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THE DAYS OF MARRIAGE

“WITH THE LOYAL THOU DOST SHOW THYSELF LOYAL” (2 Samuel 22:26-28 RSV)

Finally, the judgment has to do with God’s Promised One. God sends His Promised One into the world and how the people treat him and what they think of him is their judgment of themselves. He is like a mirror and what they see is only a reflection of themselves. As it says in 2nd Samuel 22:26-28: “With the loyal thou dost show thyself loyal; with the blameless man thou dost show thyself blameless; with the pure thou dost show thyself pure, and with the crooked thou dost show thyself perverse. Thou dost deliver a humble people, but thy eyes are upon the haughty to bring them down.” Everyone’s salvation is in their own hands; it is between them and God only. The judgment of their relationship to God is through the presence of God on earth in His Promised One; that is, through whether or not, and to what degree, they believe in him. (Dr. Leland Jensen, Revelation Explained, Chapter 11 verse 18)

The Temple is the shekinah, the presence of God. What is being said here is that the only place in this whole, wide world where this presence of God can be found is where the Lamb reestablishes the Universal House of Justice in its childhood form, the second International Baha'i Council. In the Baha’i faith, when we live the life, teach His Cause and are firm in the Covenant, we receive the bounty of the Holy Spirit. This is the presence of God, or “Shekinah.” However, if any one of these is cut off, then the Holy Spirit is cut off. The so-called “mainstream Baha’is” broke the Covenant when they did away with the executive branch. Therefore, they do not have the “Shekinah” (the presence of God). Thus, they are cut off from the bounty of the Holy Spirit, which is spiritual death. When they die the physical death they will be DEAD-DEAD. (Dr. Leland Jensen, Revelation Explained, Chapter 21 verse 22)

And this is the judgment, that the light [Baha’i] has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light [Baha’i], because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light [Baha’i Covenant], and does not come to the light [Baha’i Covenant], lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light [Baha’i], that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God. (John 3:19-21 RSV)

“We must walk the spiritual path with practical feet.” “Therefore, in the beginning the believers must make their steps firm in the Covenant...” --‘Abdu’l-Baha

“The individual should, prior to engaging in the study of any subject, ask himself what its uses are and what fruit and result will derive from it. If it is a useful branch of knowledge, that is, if society will gain important benefits from it, then he should certainly pursue it with all his heart. If not, if it consists in empty, profitless debates and in a vain concatenation of imaginings that lead to no result except acrimony, why devote one’s life to such useless hairsplittings and disputes.”--‘Abdu’l-Baha, The Mysterious Forces of Divine Civilization, p. 106

BPUPC Missoula, Montana

SCIENCE OF THE LOVE OF GOD SERIES THE SPIRITUAL PATH FOR PRACTICAL FEET: WORKBOOK VII

“IT IS THE TIME WHICH HIS HOLINESS CHRIST CALLS THE ‘DAYS OF MARRIAGE’” --‘Abdu’l-Baha-“Verily, in God we all are pleased.” “Regarding the question of matrimony: Know thou that the command of marriage is eternal. It will never be changed nor altered. This is divine creation and there is not the slightest possibility that change or alteration affect this divine creation (of marriage).”--‘Abdu’l-Baha To his honor Mr. Alwyn J. Baker, Berkeley, California--Unto him be greeting and praise!--Care of Mrs. Kathryn Frankland. HE IS GOD! O Thou who art seeking for Truth! Your letter has been forwarded. I have no opportunity to write a detailed answer, so I am obliged to be brief. The point is, that the Cause of Baha’u’llah is inclusive of all perfections and supplies all the needs of the world of humanity. But this cannot be accomplished in a short time. Time is needed. This will gradually be realized. When a divine farmer sows the seed, the crops cannot be immediately gathered in, but it is certain that the seed will develop into a harvest. The seed which His Holiness Christ--May my soul be sacrificed for Him!--sowed, grew into a harvest within three hundred years. We are now at the commencement of the shining forth of the Sun of Reality. It is the time which His Holiness Christ, calls the “days of marriage.” No doubt the house is not in order, but the time will come when it will come under order. They put some questions pertaining to wisdom and philosophy to his honor Paul. He said that before he recognized Christ he knew everything; but after he came to know Christ, he forgot everything. He was filled with Christ and so they should ask him about Christ, besides whom he was ignorant of everything whatsoever. In the Tablets of His Holiness Baha’u’llah, there are many philosophic questions. For example, the Tablet of Wisdom (Lawh-i-Hikmat)... In His Tablets He has encouraged and rather urged (the people) to study philosophy. Therefore, in the religion of Baha’u’llah philosophy is highly esteemed. As to life, however, it has had no beginning, nor will it have any end. The eternal grace of God has always been the cause of life. It has had no starting point and it will not approach any end. But concerning the degrees through which the soul has gone, these degrees are spiritual. 1

Consider all the advancement of the word of humanity which is at present manifest and known. This has been realized through the Spirit. The manifestation of the will of the Omnipotent, in the universe, means the manifestation of the divine laws and disciplines which are essential to the realities of beings, and in the world of the Kingdom they are ideals which in the appearance of the holy Manifestations (of God) are realized. The fruits of the deeds of man, i.e., the harvest of the reward of man’s conduct, is gathered in the heavenly realm. But as to evolution, it is true of both the body and the spirit. Consider how many sciences, arts, discoveries and achievements have come into existence since the days of Moses till the present time through the progress of the human soul in knowledge and perfections. Similarly, how much the soul has evolved from the moral point of view. From the material standpoint, you can see also how much civilization has progressed. In short, I wrote the answer in brief. No doubt you will understand realities in detail thereby. Unto thee be greeting and praise! (Signed) ‘ABDU’L-BAHA ABBAS.

