about the advisability of putting on your house a
name plate saying “Bahá’í Búro”, this is something you must get permission
for either from the Spiritual Assembly of Berlin (if it is functioning by
the time you return) or the National Assembly.
He was very happy to hear Herr Lehne is now so active in serving the Cause
in Berlin and planning a large public meeting. When you write to him
please assure him of the Guardian’s appreciation and his prayers on his
behalf.
LETTER OF 21 NOVEMBER 1947
21 November 1947
He is so very happy to hear that there(25) are now 36 believers there and
new souls coming into the Faith all the time!
He was also delighted to learn that at last the National Hazírá is
secured. This is a most important step forwards, and will greatly enhance
the prestige of the Faith in Germany.
You must never become discouraged; your services are both needed and
appreciated, and the Guardian deeply values them.
He was pleased to hear Mrs Davison is helping you so much there with the
work in Frankfurt, and he hopes she will be able to stay there another
year.
LETTER OF 21 NOVEMBER 1947
21 November 1947
Regarding your questions: by holiness in our Bahá’í teachings is meant
attachment to God, His Precepts and His Will. We are not ascetics in any
sense of the word. On the contrary, Bahá’u’lláh says God has created all
the good things in the world for us to enjoy and partake of. But we must
not become attached to them and put them before the spiritual things.
Chastity in the strict sense means not to have sexual intercourse, or
sexual intimacies, before marriage. In the general sense it means not to
be licentious. This does not mean we Bahá’ís believe sexual relations to
be impure or wrong. On the contrary they are natural and should be
considered one of God’s many blessings. He does not know anything about
whether albumen and delicious food affect sex; this is a medical question.
Sex is a very individual matter, some people are more passionate by nature
than others, and might consequently suffer more if forced to be continent.
But when the world becomes more spiritual there will not be such an
exaggerated emphasis on sex, as there is today, and consequently it will
be easier for young people to be chaste and control their passions. A man
of noble character and strong willpower, could certainly remain faithful
to his wife during a long absence!
Any good orientalist could probably refer you to commentaries on the
Qur’án and on the Buddhist Scriptures. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has stated that all
references of Muḥammad to fighting refer to defensive war, not to
aggression.
LETTER OF 25 NOVEMBER 1947
25 November 1947
He is very happy to see that you are all studying the Bahá’í Teachings,
and preparing yourselves to be worthy servants of Bahá’u’lláh, and of
humanity, when you grow older.
You may be sure he will pray for you all in the Holy Shrines, and that you
may attract other children and young people to the Bahá’í Cause. No one is
ever too young to teach this Message to others.
LETTER OF 27 NOVEMBER 1947
27 November 1947
He was very happy to hear of the progress being made spiritually there(26)
, and that now there are 9 Bahá’ís in all. He hopes this will enable you
to form a Spiritual Assembly. You may be sure he will pray that this may
come about.
[From the Guardian:]
Assuring you of my loving prayers for your success in the service of our
beloved Faith and its God-given institutions,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 8 DECEMBER 1947
8 December 1947
Bahá’í Gemeinde Esslingen
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your loving greeting to our beloved Guardian, dated Nov. 12th, 1947, was
received and he has instructed me to write you on his behalf and thank you
for it.
He assures you all that your devotion to the Cause of God is very deeply
appreciated, and the perseverance you show in its service greatly valued
by him.
He will pray for you all in the Holy Tombs, that Bahá’u’lláh may bless,
guide and protect you in your service to His Faith...
[From the Guardian:]
May the Spirit of Bahá’u’lláh guide, sustain and protect you in your
deeply valued endeavours for the propagation of our glorious Faith, aid
you to add to your numbers, to deepen your understanding of its
fundamental truths, and promote its vital interests.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 18 DECEMBER 1947
18 December 1947
...although he is very overburdened with work he wishes me to drop you a
little line and assure you of how happy he is to hear that the relief
packages your Com.(27) receives from America and other countries do so
much good.
He admires the steadfast devotion of the German assemblies and of the
German friends which keeps them busy serving the Cause in spite of every
hardship and obstacle.
LETTER OF 30 JANUARY 1948
30 January 1948
To the Bahá’í Friends in Schwerin
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your loving message of greeting, signed by so many names, reached our
beloved Guardian, and he was very happy to see so many are active in the
Faith there.
He hopes in April circumstances will permit the formation of a Spiritual
Assembly there, which will greatly assist you all in your devoted services
to the Cause of God.
You may be sure in his visits to the Holy Shrines here he will remember
you all in his prayers and pray for your welfare and success...
[From the Guardian:]
May the Spirit of Bahá’u’lláh sustain, guide and bless you, at all times
and under all conditions, graciously assist you to enlarge the limits of
the Faith, add to your numbers, deepen your understanding of its verities,
and proclaim its principles far and wide.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 2 JUNE 1948
2 June 1948
To the Bahá’ís of Esslingen who were present at the Naw-Rúz Feast, 105
B.E.
