January 20, 2017

1925: Floods destroy five hundred houses belonged to Baha’is in Nayriz, Persia

To this sad tale of unbridled cruelty must be added the devastation caused by the recent floods which have destroyed nearly half of Nayriz including five hundred houses which belonged to the Baha’is of that town. 
- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated March 3, 1925 addressed to ‘the beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the West’; Baha’i News, no. 6, July-August 1925)

January 16, 2017

1925: Praiseworthy qualities exhibited by North American believers - the Guardian identifies

  • “Your steadfastness,  
  • your unsparing devotion,
  • your self-sacrifice in upholding and fostering the institutions of the Cause;
  • the notable advance you have achieved in the coordination of your activities;
  • the remarkable solicitude you have shown, and
  • the magnificent response you have made on behalf of the oppressed and needy among your brethren;
  • the measures you have initiated,
  • the hindrances you have removed and
  • the means and methods you have perfected…”

January 10, 2017

Baha’u’llah tells Napoleon III about his conversation with the Czar of Russia, his dream, and the consequences of his disregard of God’s Message

O King! We heard the words thou didst utter in answer to the Czar of Russia, concerning the decision made regarding the war. [1] Thy Lord, verily, knoweth, is informed of all. Thou didst say: “I lay asleep upon my couch, when the cry of the oppressed, who were drowned in the Black Sea, wakened me.” This is what We heard thee say, and, verily, thy Lord is witness unto what I say. We testify that that which wakened thee was not their cry but the promptings of thine own passions, for We tested thee, and found thee wanting. Comprehend the meaning of My words, and be thou of the discerning. It is not Our wish to address thee words of condemnation, out of regard for the dignity We conferred upon thee in this mortal life. We, verily, have chosen courtesy, and made it the true mark of such as are nigh unto Him. Courtesy is, in truth, a raiment which fitteth all men, whether young or old.  Well is it with him that adorneth his temple therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this great bounty. Hadst thou been sincere in thy words, thou wouldst have not cast behind thy back the Book of God, when it was sent unto thee by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise. We have proved thee through it, and found thee other than that which thou didst profess. Arise, and make amends for that which escaped thee. Erelong the world and all that thou possessest will perish, and the kingdom will remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers of old. It behoveth thee not to conduct thine affairs according to the dictates of thy desires. Fear the sighs of this Wronged One, and shield Him from the darts of such as act unjustly.