1848: Mullá Husayn walked about 1800 kilometers to see the Báb in Máh-Kú

Among them [“eager and devout pilgrims”] was the dauntless and indefatigable Mullá Husayn, who had walked on foot the entire way from Mashad in the east of Persia to Máh-Kú, the westernmost outpost of the realm, and was able, after so arduous a journey, to celebrate the festival of Naw-Rúz (1848) in the company of his Beloved. 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)

No one was allowed to see the Báb for the first two weeks at Máh-Kú – other than His amanuensis and his brother

circa 1935 - Mah-Ku

Upon His [Báb] arrival in Máh-Kú, surnamed by Him Jabal-i-Básiṭ (the Open Mountain) no one was allowed to see Him for the first two weeks except His amanuensis, Siyyid Ḥusayn, and his brother. So grievous was His plight while in that fortress that, in the Persian Bayán, He Himself has stated that at night-time He did not even have a lighted lamp, and that His solitary chamber, constructed of sun-baked bricks, lacked even a door, while, in His Tablet to Muhammad Sháh, He has complained that the inmates of the fortress were confined to two guards and four dogs.  

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

The Bab’s first visit to Tabriz created “an intense excitement on the part of the populace”

His [the Prime Minister’s] orders to ‘Alí Khán, the warden of the fortress of Máh-Kú, were stringent and explicit. On His way to that fortress the Báb passed a number of days in Tabríz, days that were marked by such an intense excitement on the part of the populace that, except for a few persons, neither the public nor His followers were allowed to meet Him. As He was escorted through the streets of the city the shout of “Alláh-u-Akbar” resounded on every side. So great, indeed, became the clamor that the town crier was ordered to warn the inhabitants that any one who ventured to seek the Báb’s presence would forfeit all his possessions and be imprisoned. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

1961: Elected members of the International Baha'i Council

 

The members of the International Baha'i Council elected in 1961 by members of the National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies. Left to right: Sylvia Ioas (Vice-President), Charles Wolcott (Secretary General), Jessie Revell (Treasurer), Ethel Revell (Western Assistant Secretary), Ian Semple (Assistant Secretary), Borrah Kavelin (Member-at-large), Lotfullah Hakim (Eastern Assistant Secretary), Ali Nakhjavani (President), Mildred Mottahedeh 

('Coronation on Carmel', by Michael Day)

1948: Workers constructing the retaining wall behind the Shrine of the Báb

('Coronation on Carmel', by Michael Day)

1973: The Universal House of Justice establishes the International Teaching Center

5 June 1973:

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

ANNOUNCE ESTABLISHMENT HOLY LAND LONG ANTICIPATED INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE DESTINED EVOLVE INTO ONE THOSE WORLD-SHAKING WORLD-EMBRACING WORLD-DIRECTING ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS ORDAINED BY BAHA'U'LLAH ANTICIPATED BY 'ABDU'L-BAHA ELUCIDATED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI. MEMBERSHIP THIS NASCENT INSTITUTION COMPRISES ALL HANDS CAUSE GOD AND INITIALLY THREE COUNSELLORS WHO WITH HANDS PRESENT HOLY LAND WILL CONSTITUTE NUCLEUS ITS VITAL OPERATIONS. CALLING UPON HOOPER DUNBAR FLORENCE MAYBERRY 'AZIZ YAZDI PROCEED HOLY LAND ASSUME THIS HIGHLY MERITORIOUS SERVICE. OFFERING PRAYERS HEARTFELT GRATITUDE SACRED THRESHOLD THIS FURTHER EVIDENCE ORGANIC EVOLUTION ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER BAHA'U'LLAH.

With loving Baha'i greetings,

The Universal House of Justice

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice, ‘1963-1986’)

1973: Mansion of Mazra’ih was finally purchased after many years of lease

Aerial view of the Mansion of Mazra'ih
and surrounding gardens-April 1979
(Baha'i Media Bank)

15 March 1973

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

OCCASION NAW-RUZ 130 JOYOUSLY ANNOUNCE BAHA'I WORLD ACQUISITION BY PURCHASE MANSION MAZRA'IH RESULT SEVERAL YEARS PATIENT PERSISTENT DETERMINED NEGOTIATIONS THEREBY ADDING TO BAHA'I ENDOWMENTS HOLY LAND FIRST RESIDENCE BAHA'U'LLAH AFTER NINE YEARS SPENT WALLED PRISON CITY 'AKKA. CONTROL THIS HOLY SITE REACQUIRED BY BELOVED GUARDIAN AFTER LAPSE MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS WHEN HE SECURED LEASE MANSION 1950 EXTENDED TO PRESENT TIME. PURCHASE INCLUDES LAND AREA APPROXIMATING TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND SQUARE METRES HIGHLY SUITABLE EXTENSION GARDENS CULTIVATION. OFFERING PRAYER THANKSGIVING SACRED THRESHOLD THIS GREATLY CHERISHED BOUNTY.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice, ‘1963-1986’)

1973: The Universal House of Justice completed the Synopsis and Codification of the Kitab-i-Aqdas initiated by the Guardian

19 January 1973:

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

JOYFULLY ANNOUNCE COMPLETION SYNOPSIS CODIFICATION KITAB-I-AQDAS FOR PUBLICATION RIDVAN SYNCHRONIZING CELEBRATION HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY REVELATION MOST HOLY BOOK FULFILLING WORLD CENTRE GOAL NINE YEAR PLAN. CONFIDENT RELEASE THIS PUBLICATION ENVISAGED BY BELOVED GUARDIAN AND WHOSE MAIN FEATURES HE OUTLINED WILL CONSTITUTE ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT STEP PATH LEADING BAHA'I COMMUNITY FULL MATURITY ESTABLISHMENT WORLD ORDER BAHA'U'LLAH.

