Archive for February, 2010

The tormentors of Iran: on burdens, mercy, and victory

  

 

Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.

Quran 2:256

Bahá’u’lláh says of Himself: “The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness. This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful.”

And elsewhere He says, again of Himself: “Lament not because of the wicked. Thou wert created to bear and endure, O Patience of the worlds.”

Yet, this hardship is a mercy from God! Again, Bahá’u’lláh, referring to the first passage quoted above, says: “This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, O believers in the Unity of God, that ye may be exalted, and have suffered  manifold afflictions, that ye might prosper and flourish.”

His burdens are His glory: “I sorrow not for the burden of My imprisonment. Neither do I grieve over My abasement, or the tribulation I suffer at the hands of Mine enemies. By My life! They are My glory, a glory wherewith God hath adorned His own Self. Would that ye know it!”

It is His oppressors for whom we should feel sorrow, for they are in manifest error: “My sorrows are for those who have involved themselves in their corrupt passions, and claim to be associated with the Faith of God, the Gracious, the All-Praised.”

The devoted followers of Bahá’u’lláh, in fulfilling their trust in Him by carrying on His work to bring the renewed Word of God to mankind, must necessarily share, in some measure, these burdens.  In most of the world, we are merely “burdened” with the rewarding, if sometimes tiring, task of taking time in our daily activities to share His message with others, attend and present study classes (the Ruhi courses), attend and offer devotional meetings, conduct children’s classes and junior youth activities, and carry out administrative duties. In Iran, however, the burdens continue to be basic: physical punishment and denial of human rights, such as the right to education and employment.

A spiritual attitude toward life is essential to a life connected to service to God:

It behoveth the people of Bahá to die to the world and all that is therein, to be so detached from all earthly things that the inmates of Paradise may inhale from their garment the sweet smelling savor of sanctity, that all the peoples of the earth may recognize in their faces the brightness of the All-Merciful, and that through them may be spread abroad the signs and tokens of God, the Almighty, the All-Wise. They that have tarnished the fair name of the Cause of God, by following the things of the flesh — these are in palpable error!

Bahá’u’lláh

He says to His tormentors, reflecting on His own captivity: “How long will ye persist in your injustice? Witness the habitation in which He, Who is the incarnation of justice, hath been forced to dwell. Open your eyes, and, beholding His plight, meditate diligently upon that which your hands have wrought, that haply ye may not be deprived of the light of His Divine utterance, nor remain bereft of your share of the ocean of His knowledge.”

Indeed, how long will the tormentors of Iran persist in their injustice? Yet, we know that our beloved brothers and sisters, compelled to live in such dire circumstances in the land that is the cradle of our Faith, are participants in the greatest enterprise in the history of mankind.

Bahá’u’lláh’s Dispensation fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah:

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (King James Bible, Isaiah)

It is in fulfillment of the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (King James Bible, Matthew)

Ultimate victory is assured for the Cause of God:

And call to mind when the unbelievers plotted against thee, to detain

thee prisoner, or to kill thee, or to banish thee: They plotted – but God

plotted: and of plotters is God the best!

            Qur’an 8:30

O Lord! Render victorious Thy forbearing servants

Image courtesy of Médiathèque baha’ie at www.bahai-biblio.org.

Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.

Quran 2:256

~

O Lord! Render victorious Thy forbearing servants in Thy days by granting them a befitting victory, inasmuch as they have sought martyrdom in Thy path. Send down upon them that which will bring comfort to their minds, will rejoice their inner beings, will impart assurance to their hearts and tranquillity to their bodies and will enable their souls to ascend to the presence of God, the Most Exalted, and to attain the supreme Paradise and such retreats of glory as Thou hast destined for men of true knowledge and virtue. Verily, Thou knowest all things, while we are but Thy servants, Thy thralls, Thy bondsmen and Thy poor ones. No Lord but Thee do we invoke, O God our Lord, nor do we implore blessings or grace from anyone but Thee, O Thou Who art the God of mercy unto this world and the next. We are but the embodiments of poverty, of nothingness, of helplessness and of perdition, while Thy whole Being betokeneth wealth, independence, glory, majesty and boundless grace.

Turn our recompense, O Lord, into that which well beseemeth Thee of the good of this world and of the next, and of the manifold bounties which extend from on high down to the earth below.

Verily, Thou art our Lord and the Lord of all things. Into Thy hands do we surrender ourselves, yearning for the things that pertain unto Thee.

The Báb

~

While we keep in our prayers our hope for the well-being of our dear friends in Iran, burdened with the yoke of an oppressive and unrelenting government and an intolerant and corrupt clergy, we keep in mind the spiritual truth that these severe tests can only result in the illumination of humanity and the success of the Cause of God. The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh will win yet more victories as a result. The fuel of persecution feeds the flame of ardent yearning in the hearts of all seekers after spiritual truth. Photo courtesy of Médiathèque baha’ie at www.bahai-biblio.org

~

“This Cause, as very Divine Cause, cannot be effectively established unless it encounters and valiantly triumphs over the forces of opposition with which it is assailed. The history of the Faith is in itself a sufficient proof of that. Trials and persecutions have always been, and will continue to be, the lot of the chosen ones of God. But these they should consider as blessing in disguise, as through them their faith will be quickened, purified and strengthened. Bahá’u’lláh compared such afflictive trials to the oil which feeds the lamp of the Cause of God.   

