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Los Angeles
Bahá'í
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Bahá'í Faith
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Bahá'í
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Shoghi Effendi |
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| O my loving friends! After the passing away of
this wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Aghsan (Branches, a
reference to the descendants of Bahá'u'lláh), the Afnan
(Twigs, a reference to the descendants of the Báb) of the Sacred
Lote-Tree, the Hands (pillars), of the Cause of God, and the loved
ones of the Abhá Beauty to turn unto Shoghi Effendi – the
youthful branch branched from the Two |
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Shoghi
Effendi |
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| hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees
and the fruit grown from the union of the Two offshoots of the Tree
of Holiness – as he is the sign of God, he unto whom all Aghsan,
the Afnan, the Hands of the Cause of God, and His loved ones must
turn. He is the expounder of the words of God and after him will
succeed the first-born of his lineal descendants."
"The sacred and youthful branch, the guardian of the
Cause of God as well as the Universal House of Justice, to be
universally elected and established, are both under the care and
protection of the Abhá Beauty, under the shelter and unerring
guidance of His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my life be offered up
for them both)."
With these words, written in his Will and Testament
(1902), `Abdu'l-Bahá appointed His eldest grandson,
Shoghi Effendi, to be the Guardian of the Cause of God. He
also further delineated the Institution of the Hands of the
Cause of God (a body of men and women, appointed to
"diffuse the sweet savours of God, and to guide all the
peoples of the world"), called for the creation of the
institution of the Universal House of Justice (first elected
in 1963, and reelected every five years since) and a Supreme
Tribunal, "which shall include members from all the
governments and peoples of the world". Shoghi Effendi was
not only the eldest grandchild of `Abdu'l-Bahá, and therefore
the great-grandson of Bahá'u'lláh, he was also a descendent
of the Báb's family. The passing of `Abdu'l-Bahá
on November 28, 1921, was an event of surpassing sadness for
the fledgling community of the followers of Bahá'u'lláh, now
numbering in the hundreds of thousands, and so diverse as to
represent a true cross section of humanity. More importantly,
it created an administrative problem of succession second only
to the passing of Bahá'u'lláh in 1892. It is certain that
the young Faith was confronted with a crisis that it could not
have survived had not `Abdu'l-Bahá made provisions for a ‘point
of unity’ that would continue the spiritual and
administrative authority which had commenced with the Báb,
been fulfilled by Bahá'u'lláh, and continued through `Abdu'l-Bahá
Himself, and whose purpose is the transformation of human
society into one unified and cooperative whole. At the time of
the passing of `Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi was only 25 years
old. He had been sent to England to attend Oxford. He returned
immediately to the Holy Land, where, brokenhearted, he assumed
the mantle of the Guardianship, the task he had been prepared
for all his life. He was to be Guardian for 36 years.
It is not possible to fully recount even the highlights of
the career of this remarkable man: During his
ministry, Shoghi Effendi defended the Bahá'í Faith from
countless attacks from its enemies; he translated into English
much of the Writings of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá;
he directed a series of Plans which extended the Faith to
thousands of new localities; he guided the development of the
Administrative Order; he oversaw the construction, extension
and beautification of the Shrine of the Bab, the gardens on
Mount Carmel, and the gardens surrounding the Shrine of
Bahá'u'lláh; he wrote numerous books and he maintained a
correspondence with countless individuals and communities
around the planet, encouraging and guiding them. In the
evenings, he would sit down to dinner with pilgrims, and talk
to them of the future. During the last summer
of his life, Shoghi returned to visit the mountains he had
learned to love as a youth. Before he returned to Haifa, he
traveled to London to purchase some furnishings for the just
completed International Archives building. While there, he
contracted Asiatic influenza, which was sweeping through
Europe. He continued to work while he recuperated, adding the
finishing touches to one of his beloved maps, which showed the
progress of the Ten Year Crusade at its half-way point. But
the constant stress of nearly four decades of unending labor
had taken its toll. During the evening of November 4, 1957, he
suffered a coronary thrombosis. Death came to him gently while
he slept. The following day, his widow, Rúhíyyih, sent the
following telegram: "Shoghi Effendi
beloved of all hearts sacred trust given believers by Master
passed away sudden heart attack in sleep following Asiatic
flu. Urge believers remain steadfast cling institution Hands
lovingly reared recently reinforced emphasized by beloved
Guardian. Only oneness heart oneness purpose can befittingly
testify loyalty all National Assemblies believers departed
guardian who sacrificed self utterly for service Faith. -Rúhíyyih
Rabbání In accordance with the Aqdas (the
Most Holy Book, which contains the laws and ordinances of
Bahá'u'lláh), burial must take place within one hours
journey of the place of death. Therefore, Shoghi Effendi was
laid to rest in a cemetery near London. It is a peaceful and
beautiful spot, surrounded by trees. A single marble column,
crowned by a corinthian capital is surmounted by a globe, the
map of Africa facing forward. On the globe rests a
reproduction of a Japanese sculpture of an eagle, which he
greatly admired. In his life, Shoghi Effendi
lived and labored virtually unnoticed by the world at large.
Only the future will be able to fully appreciate the enormous
contributions made by this gentle man to a world of peace and
justice. |
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One
Planet
One
People
...Please
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