Written and illustrated by Violetta Zein
This part covers the life of the Greatest Holy Leaf at the age of 76 in 1922.
21 February – 5 March 1922: The Guardian’s consultative group in Haifa
The participants at the consultative meeting in Haifa called by the Guardian in March 1922. The three on the bottom row arrived late.
One of Shoghi Effendi’s earliest acts as Guardian of the Cause was to summon prominent, devoted and deepened Bahá'ís to Haifa to discuss this matter with him, and they began arriving on 21 February.
Among the 11 eminent Bahá'ís he had summoned, those who were really most involved in the consultations with Shoghi Effendi about the immediate next step to take were Mountfort Mills, Roy Wilhelm from the United States, Laura and Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney from France, Lady Blomfield and Major Tudor-Pole from England, and Consul and Alice Schwarz from Germany.
The morning after they arrived, on 22 February 1922, they were able to meet the Greatest Holy Leaf and Munírih Khánum, the widow of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Roy Wilhelm was very impressed by Bahíyyih Khánum and, describing her face, said that it possessed “wisdom, tenderness, and power.”
Of the entire Holy Family, only the Greatest Holy Leaf, his great-aunt and Munírih Khánum, his grandmother, stood firmly behind Shoghi Effendi as Guardian and supported him without hesitation.
In the course of 13 days of consultation during which the Guardian was deeply immersed in the Holy Writings, the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the Tablets of the Divine Plan, it became obvious to him that it was not yet time for the election of the Universal House of Justice.
The reason was simple: there was no firm, solid, developed, mature Bahá'í Administrative Order to support a Universal House of Justice.
In a letter addressed to the Bahá'ís of the world on 5 March 1922, the Guardian made the decision to focus all the energies of the Bahá'í on building the Local and National Spiritual Assemblies—the foundation and walls of Bahá'u'lláh’s Administrative Order—before focusing on the election of the Universal House of Justice—the roof of the worldwide Bahá'í Administration.
What is fascinating is that the instincts of most members of the Holy Family and the older generation of Bahá'ís—including, at first, most of the consultative group who had come to Haifa—thought about the youth of the Guardian and his unbearable grief, and their immediate conclusion was that electing the Universal House of Justice was the obvious solution.
They had not only severely underestimated the Guardian, but they were utterly wrong in their conclusions.
The way Shoghi Effendi navigated this delicate situation in which he had no one but the Greatest Holy Leaf on his side, was the way a brilliant general never got distracted by details or emergencies.
By the end of the consultations in Haifa, Shoghi Effendi had won everyone over and just two months after he became Guardian, he was already laying the foundation for the Administrative Order of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, the single greatest achievement of his ministry.
Greatest Holy Leaf with Lady Blomfield, 22 May 1922, Haifa. Source: Worldwide community of Bahá'u'lláh.
By early April 1922, Shoghi Effendi was utterly crushed under the weight of his sorrows and boundless grief, and had no option but to leave the Holy Land to regain the strength he needed to fulfill the duties of Guardianship.
Shoghi Effendi wrote a letter to the Bahá'ís about his forced leave of absence where he appointed the Greatest Holy Leaf to the headship of the Bahá'í Faith:
For this reason, unable to do otherwise, I have left for a time the affairs of the Cause, both at home and abroad, under the supervision of the Holy Family and the headship of the Greatest Holy Leaf—may my soul be a sacrifice to her—until, by the Grace of God, having gained health, strength, self-confidence and spiritual energy, and having taken into my hands, in accordance with my aim and desire, entirely and regularly the work of service, I shall attain to my utmost spiritual hope and aspiration.
When Shoghi Effendi appointed Bahíyyih Khánum’s to the headship of the Bahá’í Faith, it was intended as a temporary arrangement until he returned. But it would be a gravemistake to consider the appointment a formality.
The Greatest Holy Leaf’s mandate in terms of head of the Faith during Shoghi Effendi’s absence was all-encompassing.
Bahíyyih Khánum would be in charge of the direction of the internal operations and affairs of the Faith, both in the Holy Land and worldwide, and Shoghi Effendi made it clear that the Greatest Holy Leaf held the primary position within the Holy Family.
Shoghi Effendi’s mandate also extended to Bahíyyih Khánum’s dealings with authorities, something he made explicit in a letter to Colonel George Symes, the representative of the British government in Palestine and Governor of Phoenicia, referring to Bahíyyih Khánum as his “representative.” This letter was intended to clarify Bahíyyih Khánum’s authority beyond reproach to the authorities of British-Mandate Palestine:
As I am compelled to leave Haifa for reasons of health, I have named as my representative during my absence, the sister of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahíyyih Khánum.
Background photo by Dejan Zakic on Unsplash.
The day Shoghi Effendi left Haifa for 8 months of rest and recuperation, he appointed a body of nine Bahá'ís to act tentatively as an Assembly in the Holy Land.
He also informed Colonel George Symes that he had also appointed a committee of 8 resident Bahá'í men in Haifa—the ninth member was Bahíyyih Khánum—to assist the Greatest Holy Leaf with her work and responsibilities, stating the committee was to:
…assist [Bahíyyih Khánum] to conduct the affairs of the Bahá’í Movement in this country and elsewhere.
The Guardian made the committee chairman’s authority to act entirely dependent on the written endorsement of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
Then, on 5 April 1922, Shoghi Effendi left Haifa.
Right: Letter of Shoghi Effendi before his departure.
Left: Letter from the Greatest Holy Leaf before Shoghi Effendi’s departure, page 82. Source: Star of the West Volume 13 number 4 (17 May 1922), pages 82-83.
Immediately after Shoghi Effendi’s departure, the Greatest Holy Leaf convened the committee the Guardian had appointed.
The Greatest Holy Leaf then shared with the Bahá'í world the provisions of the Guardian for the administration of the Cause during his forced absence and enclosed the Guardian’s letter announcing his departure from the Holy Land.
In his letter published in Star of the West Volume 13 Number 4 on page 81, Shoghi Effendi informs the Bahá'ís of the world of the authority he has placed on the Greatest Holy Leaf, and of his absence from the Holy Land:
For this reason, unable to do otherwise, I have left for a time te affairs of the Causse, both at home and abroad, under the supervision of the Holy Family and the headship of the Greatest Holy Leaf—may my soul be a sacrifice to her—until by the Grace of God, having gained health, strength, self-confidence and spiritual energy, and having taken into my hands, in accordance with my aim and desire, entirely and regularly the work of service, I shall attain to my utmost spiritual hope and aspiration.
The words of the Greatest Holy Leaf in her letter, published on page 82 of the same issue of Star of the West, though similar in content to the letter of the Guardian, offer an amazing perspective on how she sees her appointment to the headship of the Faith, with her characteristic humility—referring to herself as a prisoner—her gentleness and utter concern for Shoghi Effendi.
His Holiness, the Guardian of the Cause of God, the Primal Branch, the joy of the people of Bahá—Shoghi Effendi—because of this great calamity, most painful event, infinite sorrow and the severity of the effect upon himself—has desired to travel [for a short period], that he may regain his health and have rest. Then he will return to the Holy Threshold, arise in service to the cause of God and perform his duties.
According to a letter written by his own hand, which is enclosed, he has appointed this prisoner to supervise and manage the affairs of the Cause, through consultation with the Holy Family, during his absence, therefore this perishable one, temporarily, has organized an assembly to act according to the advice of the souls who were appointed and nominated by him—His Holiness Shoghi Effendi.
Shoghi Effendi walking through a field of narcissus in Switzerland above Lake Geneva. Source: The Priceless Pearl.
On Sunday 9 April 1922, Persian pilgrims gathered in the Eastern Pilgrim House to attain Shoghi Effendi’s presence.
These pilgrims had asked to stay after their pilgrimage and serve at the Bahá'í World Centre. As they were waiting for the Guardian, members of the Holy Family arrived and informed them that Shoghi Effendi had left the Holy Land.
They had only met Shoghi Effendi once on their pilgrimage, and now he was gone and they would be deprived of meeting him again. The pilgrims were absolutely devastated. They were filled with immense sorrow and sadness and could not hold back their tears. Eventually, they recovered enough to visit the Shrines of the Báb and 'Abdu'l-Bahá, but the air was somber and the sadness was palpable.
The only thing that soothed the pilgrims’ broken hearts was the Greatest Holy Leaf’s loving-kindness and consideration. Bahíyyih Khánum spoke to them, and they gradually began to understand their duties at the Bahá'í World Centre and what the Guardian expected them to accomplish in service.
Bahíyyih Khánum had perceived the pilgrims’ most cherished desire, and allowed the pilgrims to serve in Haifa and 'Akká until the Guardian returned from Switzerland, so that they would be afforded the bounty of entering in his presence again.
With her characteristic kindness and empathy, the Greatest Holy Leaf had given the pilgrims new life. During their service, the pilgrims often entered her presence.
One day, the Greatest Holy Leaf summoned Ya'qúb Gulkár, one of the pilgrims, to her presence and told him that Shoghi Effendi would soon be coming back. Gulkár replied that they weren’t worthy enough to meet the Guardian more than once, but Bahíyyih Khánum responded:
You have the merit and the capacity. Be assured.
Living link: A graphic representation of the life of Bahíyyih Khánum who was contemporary with the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, and served two of three Central Figures in her lifetime as well as the Guardian.
The Greatest Holy Leaf, the last direct and faithful descendent of Bahá'u'lláh, she was born during the ministry of the Báb, had actively served Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá during their respective ministries, and had effectively ensured the transition from the Heroic Age to the Formative Age by actively supporting the Guardian and the Guardianship.
The Greatest Holy Leaf became the living link between the Heroic Age and the Formative Age.
Bahíyyih Khánum was acutely aware of the situation in every Bahá'í community worldwide, she followed Bahá'í activities throughout the world very carefully, and she understood very clearly the needs of unique opportunities for development that existed in different parts of the world, most especially, Persia, the land of her birth.
In this time of transition between the two great Ages of the faith, it fell on the Greatest Holy Leaf’s shoulders to bridge the Bahá'ís understanding in these important matters.
The Bahá'ís had to learn to not only understand the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, comprehend the provisions of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, accept Shoghi Effendi as their Guardian, but also understand the Guardianship as an institution.
During Shoghi Effendi’s absence’s the Greatest Holy Leaf would be intensely occupied with writing letters, speaking to pilgrims, and elevating the understand of Bahá'ís near and far, helping reshape their very understanding and awareness of the Administrative Order of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh and its Covenant.
