– 1265 –

1949-10-23 Memoirs & Experiences with the Master

USBN #228 February 1950 p4

“It is very important that the old Bahá’ís should accurately record their experiences with the Master, and events in the Cause’s progress, for these things form data for future histories of the Cause. They have not, however, the authority of the revealed Word or the Tablets, etc…”

To Mr. Willard P. Hatch dated October 23, 1949.

– 1266 –

1949-10-23 Old Bahá́ís should Accurately Record their Experiences

Guidance Regarding Bahá’í Archives

Compiled by Bahá’í International Archives

It is very important that the old Bahá’ís should accurately record their experiences with the Master, and events in the Cause’s progress, for these things form data for future histories of the Cause. They have not, however, the authority of the revealed Word or the Tablets, etc.

From a letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi dated 23 October 1949 to an individual

– 1267 –

1949-10-25 Heart Austerity

USBN #230 April 1950 p1

“You are quite right to say that much more emphasis should be placed on the heart in America. Without the spirit of real love for Bahá’u’lláh, for His Faith and its Institutions, and the believers for each other, the Cause can never really bring in large numbers of people. For it is not preaching and rules the world wants, but love and action.

“He also feels that this period of ‘austerity’ will do no harm, and that it can and should arouse the individuals to undertake more responsibility. Too many instructions and procedures deaden the initiative of people and confuse them.”

To Mrs. Beatrice Ashton, dated October 25, 1949

– 1268 –

1949-10-25 To Henk Buys re Going to Indonesia

Dear Co-worker: Messages from Shoghi Effendi to the Benelux countries, pp70-71

Henk Buys,
25 October 1949

Dear Bahá’í Brother:

Our beloved Guardian was very happy to receive your letter of October 2, and also to hear you are going out to Indonesia.

You can do an immense lot of good for the Faith there by teaching people whom you find open-minded and receptive to the wonderful message of Bahá’u’lláh.

He urges you to get in touch with:

Mr. Rustam Sabet, P.O. Box 19, New Delhi, India, who is the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháïs of India, Pakistan and Burma. There is already one pioneer from India in Indonesia, and if you can see him, or write to him, after obtaining from Mr. Sabet his address, your cooperation would be very useful, as of course this believer is of oriental background.

It would be a wonderful service to the Faith if you can find some way of having the book Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era translated into Malay.

It is wonderful to think that whereas a few months ago there were no Bahá’ís in Indonesia, there will now be three, two from Holland and one from India. God truly moves in mysterious ways to carry His Faith to suffering humanity!

It is just possible that Mr. Charles Mason Reméy may be able to visit, on his world tour, Indonesia. Mr. Sabet can inform you of this. As Mr. Remey is a very charming and cultivated man he could be introduced to your circle of friends and give them lectures on the Cause in a way that would not savour of any propaganda, but rather seem a privilege to those who met him.

The Guardian assures you of his prayers for the success of your work out there, and also for dear Mrs. Buys.

With warmest greetings,
R. Rabbání

P.S. In view of the great importance of having some literature in Malay the Guardian urges you, and the other two pioneers out there, to make every effort to have at least a small pamphlet translated and printed as soon as possible. He would like to receive some copies of this for the Bahá’í libraries in Haifa and Bahjí as soon as they are available.

May the Almighty bless richly your efforts in the new Held opening before you, remove all obstacles from your path, and aid you to lay a strong and unassailable foundation for the institutions of His Faith, your true brother, Shoghi

– 1269 –

1949-10-27 To Lea Nys re dont Pressure People to become Bahá’ís

Dear Co-worker: Messages from Shoghi Effendi to the Benelux countries, pp92

Lea Nys,
27 October 1949

Dear Bahá’í Sister:

The beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer your letter of October 2, enclosing that of Mr. E. Remacle, as well as the post card relevant to it.

I am sending you herewith his answer, which no doubt Mr. Remacle will share with you, and which explains his attitude towards the questions raised.

No pressure should be brought to bear on these kind and loving friends, to join the faith. This is a matter of conscience, and whatever their future attitude may be, the Baháïs should continue to cooperate with them and show them great cordiality and friendship.

The Guardian is praying for their spiritual enlightenment, and also for the steady progress of your Assembly’s work in Brussels.

He was made most happy by the excellent reports of the Brussels Conference and the high praise bestowed upon the Brussels Bahá’ís for all they did to make it such a success.