AN EPISODE OF THE BAB --Khadijih Bagum *--

The practice of His Holiness (the Bab) was that each day He would return home about an hour after the sunset and commence devotions, the chanting of the names of God, and writing. About three hours into the night He would have the evening meal and would retire about four hours past sunset. In the morning, He would rise one hour before the dawn and, after washing, would perform His ablutions and then proceed to the upper chambers of the House, which had been set aside as His formal guestroom and formed an outer apartment. There, He stood to recite tablets of visitation, prayers, supplications, and to repeat the names of God. When the sun had risen, Fiddih † would fire up the samovar and prepare the tea in the chamber occupied by His mother. His Holiness would come down to that apartment and have the morning tea. After that, He would proceed to His merchant office to engage in His own business. However, one night, unlike other nights, He came home at dusk, saying, “Tell Fiddih to prepare whatever we are having for the evening meal sooner than usual. Tonight I have a particular task to attend to.” About an hour and a half into the night, the dinner was served, and He joined us for this purpose. Afterwards, Fiddih brought water for Him to wash His blessed hands, and, as usual in the evenings, she spread our bedding and retired to her own quarters. His Holiness retired for the night. It was not long after that I saw Him rise from the bed and leave the room, going to the outer courtyard. At first, I thought He had gone to the lavatory. When considerable time had passed and He did not return, I was seized by apprehension. I rose from my bed and left the apartment. I looked in the lavatory but did not see Him. Checking the street door, I found it locked from within. I looked in the chamber of His mother and did not find Him there either. By then I was deeply bewildered and perplexed. I walked to the western part of the house and looked up towards the upper chamber, situated on the eastern wing of the House and serving as His private quarters, and saw that it was well lighted. It seemed as if a thousand lamps illumined the room. This added to my surprise, because there were no guests to require so many lamps. Therefore, full of astonishment, I went up the steps to the room. When I entered, I found that the room was so brilliantly lit that it dazzled my eyes, although there was only a single lamp. I saw His Holiness standing, facing the Qiblih; His hands raised heavenwards, intoning a prayer. As soon as my gaze fell upon His blessed Being, I beheld such majesty and resplendence as is beyond my powers to explain. Suddenly, such awe and trepidation enveloped me that I stood transfixed where I was, trembling uncontrollably like a leaf. I could neither retrace my steps nor stand. I was close to losing consciousness. All kinds of perplexities enveloped me. Suddenly He made a gesture with His blessed hand, telling me to go back. This movement of His sanctified hands released me from that state, and I returned to the apartment and bed. But I could not sleep, and I remained deeply disturbed. Every detail of the image of His blessed Person and that scene (in the upper chamber) added to my consternation. I felt like a wrongdoer who has fallen short

* †

The wife of the Bab. The servant of the house.

and awaits the all-powerful sovereign to pass sentence on her. I did not sleep that night, until the mu’adhdhin’s call to morning prayers sounded from the mosque adjacent to the house. After the adhan (call to prayer) He came downstairs. As soon as my eyes alighted on His blessed Countenance, I was seized by awe and perplexity. He no longer seemed like the Person with whom I had lived for two and a half years. I did not have the courage to utter a word. In any case, the sun was rising and I rose, carried out my ablutions, and performed the obligatory prayer. In accordance with our daily routine, our servant, Fiddih, had prepared the samovar and tea in the room of His mother and informed us that the tea was ready. Accompanied by Him, I proceeded there. In His mother’s room, He drank some tea. Each moment added to my perplexity and conjecturing. With His blessed hand He poured a cup of tea, passed it to me, and with a heavenly smile said, “What is it that troubles you? You are distraught.” I drank the tea, which eased my perturbation and anxiety to some extent. I said, “Aqa, what exalted state was it that I witnessed in Your chamber last night?” He replied, “At what an extraordinary time you arrived! That was untimely. But it was the will of God that you should see it with your own eyes. Know and be certain that at that very moment the One Exalted God appointed Me for the guidance of these servants. I am that Promised One whose advent they have been expecting. For the past twelve hundred and sixty years they have perpetually beseeched the Almighty for His appearance. I am the one appointed for the salvation of the people.” As soon as I heard Him speak these words, I kissed His knees and became a believer in Him. In prostration, I raised my voice in gratitude to the Lord for having enabled me to recognize Him. *

The Bab was first awaken to his mission in a dream on the eve of Naw Ruz 1844. In one of His writings revealed in the year ‘60 AH, the Bab declares the following: “The spirit of prayer which animates My soul is the direct consequence of a dream which I had in the year before the declaration of My Mission.” This event described by Khadijih Bagum occurred on that date.

AN EPISODE AT FORT SHAYKH TABARSI A while later, the illustrious Quddus composed a prayer and gave it to one of the companions, commanding, “Take this prayer to a certain river which flows towards the city. Throw the prayer in the middle of the river and return.” The believer carried out the specified instructions. The illustrious Quddus also wrote a letter to the city-dwellers which was delivered to its destination. Briefly, its essence was, “Whoever considers us believers and Muslims and does not come to our aid is an infidel. And whoever considers us unbelievers and non-Muslims and does not come to battle us is likewise an infidel.” They asked His Holiness (Quddus) regarding the secret enshrined in the prayer. He responded, “The people drink from the river into which the prayer was thrown. From that, they will grow in turmoil and clamor.” As soon as that prayer was composed and thrown into the river, and the letter was dispatched containing the described message, the townspeople grew in agitation, raised an army and soldiers, and marched towards us, settling in a village belonging to Nazar Khan, near the shrine (of Shaykh Tabarsi).