Original handwritten caption on the back of this photograph reads:
“The Greatest Holy Leaf. To Leona from Dr. Lotfullah Hakim, 1920.”© United States National Bahá'í Archives, used with permission.
Starting on 5 April 1922 for eight full months until 15 December 1922, the Greatest Holy Leaf was now in charge of administering the domestic and international affairs of the Bahá'í Faith—assisted by the Holy Family and the members of the appointed committee until the Guardian’s return.
It was unheard of in 1922 for a woman to be put in charge of the affairs of a worldwide religious community, especially in the Middle East.
When Bahíyyih Khánum met with the pilgrims who had not had the chance to spend time with Shoghi Effendi, she comforted them, and urged to serve the Faith to their utmost ability to bring joy and gladness to the heart of the Guardian.
As the head of the committee appointed by the Guardian and as his representative, Bahíyyih Khánum had crucial responsibilities.
She managed the crisis of the keys of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, seized by the Covenant-breakers.
She was the only point of contact between all the Bahá'ís of the world and the Bahá'í World Centre.
She wrote letters to individual Bahá'ís and Bahá'í Assemblies, guiding and encouraging them all.
She educated, familiarized, and deepened the Bahá'ís in the provisions of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
She rallied the believers of the Faith, teacing them about the Guardianship and bringing them all under the protective shadow of the Covenant.
She took initiatives to protect the Bahá'í Faith from Covenant-breakers in the Holy Land and in other parts of the world.
She inspired the Bahá'ís to support the Guardian, and she implemented the policies which Shoghi Effendi had put in place before his departure.
She raised te awareness of all Bahá'ís in the importance of Bahá'í Administration and the Administrative Order of the Faith and helped them see the importance of establishing both Local and National Spiritual Assemblies.
She worked with the appointed committee in Haifa—which Shoghi Effendi had intended function as a Spiritual Assembly—to manage the affairs of the Faith in the Holy Land.
Each one of these will be developed in detail in the following sections.
Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and surrounding gardens, 1957. Source: Bahá'í Media Bank, © Bahá'í International Community 2024.
Bahíyyih Khánum’s role during Shoghi Effendi’s prolonged absence from the Holy Land was very delicate and complex: she, alone, was deputized in the Guardian’s absence to protect the Covenant and the Faith from the mounting attacks of the Covenant-breakers and their vicious propaganda.
The Covenant-breakers had intensified their activities with the end goal being to establish Mírzá Muḥammad-'Alí as 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s rightful successor instead of Shoghi Effendi.
Bahíyyih Khánum exerted her utmost effort in order to protect the Faith and the steadfast believers from the constant intrigues of the Covenant-breakers, which had extended to initiating legal action against Shoghi Effendi, challenging what they falsely saw as his wrongful claim as the rightful leader of the Bahá'í community and custodian of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh.
In May 1922, Bahíyyih Khánum wrote a letter to the Bahá'ís of the world, informing them of the Covenant-breakers’ unrelenting attacks against the Faith over the last 30 years, since the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, and their intensification after the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to spread disorder and disrupt the Faith.
The Covenant-breakers’ strategies included spreading false rumors and instilling doubt in the minds and hearts of the believers.
Bahíyyih Khánum also informed the Bahá'ís about the forcible seizure of the keys to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh from its custodian, and the actions taken to retrieve them.
Modern-day photograph of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh by Farzam Sabetian. Source: Luminous Spot.
Bahíyyih Khánum organized a worldwide systematic campaign of action on the part of Bahá'ís and Bahá’í Assemblies.
She asked the Bahá'ís, wherever they lived, to write petitions signed the members of the Local Spiritual Assemblies and send them to the British embassies and consulates to be forwarded to the British authorities in Jerusalem by letter or cable. The text of the petition should state, in Bahíyyih Khánum’s words:
…that the Baha'i community, in conformity with the explicit writings and the Will and Testament of His Eminence 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Sir 'Abbas Effendi, texts well known and available in His own hand—recognize His Eminence Shoghi Effendi as the one to whom all Baha'is must tum, and as the Guardian of the Cause of God, and that they have no connection whatever, either material or spiritual, with Mírzá Muḥammad-'Alí, whom they consider to be excommunicated from the Bahá'í Faith, according to the explicit writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
It should be the request, therefore, of Bahá'ís of all countries, both men and women, in every important centre, wherever they may reside throughout the world, that the officials of His Britannic Majesty's Government in Palestine, its Headquarters being Jerusalem, issue a categorical order that the key of the Holy Tomb—which is the Point of Adoration and the sanctuary of all Bahá'ís in the world—be restored to His Eminence Shoghi Effendi, the Chosen Branch…
Local Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world followed Bahíyyih Khánum’s instructions exactly, and their letters and cables made it abundantly clear to the British authorities in Jerusalem that Shoghi Effendi was considered the appointed Guardian of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh and the legitimate, authoritative and rightful leader of the worldwide Bahá'í community, in accordance with the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
The letters and cables from Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies helped to convey the Bahá'í community’s unified stance on the legitimacy of Shoghi Effendi’s station as world head of the Faith, but they didn’t resolve the matter of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh’s custodianship.
Photograph of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and surrounding gardens, 1957. Source: Bahá'í Media Bank, © Bahá'í International Community 2024.
Two weeks later, she received a response dated 30 October 1922 which read:
Dear Madam,
In reply to your letter of the 15th instant I regret that I cannot throw any very new light on the subject. As has been stated publicly the Government feel that the custody of the Shrine at Acre as well as other important questions affecting the Bahaist organization should if possible be settled by a Congress of representatives of Bahá’í opinion throughout the World.
To judge from messages received from a number of Bahaist Centres it would appear that they endorse and uphold the provisions of the Will of the late Sir 'Abdu'l-Bahá ‘Abbás, and as soon as the Congress aforementioned has actually met and given its decision the Government will be prepared to entertain its final recommendations.
In the meantime if it is possible to find an individual whose provisional custody of the Key of the Shrine will be offensive to no section of Bahá'ís I shall be only too glad to hand over the key to him until such time as the Congress has met and made its final recommendations in the matter.
The governor essentially informed the Greatest Holy Leaf that his hands were tied and he could not provide her with any new information.
The situation of the keys of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh would be solved in 1923.
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After the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the vast majority of Bahá'ís worldwide remained faithful to the Covenant, and were delighted to hear of Shoghi Effendi’s appointment as Guardian of the Cause.
There was, however, a small minority of Bahá'ís, ambitious, ego-driven, jealous, and lacking in steadfastness, for whom Shoghi Effendi’s appointment by 'Abdu'l-Bahá as world leader of the Bahá'í community proved to be a severe test of their fragile faith.
This poisonous minority was unwilling and unable to accept the authority of what they mistakenly considered to be a 24-year old youth.
They opposed Shoghi Effendi, rejected his station as Guardian of the Faith, broke the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh and tried their utmost to instill doubt in the hearts of inconstant and half-hearted Bahá'ís.
During this time, new Covenant-breakers joined ranks with the aging old guard of Covenant-breakers from the time of the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh in the hopes of gaining strength in numbers.
Together, the new and old Covenant-breakers began a widespread campaign of malicious rumors against Shoghi Effendi.
During Shoghi Effendi’s absence, Bahíyyih Khánum’s most urgent task was to protect the believers from the negative propaganda of disgruntled and jealous Covenant-breakers, and this is perhaps the most extraordinary contribution the Greatest Holy Leaf made in defense of the Faith during the absence of Shoghi Effendi.
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The way the Greatest Holy Leaf kept contact with the Bahá'ís and Bahá'í communities of the world during the Guardian’s 8-month absence was through continuous correspondence through letters and cables.
Bahíyyih Khánum advised the Bahá'ís, she provided them with guidance, she steered their attitude regarding Covenant-breakers and explained their motives, she trained them in understanding the Covenant, the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and the Guardianship, and she also provided them with very detailed instructions, all of which we will detail in the sections below.
Following the example of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahíyyih Khánum wrote letters in which she warned the Bahá'ís against the lethal spiritual danger of Covenant-breaking, the intrigues of the Covenant-breakers, and encouraged them to protect the body of the Cause of God from the darts of people of malice, those who were intent on destroying what had been painstakingly achieved and with tremendous sacrifice over the course of decades.
The letter she wrote in May 1922 explains her concerns:
Dear friends!
At this critical time through which the Cause is passing the responsibility that has fallen on every individual Baha'i is great, and his duties are pressing and manifold…
The radiance of our Faith must be such as to dispel the clouds of doubt and guide the world to the Day-spring of Truth.
Our firmness must be such as to cause him who wavers and errs to tum back penitent unto the fold; our unity and love must be such as to cause the peoples of the world to join hands in amity and brotherhood; and our activity in service must be such as to have all parts of the world resound with the echoes of “YA-BAHÁ'U'L-ABHÁ!”
…A great obligation of every Bahá'í is vigilance to protect and shield the stronghold of the Faith from the onslaught of the enemies.
In these days their activity has waxed strong. They are constantly on the alert, and exert the utmost endeavour to cause such harm as would impede the onward march of the Cause.
Association with such people will cause discord and unrest among the friends and will be detrimental to the progress of the Cause..
Therefore it is urgent that the friends exercise great wisdom and vigilance lest through the evil schemes of the enemies a breach be made in the Faith.
The few people whom 'Abdu'l-Bahá pronounced as injurious to the Cause must be shunned by all the friends, as Shoghi Effendi himself tells us to do in his second letter to the American believers.
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At the headship of the Faith, the Greatest Holy Leaf protected the Faith against Covenant-breakers and Covenant-breaking, mostly in Persia.
Through her leadership, the Bahá'ís received an education on Covenant-breaking. They understood through her letters that each and every one of them was meant to protect and safeguard the Faith, but she also provided precious information regarding the various motivations of individuals who broke the Covenant.
Not only did she educate the believers about the necessity of safeguarding the Cause, but she also helped them to understand the motivation of those who attacked the Bahá’í Covenant, and she issued detailed instructions to help Bahá’ís and their Assemblies respond to specific situations.