“The friends should, therefore, not assume an attitude of mere resignation in the face of persecutions. They should rather welcome them, and utilize as means for their own spiritual uplift and also for the promotion of the Cause. As the Faith grows stronger and attracts the serious attention and consideration of the world outside, the friends must expect a similar, if not a greater, increase in the forces of opposition which from every direction, both secular and religious, will be massed to undermine the very basis of its existence. The final outcome of such a struggle, which will be surely gigantic, is clear to us believers. A Faith born of God and guided by His Divine and all-pervasive spirit cannot but finally triumph and firmly establish itself, no matter how persistent and insidious the forces with which it has to contend. The friends should be confident, and act with the utmost wisdom and moderation, and should particularly abstain from any provocative act. The future is surely theirs.”

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, June 24, 1936)

Prayers for the friends in Iran

  

Photo courtesy of Médiathèque baha’ie at  www.bahai-biblio.org.  

O God, Who art the Author of all Manifestations, the Source of all Sources, the Fountain-Head of all Revelations, and the Well-Spring of all Lights! I testify that by Thy Name the heaven of understanding hath been adorned, and the ocean of utterance hath surged, and the dispensations of Thy providence have been promulgated unto the followers of all religions.

I beseech Thee so to enrich me as to dispense with all save Thee, and be made independent of any one except Thyself. Rain down, then, upon me out of the clouds of Thy bounty that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Assist me, then, through Thy strengthening grace, so to serve Thy Cause amidst Thy servants that I may show forth what will cause me to be remembered as long as Thine own kingdom endureth and Thy dominion will last.

This is Thy servant, O my Lord, who with his whole being hath turned unto the horizon of Thy bounty, and the ocean of Thy grace, and the heaven of Thy gifts. Do with me then as becometh Thy majesty, and Thy glory, and Thy bounteousness, and Thy grace.

Thou, in truth, art the God of strength and power, Who art meet to answer them that pray Thee. There is no God save Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.  

Bahá’u’lláh

Sunday, February 7th, Bahá’ís and their friends in communities around the globe gathered in special devotional meetings called at the request of the Universal House of Justice and their National Spiritual Assemblies to say prayers on behalf of the seven Bahá’í leaders who were arrested in Iran nearly two years ago, as well as for ten others more recently arrested. Sunday marked the second day of the trial for these seven friends, following their arraignment on January 12th. The very charges against them reveal the government’s thinly veiled motive of religious persecution:

espionage for the benefit of foreigners,

spreading anti-government propaganda,

organizing and propagating an illegal administration,

collaboration with Israel,

collecting classified documents and providing them to foreigners with the intention of disturbing the country’s security,

conspiracy to undermine the internal and external security of Iran to tarnish its reputation in the international arena, and

spreading corruption on earth.

No other religion has followers more law abiding and less likely to act against the laws of their government than the followers of Bahá’u’lláh. No other religion has followers less likely to be involved in politics.

In every country where any of this people reside, they must behave towards the government of that country with loyalty, honesty and truthfulness. This is that which hath been revealed at the behest of Him Who is the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.

Bahá’u’lláh

 ~

Furthermore each and every one is required to show obedience, submission and loyalty towards his own government. Today no state in the world is in a condition of peace or tranquillity, for security and trust have vanished from among the people. Both the governed and the governors are alike in danger. The only group of people which today submitteth peacefully and loyally to the laws and ordinances of government and dealeth honestly and frankly with the people, is none other than this wronged community. For while all sects and races in Persia and Turkestan are absorbed in promoting their own interests and only obey their governments either with the hope of reward or from fear of punishment, the Bahá’ís are the well-wishers of the government, obedient to its laws and bearing love towards all peoples.

 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

 ~

There is one fundamental point which Shoghi Effendi wishes me to emphasize. By the principle of non-interference in political matters we must not mean that only corrupt politics and partial and sectarian politics are to be avoided. But that pronouncement on any current system of politics connected with any government must be shunned. We should not only take side with no political party, group or system actually in use, but we should also refuse to commit ourselves to any statement which may be interpreted as being sympathetic or antagonistic to any existing political organization or philosophy. The attitude of the Bahá’ísmust be one of complete aloofness. They are neither for nor against any system of politics. Not that they are the ill-wishers of their respective governments but that due to certain basic considerations arising out of their teachings and of the administrative machinery of their Faith they prefer not to get entangled in political affairs and to be misinterpreted and misunderstood by their countrymen.

“In the light of this principle it becomes clear that to contribute articles on current political affairs to any newspaper must inevitably lead the writer to express, directly or in an indirect manner, his view and his criticisms on the subject. He is, in addition, always liable to be misinterpreted and misunderstood by the politicians. The best thing to do, therefore, is simply not to write on current policies at all.

from a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi

 

Bahá’ís have these fundamental principles engrained into them, especially so in a country where its enemies would welcome any legitimate reason to harm them. Instead, spurious charges such as the above must be invented.

 

Whensoever the light of Manifestation of the King of Oneness settleth upon the throne of the heart and soul, His shining becometh visible in every limb and member. At that time the mystery of the famed tradition gleameth out of the darkness: “A servant is drawn unto Me in prayer until I answer him; and when I have answered him, I become the ear wherewith he heareth….” For thus the Master of the house hath appeared within His home, and all the pillars of the dwelling are ashine with His light. And the action and effect of the light are from the Light-Giver; so it is that all move through Him and arise by His will. And this is that spring whereof the near ones drink, as it is said: “A fount whereof the near unto God shall drink….”

Bahá’u’lláh, from The Seven Valleys, quoting a tradition of Islam and a passage from the Qur’an