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your loving Naw-Rúz greeting only reached our beloved Guardian on May
31st, but he was very pleased to receive it, and to see that so many of
the dear believers had gathered together to celebrate that happy Feast
day.
In spite of the gloom which man’s disobedience to the Divine Laws is
creating throughout the world, the Bahá’ís must be courageous, joyous and
ever-active in spreading the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, for in the end it
will triumph and dispel the evil and sadness engulfing mankind.
He assures you all he will pray for the success of your Bahá’í labours in
the Holy Shrines...
[From the Guardian:]
May the Spirit of Bahá’u’lláh sustain, guide and protect you under all
circumstances, cheer your hearts, enable you to extend continually the
range of your activities, and aid you to win memorable victories for His
Faith and its institutions,
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 10 JUNE 1948(28)
10 June 1948
Your letters to our beloved Guardian ... were received, as well as the
report of the persecution of the German Bahá’ís, and the greetings from
the Teaching conference, and he has instructed me to answer you on his
behalf.
He was very pleased to receive all the good news you conveyed to him, and
the love and devotion with which you and your dear husband and family
serve the Cause of God is a source of great comfort to him.
He would have answered you before, but pressure of work, and the recent
very disturbed state of the country, has held up his correspondence. He
hopes this letter will reach you safely.
The progress being made by the Faith in Germany is excellent. It is if at
last the Cause were let out of the cage and can spread its wings there and
fly—and the hearts of the German people are a very rich field in which to
sow the Divine Seeds. He has always foreseen for Germany a great future in
the Bahá’í world...
He was particularly glad to hear the working people, the backbone of every
nation, are receptive to the Cause and being taught.
LETTER OF 10 JUNE 1948(29)
10 June 1948
Unfortunately conditions here in Palestine were so disturbed and
disorganized that the Guardian could not send a message as you requested,
to the Esperanto Congress in Munich in May. He has been, and is, as you
can well imagine, very concerned over the state of the Holy Land. But so
far all has gone well, the Shrines have been protected, and the Bahá’í
Community respected here and assisted, by the new authorities.
It seems as if some time must elapse before pilgrims from anywhere can
again visit here. But he hopes, at a future date, your heart’s desire will
be granted and you will be able to come to Haifa.
Unfortunately the American National Spiritual Assembly has such a very
heavy program to carry out at present, in the teaching field and in the
decoration of the Temple, that many other projects must wait until more
money is available. Printing Bahá’í Literature is one of them. But he
hopes in the near future some new editions can be gotten out.
LETTER OF 11 JUNE 1948
11 June 1948
Bahá’í Jugend Esslingen
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your loving message to our beloved Guardian, dated Mulk 9th, 104, was
received, and very much appreciated, and he was delighted to learn you had
been able to hold such a large meeting for the Youth Symposium day.
He has been very busy lately, due to conditions here and the great amount
of work there is to do, but nevertheless he wishes to answer your letter
and assure you he will pray for your success, and that he is proud of your
spirit and your devotion to the Faith...
[From the Guardian:]
May the Beloved of our hearts guide every step you take in the path of
service, aid you to deepen your understanding of the essentials of His
Faith, and promote, at all times, the best interests of its institutions,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 3 JULY 1948
3 July 1948
He does not think that we can yet go so far as to write commentaries and
lengthy treatises on the relation of the Bahá’í teachings to Education,
Economics, etc, as the world knows these subjects at present. We have our
basic principles, but ... (unreadable) We cannot say in detail what the
“Bahá’í” system will be. It has yet to grow and mature. However, articles
on these matters, where our general ideas are correlated to present
knowledge and usage, and compared, would be good because not too much
detail could be gone into.
LETTER OF 3 DECEMBER 1948
3 December 1948
It will make you all happy to hear that the columns for the Báb’s Shrine,
and the capitals and many stones—the first shipment—have now reached
Haifa, and are being transported to the Shrine gardens. Soon the Guardian
hopes the actual building work can be begun.
LETTER OF 13 DECEMBER 1948(30)
13 December 1948
He has, as a result of your letter, just cabled you via Geneva asking you
to please get from Mrs ... the letter Hussein wrote her and forward it to
him, as he wishes to see it.
I cannot tell you how much and how bitterly our beloved Guardian has
suffered from the disloyalty and dishonourable conduct of the members of
the Master’s Family, and now his own family. They have not only disobeyed
him, and flouted his advice and instructions, but done things which are so
shameful he is unable to mention them. In view of this, he was forced in
1944, to expel Hussein—but not until he had of his own accord left the
Master’s house gone to the Covenant-Breakers, and refused warnings and
advice alike. His heart is unrepentant, and his character greatly changed,
which is surely a great tragedy.