In a firm and uncompromising letter addressed to the Spiritual Assembly of Hamadán, Iran, she warns them in uncertain terms that their vigilance is vital to the safety of the Faith and identifies the danger of the insistent self, referring to Covenant-breaking as a disease:
Bahíyyih Khánum would give instructions to help Bahá'ís respond to the threat of Covenant-breaking, such as this letter the Greatest Holy Leaf wrote to the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Tabríz in April/May 1922:
Now does loyalty to ['Abdu'l-Bahá] require that the beloved should rise up in obedience to His instructions, and devote their efforts to teaching the Faith, and to passing around from one to the next this winecup tempered at the camphor fountain, and to protecting God's Cause from the evil suggestions and the mischief of the adversary, and to guarding the structure of the holy Covenant from disruption at the hands of the Covenant-breakers. Now is the time to stand as an impregnable rampart around the city of the Cause of God, to defend it from the assaults of alienation and violation, that come against it…
One of Avarih's Missionary sessions in Tehran. The sign reads: "Avarih's Missionary Session in Ṭihrán." Source: Wikimedia Commons.
‘Abdu’l-Husayn Ávárih had been a very knowledgeable and well-known Bahá'í in Persia, but also in England and in Egypt, where he lived for a time.
After the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, he actively undermined the authority of the Guardian and refused to accept the legitimacy of Local and National Spiritual Assemblies. Ávárih found that with the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, his ambition for personal power at the leadership of the Faith had been frustrated by the provisions of the Covenant.
Before Ávárih was formally expelled from the Faith, Shoghi Effendi and Bahíyyih Khánum attempted to guide him and restrain him in his profoundly disturbing and destructive effect, constantly sowing disunity among the believers and Bahá'í communities wherever he went, whether in England, Egypt, the Holy Land Lebanon, Iraq, and Persia.
The Greatest Holy Leaf detailed the violations of Ávárih as a cautionary tale. She was transparent and public about his actions, so that they would serve not only as cautionary tales, but so that Bahá'ís could recognize the noxious scent of Covenant-breaking.
In Cairo, Beirut, Baghdad and in Persia, Ávárih spread false rumors about the provisions of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. His ultimate plan was to overthrow the Bahá'u'lláh Administrative Order, which he opposed.
The power of the Covenant is such that in the end, all of Ávárih’s plots and machinations had no lasting impact on the health and vitality of the faith, the Bahá'ís and the Bahá'í communities.
29 May 1922 Letter from the Spiritual Assembly of Shiraz to Head of Majlis about persecution of Baha’is in Shiraz. Source: Archives of Bahá'í Persecution in Iran. Please click on the link to read the translation of the letter.
As if the crisis of the keys of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh and the plottings of the Covenant-breakers were not serious enough crises to occupy Bahíyyih Khánum’s full attention, opposition and danger reared up from a completely different front and on the other side of the Bahá'í world: she was called to protect the Persian Bahá'ís from fanatical elements within the Shí’ah population.
The poor, oppressed, persecuted, attacked, and martyred Bahá'í community of Persia had never in its history had any sort of real freedom.
Now, the enemies of the Bahá'í Faith in Persia had been bolstered by recent events: the Ascension of ''Abdu'l-Bahá, the relentless attacks of the Covenant-breakers, and the political instability within Persia. These elements conflated to give the enemies of the Bahá'í Faith hope that they could stir up trouble and benefit from the ensuing chaos and disorder.
The Shí’ah enemies of the Faith found the timing perfect for them to launch a campaign of incitement against the Bahá'ís in several towns and cities.
When reports of renewed persecutions against the Bahá'ís of Persia reached Bahíyyih Khánum, she immediately wrote a letter to the Bahá'ís in America dated 20 July 1922:
Sad news has come to us out of Iran in recent days, and it has intensely grieved the entire Baha'i world: they have, in most parts of that land, set bonfires of envy and malevolence, and hoisted the banner of aggression against this much wronged community; they have left no means untried, no plot or strategy neglected, and have arisen with extreme hostility and spite to pull out by their very roots the trees of this garden of God…They are taking the men and women believers captive, and making orphans of the children. They are plundering the believers’ property, sacking their hearths and homes.
Bahíyyih Khánum mobilized the worldwide Bahá'í community in defense of their brothers and sisters in Persia:
During occurrences of this kind, it is incumbent upon the believers in other countries to immediately adopt prudent and reasonable measures, that through wise methods such fires may be put out.
Bahíyyih Khánum explained the extreme gravity of the situation and how defenseless the Bahá'ís were and requested that assemblies act urgently, contacting the Persian embassy in their country and seeking justice on behalf of their persecuted Bahá'í brothers and sisters in Persia and encouraged a systematic twofold approach for the Bahá’ís to follow: to petition their Persian ambassadors and to encourage their own government to take a stance on the persecution of Bahá'ís in Ṭihrán.
Samad Khan Momtaz os-Saltaneh was the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Minister in Paris in April 1905 to 1926, and as such, would have been one of the Persian ambassadors contacted by the Bahá'ís at the request or the Greatest Holy Leaf. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
In relation to the first part of the Greatest Holy Leaf’s strategy of contacting their Persian ambassadors, Bahíyyih Khánum provided detailed instructions regarding the specific points to be raised in their letter to the ambassador:
The holy Cause of Bahá'u'lláh has so unified us who are His world-wide followers, and has brought us so close together, that we have become like a single body…
We have now received word from Iran that in Shíráz, in Sulṭán-Ábád, in Hamadán, in Káshán, even in Ṭihrán, and in other places as well, the fanaticism of the ignorant and heedless has been fanned into flame, and that agitators are stirring up the populace—with the result that our brothers and sisters, who are but well-wishers of all humankind and are indeed the world's only hope for peace, and are obedient and helpful citizens of Iran and her government, find themselves under attack and pushed into the heart of the fire.
We therefore request the representative of Iran to ask his government to safeguard our brothers in Iran from the aggressions of their enemies, and to deliver that flock of God's lovers from the claws of the wolf, and provide for their security and well-being.
Rabbi Joseph Saul Kornfeld, ambassador of the United States to Persia in 1922. He was an American Reform Rabbi and activist and helped fight antisemitism in Persia. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
But the Greatest Holy Leaf did not stop here.
She extended her request to the American Bahá'í community, and asked them to be even bolder and more courageous in their defense of their Persian brethren by contacting the American ambassador in Ṭihrán:
And further, if it be possible, you should make this same representation through your own ambassador in Ṭihrán, so that he may direct the attention of the Iranian authorities to these persecutions, and awaken that government to the possibility of divine retribution and to the shameful stigma occasioned by such actions directed against this innocent community by the heedless and ignorant amongst the mass of the people.
Let him make them aware that there are thousands of adherents of this Faith of the love of God around the world, who are gazing in astonishment and disbelief at the savage acts now being perpetrated against their brothers, and are eagerly waiting to hear that the government has come to the rescue of this unique, this law-abiding people, who are the well-wishers of mankind, from the attacks of the ravening wolves
Bahíyyih Khánum was a diplomatic genius, a brilliant strategist, an eloquent writer with a gift for inspiration, and an all-around force to be reckoned with, far distant from the mental image some may have of the Greatest Holy Leaf as a quiet, frail woman, standing on the periphery of the Faith.
The Greatest Holy Leaf was a born leader, and a fierce one, at that.
The continuing persecution of the Bahá'ís of Sang-i-Sar. This is a facsimile of a letter dated 17 June 1940 exiling three Bahá'ís from Sang-i-Sar— hairdresser, bathhouse attendant, and spice seller—for closing their shops during Bahá'í holidays. Source: Archives of Bahá'í Persecution. Please click on the link to read the translation of the letter.
During this extremely busy time in her life, Bahíyyih Khánum received news that a number of Bahá'í women associated with the Bahá'í school in a village named Sang-i-Sar were being persecuted.
The Bahá'í school was burnt down.
Deeply grieved by the suffering of these women, the Greatest Holy Leaf wrote them a moving letter that contributed to give the persecuted women a more spiritual perspective on their sufferings. Below is an excerpt of Bahíyyih Khánum’s letter dated 26 October 1922:
Since, however, you stood firm and steadfast and unchanging, as the arrows of tyranny came against you, and since this happened for the sake of the Blessed Beauty,* and in the pathway of the One Beloved, it behooves you to thank God and praise Him, for having singled you out for this great bounty…
God be praised, you have been given a drop out of that ocean of tribulations that swept across the Exalted One and the Beauty of the All-Glorious, you were granted a droplet out of the seas of calamity that engulfed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
26 months of letters. Background image of 26 flowers generated by Imagine Art AI.
Starting with his very first Riḍván as the Guardian of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, the Greatest Holy Leaf began a 48-month letter campaign with the Bahá'ís of every corner of the world from Persia and Pakistan to America.
The Greatest Holy Leaf wrote to individual Persian Bahá'í communities—villages, towns and cities—Hamadán, Ḥusayn-Ábád, Miyánáj, Qazvín, Shíráz, Shishaván (Ádhirbáyján), Tabríz, and Takúr in Persia, to the United States, and to Karachi, Pakistan.
She wrote to Spiritual Assemblies, to individuals, and to the worldwide Bahá'í community in the East and West, rallying them, one and all to the Covenant and to the youthful Guardian.
To the local and national Bahá'í communities from Pakistan to the United States, receiving these touching, personal letters directly from the Greatest Holy Leaf must have been deeply impressive and unforgettable.
Every Bahá'í knew the Greatest Holy Leaf, born during the Dispensation of the Báb, the saintly daughter of Bahá'u'lláh, who had followed her Father in each of His four exiles, the cherished sister of 'Abdu'l-Bahá—only two years younger than Him, at His side for 29 years, his closest friend since childhood.
And now the Greatest Holy Leaf was writing to the entire world calling them to gather under the protective shade of the Guardian.
In these letters, Bahíyyih Khánum poured out her love for the Guardian and showcased her considerable talent as a writer forging in every single letter a new and beautiful way to refer to the Guardian never once repeating the same exact sentence.
Bahíyyih Khánum always sealed the letters that she wrote to Bahá'í institutions and individuals with a seal bearing the name “Bahíyyih.” The seal is on display in the International Archives Building.
48 descriptions of the Guardian. Background image of 48 different carpet Persian patterns generated by Imagine Art AI.
Below are the 48 ways in which the Greatest Holy Leaf refers to Shoghi Effendi in the 21 excerpts below, excerpted from the Universal House of Justice’s Fiftieth anniversary compilation called Bahíyyih Khánum.
