A Brief History Of The Faith

Hands may be black, white, yellow or brown, but the hue of the heart is one.” The first foundation stone is the Jasper; it is clear red, like the hue of the heart. In ancient times it was called the bloodstone.” – ‘Abdu’l-Baha
“In every dispensation the light of divine guidance has been focused upon one central theme…. In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious center, the foundation of Faith of God and the distinguishing feature of His Law, is the consciousness of the oneness of mankind.” – ‘Abdu’l-Baha
“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 people 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.” – Baha’u’llah
“God Himself does not compel the soul to become spiritual. The exercise of the free human will is necessary.” – Baha’u’llah
“All must be free to seek out truth in their own way. The second foundation stone, the sapphire, is a clear blue, “true blue,” and the color of faith, inspiration, loyalty and truth. Man must be free to soar in this “Dome of heavens blue truth,” and see it with his own eyes.” – ‘Abdu’l-Baha
“O ye sons of intelligence! The thin eyelid prevents the eye from seeing the world and what is contained therein. Then think of the result when the curtain of greed over the sight of the heart! O people! The darkness of greed and envy obscures the light of the soul as the cloud prevents the penetration of the sun’s rays.” – Baha’u’llah

A – Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa’i and Sayyid Kazim ar-Rashti:

These were the first instructors to preach the impending dawn of a new era and the impending appearance of a new Manifestation. Additionally, they preached that He will unify everyone under one cause.

B – The Bab:

One of Sayyid Kazim Rashti’s disciples named Mulla Husayn Bushrui was informed in 1844 by the Bab (also known as the Gate) that the Bab was a manifestation of God with a shorter dispensation. Through the phrase “He Whom God Shall Manifest,” he foretold the arrival of Baha’u’llah. The Bab was placed in the penitentiary and swiftly transferred to two other facilities. The regime murdered and tortured his supporters. The Bab Himself was finally put to death in Tabriz’s main plaza.

C – Baha’u’llah:

The Bab’s disciple, Baha’u’llah (whose name means “Glory of God”), was born. After the Bab’s passing, Baha’u’llah was imprisoned in Tehran’s Dark Pit in 1853, where he was given the Revelation from God to launch His Mission. Baha’u’llah went into a self-imposed exile into the highlands upon his release and exile to Baghdad. The Babi community was becoming more and more uncivilised without leaders. The true leadership has always centred on Him, despite the Bab having named Mirza Yahya, Baha’u’llah’s half-brother, as a symbolic leader. The people eventually found Him and pleaded with Him to come back. In the Garden of Ridvan (Baghdad, Iraq), Baha’u’llah officially announced His adoption of the Prophetic role in 1863 and proclaimed Himself to be the Promised One of the Bab and all major world faiths. Following this, He was exiled to the prison city of Akka in the Holy Land before being sent to Constantinople, Adrianople, and lastly the Holy Land. He composed several volumes of His Scriptures during this era while imprisoned there for 35 years. He was placed under house arrest near the end of his life in the Bahji home. There He passed away in the year 1892.

D – Abdu’l Baha:

In His own lifetime, Baha’u’llah chose Abdu’l Baha to serve as the authorised translator of the Writings and the heart of His Covenant. All Baha’is look to Him for direction and continue to be one. The Master spent a portion of His life in prison with Baha’u’llah and embraced His father’s Prophethood when He was just 9 years old. After being set free by the Young Turk Revolution, Abdu’l Baha journeyed to Europe and America in 1912 to give lectures. During this time his secretary and interpreter was Mirza Ahmad Sohrab. He passed away in the year 1921.

E – Ruth White and Zimmer Hermann:

The Free Baha’i faith was initially inspired by Lady Ruth White. Hermann Zimmer and Ruth White both dedicated their entire lives to advancing the Cause and disseminating the authentic teachings of Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha. The New History Society members, Lewis and Julia Chanler, Mirza Ahmed Sohrab, Master Abdu’l Baha’s secretary and interpreter, and Ruth White all strove to promote the faith throughout the United States and its neighbouring nations. Hermann was primarily focused on promoting the faith in Germany along with Dr. Herrigel, a founding member of the German Baha’i community. The teachings of Baha’u’llah and Master Abdul Baha were imparted to the populace. Shoghi Effendi nevertheless closely monitored the New History Society’s operations.

He expelled the New History Society’s founders gradually out of fear of their rising membership and popularity. Additionally, he initiated a lawsuit in opposition to the New History Society’s attempt to copyright the term “Baha’i.” And fortunately, the ‘Guardian’ lost the lawsuit. Since she was raised a Christian, Lady Ruth made a big effort to convert influential Christians to the Baha’i faith. She also met Mehar Baba and his students while campaigning for the cause, but sadly, her life could not sustain her, thus she left the movement to go to her ultimate home.

Through divine revelation, Lady Ruth and Hermann Zimmer came to the conclusion that Shoghi Effendi, the grandson of Abdu’l Baha, had fraudulently used Abdu’l Baha’s Will to establish himself in the position of Guardianship. Shoghi Effendi ignored Abdu’l Baha’s statement that “This religion could not be compressed into an Organisation.” and transformed the most apolitical religion on earth into a political religion. The spirit of the religion of Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha was entirely absent from the administration that Shoghi established. Being a power-hungry individual who turned into a global dictator for himself, he expelled every member of the Baha’i family, even his own parents. He rejected “Independent examination of the Truth,” the cornerstone of the Baha’i Faith, and referred to Baha’is as “Harmful Elements,” “Enemies,” or “Crazy.” Following Shoghi Effendi’s passing, so-called Hands of the Cause assumed control of the religion. They then established the Universal House of Justice to oversee Baha’is all over the world. As a result, the Faith’s true character was lost, and it was reduced to nothing more than an administrative framework.

F – COVENANT OF BAHA’U’LLAH

After a thousand/s years, the Baha’u’llah’s foretold successor will manifest. This is the Covenant that Baha’u’llah established. To avoid any disagreements, Abdu’l Baha must be contacted before the establishment of the Universal House of Justice.

G – CURRENT POSITION

The Free Baha’is of today are spread out around the globe. Countries including Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, India, Iran, Israel, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the United States are home to them. Even though they are few in number, they are actively pursuing the authentic teachings of Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l Baha in the anticipation of the formation of the real “House of Justice,” which would put an end to all conflicts, one day.