SPIRITUAL EXISTENCE IS IMMORTALITY --‘Abdu’l-Baha-According to divine philosophy, there are two important and universal conditions in the world of material phenomena; one which concerns life, the other concerning death; one relative to existence, the other non-existence; one manifest in composition, the other in decomposition. Some define existence as the expression of reality or being, and non-existence as non-being, imagining that death is annihilation. This is a mistaken idea, for total annihilation is an impossibility. At most, composition is ever subject to decomposition or disintegration; that is to say, existence implies the grouping of material elements in a form or body, and non-existence is simply the de-composing of these groupings. This is the law of creation in its endless forms and infinite variety of expression. Certain elements have formed the composite creature man. This composite association of the elements in the form of a human body is therefore subject to disintegration which we call death, but after disintegration the elements themselves persist unchanged. Therefore total annihilation is an impossibility, and existence can never become nonexistence. This would be equivalent to saying that light can become darkness, which is manifestly untrue and impossible. As existence can never become non-existence, there is no death for man; nay, rather, man is everlasting and everliving. The rational proof of this is that the atoms of the material elements are transferable from one form of existence to another, from one degree and kingdom to another, lower or higher. For example, an atom of the soil or dust of earth may traverse the kingdoms from mineral to man by successive incorporations into the bodies of the organisms of those kingdoms. At one time it enters into the formation of the mineral or rock; it is then absorbed by the vegetable kingdom and becomes a constituent of the body and fibre of a tree; again it is appropriated by the animal, and at a still later period is found in the body of man. Throughout these degrees of its traversing the kingdoms from one form of phenomenal being to another, it retains its atomic existence and is never annihilated nor relegated to nonexistence. Non-existence therefore is an expression applied to change of form, but this transformation can never be rightly considered annihilation, for the elements of composition are ever present and existent as we have seen in the journey of the atom through successive kingdoms, unimpaired; hence there is no death; life is everlasting. So to speak, when the atom entered into the composition of the tree, it died to the mineral kingdom, and when consumed by the animal, it died to the vegetable kingdom, and so on until its transference or transmutation into the kingdom of man; but throughout its traversing it was subject to transformation and not annihilation. Death therefore is applicable to a change or transference from one degree or condition to another. In the mineral realm there was a spirit of existence; in the world of plant life and organisms it reappeared as the vegetative spirit; thence it attained the animal spirit and finally aspired to the human spirit. These are degrees and changes but not obliteration; and this is a rational proof that man is everlasting, everliving. Therefore death is only a relative term implying change. For example, we will say that this light before me, having reappeared in another incandescent lamp, has died in the one and lives in the other. This is not death in reality. The perfections of the mineral are translated into the vegetable and from thence into the animal, the virtue always attaining a plus or superlative degree in the upward change. In each kingdom we find the same virtues manifesting themselves more fully, proving that the reality has been transferred from a lower to a higher form and kingdom of being. Therefore non-existence is only relative and 6

absolute non-existence inconceivable. This rose in my hand will become disintegrated and its symmetry destroyed, but the elements of its composition remain changeless; nothing affects their elemental integrity. They cannot become non-existent; they are simply transferred from one state to another. Through his ignorance, man fears death; but the death he shrinks from is imaginary and absolutely unreal; it is only human imagination. The bestowal and grace of God have quickened the realm of existence with life and being. For existence there is neither change nor transformation; existence is ever existence; it can never be translated into non-existence. It is gradation; a degree below a higher degree is considered as non-existence. This dust beneath our feet, as compared with our being is non-existent. When the human body crumbles into dust we can say it has become non-existent; therefore its dust in relation to living forms of human being is as non-existent but in its own sphere it is existent, it has its mineral being. Therefore it is well proved that absolute non-existence is impossible; it is only relative. The purpose is this;--that the everlasting bestowal of God vouchsafed to man is never subject to corruption. Inasmuch as He has endowed the phenomenal world with being, it is impossible for that world to become non-being, for it is the very genesis of God; it is the realm of origination; it is a creational and not a subjective world, and the bounty descending upon it is continuous and permanent. Therefore man the highest creature of the phenomenal world is endowed with that continuous bounty bestowed by divine generosity without cessation. For instance, the rays of the sun are continuous, the heat of the sun emanates from it without cessation; no discontinuance of it is conceivable. Even so the bestowal of God is descending upon the world of humanity, never ceasing, continuous, forever. If we say that the bestowal of existence ceases or falters it is equivalent to saying that the sun can exist with cessation of its effulgence. Is this possible? Therefore the effulgences of existence are ever-present and continuous. The conception of annihilation is a factor in human degradation, a cause of human debasement and lowliness, a source of human fear and abjection. It has been conducive to the dispersion and weakening of human thought whereas the realization of existence and continuity has upraised man to sublimity of ideals, established the foundations of human progress and stimulated the development of heavenly virtues; therefore it behoves man to abandon thoughts of non-existence and death which are absolutely imaginary and see himself ever living, everlasting in the divine purpose of his creation. He must turn away from ideas which degrade the human soul, so that day by day and hour by hour he may advance upward and higher to spiritual perception of the continuity of the human reality. If he dwells upon the thought of non-existence he will become utterly incompetent; with weakened will-power his ambition for progress will be lessened and the acquisition of human virtues will cease. Therefore you must thank God that He has bestowed upon you the blessing of life and existence in the human kingdom. Strive diligently to acquire virtues befitting your degree and station. Be as lights of the world which cannot be hid and which have no setting in horizons of darkness. Ascend to the zenith of an existence which is never beclouded by the fears and forebodings of non-existence. When man is not endowed with inner perception he is not informed of these 7

