5 February 1923: To the Baha'is of Burma

The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout Burma. Care of Aga Seyed Mustapha, Mandalay, Burma.

Dearly beloved brethren and sisters in 'Abdu'1-Baha:

How sweet and glorious to remember in these days of strife and turmoil how the mighty hand of our beloved 'Abdu'l-Baha has gathered together peoples of divers tongues and distant climes and united their hearts in one common spirit of love and servitude to the sacred Threshold of Bahá'u'lláh. The Spirit that has achieved so great a measure of reconciliation, is today the one Factor that can, amid the unceasing contentions of races, nations, creeds and classes, assure to this disillusioned world the reign of true felicity and peace.

How great is then our privilege to labour for the diffusion of this Spirit, and how vital and urgent our task to relieve mankind from its present state of uncertainty and peril!

True, the work to be achieved is immeasurably difficult, the obstacles to be surmounted innumerable, but our reliance is in His all-conquering Spirit which has effected such a change in the past, and is sure, according to his explicit promise, to effect a still greater change in future.

I would be most pleased and gratified to receive a detailed report of your spiritual activities, and a full description of the present position of the Cause in those regions and of the plans you contemplate for progress in future. I assure you that your welfare and happiness are the objects of my deepest care and concern, and I wish you to rely on my readiness to be of any service to you in your labours for the Cause.

I shall look forward from now on to the joyful tidings which my spiritual brethren and sisters in Burma, assisted by the efforts of our devoted and able Bahá'í sister, Mrs Stannard, will send me in the near future. It is my earnest prayer, whenever I visit the Three Sacred Shrines, that the blessings of the Almighty may rest upon your efforts and make of that far-away region a radiant centre of spiritual activity and humanitarian achievements.

Your brother and co-worker,

Shoghi

Haifa, Palestine

February 5, 1923

(Messages of Shoghi Effendi to the Indian Subcontinent: 1923-1957)

3 February 1923: To the Baha’is of New York city

To the beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful, throughout the City of New York, U. S. A. Care of the members of the Spiritual Assembly.

Dear and faithful friends of 'Abdu'l-Baha!

The welcome letter which the members of your Spiritual Assembly have sent me is indeed a fresh and remarkable testimony of your wise, patient and persistent efforts to promote the Cause of God and deepen its foundations in the heart of that great city.

All throughout the various vicissitudes which the Movement has encountered during this past year of bereavement and uncertainty, the faithful lovers of the Master in New York have, by their wisdom in teaching, the range and character of their activities, their perseverance in their labors and their unity in service, proved themselves worthy of the blessings which our beloved 'Abdu'l-Baha showered upon them during his repeated visits to their city. It is my earnest hope and prayer that now at this decisive hour of the Cause of God the friends may with clear vision and redoubled energy endeavor to deepen still further the essential truths of the Cause in their own lives, and then extend the sphere of their activity, endeavoring at all times to infuse the regenerating Spirit of Baha'u'llah into the divers communities, creeds and classes that are represented in that most cosmopolitan city of the American continent.

From the leaflets, the circular letter and the pamphlet enclosed in the letter of your Spiritual Assembly, I can see clearly how well you have undertaken the task of acquainting the intellectual and religious circles of your city with the Divine Teachings, how admirably you have co-ordinated your efforts for service and how beautifully you have immortalized the memory of the Beloved's sojourn in your midst.

19 January 1923: To the Baha'is of Germany

The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout Germany, Care of the members of the National Spiritual Assembly.

My dearly-beloved friends!

Ever since I have resumed my work in the Holy Land I have been awaiting with eager and particular interest the detailed letters, individual as well as collective, of my loved ones in Germany, who, I am sure are arduously, devotedly and efficiently carrying on the Great Work which the Master has destined for them in this world.

Much as I desire to correspond individually with every one of you, yet I find that in view of the marvellously rapid extension of the Movement all over the world to start and maintain individual correspondence with the vast and ever-increasing number of Bahá’ís in the East and the West would entail so much time and energy on my part as to prevent me from paying adequate attention to my other duties that are so urgent and vital in these days.

I shall therefore very regretfully and reluctantly have to content myself with direct correspondence with every Bahá’í group in each locality, be it a city or hamlet, keeping in constant touch with them directly and through their respective local assemblies and co-ordinating their spiritual efforts and activities through the National Spiritual Assembly (National Body), representative of all the believers and local assemblies throughout the land.