- A most great favour
- A wondrous gift
- An incomparable cure
- Branch that has Branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees
- Chosen branch
- He to whom the people of Bahá must turn
- His Eminence
- No dazzling gem could rival such a precious pearl
- Shoghi Effendi
- Shoghi Effendi Rabbani
- The appointed Centre
- The authorized Point to whom all must turn
- The blest and sacred bough that hath Branched out from the Twin Holy Trees
- The bough that has Branched out from the twin heavenly Trees
- The bough that has grown from the two offshoots of the celestial glory
- The Centre
- The centre and focus of all on earth
- The Centre of His Cause
- The Centre of the cause
- The Centre of the Faith
- The Centre on which the concourse of the faithful must fix their gaze
- The Centre toward whom all the people of Bahá must turn
- The concealed mystery
- The cure most exquisite, most glorious, most excellent, most powerful, most perfect, and most consummate
- The designated Centre
- The explicitly Chosen Branch
- The Expounder of the Holy Writings
- The goodly and precious legacy
- The Guardian
- The Guardian of His Covenant
- The Guardian of the Cause
- The Guardian of the cause of god
- The Guardian of the Faith
- The highly potent remedy
- The Interpreter
- The interpreter of the Book
- The interpreter of the Book of God
- The Interpreter of the Holy Book
- The Interpreter of the holy writ
- The Leader
- The one appointed to guide the administration of the Cause
- The one to whom all must turn
- The one to whom all the people of Bahá must direct themselves
- The one toward whom all must turn
- The one toward whom must turn all those who follow Bahá'u'lláh
- The Specific Centre
- The specifically named Centre
- The well-guarded secret
A closeup of the first page of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Source: Bahá'í World News Service.
One of the important tasks of the Greatest Holy Leaf during Shoghi Effendi’s absence was to ensure that Bahá'ís worldwide understood two things: the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the provisions of Bahá'u'lláh’s Covenant, both of which supported the Guardianship.
There were several aspects to which Bahíyyih Khánum turned her attention: on one hand, the importance of firmness and steadfastness in the Covenant at a time of active worldwide Covenant-breaking and on the other hand, to shun association with Covenant-breakers.
Writing to the believers in the east and the west, the Greatest Holy Leaf constantly emphasized the urgent responsibility of individual Bahá'ís to be alert and vigilant and to safeguard the Covenant.
Shoghi Effendi at the time he attended Oxford University. Source: Brilliant Star Magazine.
Here are 17 excerpts of letters written by Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf, between April and December 1922 to the Bahá'ís of the east and west, calling them to pledge allegiance to the Guardian, and deepening them, as mentioned above, on the importance of firmness in the Covenant and shunning Covenant-breakers.
One of the most extraordinary aspects of these excerpts is the eloquence of Bahíyyih Khánum who almost never repeats a turn of phrase, tailoring each letter to each individual assembly or individual in the mot elegant way.
21 April-2 May 1922 to the friends in America:
We are more than thankful to God that He has not left us without a leader, but that Shoghi Effendi is appointed to guide the administration of the Cause. We hope that the friends of God, the beloved and the handmaidens of the Merciful, will pray for us, that we may be enabled to help Shoghi Effendi in every way in our power to accomplish the Mission entrusted to him.
April/May 1922 to the Bahá'ís in America:
Praised be the undying glory of God that you and all His friends have attained this greatest of gifts. You stand fast-rooted in the divine Covenant, and you turn to the appointed Centre, the explicitly chosen Branch. In all the world, what conceivable bounty could ever be greater than this?
April/May 1922 to the Bahá'ís in America:
He has specifically named the centre to whom all must turn, thus solidly fixing and establishing the foundations of the Covenant, and has clearly appointed the centre, to whom all the people of Bahá must direct themselves, the Chosen Branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God. This great bestowal is one of the special characteristics of this supreme Revelation, which of all Dispensations is the noblest and most excellent.
April/May 1922 to a believer in Tabríz:
[P]raised be God, He Who is the Dayspring of the Covenant has appointed in writing a specific centre, and designated the Guardian of the Cause, Shoghi Effendi, as the one toward whom must turn all those who follow Bahá'u'lláh—His purpose being that the Faith of God and His Cause should remain secure and safe. For this greatest of gifts it is fitting that we should return a thousand thanks to the one Beloved, and offer a thousand praises to His court of holiness.
April/May 1922 to a believer in Qazvín:
The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is His decisive decree; it gathers the believers together; it preserves their unity; it ensures the protection of the Faith of God. It designates a specific Centre, irrefutably and in writing establishing Shoghi Effendi as Guardian of the Faith and Chosen Branch, so that his name is recorded in the Preserved Tablet, by the fingers of grace and bounty.
May/June 1922:
In the best of ways, ['Abdu'l-Bahá] manifested at the end what had been shown forth at the beginning, crowning all His gifts with His Will and Testament, in which He clearly made known the obligations devolving upon every stratum of the believers, in language most consummate, comprehensive and sound, setting down with His own pen the name of Shoghi Effendi, as Guardian of the Cause and interpreter of the Holy Writ.
May/June 1922 to a believer in Karachi, Pakistan:
All are firmly rooted in the Faith, steadfast, turning with complete devotion to him who is the appointed and designated Centre, the Guardian of the Cause of God, the Chosen Branch, His Eminence Shoghi Effendi…
On 22 June 1922 to a Bahá'í in Qazvín:
His bounties, His favours to the people of Bahá were made perfect, and extended to every class and kind. And as at the beginning, so at the end: His final bestowal of all, a crowning adornment, was His Will and Testament. Here, to Bahá'ís of every degree, in the clearest, most complete, most unmistakable of utterances, He described the obligation of each one, explicitly appointed, irrefutably and in writing, the Centre of the Faith, designating the Guardian of the Cause and the interpreter of the Holy Book, His Eminence Shoghi Effendi, appointing him, the Chosen Branch, as the one toward whom all must turn. Thus He closed for all time the doors of contention and strife, and in the best of ways and in a most perfect method He pointed out the path that leads aright.
June/July 1922 to a Bahá'í in Shíráz:
The good news has come that the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, may our lives be sacrificed for His meekness, has been read at the meetings of the friends, and we here are rejoiced to learn of their unity and their steadfastness and loyalty, and of their directing themselves toward the designated Centre, the named and specified Guardian of the Cause of God, the interpreter of the Book of God, the protector of His Faith, the keeper of His Law, Shoghi Effendi.
On 7 July 1922 to a Bahá'í in Takúr, Núr:
Praised be God the Beloved that He has disclosed, through His invisible bounties and visible grace, such secrets, and drawn such veils aside…A clear Covenant makes our duty plain; an explicit and lucid Text explains the revealed Book; a specifically named Centre has been designated, toward whom all must turn, and the pronouncement of him who is the Guardian of the Cause and the interpreter of the Book has been made the decisive decree.
On 10 July 1922 to the Bahá'ís of Ḥusayn-Ábád, Yazd:
The purport of your letter is highly indicative of your steadfastness in His Cause, of your unswerving constancy in the Covenant, of having set your face toward Shoghi Effendi, the authorized Point to whom all must turn, the Centre of the Cause, the Chosen Branch, the bough that has Branched out from the twin heavenly Trees.
On 14 July 1922 to the Bahá'ís of Míyánaj:
['Abdu'l-Bahá] prepared a highly potent remedy and compounded a unique and incomparable cure—a cure most exquisite, most glorious, most excellent, most powerful, most perfect, and most consummate. And through the movement of His Pen of eternal bounty He recorded in His weighty and inviolable Testament the name of Shoghi Effendi —the bough that has grown from the two offshoots of the celestial glory, the Branch that has Branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees. Then He winged His flight to the Concourse on High and to the luminous horizon.
Now it devolves upon every well-assured and devoted friend, every firm and enkindled believer enraptured by His love, to drink this healing remedy at one draught, so that the agony of bereavement may be somewhat alleviated and the bitter anguish of separation dissipated. This calls for efforts to serve the Cause, to diffuse the sweet savours of God, to manifest selflessness, consecration and self-sacrifice in our labours in His Path.
4 August 1922, to the Bahá'ís in the West:
Again, I supplicate the Eternal Glory to send down His herald of holiness with the garment in his hands, that all eyes may be solaced and all hearts rejoiced by the return to this country of the Chosen Branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, Shoghi Effendi, in the briefest of times.
On 9 August 1922:
All praise be to Bahá'u'lláh! The meaning of those bounties became apparent and the splendour of those bestowals was made manifest: that conclusive Text, the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was given us, and what had been hidden at the beginning was made known at the end. His infinite grace became clearly manifest, and with His own mighty pen He made a perfect Covenant, naming Shoghi Effendi the Chosen Branch and Guardian of the Faith. Thus, by God's bounty, what had been a concealed mystery and a well-guarded secret, was at last made plain.
This greatest of bestowals came as a lightning-flash of glory to the righteous, but to those evil ones who broke the Covenant, it was the thunderbolt of God's avenging wrath.
12 September 1922:
You have offered up thanks to the Lord for appointing the Centre of His Cause and the Guardian of His Covenant, and have voiced your gratitude and expressed your spiritual sentiments, for this favour and grace. It is true, in all the world there could be no mercy greater than this, no bounty more abundant. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, may our lives be sacrificed for His sacred dust, has bestowed on us a wondrous gift, a most great favour. He has clearly shown us the highway of guidance and explicitly designated the Centre toward whom all the people of Bahá must turn, and with His own bounteous pen has written down for us what will ensure prosperity and progress, and salvation and bliss, for evermore.
On 14 September 1922 to the members of the Spiritual Assembly of Shíshaván, a village in Ádhirbáyján:
As expressly stated in the Holy Text, a specific Centre has been given us. With His own pen has ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Centre of the Covenant, selected and appointed Shoghi Effendi, the Chosen Branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, the interpreter of the Book of God, so that the highway of divine guidance has been clearly marked out and lighted up for all the ages to come. This bounty is one of the distinguishing features of this mightiest of Dispensations, a special grace allotted to this age.
On 11 December 1922:
Today as well, the Chosen Branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, is at all times waiting expectantly —and indeed, it is the most cherished desire of his heart—to see this reality, this proof of serious effort, this feature that distinguishes the Bahá'ís from all others, clearly and unmistakably revealed in the life of every single Bahá'í.