With Bahá’í love,
R. Rabbání

Dear and valued co-workers:

I wish to assure you in person of my deep and heartfelt gratitude for your notable services to the Faith, and particularly in connection with the Brussels Conference. I feel truly proud of your accomplishments, and will supplicate the Beloved to bless richly your valuable and meritorious activities, and enable you in the days to come, to win still greater victories in the service of His Faith.

Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi

– 1270 –

1949-10-28 The Number Nine

USBN #228 February 1950 p4

“Regarding your various questions: We must avoid giving the impression of being all tied up with peculiar religious theories; on the other hand, the 9 sides of the Temple, and the 9-pointed star require an explanation, and he feels the best one is this:

“Nine is the highest digit, hence symbolizes comprehensiveness, culmination; also, the reason it is used in the Temple’s form is because 9 has the exact numerical value of “Bahá” (in the numerology connected with the Arabic alphabet) and “Bahá” is the name of the Revealer of our Faith, Bahá’u’lláh. The 9-pointed star is not a part of the teachings of our Faith, but only used as an emblem representing “9.” In telling people of the 9 religions of the world, that is, existing religions, we should not give this as the reason the Temple has 9 sides. This may have been an idea of the architect, and a very pleasing idea, which can be mentioned in passing, but the Temple has 9 sides because of the association of 9 with perfection, unity and “Bahá.”

“The Guardian feels that with intellectuals and students of religion the question of exactly which are the 9 existing religions is controversial, and it would be better to avoid it. He does not want the friends to be rigid in these matters, but use their judgment and tact, sometimes one statement is exactly the right thing for one type of mind and the wrong thing for another.

“Strictly speaking the 5-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb and explained by Him. But the Guardian does not feel it is wise or necessary to complicate our explanations of the Temple by adding this.

“Shoghi Effendi himself uses the King James version of the Bible, both because it is an authoritative one and in beautiful English.

“The statement in ‘Seven Days of Creation’ certainly cannot be considered authoritative or correct. The Ark and the Flood we believe are symbolical.

“He feels that it is not necessary to present, prematurely, to every new Bahá’í the teachings regarding the use of the Greatest Name. Some souls need and are ready for this: others are not. Judgment must be used in such matters. It is more essential to stress the importance of prayer and to urge the use of one of the obligatory prayers.”

To Nina Matthisen, dated October 28, 1949

– 1271 –

1949-10-30 To Philip Hainsworth re His Plans

Looking back in Wonder, Philip Hainsworth, p84-5

Dear Bahá’í Brother,

Your letters of January 4 and August 22, were received, and the beloved Guardian has been anticipating answering them for some time, but the pressure of his work has held up a lot of letters of late. He regrets the delay — the material you enclosed in them was also received and he thanks you for sending it.

Mrs Preston wrote the Guardian three letters about herself and her work — or contemplated work. She seems to be now ready to take hold and do some teaching, and the Guardian advised her about this, and also that she need not send any pamphlet to him for correction, but should consider the British National Spiritual Assembly the natural source of advice and help in these matters. He urged her, however, to keep in close contact with him.

The thing he is anxious to see is a pamphlet in Swahili (and as many other African languages as possible!). He was, therefore, very pleased over your action and leaves it to you to push the matter further. You should perhaps send a copy of your material to Mrs Preston for consultation. It seems her husband is helpful and speaks Swahili himself, so he could judge of any translation you get back.

It pleased the Guardian very much to hear your dear mother is so much better. You were blessed in your parents and he will pray she may be spared to you f6r many years to come. Give her his love.

As regards your own future plans: in view of the precarious state of the Plan in Britain he does not think you can at present decide what you will do when it is over. He advises you to wait until it is over and the needs of the immediate future take shape. The best general plan for you to make would be to contemplate getting work for the next year or so in the British Isles, to go on with your services for the Cause there, and keep in mind the desirability of going at a later date to some place in Africa to establish the Cause.

All that you have done and are doing he most deeply appreciates. You have been of invaluable assistance to the work there since you went back, and he envisages for you many future distinguished services.

With warmest Bahá’í love and greetings,
R. Rabbání.