important mysteries. The retina of outer vision though sensitive and delicate may nevertheless be a hindrance to the inner eye which alone can perceive. The bestowals of God which are manifest in all phenomenal life are sometimes hidden by intervening veils of mental and mortal vision which render man spiritually blind and incapable but when those scales are removed and the veils rent asunder, then the great signs of God will become visible and he will witness the eternal light filling the world. The bestowals of God are all and always manifest. The promises of heaven are ever present. The favors of God are all-surrounding but should the conscious eye of the soul of man remain veiled and darkened he will be led to deny these universal signs and remain deprived of these manifestations of divine bounty. Therefore we must endeavor with heart and soul in order that the veil covering the eye of inner vision may be removed, that we may behold the manifestations of the signs of God, discern His mysterious graces, and realize that material blessings as compared with spiritual bounties are as nothing. The spiritual blessings of God are greatest. When we were in the mineral kingdom, although endowed with certain gifts and powers, they were not to be compared with the blessings of the human kingdom. In the matrix of the mother we were the recipients of endowments and blessings of God, yet these were as nothing compared to the powers and graces bestowed upon us after birth into this human world. Likewise if we are born from the matrix of this physical and phenomenal environment into the freedom and loftiness of the life and vision spiritual, we shall consider this mortal existence and its blessings as worthless by comparison. In the spiritual world, the divine bestowals are infinite, for in that realm there is neither separation nor disintegration which characterize the world of material existence. Spiritual existence is absolute immortality, completeness and unchangeable being. Therefore we must thank God that He has created for us both material blessings and spiritual bestowals. He has given us material gifts and spiritual graces, outer sight to view the lights of the sun and inner vision by which we may perceive the glory of God. He has designed the outer ear to enjoy the melodies of sound and the inner hearing wherewith we may hear the voice of our creator. We must strive with energies of heart, soul and mind to develop and manifest the perfections and virtues latent within the realities of the phenomenal world, for the human reality may be compared to a seed. If we sow the seed, a mighty tree appears from it. The virtues of the seed are revealed in the tree; it puts forth branches, leaves, blossoms, and produces fruits. All these virtues were hidden and potential in the seed. Through the blessing and bounty of cultivation these virtues became apparent. Similarly the merciful God our creator has deposited within human realities certain virtues latent and potential. Through education and culture, these virtues deposited by the loving God will become apparent in the human reality even as the unfoldment of the tree from within the germinating seed.

THE MARRIAGE TABLET (Lawh-i-Nikah) --‘Abdu’l-Baha-“And when He desired to manifest grace and beneficence to men, and to set the world in order, He revealed observances and created laws; among them He established the law of marriage, made it as a fortress for well-being and salvation and enjoined it upon us in that which was sent down out of the heaven of sanctity in His Most Holy Book. He saith, great is His glory, ‘Marry, O people, that from you may appear he who will remember Me amongst My servants; this is one of My commandments unto you; obey it as an assistance to yourselves.” --Baha’u’llah, Aqdas The bond that unites hearts most perfectly is loyalty. True lovers once united must show forth the utmost faithfulness one to another. You must dedicate your knowledge, your talents, your fortunes, your titles, your bodies and your spirits to God, to Baha’u’llah and to each other. Let your hearts be spacious, as spacious as the universe of God! Allow no trace of jealousy to creep between you, for jealousy, like unto poison, vitiates the very essence of love. Let not the ephemeral incidents and accidents of this changeful life cause a rift between you. When differences present themselves, take counsel together in secret, lest others magnify a speck into a mountain. Harbor not in your hearts any grievance, but rather explain its nature to each other with such frankness and understanding that it will disappear, leaving no remembrance. Choose fellowship and amity and turn away from jealousy and hypocrisy. Your thoughts must be lofty, your ideals luminous, your minds spiritual, so that your souls may become a dawning-place for the Sun of Reality. Let your hearts be like unto two pure mirrors reflecting the stars of the heaven of love and beauty. Together make mention of noble aspirations and heavenly concepts. Let there be no secrets one from another. Make your home a haven of rest and peace. Be hospitable, and let the doors of your house be open to the faces of friends and strangers. Welcome every guest with radiant grace and let each feel that it is his own home. No mortal can conceive the union and harmony which God has designed for man and wife. Nourish continually the tree of your union with love and affection, so that it will remain ever green and verdant throughout all seasons and bring forth luscious fruits for the healing of the nations. O beloved of God, may your home be a vision of the paradise of ABHA, so that whosoever enters there may feel the essence of purity and harmony, and cry out from the heart: Here is the home of love! Here is the palace of love! Here is the nest of love! Here is the garden of love! Be like two sweet-singing birds perched upon the highest branches of the tree of life, filling the air with songs of love and rapture.

Lay the foundation of your affection in the very center of your spiritual being, at the very heart of your consciousness, and let it not be shaken by adverse winds. And, when God gives you sweet and lovely children, consecrate yourselves to their instruction and guidance, so that they may become imperishable flowers of the divine rose-garden, nightingales of the ideal paradise, servants of the world of humanity, and the fruit of the tree of your life. Live in such harmony that others may take your lives for an example and may say one to another: Look how they live like two doves in one nest, in perfect love, affinity and union. It is as though God had kneaded the very essence of their beings for the love of one another. Attain the ideal love that God has destined for you, so that you may become partakers of eternal life forthwith. Quaff deeply from the fountain of truth, and dwell all the days of your life in the paradise of glory, gathering immortal flowers from the garden of divine mysteries. Be to each other as heavenly lovers and divine beloved ones dwelling in a paradise of love. Build your nest on the leafy branches of the tree of love. Sail upon the shoreless sea of love. Walk in the eternal rose-garden of love. Bathe in the shining rays of the sun of love. Be firm and steadfast in the path of love. Perfume your nostrils with the fragrances from the flowers of love. Attune your ears to the soul-entrancing melodies of love. Let your aims be as generous as the banquets of love, and your words as a string of white pearls from the ocean of love. Drink deeply of the elixir of love, so that you may live continually in the reality of Divine Love. Prayers O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord. --Baha’u’llah Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Verily, this Thy servant and this Thy maidservant have gathered under the shadow of Thy mercy and they are united through Thy favor and generosity. O Lord! Assist them in this Thy world and Thy kingdom and destine for them every good through Thy bounty and grace. O Lord! Confirm them in Thy servitude and assist them in Thy service. Suffer them to become the signs of Thy Name in Thy world and protect them through Thy bestowals which are inexhaustible in this world and the world to come. O Lord! They are supplicating the kingdom of Thy mercifulness and invoking the realm of Thy singleness. Verily, they are married in obedience to Thy command. Cause them to become the signs of harmony and unity until the end of time. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent, the Omnipresent and the Almighty!--‘Abdu’l-Baha