Resident Bahá'ís in the Holy Land assembled at the Tomb of the Báb on Mount Carmel in 1910. The person marked x at the center of the group is the aged Afnan who supervised the building of Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in ‘Ishqábád, Russia. As soon as it was finished he was called to Acca by 'Abdu'l-Baha to remain the balance of his days. Source: Bahá'í photos.
In addition to Bahíyyih Khánum’s responsibilities regarding the propagation of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh worldwide, the protection of the Faith the issues with Covenant-breakers, and the defense of the persecuted Persian Bahá'ís, she also had to manage the affairs of the local Bahá'í community in the Holy Land.
The community of resident believers looked up to Bahíyyih Khánum for guidance, they shared their struggles and difficulties with her, and they asked for her advice in solving their personal problems.
Many of these resident believers lived in either Haifa or 'Akká, and they often worked as custodians for Bahá'í holy places, as gardeners, even as domestic help.
Most of them had families, and their children needed to go to school, but they also needed to receive a Bahá'í education.
The teenagers among them needed guidance, and the parents needed means in order to fulfill both their professional and family obligations.
All of these Bahá'ís were also in need of encouragement and spiritual sustenance, and only Bahíyyih Khánum could provide those.
To the resident Bahá'í community of 'Akká and Haifa, the Greatest Holy Leaf was a loving mother, almost exactly as 'Abdu'l-Bahá had been a kind and loving father.
In addition to this already heavy burden, it was Bahíyyih Khánum’s responsibility to ensure that arriving pilgrims did not leave disappointed when they realized that Shoghi Effendi was not in the Holy Land and they would not meet him during their pilgrimage.
The pilgrims could not return home disheartened, and avoiding this outcome lay squarely on Bahíyyih Khánum’s shoulders.
If that were not sufficient, Bahíyyih Khánum was also responsible to Bahá'ís who had come to the Bahá'í World Centre for service. It was her role to advise them on how to discharger their service and perform their duties.
Photograph of the Shrine of the Báb and its terraces, brightly illumined at night. © United States National Bahá'í Archives, used with permission.
Curtis Kelsey was an American who had arrived in Haifa in September 1921 at the request of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in order to install three electrical generators in Haifa at the house of the Master and the Shrine of the Báb, and in Bahjí at the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh.
In early April, before he traveled to Switzerland, Shoghi Effendi gave instructions to Curtis Kelsey for his very first plan for beautifying the Holy Places: the illumination of the Shrine of the Báb with the help of generators in order to make 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s long-cherished desire to bathe the Shrine of the Báb in light come true.
The illumination of the Shrine of the Báb was deeply significant. During His imprisonment in Máh-Kú, the Báb had been deprived of even a lamp, and now His Shrine was bathed in light at night.
The floodlights at the base of His Shrine in Haifa was the first of its kind in the city: there was a floodlight at the base of the building, a light on the roof of the building, and two 1,000-watt lamps on poles on either side of the Shrine in aluminum-framed globes. A third, smaller globe was at the top and center of the front wall.
On the first day of Riḍván, 21 April 1922—and two weeks after the Guardian had left for Germany and Switzerland—the Shrine of the Báb and the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh were illuminated for the very first time, and both Bahá'ís, and Haifa and 'Akká residents were filled with joy. There were strings of lights that illuminated the fledgling terraces down to the street.
Across the bay, at Bahjí, the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh was flooded with light and the glow was visible from the Shrine of the Báb.
The illumination was so bright in Haifa that it temporarily confused a sea captain steering in his ship that night, and because of this incident, the port authorities added the lights of the Shrine of the Báb to the official navigation chart.
Anonymous portrait of the Greatest Holy Leaf. No information provided on the back of the photograph. © United States National Bahá'í Archives, used with permission.
It was under the supervision of the Greatest Holy Leaf that Curtis Kelsey finished installing the three generators.
After the Shrines had been illuminated, it was time for Curtis Kelsey to return to New York, but he wasn’t worried about how he would get there, even though he only had enough money to travel from Haifa to Istanbul.
This was when he experienced the full commanding power of the Greatest Holy Leaf—then 76 years old—in her role as Vicegerent during Shoghi Effendi’s long absence from the Holy Land.
The Greatest Holy Leaf was a gentle person, she was kind and loving, but she was also firm and decisive.
Curtis’ plan was to travel from Haifa to Istanbul with the money he had, then get a job there and earn enough money to sail back to New York.
He had absolutely no idea that the Greatest Holy Leaf knew he was in essence, broke, and one day, he was summoned to Bahíyyih Khánum’s presence, three of her nieces—daughters of 'Abdu'l-Bahá—at her side.
One of 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s daughters warmly greeted Curtis, and praised him for his stellar and literally luminous work. Curtis humbly accepted her expressions of gratitude, but when she insisted that he take money to return to the United States, Curtis refused:
No, all my affairs are in order.
There was no conceivable way that Curtis Kelsey would take money from 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s family. The other two daughters of the Master were adamant. Curtis Kelsey refused again.
In the end, the Greatest Holy Leaf reached out, took Curtis’ hand and said:
Kelsey, you need this money to pay for your return home.
The Greatest Holy Leaf placed the money in Curtis’ hand. And Curtis only accepted it on one condition:
I will take it if you will let me return it after getting home.
To this, the Greatest Holy Leaf firmly said:
No.
What that single word, spoken with such authority, Curtis could sense that the Greatest Holy Leaf had issued a divine command and it reminded him of the way in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá, so gentle and patient, could be adamantly firm when the situation called for it.
Curtis graciously accepted the money and thanked them for it, but as he was leaving the Greatest Holy Leaf’s room, he couldn’t help but wonder how they had known of his dire financial situation.
He hadn’t told a soul about it.
Photograph of the generators installed by Curtis Kelsey which illumined the Shrine of the Báb. Source: Bahá'í Historical Facts.
A few days before Curtis Kelsey returned home, his mother, Valeria Kelsey, received a letter from the Greatest Holy Leaf about the stellar services her son had rendered, echoing the words of the Guardian to Curtis himself during their memorable walk on Mount Carmel:
My dear sister in this blessed Cause…
Mr. Curtis Kelsey is leaving after a sojourn of hard work recompensated by the blessings of our Lord from on high and the affection of each and everyone who happened to come in contact with him; we thought that at this hour, when he is to leave us with perhaps a faint ray of hope to see us again, we would write a few words and express our idea of the sincerity and absolute devotion with which your son accomplished his allotted task and we would be in turn congratulating you for this achievement and assuring you that [each and] every time that we see those bright lights shining from those blessed Tombs we cannot but remember that sincere and diligent work which was put into it and the sacrifice of Mr. Wilhelm who supplied the necessary material.
AI illustration generated by Pikaso AI.
In one of the Tablets sent by Bahíyyih Khánum to a believer in Qazvín in April/May 1922, we hear the depth of her anguish at the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, her brother, her center, her refuge.
As Bahíyyih Nakhjávání so eloquently describes in her reminiscence of the Greatest Holy Leaf:
[The Greatest Holy Leaf’s] prayer…rises from the depths of her anguish and in it she becomes a spokesman for the suffering masses of the world. She speaks in the language of the heart on behalf of all who have been downtrodden, who have been suppressed, who have experienced a separation and loss of such magnitude that she alone could understand their plight.
Below is the prayer included in the Greatest Holy Leaf’s letter:
O God, my God!
Thou seest me immersed in the depths of grief, drowned in my sorrow, my heart on fire with the agony of parting, my inmost self aflame with longing. Thou seest my tears streaming down, hearest my sighs rising up like smoke, my never-ceasing groans, my cries, my shouts that will not be stilled, the useless wailing of my heart.
For the sun of joy has set, has sunk below the horizon of this world, and in the hearts of the righteous the lights of courage and consolation have gone out. So grave this catastrophe, so dire this disaster, that the inner being crumbles away to dust, and the heart blazes up, and nothing remains save only despair and anguish.
Thou seest, O my God, in the midmost of this terrible event, this ultimate calamity, when the devoted never put aside their mourning dress, and the moaning and the tears never cease—how that malevolent band have, with all their powers, mounted an attack against Thy loved ones who are loyal to the Covenant, even as the assault of wolves upon the flock. They are striving, with all their strength, to bring down the mighty structure of Thy Covenant in ruins, and level Thy strong citadel to the ground, and turn away from Thy straight and clearly-marked path those Thou hast guided aright. O my Lord, I voice my complaint before Thee, and lay bare my griefs and sorrows, and supplicate at the door of Thy oneness, and whisper unto Thee, and weep and cry out.
This image of resident Bahá'ís and pilgrims gathered together on the 9th day following the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá is a perfect illustration of the grief of the worldwide Bahá'í community, a great many of whom wrote to the Greatest Holy Leaf for comfort. The Bahá'ís are pictured here outside the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh at Bahjí, after they have paid their respects, on the ninth day after the Ascension, December 7, 1921. Photograph taken by Lotfullah Hakim, courtesy of the National Bahá'í Archives of the United States.
One of the Greatest Holy Leaf’s most extraordinary qualities, a quality that was the embodiment of her entire being, was her empathy.
By 1922, the Greatest Holy Leaf had lived a very hard life, filled with deprivation, for more than 70 years, and she had the rare ability to empathize, sympathize, and commune with anyone feeling any pain around her or oceans apart.
After the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahíyyih Khánum put her empathy to the most extraordinary use: she gave love and comfort with the brokenhearted, grief-stricken Bahá'ís around the world in Persia and elsewhere, she loved them with a healing love, she assuaged their pain with the balm of her distinctive loving-kindness.
In her letters, the Greatest Holy Leaf acknowledged the intense personal grief of the Bahá'ís at the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá but she also gives them her assurance that she understands their feelings and shares in their sadness:
…men and women alike, young and old alike, share with these homeless ones the anguish of our bereavement and this direst of ordeals. We could hear, with the ear of the spirit, the wailing of those lovers of Him Who was the Ravisher of hearts, those like us scorched by the fires of separation, and from our own sad hearts we would lift our cries of sorrow to the heavens, and weeping would send up our entreaties…to the threshold of the luminous Beauty of God.
"I am with you always": A memorial photograph of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in San Francisco in 1912. Source: Star of the West Volume 12, Number 16, page 250.
The Greatest Holy Leaf spent a great deal of time reminding Bahá'ís of 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s advice and counsel, making them realize that even though He was no longer here on earth, His spirit would always guide and direct them.
