The Báb : On May 23, 1844, in Shiraz,
Persia, a young man known as the Báb announced the
imminent appearance of the Messenger of God awaited by all
the peoples of the world. The title Báb means "the
Gate." Although Himself the bearer of an independent
revelation from God, the Báb declared that His purpose
was to prepare mankind for this advent.
Swift and savage persecution at the hands of the dominant
Muslim clergy followed this announcement. The Báb was
arrested, beaten, imprisoned, and finally on July 9, 1850
was executed in the public square of the city of Tabriz. Some
20,000 of His followers perished in a series of massacres
throughout Persia. Today, the majestic building with the golden
dome, overlooking the Bay of Haifa, Israel, and set amidst
beautiful gardens, is the Shrine where the Báb's earthly
remains are entombed.
Founder of the Bahá'í Faith: Born in 1817,
Bahá'u'lláh was a member of one of the great
patrician families of Persia. The family could trace its lineage
to the ruling dynasties of Persia's imperial past, and was
endowed with wealth and vast estates. Turning His back on
the position at court which these advantages offered Him,
Bahá'u'lláh became known for His generosity
and kindliness which made Him deeply loved among His countrymen.
This privileged position did not long survive Bahá'u'lláh's
announcement of support for the message of the Báb
. Engulfed in the waves of violence unleashed upon the Bábís
after the Báb's execution Bahá'u'lláh
suffered not only the loss of all His worldly endowments but
was subjected to imprisonment, torture, and a series of banishments.
The first was to Baghdad where, in 1863, He announced Himself
as the One promised by the Báb. From Baghdad, Bahá'u'lláh
was sent to Constantinople, to Adrianople, and finally to
Acre, in the Holy Land, where He arrived as a prisoner in
1868.
From Adrianople and later from Acre, Bahá'u'lláh
addressed a series of letters to the rulers of His day that
are among the most remarkable documents in religious history.
They proclaimed the coming unification of humanity and the
emergence of a world civilization.
The kings, emperors, and presidents of the nineteenth century
were called upon to reconcile their differences, curtail their
armaments, and devote their energies to the establishment
of universal peace.
Bahá'u'lláh passed away at Bahjí, just
north of Acre, and is buried there. His teachings had already
begun to spread beyond the confines of the Middle East, and
His Shrine is today the focal point of the world community
which these teachings have brought into being.
`Abdu'l-Bahá: From earliest childhood, `Abbas Effendi,
the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh , shared His father's
sufferings and banishments. He took as His title `Abdu'l-Bahá,
the "servant of Bahá." Bahá'u'lláh
appointed Him the one authorized interpreter of the Bahá'í
teachings and as Head of the Faith after His own passing.
In `Abdu'l-Bahá was seen a perfect example of the Bahá'í
way of life.
While `Abdu'l-Bahá was still a prisoner of the Ottomans
the first Bahá'í pilgrims from the western world
arrived in Acre in 1898. After His release in 1908, `Abdu'l-Bahá
set out on a series of journeys which, in 1911-1913, took
Him to Europe and America. There He proclaimed Bahá'u'lláh's
message of unity and social justice to church congregations,
peace societies, the members of trade unions, university faculties,
journalists, government officials, and many public audiences.
`Abdu'l-Bahá passed away in 1921, having consolidated
the foundations of the Bahá'í Faith and greatly
expanded its reach. The northern rooms of the Shrine of the
Báb, where He is interred, are a place of pilgrimage
for Bahá'ís visiting the World Centre of their
Faith.
The Guardianship:`Abdu'l-Bahá in His Will and Testament
appointed His grandson, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, Guardian of
the Bahá'í Faith and interpreter of its teachings.
Shoghi Effendi served until his death in 1957. During these
thirty-six years the Guardian translated many of the writings
of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá into
English, expounded their meanings, encouraged the establishment
of local and national Bahá'í institutions, and
guided a series of plans aimed at diffusing Bahá'í
ideals throughout the world.
In the Holy Land, the Guardian's enduring memorial is the
magnificent setting he created for the World Centre of the
Bahá'í Faith. The completion of the Shrine of
the Báb was his work as was the construction of the
International Bahá'í Archives building. It was
also Shoghi Effendi who designed and laid out the beautiful
gardens at Bahjí and on the slopes of Mount Carmel.