He was very pleased to hear you were able to visit the Bahá’í convention
in Hamburg, and that you found the believers there so enthusiastic and
devoted. There is a tremendous amount of work to be done everywhere, and
such active and tireless workers, as you and your dear family, are needed
urgently in every direction!
He most deeply values your loyalty, your devotion and your services. You
may be sure he will pray for you in the Holy Shrines and for your family
and dear Mrs Benke....
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I deeply and increasingly appreciate the spirit that animates you, and
wish to assure you of my abiding appreciation of your exemplary loyalty,
your perseverance and splendid services to our glorious Faith. Persevere
in your manifold and meritorious activities, and rest assured that the
Beloved is well pleased with the standard of your accomplishments,
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 8 FEBRUARY 1949
8 February 1949
He sees no objection to the Bahá’ís taking part in the movement for
“World-Citizenship”, as this is marking towards one of our most cherished
goals—the unification of the human race under some form of International
government. As long as this movement takes no political sides of any
nature and keeps quite clear of all forms of politics, the Bahá’ís may
support it.
He thinks it was a fine gesture for the National Assembly to invite Mr.
Garry Davis to be present on Bahá’í-World-Youth-Day and he hopes, this
courageous and independent man will be able to accept the invitation.
LETTER OF 2 MARCH 1949
2 March 1949
You, as devoted and experienced believers, must do all in your power to
urge the friends to unite in order to protect the Faith. The Hamburg
difficulty is not insurmountable, as long as the friends all make up their
minds that no sacrifice of personal feeling or opinion in this matter is
too great to make in order to maintain the unity of the administrative
order there and the unity of the believers. The more friends take sides,
the more difficult it will be to solve this problem.
He urges you both to encourage your son and brother to look upon the
perfection of the Faith and not upon the imperfections of the
believers—for we are all imperfect.
LETTER OF 11 MARCH 1949
11 March 1949
The National Youth Committee
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Our beloved Guardian wishes me to thank you on his behalf for your
greetings and the report of Bahá’í World Youth Day.
He was very pleased indeed to learn you held such successful meetings on
this occasion, and to see with what fervour and devotion you are assuming
your responsibilities as young Bahá’ís who, in the not distant future,
will be called upon to carry forward so much of the important work of the
Faith as adult members of the Community.
LETTER OF 20 MARCH 1949(31)
20 March 1949
Regarding your book: he feels that this can only come under the heading,
judging by the outline you gave him, of a romance woven about a historical
episode: the Báb and the events following His Martyr(dom); we do not know
enough concrete facts about the relation of the Russian Court, the Russian
consul, and what exact part he played in the events of those days to fill
a large paragraph! He feels, therefore, that your book should be presented
as such a romance, and not in any way as a historical narrative.
There were many factors at work in releasing Bahá’u’lláh from the Síyáh
_Ch_ál, not the last of which was the intervention of His own sister who
presented very valuable gifts to the _Sh_áh himself while she interceded
for her Brother’s life. So you see your information—not merely yours, any
Bahá’ís at the present time—is far too scanty to permit of a really
historical account being written. This does not mean you cannot get your
book out as a romance. He certainly would not want you to destroy your
manuscript!
LETTER OF 24 MARCH 1949
24 March 1949
He was also very pleased to see the contact with the Esperantists is being
maintained. This friendly cooperation with them, and attendance at their
Congresses, is very good, and will no doubt bring the Bahá’í Cause to many
of their member’s attention. Also, he hopes, it will lead to many of them
becoming Bahá’ís in the future.
LETTER OF 31 MARCH 1949
31 March 1949
First, let me say that one of the reasons God has given us the institution
of Guardianship is to prevent men from crystallizing the Cause of God into
a rigid system. Your questions are mostly along the line of trying to lay
down a fixed pattern for future society, long before the time for such a
pattern is ripe. Remember that Bahá’u’lláh says what is not already
revealed, the International House of Justice must in the future legislate,
and it can make, and abrogate if necessary, its own laws. This means not
fixity in guiding society, but fluidity!
No. 1 Bahá’u’lláh and the Master mention only Local, National and an
International House of Justice. There is no provision for divisional ones.
Each city will have its own Spiritual Assembly, not a number of district
ones. Naturally, district 19 Day Feasts can be held where there are very
many Bahá’ís in one city.
No. 2 The Hands of the Cause will have executive authority in so far as
they carry out the work of the Guardian.
No. 3 Spiritual Assembly is the name at present for the body which in
future will be called “House of Justice”.
No. 4 The Badí Calendar will be used generally. The Bahá’í week has seven
days.
No. 5 There is nothing about “ground organization”. These details are left
for future legislation.
No. 6 No. Such things are for the consideration of the legislative bodies
in future.
No. 7 No. But ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stated there are other worlds than ours which
are inhabited by beings capable of knowing God.