In letters such as the one below, Bahíyyih Khánum was not simply reminding Bahá'ís of the counsels of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, but she was also educating them on the soul in the next world, helping them understand death, not as a separation but as an accompaniment to the living:
…even though that Bird of eternity has abandoned the cage of this earth, still is His spirit in our midst, still is He watching over us all from the realm of the All-Glorious, ever is He gladdening the hearts of the beloved, and to the souls of those who are fast-rooted in the Covenant, ever is He bringing tidings of great joy.
Throughout His long life and ministry as the Center of the Covenant, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had trained and instilled in the believers qualities that were essential for the growth and development of the Faith. Quoting 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahíyyih Khánum wrote:
…when I shall depart from this world, I shall leave more than fifty thousand blessed individuals, every one of whom is staunch and firm as the high mountains, shining out over the earth like sparkling stars. These are the quintessence of loyalty and fellowship and love. They are the self-sacrificing watchers over the Cause, and they are the guides to all who seek after truth. Judge from this what the future will be!
The letters that the Greatest Holy Leaf wrote during Shoghi Effendi’s absence were also a rising call to action, rooted in her firm belief of the Bahá'ís’ success, should they wish to venture forth in the field of service:
It is certain that when we act in accordance with the Teachings of [Bahá'u'lláh] and the counsels of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá then will this world become the Abhá Paradise, and its thorns and brambles of cruelty will change into a blossoming garden of the faithful. May we all be enabled to achieve this end.
A group of Baha'is from New York and other neighboring cities gathered at the "Annual Souvenir Feast of 'Abdu'l-Bahá," held at the home of Roy Wilhelm and his mother at West Englewood, New Jersey, June 25, 1927. Source: Worldwide Community of Bahá'u'lláh.
Time and again, a recurring theme in the letters of the Greatest Holy Leaf was the importance of 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s example. Of course, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was the Center of the Covenant, but He was also the Perfect Exemplar.
Bahíyyih Khánum reminded the Bahá'ís of 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s life of suffering without complaint, his indefatigable services to the Faith, and describes Her adored brother’s life in surprising terms:
His lot, in all his life, was to be wronged, and be subjected to toil, to pain and grief. Under these conditions, the one and only solace of His sacred heart was to hear good news of the progress of the Faith, and the proclaiming of God’s Word, and the spreading of the holy Teachings, and the unity and fervour of the friends, and the staunchness of His loved ones. This news would bring smiles to His countenance; this was the joy of His precious heart.
But Bahíyyih Khánum used the teachings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá for another purpose, and that was to steel the Bahá'ís and the Bahá'í community for a coming period of severe tests for which she helped them prepare.
The main elements of preparation for withstanding the storm that was to come were steadfastness, firmness in the Covenant, selflessness, detachment and deepening in the Holy Writings.
The Greatest Holy Leaf, Lady Blomfield, and two of 'Abdu'l-Baha's daughters, circa 1921, shortly after the passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha. Source: Worldwide Community of Bahá'u'lláh.
Steadfastness was a very common theme in the letters the Greatest Holy Leaf wrote to the Bahá'ís during this time.
She used it to comfort believers, build their confidence, help them understand the nature of tests and difficulties, to encourage them in their efforts to protect the Faith, to overcome the tests which were surely coming to them.
In one letter, the Greatest Holy Leaf emphasizes the importance of steadfastness, calling it a “treasure”:
All the virtues of humankind are summed up in one word “steadfastness,” if we but act according to its laws. It draws to us as by a magnet the blessings and bestowals of Heaven, if we but rise up according to the obligations it implies.
God be praised, the house of the heart is lit by the light of unswerving constancy, and the soul’s lodging is bedecked with the ornament of faithfulness.
Steadfastness is a treasure that makes a man so rich as to have no need of the world or any person or anything that is therein. Constancy is a special joy, that leads us mortals on to lofty heights, great progress, and the winning of the perfections of Heaven. All praise be to the Beloved’s court, for granting this most wondrous grace to His faithful people, and to His favoured ones, this best of gifts.
Hand of the Cause Martha Root at the English Literary Society in Beijing, China, c. 1937. Source: Bahá'í Media Bank, © Bahá'í International Community 2024.
The Greatest Holy Leaf did not just raise awareness in the Bahá'í community about 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s ministry, His counsels, and His spiritual lessons, she roused the Bahá'í to action by encouraging them to build the Bahá'í Administrative Order and its institutions, as well as serve and teaching the Faith. She was heading a movement, one that led Bahá'í community towards a new stage in maturity by emphasizing the urgency of the time and the importance to act now, and to take responsibility in a meaningful way.
In letters like the one below, Bahíyyih Khánum uses words such as “this critical time” “the responsibility…[of] every individual believer,” their “duties,” “the time has come,” and “shine forth”:
Dear friends!
At this critical time through which the Cause is passing the responsibility that has fallen on every individual Bahá’í is great, and his duties are pressing and manifold…Now the time has come for the faithful friends of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who have been the recipients of the Glorious Light, to shine forth even as brilliant stars. The radiance of our Faith must be such as to dispel the clouds of doubt and guide the world to the Day-spring of Truth.”
In another extraordinary letter, Bahíyyih Khánum lists in great detail the qualities and activities of the Bahá'ís: “on fire with love for Him,” “arising to spread His sweet savours abroad,” “ firmly rooted in the Faith,” “steadfast,” “turning with complete devotion to [Shoghi Effendi]” “founding Assemblies, conducting meetings,” “teaching most eloquently and with all their energies,” “presenting proofs, disseminating the doctrines of the Divine Beauty and the counsels of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.”
In touching excerpts from other letters, the Greatest Holy Leaf is generous with her loving-kindness, her praise and her encouragement saying that the work of the Bahá'ís and their unity has been “has been a source of untold joy to me. For now my sole comfort lies in the loyalty and faithfulness of the friends, and my one joy in the progress of the Cause.”
The Tarbiyát School in Ṭihrán around 1911, 13 years before it was closed by Government Decree in 1934. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
The Tarbíyat School for Girls was one of the projects, very dear to His heart, which 'Abdu'l-Bahá established in 1909 during his ministry.
Shortly before His Ascension, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had requested that the American Bahá'í find a Bahá'í teacher who could serve as the director of the Tarbíyat School for Girls.
An American Bahá'í named Lilian Kappes had passed away in Ṭihrán on 1 December 1920, during her tenure as director of the Tarbíyat School for Girls.
The woman who replaced her was Dr. Genevieve Coy, who spent a month in Haifa, making a pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh an Shrine of the Báb before heading to Persia.
The Greatest Holy Leaf described Dr. Genevieve Coy in a letter dated 11 July 1922, as she was ablet to leave the Holy Land for Ṭihrán, as a “faithful, radiant and attracted maidservant of God.”
In her 11 July 1922 letter to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ṭihrán, Bahíyyih Khánum share her hops that the Assembly will assist Dr. Coy in discharging her duties of training and educating the girls with a happy and joyful spirit.
The Greatest Holy Leaf continued to offer her support and encouragement, lovingly received by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ṭihrán.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá smiling with a group of friends in Stuttgart, Germany, 1913. Source: Bahá'í Media Bank, © Bahá'í International Community 2024.
'Abdu'l-Bahá, during His ministry, and especially during His three-year journeys to the west had made a great many friends.
Part of the Greatest Holy Leaf’s responsibilities in the months of Shoghi Effendi’s absence was to kindle these profound friendships with the earliest Bahá'ís in the west, and increase their understanding of the Guardian.
These letters from Bahíyyih Khánum were filled with intimacy, kindness, gentleness and love such as this excerpt from an undated letter:
It is a very long time since we have had any news from you and we are quite longing to have one of your interesting and beautiful letters, that brings us always comfort because of your sincerity, your love for the Cause and your constant energy in the work for the Cause. You have ever been one of the Master’s best friends, you are one of the oldest American believers, one of the firm and enthusiastic workers, and we are always happy to hear from you. The joy of our hearts is to hear that the friends are active and sincere in the spreading of the teachings.
The Greatest Holy Leaf was constantly busy, and from these pieces of information, it seems that, like 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, a major part of her time was spent writing letters.
A rare portrait of 'Abdu'l-Bahá smiling widely, cropped for a photograph which was taken in Stuttgart, Germany in 1913. The Guardian and the Greatest Holy Leaf spent their lives continually reminding the Bahá'ís of the guidance brought by Bahá'u'lláh and expounded upon by 'Abdu'l-Bahá until His very last breath. This is the story of the Covenant. Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá Visits the West.
While the Guardian was away, the Greatest Holy Leaf had to ensure a perfect continuity in the guidance she shared with individual Bahá'ís and Bahá'í communities worldwide.
The sense of continuity that the Greatest Holy Leaf represented was her very person. She was the link between Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, having served them during each of their ministries.
Her station was very great in the eyes of the worldwide Bahá'í community from Persia to America, and she represented that continuity, confidence, and clarity of vision they craved after the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
The Greatest Holy Leaf was able to instill into the believers through her letters a sense guidance which could be found in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá and in the letters of the Guardian, and her role—and a difficult one at that—was to help believers understand the relevance of this guidance.
Bahíyyih Khánum also called the attention of the worldwide community of believers to the contents of Shoghi Effendi’s early letters, and these very letters served as a basis for much of Bahíyyih Khánum’s advice.
Before he left for Switzerland, the Guardian had written letters setting the course for the development of the Bahá'í Faith, the establishment of the Bahá'í Administrative Order, he had set forth priorities in lines of actions to be taken by Bahá'ís, and he had written at length regarding the transition between the Heroic Age and the Formative Age.
The guidance of the Greatest Holy Leaf was based on the elements above from letters of Shoghi Effendi, but also other themes the Guardian had developed in the first years of his Guardianship, such as:
- The importance of understanding and adopting the provisions of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá without question or hesitation;
- The importance and significance of the institution of the Spiritual Assembly;
- The vital necessity of establishing Local and National Spiritual Assemblies worldwide;
- Providing detailed instructions for the election of the Spiritual Assembly;
- The roles, responsibilities and functions of the Spiritual Assembly;
- The unique nature of the Bahá’í election process;
- The importance of consultation in the process of decision-making in Spiritual Assemblies;
- The nature of the relationship of the Spiritual Assembly to the Universal House of Justice;
Shoghi Effendi also left behind instructions and advice on how to deal with the specific challenges facing Bahá'ís and Bahá'í communities in this early phase of the Formative Age of the Faith and this period of transition with the Heroic Age:
- He recalled to believers the statements made by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s regarding a period of tests and difficulties;
- He emphasized the crucial importance of firmness in the Covenant;
- He focused attention for the Bahá'ís on the need for unity;
- He encouraged teaching the Faith.