I am exceedingly anxious, as a preliminary to the faithful execution of this plan, to receive as soon as it is convenient an official, comprehensive and detailed report from the National Spiritual Assembly, stating accurately the actual standing of the Cause in Germany, describing the progress of the activities of the friends throughout that land and the adjoining countries such as Austria and Northern Switzerland, and setting forth the names, the numerical strength, the history, the needs and the activities of every locality throughout these regions, however small in size, where the Light of the Cause has so far been able to penetrate.

18 January 1923: To the Baha’is throughout the Pacific Islands

The beloved of the Lord and handmaids of the Merciful throughout the Pacific Islands, Care of the members of the American Spiritual National Assembly.

Beloved co-workers in the Vineyard of God!

Though pressed on all sides by my manifold duties. yet I can always find the time to devote my attention to the interests of those faraway friends who though distant in body are yet at heart so near and dear to us all.

To realize that at this present hour, a company of steadfast and zealous lovers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are day and night absorbed by their one thought of earnest service to the Cause in those uttermost corers of the globe, is the highest inspiration and the greatest encouragement in the great task that lies before me.

I am well aware of the Divine Bounties that have been showered upon you in the past and I am confident that every one of you, realizing now more than ever before the significance of these bountiful gifts, will arise with greater selflessness and increased determination to bring this noble task entrusted to him by our beloved Master to a speedy and glorious consummation.

I shall be most pleased and gratified to receive a detailed and comprehensive report of all your activities, of your achievements in the past, your services at present, and your plans for the future.

Those distant islands, the object of our Master’s love and tender care, occupy a warm and abiding place in our hearts, and their very names evoke within us so high a sense of hope and admiration that the passing of time and the vicissitudes of life can never weaken or remove

Assuring you of my constant prayers on your behalf, I am your devoted brother in His service,

Shoghi

(‘Messages to the Antipodes’)

16 January 1923: To the Baha’is throughout the United States and Canada

The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the United States and Canada. [1]

Beloved Brethren and Sisters in 'Abdu'l-Baha:

Our dear friend, Jinab-i-Fadil-i-Mazindarani, accompanied by his family, has gladly and gratefully responded to the kind invitation of the American friends to visit them once more and extend his helping hand to the many friends who are so faithfully labouring throughout that continent for the Cause of Baha'u'llah.

Deeply appreciative of the sentiments of warm and abiding affection which his co workers of that land have abundantly shown him in the past, fired with the zeal of service which the passing of our Beloved has kindled in every heart and hopeful of the immediate future of the Cause in those regions, he is proceeding to America with the sole purpose of promoting far and wide and with greater efficiency and vigour the all important work of Teaching.

As to the extent of his sojourn, the details of his travel, his plans for visiting the various spiritual centers and all other matters relating to his visit, I have left them all to his own discretion, that he may, after consultation with the various Spiritual Assemblies do as he deems best and most serviceable to the interests of the Cause in that land.

That all the friends may realize more fully the urgent and supreme necessity of Teaching the Cause in these days, that they may arise to inaugurate a more strenuous, systematized and extensive campaign of service -- these are the high aims he has set before himself and which he intends, with the unfailing help and wholehearted support of every believer in America, to achieve in the immediate future.

May his second visit to your shores mark, in its character and results, a new and memorable era in the history of the Cause in that great country.

Your brother and co worker,

Haifa, Palestine,

January 16th 1923.

Shoghi

[1] Brought to America by Jinab-i-Fadil

(Star of the West, Vol. 14, April, 1923; ‘Baha’i Administration’)

9 January 1923: To the Baha'is of India and Burmah

The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout India and Burmah, Care of the members of the Spiritual Assembly.

Beloved co-workers in the Vineyard of God!

It has been my great pleasure and privilege to send you, since my return to the Holy Land, first my general message of confidence and of love addressed to all believers throughout the East, and later another letter wherein I appeal in particular to those faithful lovers of His Cause in that vast and distant dominion to labour whole-heartedly and to the very end for the diffusion of His Light and the spread of His Cause. Remembering, however, the few among my friends in that land who are as yet unfamiliar with the Persian Tongue, I have thought of sending these few lines to them in particular and through them to the rest of my brethren and sisters in those regions who, despite the diversity of tongue, of race and custom are all united at heart and animated by one common desire to uplift humanity and carry out His Divine Purpose for this world.