TABLET ON MARRIAGE (Lawh-i-Nikah) --Baha’u’llah-“The best wedding is that upon which the least trouble and expense is bestowed” --‘Abdu’l-Baha THOU HAST ASKED concerning the laws of marriage and divorce. That which was sent down previously on this matter in the Kitab-i-Aqdas hath been forwarded. Likewise, a khutba (statement of marriage) hath been sent down from the heaven of divine oneness in this connection. After the consent of the two parties and the consent of the parents, they should present themselves in a gathering of the pious and recite this blessed khutba with the greatest joy and fragrance: He is the Bestower, the Bounteous! Praise be to God, the Ancient, the EverAbiding, the Changeless, the Eternal! He Who hath testified in His Own Being that verily He is the One, the Single, the Untrammelled, the Exalted. We bear witness that verily there is no God but Him, acknowledging His oneness, confessing His singleness. He hath ever dwelt in unapproachable heights, in the summits of His loftiness, sanctified from the mention of aught save Himself, free from the description of aught but Him. And when He desired to manifest grace and beneficence to men, and to set the world in order, He revealed observances and created laws; among them He established the law of marriage, made it as a fortress for well-being and salvation, and enjoined it upon us in that which was sent down out of the heaven of sanctity in His Most Holy Book. He saith, great is His glory: “Enter into wedlock, O people, that ye may bring forth one who will make mention of Me amid My servants. This is My bidding unto you; hold fast to it as an assistance to yourselves.” After the reading the khutba, the two beloved in one place should recite (in the presence of two witnesses) these two blessed verses mentioned in the Bayan as confirmed in the Aqdas: For men: “We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God.” For women: “We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God.” * These two verses mentioned in the Bayan should be written down, after which the husband should hand the dowry to the wife and both of them should put their seals upon a sheet of paper, and the witnesses † likewise. And if it be a place where the people are unable to read the khutba, it is no matter; the reading of the two verses is sufficient. *

See Kitab-i-Aqdas Q&A 3. These two declarations differ slightly in the Arabic. Also rendered into English as: “Verily, in God we all are pleased.” † “QUESTION: Concerning the criterion of justness when proving some matter dependent on the testimony of two just witnesses. ANSWER: The criterion of justness is a good reputation among the people. The testimony of all God's servants, of whatever faith or creed, is acceptable before His Throne.” Baha’u’llah, Aqdas, Q&A #79.

FROM THE AQDAS --Baha’u’llah-It hath been laid down in the Bayan that marriage is dependent upon the consent of both parties. Desiring to establish love, unity and harmony amidst Our servants, We have conditioned it, once the couple's wish is known, upon the permission of their parents, lest enmity and rancor should arise amongst them. And in this We have yet other purposes. Thus hath Our commandment been ordained. No marriage may be contracted without payment of a dowry, which hath been fixed for citydwellers at nineteen mithqals * of pure gold, and for village-dwellers at the same amount in silver. Whoso wisheth to increase this sum, it is forbidden him to exceed the limit of ninety-five mithqals. Thus hath the command been writ in majesty and power. If he content himself, however, with a payment of the lowest level, it shall be better for him according to the Book. God, verily, enricheth whomsoever He willeth through both heavenly and earthly means, and He, in truth, hath power over all things. COMMENT: “Whatever is revealed in the Bayan, in respect to those residing in cities and villages, is approved and should be carried out. However, in the Kitab-i-Aqdas mention is made of the lowest level. The intention is nineteen mithqals of silver, specified in the Bayan for village-dwellers. This is more pleasing unto God, provided the two parties agree. The purpose is to promote the comfort of all, and to bring about concord and union among the people. Therefore, the greater the consideration shown in these matters the better it will be... The people of Baha must associate and deal with each other with the utmost love and sincerity. They should be mindful of the interests of all, especially the friends of God.”--Baha’u’llah Prayer O my Lord, O my Lord! These two bright orbs are wedded in Thy love, conjoined in servitude to Thy Holy Threshold, united in ministering to Thy Cause. Make Thou this marriage to be as threading lights of Thine abounding grace, O my Lord, the All-Merciful, and luminous rays of Thy bestowals, O Thou the Beneficent, the Ever-Giving, that there may branch out from this great tree boughs that will grow green and flourishing through the gifts that rain down from Thy clouds of grace. Verily Thou art the Generous, verily Thou art the Almighty, verily Thou art the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.--‘Abdu’l-Baha

“One mithqal consists of nineteen nakhuds. The weight of twenty-four nakhuds equals four and three-fifths grammes. Calculations may be made on this basis” (Shoghi Effendi). 9 mithqals = 32.775 grammes = 1.05374 troy ounces; 19 mithqals = 69.192 grammes = 2.22456 troy ounces; 95 mithqals = 345.958 grammes = 11.12282 troy ounces; 1 mithqal = 3.642 grammes = 0.11708 troy ounces.