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)

1972: Constitution of the Universal House of Justice was adopted – a document referred to by the Guardian as the “Most Great Law of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh”

26 November 1972

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Baha'i friends,

The following cable has just been sent to the United States Baha'i News for publication.

WITH GRATEFUL JOYOUS HEARTS ANNOUNCE ENTIRE BAHA'I WORLD ADOPTION PROFOUNDLY SIGNIFICANT STEP IN UNFOLDMENT MISSION SUPREME ORGAN BAHA'I WORLD COMMONWEALTH THROUGH FORMULATION CONSTITUTION UNIVERSAL HOUSE JUSTICE. AFTER OFFERING HUMBLE PRAYERS GRATITUDE ON DAY COVENANT AT THREE SACRED THRESHOLDS BAHJI HAIFA MEMBERS GATHERED COUNCIL CHAMBER PRECINCTS HOUSE BLESSED MASTER APPENDED THEIR SIGNATURES FIXED SEAL ON INSTRUMENT ENVISAGED WRITINGS BELOVED GUARDIAN HAILED BY HIM AS MOST GREAT LAW FAITH BAHA'U'LLAH. FULLY ASSURED MEASURE JUST TAKEN WILL FURTHER REINFORCE TIES BINDING WORLD CENTRE TO NATIONAL LOCAL COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT WORLD RELEASE FRESH ENERGIES INCREASE ENTHUSIASM CONFIDENCE VALIANT WORKERS HIS DIVINE VINEYARD LABOURING ASSIDUOUSLY BRING MANKIND UNDER SHELTER HIS ALL-GLORIOUS COVENANT.

Please share this joyous news with the friends. It is anticipated that the Constitution will be published at Ridvan.

With loving Baha'i greetings,

The Universal House of Justice

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)

1956: First Regional National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of North West Africa

 

(Baha'i News, August 1956)

1948: First Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Oslo, Norway

 

(Baha'i News, May 1948)

1951: Local Spiritual Assembly of Cairo, Egypt - First time women were elected to serve in Muslim counties

 

(Baha'i News, December 1951)

1982: Baha’i representatives made a presentation to the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States House of Representatives concerning the persecution of the Baha'is in Iran

 

(World Order magazine, Spring 1982)

1949: First Regional Teaching Conference in Brazil

 

(Baha'i News, December 1949)

1942: Study Class conducted by Miss Adelaide Sharp, Tihran, Iran

(Baha'i News, Feb. 1943)

1942- December: Transfer of the remains of Lua Getsinger to the new Baha'i Cemetery in Cairo Egypt

 

(Baha'i News, July 1943)

1947: First Spiritual Assembly of Medellin, Colombia

 

(Baha'i News, September 1947)

February 1949: First Baha'i Youth Symposium in Switzerland

 

(Baha'i News, April 1949)

1944: National Haziratu'l-Quds of the Baha'is of Iran, Tihran

(Baha'i News, July 1944)

circa 1948: The "Most Great Prison" in Akka - Baha'u'llah suffered cruelty and deprivation as a prisoner for 24 years

(World Order magazine, December 1948)

circa 1954: National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran

Seated, left to right: Ali Akbar Furutan, Adelaide Sharp, Shoallah Alai. Standing, left to right: Jalal Khazeh, General Sohrab, Monir Darakhshan, Zikrullah Khadem, and Kazem Kazemzadeh 

(World Order magazine, 2006, vol. 37, no. 3)

circa 1926: A view of the Garden of Ridvan near Akka

(Star of the West [The Baha'i Magazine], vol. 17, no. 8, November 1926)

circa 1926: Pilgrim house at Bahji

(Star of the West [The Baha'i Magazine], vol. 17, no. 8, November 1926)

circa 1925: The Girls' School in Ishqabad Russia - One branch of the Baha'i activities

Former students of this school provided active service in 
the Baha'i community and some went to London to continue their studies. 
(Star of the West, [The Baha'i Magazine], vol. 16, no. 12, March 1926)

1985: “The time has come for the Baha'i community to become more involved in the life of the society around it…”

The time has come for the Baha'i community to become more involved in the life of the society around it, without in the least supporting any of the world's moribund and divisive concepts, or slackening its direct teaching efforts, but rather, by association, exerting its influence towards unity, demonstrating its ability to settle differences by consultation rather than by confrontation, violence or schism, and declaring its faith in the divine purpose of human existence. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (Ridvan 1985; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)