What an alluring field of service India with all its possibilities unfolds to our eyes at the present time and how vast are the opportunities of sowing the seeds of unity and loving kindness in the hearts of its divers peoples!

True, that land seems now unhappily to be plunged in the darkness of prejudice, hate and mistrust, yet however dark the immediate prospect may appear, our confidence remains unshaken that ere long these mists shall clear away, the dawn of a New Day shall break upon that land and the Rays of this Divine Revelation shall make of India a spiritually-quickened, peaceful and united country.

8 January 1923: To the Baha’is in a number of cities in America and Canada's St. John, N.B

The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful in Asbury Park, N. Ga.; Beverly Salem, Mass.; Bisbee, Ariz.; Buffalo, N. Y.; Eliot, Maine; Cambri, Penn.; Fernandina, Fla.; Fruitport, Mich.; Grand Rapids, Mich. Geyserville, Cal.; Haven, Mich.; Haverhill, Mass.; Ithaca, N.Y.; Johnstown, N. Y.; Miami, Fla.; Milwaukee, Wis.; New Haven, Conn.; Omaha, Neb.; Okanagan, Wash.; Peoria, Ill.; San Diego, Cal.; Santa Barbara, Cal.; Santa Paula, Cal.; Santa Rosa, Cal.;  Springfield, Ill; St. John, N.B; St. Louis, Mo.; St. Paul, Minn.; Trenton, N. Y.; Worcester, Mass.      

Care of tile members of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Dearest Fellow workers in the Vineyard of God:

Though your number in each of these cities be small and limited, yet by virtue of that Celestial Potency bequeathed to every one of you by our departed Master, you are assured that ere long your small company shall expand and wield such power and influence as no earthly power can ever hope for or attain. Who can doubt that he is ever watching from his Station on High over his scattered fold and is guiding and strengthening his faithful lovers who toil and labour for the fulfillment of his Word and the realization of his Purpose for mankind?

As we observe the sad conditions of the world and the complexity of the problems that are besetting humanity, we may at times lose heart and grow forgetful of the promised dawn of the New Day, so repeatedly and emphatically foretold in the Sacred Writings. But we need only refer to some of the earliest writings of our beloved Master to regain that confidence which the vicissitudes of the world, however distressing, can never shake. Are not these words wherein he assures us of the onward march of the Cause -- a march which no one can resist and which is sure to lead humanity to its glorious destiny?

"Now in the world of being, the Hand of Divine Power hath firmly laid the foundations of this all highest bounty and this wondrous gift. Whatsoever is latent in the innermost of this Holy Cycle shall gradually appear and be made manifest, for now is but the beginning of its growth and the day-spring of the revelation of its signs. Ere the close of this century and of this age it shall be made clear and evident how wondrous was that springtide and how heavenly was that gift!”

5 January 1923: To the Baha'is of Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland

The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

The glory of the All-Glorious rest upon them!

Beloved brethren and sisters in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá!

His honor, Jináb-i ‘Abdu’l-Ḥusayn-í Avárih, fired with the spirit of service and teaching which the passing of our beloved Master has kindled in every heart, is proceeding to Europe and will visit every Bahá’í centre in that great continent, that he may with the aid of the many friends in those regions raise the Call of Yá-Bahá’u’l-Abhá and stimulate interest in the Cause of God. He is indeed qualified for such an eminent noble task and I am confident that by the Grace of God and with the whole-hearted assistance of the loved ones of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, he may be enabled to promote far and wide the universal Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.

His wide experience and familiarity with the various aspects of the Movement, his profound and extensive knowledge of its history; his association with some of the early believers, the pioneers and martyrs of the Cause will I am sure to appeal to every one of you and will serve to acquaint you still further with the more intimate and tragic side of this remarkable Movement.

May his sojourn in your country lend a fresh impetus to the onward march of the Cause in the West and arouse widespread interest in the history as well as the principles of the Bahá’í Movement! 

Shoghi 

(‘The Light of Divine Guidance, vol. 2’)

5 January 1923: To the Baha’is of Cleveland

The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. Care of the members of the Spiritual Assembly.

My beloved friends:

I trust now that I have returned refreshed and strengthened from my needed retirement, I shall very soon hear from you such news as shall encourage and strengthen me in my labours for His Holy Cause.

I look forward with eager anticipation to the welcome news of increased unity among the loved ones of God, of renewed ardour in their ceaseless service to the Cause and of crowning achievements in their field of service throughout that country.