The Greatest Holy Leaf brought up, emphasized, reiterated, and reminded the Bahá'ís and their communities of all these themes found in the Guardian’s letters in the many letters and cables she sent from April to December 1922.
Photograph of Jináb-i-Fádil-i Mazindarání taken during one of his visits to America in the 1920s. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
The Greatest Holy Leaf also took specific action.
Bahíyyih Khánum was of a single mind with the priorities of the Guardian, and though he was in Switzerland, the actions of the Greatest Holy Leaf were united with the desires of the Guardian.
During Shoghi Effendi’s absence, she followed through and acted upon initiatives which Shoghi Effendi had instigated.
One of these initiatives was the visit of an eminent Bahá'í, Jináb-i-Fádil-i-Mázindarání, to America.
Jináb-i-Fádil-i-Mázindarání was an eminent Persian Bahá'í scholar and historian, and he made tremendous efforts throughout his life to record the history of the Bahá'í Faith in Persia. Twenty years after his celebrated and successful travels to America, he was elected first on the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, then on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ṭihrán.
Shoghi Effendi had chosen Jináb-i-Fádil-i-Mázindarání to travel to North America and reinvigorate the American Bahá'í community. By September 1922, the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada had cabled the Greatest Holy Leaf inviting Jináb-i-Fádil-i-Mázindarání and his family to visit America, and he arrived five months later, in February 1923, Jináb-i-Fádil-i-Mázindarání was on the American continent, carrying with him a letter written by Shoghi Effendi which stated:
Our dear friend, Jináb-i-Fádil-i Mazindarání, 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 Bahá’u’lláh…
Shoghi Effendi stated several important points in his letter.
He expected that with the visit of Jináb-i-Fádil-i-Mázindarání, the North American Bahá'ís would be inspired, but also deeply conscious of the urgent necessity of teaching the Bahá'í Faith.
Shoghi Effendi stated his wish that they American Bahá'ís would arise to launch a systematic and extensive campaign of teaching.
But the Guardian also addressed the North American Bahá'ís directly, saying:
these are the high aims he has set before himself and which he intends, with the unfailing help and whole-hearted 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!
A 1910 photograph of some Bahá'ís of Mandalay, Burma—now Myanmar—with two visiting Baha’is from the West, Charles Mason Remey (left) and Howard Struven (right). Source: Bahá'í Photos.
Teaching is one of the central aspects of our Faith, and our main responsibility as Bahá'ís. In fact, in the Bahá'u'lláh enjoins teaching the Faith in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, a supremely important fact wo which the Guardian calls attention to in a letter dated 8 July 1934
In the Aqdas Bahá’u’lláh considers teaching as a spiritual obligation imposed upon every devoted believer and servant of His Faith. Should the friends become fully conscious of this duty and arise to do their share, this Cause will soon permeate every home throughout the world and the Kingdom of God will be established.
Not surprisingly, the Greatest Holy Leaf’s greatest emphasis in the letters written during her 8-moth headship of the Faith were aligned entirely aligned with the priority outlined by the Guardian in the excerpt above.
But how, exactly did the Greatest Holy Leaf encourage teaching in believers and Assemblies?
She issued a call to action.
She roused the Bahá'ís to rush out of their homes and teach, she encouraged them to expend their energies on encouraging and developing teaching activities, but beyond all these, Bahíyyih Khánum emphasized the ultimate importance and the timeliness of teaching the Faith, helping the friends to understand the link between this vital activity and the achievement of personal happiness and contentment.
Now is the time to arise and serve with all our powers, that we may grow happier day by day, and fill our hearts with warmth and joy.
An example of initiative by a community is this 1929 photograph of The Baha'is of ‘Ishqábád, carrying material for the construction of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. The turbaned gentleman in the front row, right is Ḥájí Mírzá Vakilu'd-Dawleh, cousin of the Bab. Source: Worldwide community of Bahá'u'lláh.
The Greatest Holy Leaf continued the Guardian’s cherished practice of encouraging Bahá'ís who were bold enough to take individual. Initiative.
One day, Bahíyyih Khánum heard of a meeting that some Bahá'ís had held and at which they had introduced Chinese students to the Bahá'í Faith. Her letter was filled with encouragement:
I was very glad to know of your meeting with the Chinese students, and I am sure your effect and influence shall be great upon them because their fresh and receptive minds are ready to grasp the importance of this Manifestation; and when you go to China, which you may if you think it wise, your influence and success, I hope, will be still more.
In the true fashion of a born leader, the Greatest Holy Leaf even encouraged the students to travel to China, and assured them of the prayers of the Holy Family and the blessings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
Bahá'ís serving in far-flung corners of the world would thrive on the encouragement of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
Standing eft to right: Elizabeth Stewart, N. Labib, founder of Children's Savings Bank co., Dr. Sarah Clock, Mirza F. A'zam, one of the directors of the Children's Savings Bank Co.
Sitting, left to right: Lillian Kappers, preceptress Tarbiyat Girl's School, Dr. Susan Moody, Ghodsieh Ashraf, and two school children.
Originally published in Star of the West, volume 17, Number 8, from November 1926. Source: Bahá'í Points of Interest.
It was also part of Bahíyyih Khánum’s role at the headship of the Faith to encourage Bahá'ís when their efforts did not yield success immediately.
Encouragement is the sign of a great leader, and, in this, The Greatest Holy Leaf was magnificent.
She wielded her eloquent pen not only to comfort the Bahá'ís in what they must surely had felt were failure, but she elevated their vision and encouraged them to see the matter with completely new eyes:
You have written that your number is small; but it is decidedly true that it is not numbers that count, it is, rather, the sincerity and devotion of the hearts. It is the heart that, subduing within itself all earthly cares, shines forth resplendent in the realm of love and selflessness, attracting to itself the souls of the weary and depressed, soothing their wounds with the balm of this Message.
This new Revelation has in reality been the water of life unto the thirsty, a sea of knowledge unto the searcher, a message of condolence to the weary and a new spirit and life to the whole world. And now it remains that we, the humble servants of our Lord should be confirmed, through our own effort and through His bounty to diffuse this light everywhere and to carry this Glad Tidings to every cottage and princely home.
In many of her letters, the Greatest Holy Leaf comforted dispirited Bahá'ís by assuring them not only of her fervent prayers, and the sincere prayers of the members of the Holy Family, but also assuring them that she would personally pray for them at the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
The Greatest Holy Leaf treated every letter with kindness, courtesy, and gave each and every piece of correspondence her love and focused attention.
Baha'i Feast in Seoul, South Korea in 1921. Source: Bahaimedia.
As the link between the Heroic Age and the Formative Age, and as the main ally and support of the Guardian, Bahíyyih Khánum took on the responsibility to which Shoghi Effendi attached an immense importance: fostering awareness of the Bahá'í Administrative Order.
Through countless letters to the east and west, the Greatest Holy Leaf raised the awareness of the Bahá'í on the importance of electing Local Spiritual Assemblies and National Spiritual Assemblies according to the specific guidelines set forth by the Guardian in terms of administrative procedures.
It is extremely important to understand that Bahíyyih Khánum had a perfectly clear vision and understanding of the functioning of the Administrative Order in all its intricacies, that she had a superb grasp of the needs of the Bahá'í Faith in this very delicate and perilous stage of transition it found itself in, and that she was supremely deepened in the Holy Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and in the contents and the vision of Shoghi Effendi through his letters and communications to the Bahá'í world.
Those elements of the Greatest Holy Leaf’s mind, her awareness, her comprehension, her instinct, her knowledge, and her familiarity with guidance were the reason why she and no one else could have assumed the headship of the Faith during Shoghi Effendi’s long absence.
Because of all of her superb abilities, the Greatest Holy Leaf’s vision and guidance she provided were a source of constant encouragement, vision, and comfort to the Bahá'ís.
On 8 April 1922, Bahíyyih Khánum wrote a general letter to the Bahá'ís, in which she took several actions.
First, the Greatest Holy Leaf acknowledged the letters of allegiance to the Guardian which the believers had sent.
Then, she informed them that the Guardian was counting on their cooperation in teaching the Faith and spreading the message of Bahá'u'lláh.
But the most important part of Bahíyyih Khánum’s 8 April 1922 letter was that the entire Bahá'í world should, from now on, be linked through the Spiritual Assemblies, adding for emphasis that all local questions should be referred to them.
Bahíyyih Khánum had set in motion a decentralization of administration for Bahá'í affairs.
What is fascinating to note is that two y ears later, on 23 February 1924, the Guardian would return to this point, and emphasize it, providing not only guidance but counsel:
Let us also bear in mind that the keynote of the Cause of God is not dictatorial authority, but humble fellowship, not arbitrary power, but the spirit of frank and loving consultation. Nothing short of the spirit of a true Bahá’í can hope to reconcile the principles of mercy and justice, of freedom and submission, of the sanctity of the right of the individual and of self-surrender, of vigilance, discretion and prudence on the one hand and fellowship, candour and courage on the other.
Baha'i Unity Meeting, Pretoria, South Africa in the 1920s. Source: Bahaimedia.
The unique qualities of the Greatest Holy Leaf which we outlined in the previous section on her role in establishing Local Spiritual Assemblies perfectly apply to her way of. handling the administrative affairs of the Faith.
Dr. Janet Khan, in her book Prophet’s Daughter, describes the Greatest Holy Leaf’s approach this way:
…her approach to the administration of the affairs of the Faith was practical, systematic, goal-directed, and forward-looking. She did not hesitate to introduce change when circumstances required it or the guidance of Shoghi Effendi mandated it. Her letters call attention to spiritual and administrative principles and provide necessary information.
In a letter dated 8 May 1922, one month exactly after her general letter to the Bahá'ís, the Greatest Holy Leaf wrote another lengthy letter to the Bahá'ís of the east, giving them instruction to circulate that letter among the believers.
Further in the same letter of 8 may 1922, Bahíyyih Khánum makes reference to statements in 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s Will and Testament regarding disunity, and the spiritual danger in questioning the provisions of the Covenant.
