mardi 25 septembre 2007

A dove of the Kingdom...

A heavenly candle


God has created man in order that he may be a dove of the Kingdom, a heavenly candle, a recipient of eternal life. God has created man in order that he may be resuscitated through the breaths of the Holy Spirit and become the light of the world . . . How glorious the station of man who has partaken of the heavenly food and built the temple of his everlasting residence in the world of heaven! `--Bahá’í writings- Abdu’l-Bahá,
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Born in 1912 while his father Valíyu’lláh accompanied `Abdu’l-Bahá on His visit to America, he was given the name `Alí Muhammad by `Abdu’l-Bahá, who, seeing a photograph of the infant, wrote on the child’s arms `Yad-i-Mu’ayyad’ (Confirmed Hand) and named the infant after his martyred grandfather, Mírzá `Alí Muhammad Varqá.
In 1955 he was appointed by Shoghi Effendi one of the Hands of the Cause, special individuals given the particular task of protecting and promulgating the Bahá’í religion. Dr Varqá was also the Trustee of Huququ’llah, the Right of God.
With the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, no more Hands of the Cause could be appointed. One by one the Hands passed away until there was but one left, Dr Varqá.

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Words are powerless to describe this loss. I had the honor and privilege of being in his presence almost every day while serving at the Baha’i World Centre. In Dr. Varqa’s eyes, you could see a depthless ocean of love and kindness. He was my dearest friend and confidante. I remember that every time I would visit him, he would joke that the storm (toofan) had arrived. My heart would fill with joy when he showered me with his love. Dr. Varqa truly had an immense sense of humor, a benevolent and generous heart, and a glorious spirit. He will be greatly missed--Gloria Mogharabi-posted with permission

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Light and glory, greeting and praise be upon the Hands of His Cause, through whom the light of fortitude hath shone forth and the truth hath been established that the authority to choose rests with God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained, through whom the ocean of bounty hath surged and the fragrance of the gracious favors of God, the Lord of mankind, hath been diffused. We beseech Him—exalted is He—to shield them through the power of His hosts, to protect them through the potency of His dominion, and to aid them through His indomitable strength which prevaileth over all created things. Sovereignty is God's, the Creator of the heavens and the Lord of the Kingdom of Names.

Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, pg. 83, Lawh-I-Dunyá (Tablet of the World)

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Baha'i world loses most distinguished member
HAIFA, Israel
24 September 2007 (BWNS)
The worldwide Baha'i community has lost its most distinguished member with the death of Dr. Ali-Muhammad Varqa.
He passed away on the evening of 22 September 2007 at his home in Haifa.
In 1955, Dr. Varqa was appointed to the high rank of "Hand of the Cause" by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baha'i Faith. Dr. Varqa served in that capacity, on the international level, for 52 years until his passing. He was the last survivor of the 27 Hands of the Cause who were alive when Shoghi Effendi passed away in 1957.
Dr. Varqa came from a well-known Iranian family that has served the Baha'i Faith with distinction for generations. After obtaining a doctorate from the Sorbonne in Paris in 1950, he taught in Iran at the universities of Tabriz and Tehran and served the Baha'i community there in various administrative capacities. In 1979 he moved to Canada, and later established his residence in Haifa to serve at the Baha'i World Center.
He was born in 1912 in Tehran, Iran, and received his name from 'Abdu'l-Baha in memory of his grandfather, who had been killed for being a follower of Baha'u'llah.
Dr. Varqa traveled to many countries as a representative first of Shoghi Effendi, then of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing council of the Baha'i Faith. In that capacity, Dr. Varqa attended the first national conventions held in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Congo, Mauritania, Central Africa Republic, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Czechoslovakia and Greenland.
Dr. Varqa is survived by three daughters and six siblings. His funeral was to take place the morning of 24 September, with burial in the Baha'i cemetery in Haifa.

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mardi 11 septembre 2007

The Hands of the Cause of God

Fifty people in the history of the Bahá'í Faith were designated as Hands of the Cause of God. Thirty-six served as Hands while alive and fourteen were granted the station posthumously. Only Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi had authority to designate Hands. They have been the highest-ranking helpers of the Central Authority of the Faith, and for five and one-half harrowing years kept the Faith intact during the transition between the Guardianship and the election of the first Universal House of Justice. The master summed up the Hands' duties thus: "...to diffuse the Divine Fragrances, to edify the souls of men, to promote learning, to improve the character of all men and to be, at all times and under all conditions, sanctified and detached from earthly things."
Appointed by Bahá'u'lláh, 1886 - 1889
The Blessed Beauty chose four men to assist with special tasks related to spreading the Faith and consolidating the Bahá'í community:


Ibn-i-Abhar (Mízá Muhammad-Taqí)

Ibn-i-Asdaq (Mírzá 'Alí-Muhammad)

Hájí Ákhúnd (Mullá 'Alí-Akbar-Sháh-mírzádí)

Hájí Mírzá Hasan-i-Adib
All four were fearless teachers of the Bahá'í Faith, suffering imprisonment and other persecutions for the Cause. After Bahá'u'lláh's passing, 'Abdu'l-Bahá called on those Hands to organize a Central Spritual Assembly in Tehran, Iran, and to help strengthen the friends in the Covenant.