True, in this day the Light of the Covenant is hidden from mortal eyes, yet the unfading Splendour of His Spirit, freed from earthy limitations, shines more brilliantly than ever before and is sure to guide our steps if we but seek His Guidance and walk steadfastly in His Way.

May the radiance of His Inspiration illumine our hearts and the hope of Eternal Reunion be our stay and solace in these days of bereavement and service to His Cause.

Supplicating the Divine Favours on your behalf,

I am your brother in His Service,

Shoghi

Haifa, Palestine,

January 5, 1923

(Shoghi Effendi, Star of the West, Vol. 13, March 1923)

2 January 1923: To the Baha'is of Canada

The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the Dominion of Canada, c/o the members of the Spiritual Assembly in Montreal 

Dear friends!

It is a great pleasure and privilege to me to enter into direct and I trust permanent correspondence with those faithful fiends of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, who , though few in number and scattered over that vast and flourishing country, will I trust act as a powerful leaven to the mass of that spiritually-minded people.

Though its people be firmly entrenched in their religious sectarianism and strongly attached to their religious doctrines and traditions, yet who can doubt that with courage and persistence, kindliness and wisdom, the all-conquering words of Baha’u'llah can fail to break down all these barriers of prejudice and religious exclusiveness and conquer this long-standing stronghold of sectarian belief!

Surely the efficacy of the universal Teachings of Baha’u'llah, as applied to the cherished and time honoured religious traditions of the East, has been sufficiently demonstrated to justify at present our confident hopes for the future and speedy reawakening of that land.

May the small company of the steadfast followers of ‘Abdu'l-Baha in Canada be filled with the outpourings of the Divine Grace that are being showered so mightily in these days upon the friends of God the world over, and may they arise with undiminished fervour to carry out to their fullest measure the last wishes and instructions of our departed Master for that great and flourishing Dominion!

With all good wishes,

Your brother and co-worker,

Shoghi

(‘Messages to Canada’)

30 December 1922: To the Baha’is of Philadelphia

To the Beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the merciful in Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A. Care of the Members of the Spiritual Assembly.

My Loving Friends:

Whenever I recall the tender affection with which the beloved Master referred to you in His spoken as well as in His written words I feel that the day may not be distant when the friends of that city will as the standard-bearers of the Cause herald to their fellow countrymen and to the world at large the glad tidings of this glorious Revelation.

Assured and strengthened by the memories of the many blessings that have been yours in the past, it is now assuredly the time to arise with one accord for the fulfillment of our sacred obligations, the pre-requisites of the speedy realization of such brilliant success in the Cause.

With hearts united, with minds purified and with a determination never to waver or surrender, let us step into the arena of service and armed with the sword of utterance and teaching combat effectively the ills and sicknesses of this distracted world.

We need not feel depressed or overwhelmed with the magnitude of the task for the mighty combatants whom the hands of the Master have raised in every part of the globe shall come to our aid and the Hosts of the Unseen shall reinforce our numbers till the Spirit of Love and Peace even as foretold in the Holy Writ of Baha'u'llah will have filled the world.

I pray constantly on your behalf that your vision may never be dimmed and your courage may never falter in His Path.

I am as ever your co-worker,

Shoghi

December 30th, 1922

(Star of the West, Vol. 14, April 1923)

30 December 1922: To the Baha’is of San Francisco

The Beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful in San Francisco, Calif. U.S.A.

Beloved Friends:

The various tidings that have directly and indirectly reached the Holy Land regarding the combined efforts which the friends of the Western States have recently exerted for the promotion of the Cause in those regions, and in which the friends in that city have shared in no small degree, have filled our hearts with a joy that no words can express.

It is indeed gratifying to learn how your flourishing city, so rich and splendid in its material gifts, so similar in its atmosphere and peaceful surroundings to the Holy Land, and potentially endowed with such spiritual capacity, is now taking a leading part in lending a fresh impetus to the onward march of the Movement in regions which, though distant and remote, are yet so near and dear to the Master's heart.

May your patient efforts be crowned with signal success and may the Light of this Divine Revelation so illumine your city as to justify the high hopes which our Beloved had confidently reposed in every one of you.

We all remember you very tenderly during our visits to the Three Holy Shrines and beseech every time with renewed ardour the blessings of the Almighty upon your labours.

Your friend and co worker,

Shoghi

December 30, 1922

(Star of the West, Vol. 14, April 1923)