WHITE PEARLS OF THE OCEAN OF LOVE (Star of the West, 11(1), pp. 20-21) --‘Abdu’l-Baha-“Before choosing a wife a man must think soberly” NOW that thou art returning to America * thou must think of taking unto thyself a wife. Do thou choose a girl who may be suitable to thy intellectual and spiritual ideals. She must be wise, intelligent, and a symbol of aspiring perfection. She must take an interest in all the problems pertaining to thy life, and be thy companion and partner in every phase of thy existence. She must be sympathetic, kind-hearted, happy and endowed with a joyful disposition. Then thou must devote thyself to her happiness and love her with a glorious, spiritual love. Before choosing a wife a man must think soberly and seriously that this girl will be his friend throughout all his life. It is not a temporary matter. She is a soul with whom he must associate all the days of his life; she will be his mate and his intimate confidant; therefore, day by day their love and their attachment to each other must increase. The greatest bond that will unite the hearts of man and wife is faithfulness and loyalty. Both must exercise toward each other the utmost faithfulness and loyalty and not let any trace of jealousy creep between them; for this thing like unto poison vitiates the very foundation of love. The man and wife must dedicate their knowledge, their talents, their fortunes, their titles, their bodies and their spirits, first to BAHA’U’LLAH and then to each other. Their thoughts must be lofty, their ideals luminous, their hearts spiritual, and their souls the dawning-places of the rays of the Sun of Reality. They must not become ill-disposed toward each other on account of the ephemeral incidents and accidents of this changeful life. Their hearts must be spacious, as spacious as the universe of God. In case any difference of opinion should arise between them, they must do their utmost to settle it by themselves, and not let its knowledge go out of the family; for people are apt to change a speck into a mountain. Again, in case a circumstance causes a real offense between the two, they must not keep it in their hearts, but rather explain its nature to each other and try to remove it as soon as possible. They must prefer fellowship and amity to jealousy and hypocrisy, and be like two pure mirrors reflecting the light of the stars of love and beauty to each other. You must tell to each other all your noble and heavenly conceptions. Have no secrets between you. Make your home a haven of rest and peace. Be ye hospitable and let the doors of your home be open to the faces of friends and strangers. Welcome everyone with a smiling face and let them all feel that they are in my home. God has created such union and harmony between man and wife that no one can conceive in this world a greater plane of union. You must irrigate continually the tree of your union with the *

Talk by ‘Abdu’l-Baha to Mirza Ahmad Sohrab on December 22, 1918, the day before his departure from the Holy Land.

water of love and affection, so that it may remain green and verdant throughout all the seasons, producing the most luscious fruits for the healing of the nations. In short, you two must live such a life that your home may become a vision of the paradise of ABHA; so that whosoever enters therein may feel the essence of purity and cleanliness, and may cry out unconsciously: "Here is the home of love, here is the palace of love, here is the nest of love, here is the garden of love;" and you two, like unto two sweet-singing birds, must be perched on the highest branches of the tree of life, filling the air with songs of love and happiness. Endeavor as far as you are able to lay the foundation of your love in the very center of your spiritual being, in the very heart of your consciousness, and do not let this foundation of love be shaken in the least. And when God gives you sweet and lovely children, exert yourselves in their education and training, so that they may become the imperishable flowers of the divine rose-garden, the nightingales of the ideal paradise, the servants of the world of humanity and the fruits of the Tree of Life. Live ye in such a manner that others may take your life as an example, and may say to each other: “Look! How they live like unto two doves in one nest with perfect love, affinity and harmony. It is as though God had kneaded from eternity the very essence of their beings for the love of each other.” When such conditions exist and such ideals hold sway, then you have taken a large portion from the everlasting life, have quaffed deeply from the fountain of Truth, and have spent your days in the paradise of glory gathering the immortelles of divine mysteries. Be ye to each other as heavenly lovers and divine beloved ones. Spend your life in the paradise of love. Build your nest on the leafy branches of the tree of love. Soar ye in the clear atmosphere of love. Swim ye in the shoreless sea of love. Walk ye in the eternal rose-garden of love. Move ye in the shining rays of the sun of love. Be ye firm and steadfast in the path of love. Perfume your nostrils with the sweet fragrance of the flowers of love. Familiarize your ears with the soulentrancing melodies of love. Be ye intoxicated with the wine of love. Drink we deeply of the elixir of love. Let your ideals be the bouquet of love, and your conversation the white pearls of the ocean of love.

PRAYERS FOR SPOUSES, COURTSHIP AND DATING For the male to say: Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! Behold Thou mine eye expectant to gaze on the wonders of Thy mercy, and mine ear longing to hearken unto Thy sweet melodies, and my heart yearning for the living waters of Thy knowledge. Thou seest Thy handmaiden, O my God, standing before the habitation of Thy mercy, and calling upon Thee by Thy name which Thou hast chosen above all other names and set up over all that are in heaven and on earth. Send down upon her the breaths of Thy mercy, that she may be carried away wholly from herself, and be drawn entirely towards the seat which, resplendent with the glory of Thy face, sheddeth afar the radiance of Thy sovereignty, and is established as Thy throne. Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest. No God is there beside Thee, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. --Baha’u’llah