Dear and valued co-worker,

Your strenuous, valiant and persistent efforts, exerted with such zeal and devotion, to ensure the success of the Plan are, indeed, worthy of the highest praise. I increasingly admire your accomplishment and feel deeply thankful for the exemplary spirit you demonstrate. My fervent and loving prayers surround you in all your activities, and I feel confident that the Beloved is well pleased with the standard of your achievements. Persevere in your high and meritorious endeavours and be happy and confident always.

Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.

– 1272 –

1949-10-31 Hopes France Can Play a More Important Part in Affairs of Cause

Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland

Compiled by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice.

Published in Bahá’í Studies Review 4:1

France could certainly profit greatly, as you say, from the visits of more travelling teachers, and he hopes that as the urgent phase in the building up of the Ten Goal Countries passes, more attention can be given to assisting the French believers. No doubt a great deal could be achieved in France with relatively little effort, and he longs for the day when the oldest Bahá’í Community in Europe can play a more important part in the affairs of the Cause in that Continent.

(on Behalf of Shoghi Effendi to individual believer, 31 October 1949)

– 1273 –

1949-11-05 Correction to Printed Version of Msg to 2nd European Teaching Conf

Dear Co-worker: Messages from Shoghi Effendi to the Benelux countries, pp93

2nd European Teaching Conference,
5 November 1949

The Guardian wants me to call your attention to an error in the published version (October Bahá’í News) of his cable to the European Conference. It should read as follows:

Right hand column, beginning of the second paragraph:

“Firmly knit (by the) sacred bonds (of a) spiritual fellowship more enduring, possessed of greater cohesive strength than any ties (of) kinship or race, (and) more potent (than) any social ideology or political alliance; deriving constant sustenance from (the) Mandate issued (from the) Pen (of the) Author (of the) Divine Plan; (and) assured (of the) overshadowing protection vouchsafed by (the) Lord (of the) Covenant Himself presiding (over the) Plans unfolding destiny, let them, (on) this auspicious occasion, dedicate themselves, through their assembled representatives, (to the) dual task (of) steadily consolidating their infant strength (and) tirelessly diffusing (the) holy influences inherent (in) their mission, until (a) visionless, slumbering, spiritually-impoverished continent (is) awakened through (the) saving grace (of) Bahá’u’lláhs Revelation and its peace (and) security unassailably established through (the) redemptive power released through (the) emergence of (the) institutions of (a) divinely appointed World Order.”

– 1274 –

1949-11-30 To Josephine Diebold re Dealing with Disharmony

Dear Co-worker: Messages from Shoghi Effendi to the Benelux countries, pp93-4

Josephine Diebold,
30 November 1949

Dear Bahá’í Sister:

Your letter dated November 23 has reached our beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

He fully realizes how very distressing it is to see any inharmony in a Bahd’i Community. However, a great deal of inharmony — if not all of it — is due to the fact that the Bahá’ís do not properly understand the administration. They know that the Spiritual Assembly is the body to decide the affairs of the Community, but they do not let it do so! This is usually due not to lack of a desire to see the assembly function, but rather to over-anxiety to see it do what one or two people think is the proper thing.

It is very hard for people to learn to function the way ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says we should: the friends on the assembly must consult freely, all of them; then whatever the majority decides must be accepted wholeheartedly, for the sake of God. Personal opinions are important, but once the majority has voted, they must be given up and not clung to.

The Guardian appreciates very much your devotion to the Faith, and your loving and helpful attitude towards your fellow Bahá’ís. He urges you to go on encouraging them, and pointing out to them that these are small problems — growing pains — and will and can be overcome.

He will certainly pray for the unity of the friends there.

With Bahá’í love,
R. Rabbání

Assuring you of my loving prayers for your success in the service of our beloved Faith and for the realization of every hope you cherish for the promotion of the interests of its institutions.

Your true brother,
Shoghi

– 1275 –

1949-12-14 Fanny Knohlochs Passing

USBN #227 January 1950 p1

“Grieve passing (of) beloved, ‘distinguished, exemplary pioneer (of) Faith, Fanny Knobloch. Memory (of) her notable services imperishable, her reward (in) Abba Kingdom bountiful, assured, everlasting.”

— SHOGI

(Cable from the Guardian received Dec. 14)

– 1276 –

1949-12-25 To Jeanne Boekhoudt re Bahá’í healers”

Dear Co-worker: Messages from Shoghi Effendi to the Benelux countries, pp94-5