She announced that, although the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá had not been in wide circulations, plans were in motion to correct this, and send photocopies of the original text in the handwriting of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the communities, in an effort, as Bahíyyih Khánum states:
…to increase the spiritual joy of you who are essences of loyalty and trust, that every individual believer, every steadfast one in the Covenant who so desires, may read it and make a copy of it.
Baha'is of Kunjangun, India, meeting American Baha'i visitors, 1920s. Source: Bahaimedia.
The Greatest Holy Leaf actively fostered understanding of the Bahá'í Administrative Order, and the importance of its institutions, as well as the activities of the believers and those of their elected institutions, stressing that they would have a transformational and refreshing impact on the outside world:
It is clear and evident that the body of mankind in this day stands in dire need of such members and organs as are capable, useful and active, so that their movements and activities, their bearing and behaviour, their tender feelings, lofty sentiments and noble intentions may at all times reflect heavenly virtues and perfections and become the expressions of divine attributes and saintly characteristics, thus breathing a new life and spirit into all the dwellers of the world and causing the inner ties and spiritual relationships to be fostered and fortified in all fields of human endeavour.
Bahíyyih Khánum wrote many letters to congratulate believers in forming their first Local Spiritual Assemblies, but she also encouraged them to strengthen these nascent institutions:
It is clear that the stronger grow the bonds of yearning love among the believers, and the fiercer its fire, the more will they find themselves embraced by the bounties of the Ancient of Days, and receiving the continuous confirmations of the Greatest Name. Thus will the Assemblies of the friends become reflections of the gardens of the Concourse on High, mirroring forth the radiance of the Abhá Kingdom.
Baha'i children's class in the Caucasus, Russia, in the 1920s. Source: Bahaimedia.
Bahíyyih Khánum did not, however, just limit her encouragement to believers.
She also encouraged Local Spiritual Assemblies themselves and gave them precious guidance, alerted them to their responsibilities, informed them of their scope of work, and guided them in how they should function:
Praise be to God that through the gracious assistance of the Abhá Kingdom those devoted friends have been enabled to achieve that which befits the glory of the Cause of God and the protection of the community of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh. This is none other than to foster unity and fellowship under all conditions, to strengthen the bonds of harmony and concord in all things, and to avoid political matters.
It is particularly important to refrain from making unfavourable remarks or statements concerning the friends and the loved ones of God, inasmuch as any expression of grievance, of complaint or backbiting is incompatible with the requirements of unity and harmony and would dampen the spirit of love, fellowship and nobility.
Therefore it is incumbent upon the members of the exalted Spiritual Assembly to exercise the utmost care with firm determination and not to allow the doors of complaint and grievance to be opened, or permit any of the friends to indulge in censure and backbiting. Whoever sets himself to do so, even though he be the very embodiment of the Holy Spirit, should realize that such behaviour would create disruption among the people of Bahá and would cause the standard of sedition to be raised.
Examples of a receipt card given to the British Bahá’í community by Shoghi Effendi. Source: Bahaimedia.
Lastly, one of the responsibilities of Bahíyyih Khánum as the headship of the Faith was to receive and acknowledge financial contributions from Bahá'ís the world over.
As an example, this is a letter, deeply spiritual in spirit, which the Greatest Holy Leaf sent to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ṭihrán, acknowledging a very generous contribution of £14,000 in today’s currency:
The cheque for the amount of two hundred pounds that you had sent as your contribution to the Temple Fund—A fund set up to provide for the construction of the Bahá’í House of Worship near Chicago in Wilmette, Illinois—has been received and duly forwarded to Chicago. Behold what a pervasive power this evidence of co-operation and support, this spirit of selfless consecration is bound to release in the realm of the heart and spirit.
SOURCES FOR PART X
21 February – 5 March 1922: The Guardian’s consultative group in Haifa
The Priceless Pearl, Rúḥíyyih Rabbání, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, London, 1969, pages 55-56 and 247-248.
Shoghi Effendi Through the Pilgrim’s Eye Volume 1 Building the Administrative Order, 1922-1952. Earl Redman, George Ronald, Oxford, 2015, pages 32, and 44-45.
Early April 1922: Shoghi Effendi appoints Bahíyyih Khánum to the headship of the Faith
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 131-132.
The Priceless Pearl, Rúḥíyyih Rabbání, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, London, 1969, pages 57, 59 and 63-64.
Shoghi Effendi Through the Pilgrim’s Eye Volume 1 Building the Administrative Order, 1922-1952. Earl Redman, George Ronald, Oxford, 2015, Kindle Edition, Location 1049.
Leroy Ioas: Hand of the Cause of God, Anita Ioas Chapman, George Ronald, 1998, page 290.
The Life of Shoghi Effendi, Helen Danesh, John Danesh, and Amelia Danesh, published in Studying the Writings of Shoghi Effendi, ed. M. Bergsmo, Oxford: George Ronald, 1991.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, page 32.
The Priceless Pearl, Rúḥíyyih Rabbání, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, London, 1969, pages 57- 58.
April 1922: The letters of Shoghi Effendi and the Greatest Holy Leaf published in Star of the West
Star of the West Volume 13, Number 4, pages 81-82.
9 April 1922: The Guardian is gone
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013, pages 200-201.
The Greatest Holy Leaf: Living link between the Heroic Age and the Formative Age
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 135-136 and 192.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 134-135.
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013, pages 188-190.
5 April – December 1922: Bahíyyih Khánum and the keys of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013, pages 190-193.
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013, pages 190-193.
15 October 1922: Bahíyyih Khánum’s letter to the governor
The Greatest Holy Leaf’s Unparalleled Role in Religious History and the Significance of the Arc, the Site of Her Resting Place, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, published in Lights of Irfan, 15, pages 199-228, Wilmette: Haj Mehdi Armand Colloquium, 2014, page 216.
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013, pages 190-193.
April – December 1922: Bahíyyih Khánum protects the Faith against the Covenant-breakers
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013, pages 193-195.
May 1922: The Greatest Holy Leaf’s letter warning of Covenant-breakers: “At this critical time”
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013, pages 193-195.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 179-180.
How to deal with Covenant-breakers
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 178-179.
Bahíyyih Khánum: The Greatest Holy Leaf by Bahá’u’lláh, Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and Bahíyyih Khánum, compiled by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre Publications (1982): Letter from the Greatest Holy Leaf to the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Tabríz dated 28 April – 27 May 1922, Selection 33, pages 130-131.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 179-180.
The Eruption of Hostilities in Persia
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013, pages 195-197.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 175-178.
First approach to defend the Persian Bahá’ís: The petition to Persian ambassadors
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013, pages 195-197.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 175-178.
Second approach to defend the Persian Bahá’ís: An appeal to the American ambassador in Ṭihrán
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013, pages 195-197.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 175-178.
26 October 1922: The Greatest Holy Leaf’s letter to the women of Sang-i-Sar
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 137-139.
Bahíyyih Khánum: The Greatest Holy Leaf by Bahá’u’lláh, Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and Bahíyyih Khánum, compiled by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre Publications (1982): Letter from the Greatest Holy Leaf to a Bahá’í in Iṣfahán dated 26 October 1922, Selection 33, pages 186-187.
Bahíyyih Khánum: The Greatest Holy Leaf by Bahá’u’lláh, Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and Bahíyyih Khánum, compiled by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre Publications (1982).
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013, page 128.
The Greatest Holy Leaf’s 48 descriptions of Shoghi Effendi
Bahíyyih Khánum: The Greatest Holy Leaf by Bahá’u’lláh, Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and Bahíyyih Khánum, compiled by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre Publications (1982).
The importance of deepening Bahá’ís on the Covenant
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 152-153.
1922: Excerpts from 17 letters written by the Greatest Holy Leaf regarding the Guardian
Bahíyyih Khánum: The Greatest Holy Leaf by Bahá’u’lláh, Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and Bahíyyih Khánum compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice: Letters of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
Bahíyyih Khánum and matters in the Holy Land
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005.
Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2013.
21 April 1922: The Shrines are illuminated for the first time
He Loved and Served: The Story of Curtis Kelsey. Nathan Rutstein, George Ronald, Oxford, 1982, Chapters 9 and 10.
Coronation on Carmel: The Story of the Shrine of the Báb Volume II: 1922-1963, Michael V. Day, George Ronald, 2018, pages 22-23.
Late April 1922: Curtis Kelsey experiences the Greatest Holy Leaf’s commanding presence
He Loved and Served: The Story of Curtis Kelsey. Nathan Rutstein, George Ronald, Oxford, 1982, Chapter 9.
Bahíyyih Khánum’s loving letter about Curtis Kelsey
He Loved and Served: The Story of Curtis Kelsey. Nathan Rutstein, George Ronald, Oxford, 1982, Chapter 9.
April/May 1922: The Greatest Holy Leaf’s immersed in the depths of her grief
Nakhjávání, Bahíyyih, The Greatest Holy Leaf: A reminiscence, published in The Bahá’í World Volume 18 (1979 – 1983): Part Two: The Commemoration Of Historic Anniversaries: The Life and Service of the Greatest Holy Leaf, pages 68 to 74.
Research Department of the Universal House of Justice (compiler), Bahíyyih Khánum: The Greatest Holy Leaf by Bahá’u’lláh, Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and Bahíyyih Khánum, Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre Publications (1982): Chapter 5: Letters of the Greatest Holy Leaf, Selection 33, Ramadan 1340 A.H. (28 April-27 May 1922 A.D.), to a believer in Qazvin, pages 125-126.
Bahíyyih Khánum’s empathy with the grief of the Bahá’í community
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 135-136.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 136-137.
Reminders of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s example
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 137-139.
Bahíyyih Khánum and the virtue of steadfastness
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 139-140.
Encouragement to teach and serve the Faith
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 140-141.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 154-155.
Kindling ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s western friendships
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, page 156.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 157-158.
The visit of Jináb-i-Fádil-i-Mazindarání to America
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 158-159.
Wikipedia: Fádil Mazandarání.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 159-160 and 162.
Letter from the Guardian dated 8 July 1934.
Encouragement of individual initiative
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 160-161.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 161-162.
Establishing Local Spiritual Assemblies
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 162-163.
Bahá’u’lláh, Shoghi Effendi’s letter dated 23 February 1934.
Spiritual and administrative principles
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, page 164.
Individuals and their institutions
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 165-166.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 166-167.
Prophet’s Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine of the Bahá’í Faith, Janet A. Khan, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2005, pages 167-168.