O Lord! Help this daughter of the Kingdom to be exalted in both worlds; cause her to turn away from this mortal world of dust and from those who have set their hearts thereon and enable her to have communion and close association with the world of immortality. Give her heavenly power and strengthen her through the breaths of the Holy Spirit that she may arise to serve Thee. Thou art the Mighty One.--‘Abdu’l-Baha For the female to say: O God, my God! This Thy handmaid is calling upon Thee, trusting in Thee, turning her face unto Thee, imploring Thee to shed Thy heavenly bounties upon her, and to disclose unto her Thy spiritual mysteries, and to cast upon her the lights of Thy Godhead. O my Lord! Make the eyes of my husband to see. Rejoice Thou his heart with the light of the knowledge of Thee, draw Thou his mind unto Thy luminous beauty, cheer Thou his spirit by revealing unto him Thy manifest splendors. O my Lord! Lift Thou the veil from before his sight. Rain down Thy plenteous bounties upon him, intoxicate him with the wine of love for Thee, make him one of Thy angels whose feet walk upon this earth even as their souls are soaring through the high heavens. Cause him to become a brilliant lamp, shining out with the light of Thy wisdom in the midst of Thy people. Verily Thou art the Precious, the Ever-Bestowing, the Open of Hand. --‘Abdu’l-Baha O my God! O my God! This, Thy servant, hath advanced towards Thee, is passionately wandering in the desert of Thy love, walking in the path of Thy service, anticipating Thy favors, hoping for Thy bounty, relying upon Thy kingdom, and intoxicated by the wine of Thy gift. O my God! Increase the fervor of his affection for Thee, the constancy of his praise of Thee, and the ardor of his love for Thee. Verily, Thou art the Most Generous, the Lord of grace abounding. There is no other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.--‘Abdu’l-Baha

NATURAL LIFE (Vignettes) --‘Abdu’l-Baha-‘Abdu’l-Baha would say, “A good wife is like paradise unto a man and a bad one is like hell.” It is the will of ‘Abdu’l-Baha that all the friends should be united and happy in the light of the Kingdom. On one occasion Baha’u’llah said, “Heaven is happiness and peace. Hell is the hearts of those who deny and oppose.” Today the happiness and peace of the Glory of God (Baha’u’llah) are reflected in the clear Mirror of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. Thus by meeting him one meets all the Prophets and Manifestations of cycles and ages past. It is difficult for one to realize at the time, or for a long time afterwards, the true honor of such a meeting. To one who realizes even faintly who this Servant of God is and what powers he represents, such a meeting is high above all honors of earth. But no soul can give adequate testimony of what ‘Abdu’l-Baha may be to any other soul. With mental and spiritual horizon more or less limited, each pilgrim discerns according to his capacity the Majesty and Power that radiate from the Center of God’s Covenant. After the honored Mishkin-Qalam, whose name is mentioned in the history of the Cause, arrived in the Holy Land from the town in Cyprus where Yahya Azal was residing, he related the following: One year there was no rain in Cyprus. People in that region were most disturbed. No matter how much they prayed, supplicated, visited various shrines, or engaged in entreaty in mosques and other places of worship, in hope that God would accept their appeal and open the gates of His Mercy unto them, it bore no fruit. At that time, Azal lived in a secluded room that had a high shelf. On this shelf, he had a bundle in which he kept a great quantity of papers (including his own writings), and had deep affinity towards these papers. I said to people who were praying, “If you want rain to come, at that location there is a bag full of papers containing many talismans. Bring down and burn those papers, and immediately rain will descend.” Immediately they hastened to that location and carried out my suggestion. No matter how much Azal cried and screamed, no one had paid any attention to him. At that moment, I turned my thoughts to the Blessed Beauty, and whispered, “O God, do not allow me to be discredited. Manifest Thy power!” Suddenly, a cloud with thunder and lightning appeared and filled the sky. So much rain poured that it nearly flooded. People were most thankful to me. They would say, “We wish you had enlightened us sooner!”

The honored Mishkin-Qalam was most humorous and clever. At one time, ‘Abdu’l-Baha sent him to Bombay, but told him, “You will return to the Holy Land.” While there, after some time, he became ill to the point that the believers had lost hope for him to live through it. They even had prepared the burial shroud and other necessities for his interment. When he was at the door of death, the friends closed their shops and came to prepare for his burial. At that time, the physician, out of desire for testing, suggested that he be placed in a pool of hot water and massaged. As they were massaging him, even though he was weak, with a very soft voice he whispered, “Do not take your hand any lower; it will bite!” All that were gathered burst into laughter and said, “He is not dying. Let us not waste our time.” In short, he regained his health, and in perfect condition returned to the Holy Land. The point is since ‘Abdu’l-Baha had said to him, “You will return,” then it was fulfilled. After a long time, he passed on in ‘Akka in Khan Avamid. ‘Abdu’l-Baha came for the preparation of his burial. His burial place is in the Baha’i cemetery of ‘Akka. ‘Abdu’l-Baha remarked, “If Mishkin-Qalam did not have this wife, then he would have lived a natural length of life.” From this blessed utterance, it became evident that his wife was devoid of goodly characters. That is, although she had passed away shortly before his (MishkinQalam’s) passing, nevertheless she had left undesirable effects on him. ‘Abdu’l-Baha would say, “Natural life is one-hundred twenty years. It can be longer, but not shorter.” The late Aqa Mírza Aqa Khan Qa’im-Maqamí--upon him rest God’s mercy and His paradise-used to say that when he was in the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, He had remarked, “A person may live for one-hundred and fifty-five years, but not for one hour longer.”

UNITY BE REFLECTED FROM YOU THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE 8 June 1912 Talk at 309 West Seventy-eighth Street, New York (Notes by John G. Grundy) --‘Abdu’l-Baha-The body politic today is greatly in need of a physician. It is similar to a human body afflicted with severe ailments. A doctor diagnoses the case and prescribes treatment. He does not prescribe, however, until he has made the diagnosis. The disease which afflicts the body politic is lack of love and absence of altruism. In the hearts of men no real love is found, and the condition is such that, unless their susceptibilities are quickened by some power so that unity, love and accord may develop within them, there can be no healing, no agreement among mankind. Love and unity are the needs of the body politic today. Without these there can be no progress or prosperity attained. Therefore, the friends of God must adhere to the power which will create this love and unity in the hearts of the sons of men. Science cannot cure the illness of the body politic. Science cannot create amity and fellowship in human hearts. Neither can patriotism nor racial allegiance effect a remedy. It must be accomplished solely through the divine bounties and spiritual bestowals which have descended from God in this day for that purpose. This is an exigency of the times, and the divine remedy has been provided. The spiritual teachings of the religion of God can alone create this love, unity and accord in human hearts. Therefore, hold to these heavenly agencies which God has provided so that through the love of God this soul-bond may be established, this heart-attachment realized and the light of the reality of unity be reflected from you throughout the universe. If we do not hold fast to these divine agencies and means, no result will be possible. Let us pray to God that He will exhilarate our spirits so we may behold the descent of His bounties, illumine our eyes to witness His great guidance and attune our ears to enjoy the celestial melodies of the heavenly Word. This is our greatest hope. This is our ultimate purpose.