Eulogized as Hands by 'Abdu'l-Bahá,
In His book Memorials of the Faithful, the Master named four additional men posthumously as Hands:


Ismu'lláhu'l-Asdaq (Mullá Sádiq-i-Muqaddas-i-Khurásáni)

Nabíl-i-Akbar (Muhammad-i-Qa'iní)

Shaykh Muhammad-Ridáy-i-Yazdí

Varqá (Mírzá 'Alí-Muhammad)
All four were fearless teachers of the Bahá'í Faith, suffering imprisonment and other persecutions. Varqá attained martyrdom.

Eulogized as Hands by Shoghi Effendi, 1928 - 1954
In various letters, the Guardian paid tribute to ten people after their deaths as Hands of the Cause:


Hájí Amín (Abu'l-Hasan-i-Ardikání) (Iran)

John E. Esselmont (Britain)

Keith Ransom-Kehler (U.S., Iran)

Martha L. Root (U.S.)

Mustafáy-i-Rúmí (Iraq, India, Burma)

'Abdu'l-Jalíl Bey Sa'ad (Egypt)

Muhammad Taqí Isfahání (Iran)

Louis G. Gregory (U.S.)

Roy C. Wilhelm (U.S.)

J. H. Hyde Dunn (Britain, U.S., Australia)
Appointed by Shoghi Effendi, 1951 - 1957
Under the provisions of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Guardian appointed thirty-two hands of the Cause to be leaders in propogation of the Bahá'í Teachings and, starting in 1957, also in defense of the Covenant. Amelia Collins' 1946 appointment as a Hand was not made public until 1951. Twenty-seven appointments were announced in three contingents. Five died within the Guardian's lifetime; new Hands were named to replace each of them.

First contingent, 1951


Dorothy Beecher Baker (U.S.)

Amelia E. Collins (U.S.)

'Alí-Akbar Furútan (Iran, Russia, Holy Land)

Ugo Giachery (Italy, U.S., Monaco, Samoa)

Hermann Grossmann (Germany)

Horace H. Holley (U.S.)

Leroy C. Ioas (U.S., Holy Land)

W. Sutherland Maxwell (Canada, Holy Land)

C. Mason Remey (U.S., Holy Land)

Tarázu'lláh Samandarí (Iran)

George Townshend (Ireland)

Valíyu'lláh Varqá (Iran)
Second contingent, 1952


Shu'á'u'lláh 'Alá'í (Iran, France, U.S.)

Músá Banání (Iran, Uganda)

Clara Dunn (Britain, U.S., Australia)

Zikrullah Khadem (Iran, U.S.)

Adelbert Mühlshlegel (Germany, Switzerland, Greece)

Siegfried Schopflocher (Germany, Canada)

Corinne Knight True (U.S.)
Individual appointments, 1952 - 1957


Amatu'l Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum (Canada, Holy Land)

Jalál Kházeh (Iran)

Paul E. Haney (U.S., Holy Land)

'Alí-Muhammad Varqá (Iran, Canada, Holy Land)

Agnes B. Alexander (Hawaii, Japan)
Third contingent, 1957


Hasan M. Balyúzí (Iran, Britain)

Abu'l-Qásim Faizi (Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Holy Land)

H. Collis Featherstone (Australia)

John G. Ferraby (Britain)

Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir (Iran, Indonesia)

Enoch Olinga (Uganda, Cameroon)

John Robarts (Canada)

William Sears (U.S., South Africa)
Pivotal Developments

November 1957: The Guardian suddenly passed away without naming a successor or leaving a will. Soon the Hands of the Cause of God assumed custodianship of the Faith's global affairs until election of the Universal House of Justice. The Hands stayed faithful to this duty--with one exception.

April 1960: In the most traumatic breach of the Covenant in recent times, Charles Mason Remey declared that he was the second Guardian. As empowered by the Will of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Hands of the Cause rejected Remey's claim and, in July, expelled him from the Faith.

November 1961: A conclave of the Hands of the Cause issued a call for the first election of the Universal House of Justice to be held during Ridván 1963. The Hands asked to be exempted from election.

1963 - 1964: The Universal House of Justice issued statements that neither a second Guardian nor any more Hands of the Cause of God could be appointed.

1968 and 1973: Ensuring that all the Hands' functions are carried out into the future, the Universal House of Justice created the Institution of the Counselors. First, a Board of Counselors was formed on each continent, then the International Teaching Center was established in Haifa as a central authority for this institution.

At present: The last living Hand of the Cause of God is 'Alí Muhammad Varqá, who also serves as Trustee of Huqúqu'lláh. He is also the only third-generation Hand of the Cause.

Sources: Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá; A Basic Bahá'í Chronology, Glenn Cameron; Lights of Fortitude, Barron Harper. This article was originally printed in The American Bahá'í, January 19, 2004, as part of a memoriam for the Hand of the Cause of God 'Alí Akbar Furútan, who passed away on November 26, 2003. Reprinted with permission.
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