The Universal House of Justice, ordained by Bahá'u'lláh
as the legislative authority in the Bahá'í Faith,
came into existence in 1963. It is a nine-member body elected
at five-year intervals by the entire membership of the national
governing institutions of the Bahá'í world.
The House of Justice directs the spiritual and administrative
affairs of the Bahá'í International Community.
It serves, as well, as custodian and trustee of the Bahá'í
Holy Places and other properties in the Holy Land. Endowed
by Bahá'u'lláh with the authority to legislate
on all matters not specifically laid down in the Bahá'í
scriptures, the House of Justice is the institution that keeps
the Bahá'í community abreast of an ever-changing
world.
History of the Bahá'í Faith in India: The history
of the Bahá'í Faith in India started with the
inception of the Faith in Iran when the Báb (literally,
the Gate) inaugurated a new era in the history of the human
race. The Báb Himself had appointed one of the Indian
believers as the 'Letter of Living' in 1844-45, the first
year of His Ministry. Since then, India is spiritually connected
with the Bahá’i Faith.
As foretold by the Báb, the Promised One of all ages
and peoples, Bahá’u’lláh (literally
the Glory of God) revealed Himself in 1863. He, Himself, dispatched
one of the distinguished Bahá'í teachers, Jamal
Effendi, to teach the Cause of God in the years 1874-75. Jamal
Effendi (left) travelled to many States and was successful
in attracting many learned people and few Navaabs (ruler of
the states) including the Navaab of Rampur State (now in U.P.)
to the Faith. One young man who accepted was Syed Mustafa
Roumi who later became distinguished in his manifold services
and was appointed as a Hand of the Cause of God. Some of them
accepted Bahá’u’lláh as the Universal
Manifestation of God whose advent has been prophesied in all
the Holy Scriptures. The other teachers who came to India
during Bahá’u’lláh's Ministry included
Mishkin Qalam, the distinguished Bahá'í Calligrapher.
A series of teachers from the East and the West continued
visiting India and travelling throughout the country during
the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (literally, the
Servant of Bahá), the much-loved Master of the Bahá'í
Faith. Prominent among them were Mirza Mahram and Mirza Mahmud
Zarqani.
First Hindu Background Bahá'í
Narayenrao Rangnath Shethji is believed to be the first Baha'i
from Hindu Background. Better known as Vakil, was born in
a well-known Hindu family in Nawsari. He learnt about the
Bahá'í Faith from Mirzá Mahram. To him
giving the Message of Bahá'u'lláh to others
was an essential duty. He became a Bahá'í in
1909.
Mr. Vakil became a graduate in Law, of the Bombay University
in 1911. He was an advocate of the Bombay High Court and one
of the senior lawyers of Surat. People came from different
towns and cities for his advice and benefited from his services.
He was always fair towards his opponents.
The most important event in his life was his pilgrimage to
the Holy Land where he met the Master, 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
He said to Vakil "you will be eternally confirmed."
He was elected chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá'ís of India and Burma in 1923. He
always set aside a portion of his income for the Cause. He
helped to deepen the understanding of his fellow believers
or giving the Message to others. He passed away on 2nd May
1943.
First Sikh Background Bahá'í
Professor Pritam Singh is believed to be the first member
of the Sikh community in India to accept the Bahá'í
Faith, and the first to publish a Bahá'í weekly
magazine in India. He was born on November 16th, 1881, in
Punjab.
Prof. Pritam Singh obtained his B. A. degree in History, Economics
and Political Science with distinction. In 1905, he became
a teacher in Achison College, Lahore. He received his Master's
degree in Economics from the university of Calcutta. He was
appointed Professor of Economics and joined the University
of Punjab. He was a Linguist and knew Hindi, Urdu, Gurmukhi,
Persian and English.
He received the message of Bahá'u'lláh from
Mirzá Mahmud soon after his graduation in 1904. He
undertook teaching trips alone, and with Ms Martha Root and
Dr. G. Y. Chitnis. He resigned from his profession to work
for the Cause of God. He had simple habits. For the last few
years of his life he pioneered to Amritsar where there were
no other Bahá'ís at that time. He was one of
the earliest secretaries of the National Spiritual Assembly
of India and Burma. He passed away peacefully in his sleep
on August 25th, 1959.