THE UNITY MEETING (Nineteen Day Unity Feasts) --‘Abdu’l-Baha-O Thou kind Lord! These are Thy servants who have gathered in this meeting, have turned unto Thy kingdom and are in need of Thy bestowal and blessing. O Thou God! Manifest and make evident the signs of Thy oneness which have been deposited in all the realities of life. Reveal and unfold the virtues which Thou hast made latent and concealed in these human realities. O God! We are as plants, and Thy bounty is as the rain; refresh and cause these plants to grow through Thy bestowal. We are Thy servants; free us from the fetters of material existence. We are ignorant; make us wise. We are dead; make us alive. We are material; endow us with spirit. We are deprived; make us the intimates of Thy mysteries. We are needy; enrich and bless us from Thy boundless treasury. O God! Resuscitate us; give us sight; give us hearing; familiarize us with the mysteries of life, so that the secrets of Thy kingdom may become revealed to us in this world of existence and we may confess Thy oneness. Every bestowal emanates from Thee; every benediction is Thine. Thou art mighty. Thou art powerful. Thou art the Giver, and Thou art the EverBounteous. I. The Unity Meeting: You should celebrate splendidly, and with one another you should be exceedingly kind and affectionate so that this may astonish the people of that city. In the meeting you should speak of the teachings of His Holiness, Baha’u’llah, deal with their details and explain the fruits they produce, which results have generated such great earthquakes in the East (spiritual regeneration). You should explain how the different hostile religions which were thirsty for one another’s blood have been brought together by them (the teachings of Baha’u’llah) under the pavilion of uniformity, that is, the Oneness of the world of Humanity! II. Now, O faithful friends and companions of that Bright Countenance! Is it becoming that we should sit idle, even for one moment, practice delay, and seek ease and comfort, so that we be exposed to temptation and indolence, be occupied with our own thoughts and lose our hearts to strangers and kindred? Nay, by GOD, we ought not to rest for one moment, day nor night; we ought not to pollute our pure hearts with the attachment to this world:--we must prepare Divine Assemblies, establish Feasts of Love, sing the melody of the Most Glorious Kingdom accompanied with stringed instruments and with drums and flutes; hasten, dancing and laughing with joy, to the altar of martyrdom, and offer body and soul, head and trunk, as a sacrifice! III. O dear friend! The darkness of error hath encompassed the world; it is now the time to spread the light of guidance. The world hath wholly become the tomb of the dead; it is now time that it shall be transformed into palaces of the living. The East and the West have become a thorny desert of oppression; it is time they should become a rose-garden of faithfulness.

You have written concerning the Feast of Remembrance * which you arranged after the Persian manner, at which the friends engaged in serving the beloved ones like unto ‘Abdu’l-Baha: This arrangement of festivities and affection, chanting of Tablets, explaining realities and significances, and this inculcating of the teachings and exhortations of ‘Abdu’l-Baha causeth everlasting life and maketh the hearers as heavenly angels. Whenever such an entertainment is arranged through spiritual sentiments, shining faces and merciful hearts, it is a “Lord’s Supper.” For the brilliancy of the Kingdom of Abha will shine and the spirituality of ‘Abdu’l-Baha become manifest. This is that “Divine Table” of which mention is made in the prophecies: “On that day they shall gather together at the Divine Table;” and “people shall come from the East and West and arrive in His Kingdom.” ***** O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from the same stock. Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household. In Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined through the light of Thy Providence. O God! Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, dost shelter all, conferrest life upon all. Thou hast endowed each and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the Ocean of Thy Mercy. O Thou kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home. May they all live together in perfect harmony. O God! Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind. O God! Establish the Most Great Peace. Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together. O Thou kind Father, God! Gladden our hearts through the fragrance of Thy love. Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy Guidance. Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word, and shelter us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence. Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcomings of all mankind.

Feast of Remembrance or Meeting of Faithfulness, held every nineteen days. The Persian word “vahid” literally means “unity” and has the numerical spiritual value of 19. Vahid Meeting, Unity Meeting, Feast of Remembrance, 19 Day Feast, Lord’s Supper, Divine Table are all cognates of the same event.

THE TWELVE PRINCIPLES OF THE BAHA’I FAITH (UHJ.net) 1. The Oneness of Humanity 2. Independent, Unfettered Investigation of the Truth 3. Religion is Progressive, All having a Common Foundation 4. Religion must be the Source of Unity 5. True Science and True Religion must Correspond 6. The Equality of Men and Women 7. Removal of all Prejudice 8. Universal Peace upheld by a Spiritual World Government 9. Universal Compulsory Education 10. A Spiritual Solution to the Economic Problem 11. A Universal Auxiliary Language 12. Universal House of Justice with the Davidic King as its President

Truth Suppression .....

''Not the violent conflict between parts of the truth, but the quiet suppression of half of it, .is the formidable evil. There is always hope when people are forced to listen to both sides. It is when they· attend to only one that errors harden into prejudices, and truth itself ceases to have the effect of truth,. by being exaggerated into falsehood.'' -John Stuart Mill

“If it is considered with insight, it will be seen that all the forces of the universe, in the last analysis serve the Covenant.” --‘Abdu’l-Baha