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Bahá'í Administration
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Pages 110-113
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Letter of October 7th, 1926.
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To the beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the West.
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Dearly-beloved brothers and sisters in `Abdu'l-Bahá:
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In the course of the few months that have elapsed since my last
communication to you regarding the appalling circumstances that
have culminated in the martyrdom of our Persian brethren in Jahrum,
events of the highest importance to the future welfare of our
beloved Cause have transpired, and with startling suddenness conferred
abiding solace upon those who still have to face the pains
and terrors of unmitigated and shameless tyranny.
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You have, most of you, I presume, read with thrilling joy in one
of the recent issues of the Star of the West that illuminating account
given by our beloved sister, Miss Martha Root, wherein she tells
with her characteristic directness and modesty the story of her moving
interview with Her Majesty Queen Marie of Roumania and of
the cordial and ready response which her gentle yet persuasive presentation
of the principles of the Bahá'í Faith has evoked in the
heart of that honored queen. One of the visible and potent effects
which this historic interview proved capable of achieving was the
remarkable appeal in the form of an open letter which Her Majesty
freely and spontaneously caused to be published to the world at large
testifying in a language of exquisite beauty to the power and sublimity
of the Message of Bahá'u'lláh.
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It was indeed a never-to-be-forgotten occasion when, on the eve
of the day commemorating the passing of Bahá'u'lláh, a handful
of us, His sorrowing servants, had gathered round His beloved
Shrine supplicating relief and deliverance for the down-trodden in
Persia, to receive in the midst of the silence of that distressing hour
the glad-tidings of this notable triumph which the unbending energy
and indomitable spirit of our beloved Martha has achieved for our
sacred Cause.
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With bowed heads and grateful hearts we recognize in this glowing
tribute which royalty has thus paid to the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh
an epoch-making pronouncement destined to herald those stirring
events which, as `Abdu'l-Bahá has prophesied, shall in the fulness
of time signalize the triumph of God's holy Faith. For who can
doubt but that the deeds of those valiant pioneers of the Faith, unexampled
though they have been in the abundance of their number
and unexcelled in their sublime heroism, are but a faint glimmer of
what, according to the divine promise, its steadfast followers are
destined to perform? Those heroic exploits that have immortalized
the names of its primitive adherents will continue to adorn and
illuminate the pages of its blood-stained history; yet we cannot forget
that the period of its full fruition with all its promise of world
felicity and undreamt-of achievements is yet to be realized, its golden
age yet to unfold. Indeed, how chastening to our pride, how challenging
to our enthusiasm, if we but pause for a moment amidst
the world's many distractions and ponder in our hearts the vastness,
the compelling urgency, the ineffable glory of what still remains
unachieved.
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But let us all remember, in this connection, that prior to every
conceivable measure destined to raise the efficiency of our administrative
activities, more vital than any scheme which the most resourceful
amongst us can devise, far above the most elaborate structure
which the concerted efforts of organized Assemblies can hope
to raise, is the realization down in the innermost heart of every true
believer of the regenerating power, the supreme necessity, the unfailing
efficacy of the Message he bears. I assure you, dear friends,
that nothing short of such an immovable conviction could have in
days past enabled our beloved Cause to weather the blackest storms
in its history. Naught else can today vitalize the manifold activities
in which unnumbered disciples of the Faith are engaged; naught
else can provide that driving force and sustaining power that are
both so essential to the success of vast and enduring achievements.
It is this spirit that above all else we should sedulously guard, and
strive with all our might to fortify and exemplify in all our undertakings.
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Moved by an irresistible impulse, I have addressed to Her Majesty
in the name of the Bahá'ís of both the East and the West a
written expression of our joyous admiration and gratitude for the
queenly tribute which Her Majesty has paid to the beauty and
nobility of the Bahá'í Teachings. I have, moreover, assured Her
Majesty of the far-reaching effect which her superb testimony will
inevitably produce, and of the welcome consolation it has already
brought to the silent sufferers in that distracted country. To my
message of appreciation and gratitude there has come lately a written
response, penned by Her Majesty, profoundly touching, singularly
outspoken, and highly significant in the testimony it bears.
From this queenly tribute to a divine ideal I quote these penetrating
words:
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"Indeed a great light came to me with the Message of Bahá'u'lláh
and `Abdu'l-Bahá. It came as all great messages come at an
hour of dire grief and inner conflict and distress, so the seed sank
deeply.... We pass on the Message from mouth to mouth and
all those we give it to see a light suddenly lighting before them and
much that was obscure and perplexing becomes simple, luminous
and full of hope as never before. That my open letter was balm
to those suffering for the Cause is indeed a great happiness to me,
and I take it as a sign that God accepted my humble tribute....
With bowed head I recognize that I too am but an instrument in
greater Hands and rejoice in the knowledge...."
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Dear friends, with feelings of profound emotion we recall the
glowing promises that have so often fallen from the lips of our
departed Master, and with throbbing hearts rejoice in the gradual
realization of His most cherished desire.
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And as we call to mind the circumstances that have led to such
a notable advance, we are filled with admiration for that unique and
great-hearted apostle of Bahá'u'lláh, our dearly-beloved Martha
Root, who under trying circumstances and almost single-handed in
her efforts, has so wonderfully paved the way for the universal
recognition of the Cause of God. In her case we have verily witnessed
in an unmistakable manner what the power of dauntless faith,
when coupled with sublimity of character, can achieve, what forces
it can release, to what heights it can rise.
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Let such remarkable revelations of the reality and continuity of
the divine purpose, made manifest from time to time to us His
feeble children, serve to fortify our faith in Him, to warm the chill
which fleeting misfortunes may leave behind, and fill us with that
celestial potency which alone can enable us to withstand the storm
and stress that lives dedicated to His service must needs encounter.
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Your true brother,
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SHOGHI.
Haifa, Palestine,
October 7th, 1926.
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