1931
1931
— 79 —
January 3, 1931
[To The Local Spiritual Assembly Of Mandalay][pg 68]
Dear Friends,
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your joint letter dated December 15th 1930 as well as the “Trust Deed” for the property you have transferred to his name. He is deeply appreciative of the services you have been constantly rendering to the Cause and the sacrifices you are offering in furthering its interests. May God in His infinite bounty fully repay your endeavours.
Shoghi Effendi is quite well and as usual busy in performing his many duties. The successes that are being constantly achieved in spreading the Cause and furthering its interests, however, are fully repaying his labours and promising wonderful results for the near future. In these days the place where the greatest amount of work is being achieved is Persia, where the government is liberal and accords to the friends all the freedom they desire to spread the message.
In closing, may I assure you of Shoghi Effendi’s loving greetings and best wishes for the success of your work in serving the Faith.[pg 69]
My dear precious co-worker:
The deed has reached safely the Holy Land and stands as a further evidence of your exemplary devotion to the Cause of God. I will continue to pray for you, your dear wife, and the precious friends in Burma from all my heart. You are often in my thoughts and your distinguished services, past and present, cheer and hearten me in my task. Rest assured and be happy, and always remember that my prayers will continue to be offered in your behalf at the Holy Shrines.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
— 80 —
January 7, 1931
Dear Mr. Vakíl,
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letters dated December 26th and 27th 1930 as well as the enclosed letter of Prof. Pritam Singh.
Shoghi Effendi hopes that with the combined efforts of the friends and the Master’s infinite mercy a great success will be achieved at both of the Conferences. While visiting the Blessed Shrines he will remember the delegates and ask for them divine guidance. If presented properly the position of women in the Bahá’í teachings will surely attract much attention, for it is not only legal but also spiritual and educational. Our ideals are so high and at the same time so practicable that all other views will fall short if compared to them. Shoghi Effendi hopes that many will be able to attend these conferences and render all the assistance they possibly can.
In closing, may I assure you of Shoghi Effendi’s prayers and best wishes for your success.
My dear co-worker:
I trust that the message sent on behalf if of the Greatest Holy Leaf and myself has reached in time and been conveyed to the members of the conference. May the almighty Hand of Bahá’u’lláh guide your steps and sustain your efforts in the manifold services you are rendering to the Cause. I will continue to pray for you from the depths of my heart.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
— 81 —
January 14, 1931
My Dear Mr. Vakíl,[pg 70]
I am directed by the Guardian to thank you for your letter of January 2nd.
He is pleased to hear of the receipt of his cablegram addressed to the Asian Women’s Conference through Prof. Pritam Singh and he sincerely hopes that the Bahá’í members attending will take an active share in its proceedings and will thereby be putting to active effect the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. Various and innumerable contacts will naturally be made and the effort should be to take advantage of this unique opportunity…
With the assurance of my loving prayers for you and your dear family.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
— 82 —
June 12, 1931
Dear Mr. Vakíl,
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated May 25th 1931 as well as the enclosed letter of the Kunjangoon Spiritual Assembly.
He was deeply grieved of the passing away of Jenabe Jamsheed Khodadad who was one of the true and experienced Bahá’ís, who during his life rendered many services to the Cause in Bombay.
He sincerely hopes that while we are losing these staunch and capable souls, others are coming forward to occupy their place and assume the responsibilities of this constantly developing Movement.
In his moments of prayer and meditation at the Shrines, Shoghi Effendi will think of the friends in India and ask for them divine guidance and help.
Please convey his greetings to the members of your family. He hopes that they are all well and that your children are developing in the footsteps of their father, and growing to be servants of the Cause.[pg 71]
My dear and precious co-worker:
I have lately received packages of silk and other kinds of cloth which, as they have been mailed from Surat, I presume have been sent by you. I have used them partly as furnishings for the Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh which we have recently restored and furnished and which now serves as both a shrine and a pilgrim house. Your continued and devoted endeavours and services in so many fields of Bahá’í activity are a constant source of joy and inspiration to me in my work and my prayers will continue to be offered at the Holy Shrines for your welfare, your happiness, and spiritual advancement.
Shoghi
— 83 —
[To N.R. Vakíl]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
Your letter of 22/6/1931 was received and the Guardian charged me to extend to you his deepest thanks. He was very pleased to learn that your health had been improved and he fondly hopes that this recovery will give you the opportunity to continue your teaching activities as zealously as before.
The three parcels of cloth which you have kindly sent for the Guardian were duly received and he accepted your gift with great pleasure.
Shoghi Effendi is as usual extremely busy. But his health is in a very good condition and he is anxiously awaiting the news of further achievements for the spreading of the Cause. The conditions in India are now quite favourable, but what the Bahá’ís need is a group of well educated and seriously minded people who would spend a good deal of their time in lecturing before large audiences and in writing and distributing books and pamphlets-we are in need of such people — they are, as you know very well, very few in number and the Guardian hopes that you will do your utmost to organize or to encourage and assist the formation of such a group.
Assuring you of the Guardian’s best wishes for your family and for yourself.[pg 72]
My dear and precious co-worker:
May I add a few words in person and assure you again of my deep felt appreciation of your valuable gift, most of which I have utilized for Bahá’u’lláh’s newly restored Mansion at Bahjí. Your manifold, inspiring and devoted services are a source of the greatest inspiration to me in my work. I will continue to pray for you and yours from the depths of my heart. Rest assured and be always hopeful The Master will surely bless your splendid work.
Shoghi
— 84 —
August 29, 1931
[To N.R. Vakíl]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
I am charged by Shoghi Effendi to acknowledge on his behalf the receipt of your letter dated July 31st, 1931 and to extend to you his loving appreciation of your noble and heroic endeavours to promote and consolidate the interests of the Faith in your land.
The Guardian has also received the account of the National Fund of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India and Burma and he read it with careful attention and deep interest.
He was very pleased to learn with what self sacrificing efforts our Indian brothers are toiling and he fervently prays that the Almighty may continually shower His blessings upon them that they may be able to spread the Cause in the most rapid and in the most efficient way.
Shoghi Effendi was particularly rejoiced at the perseverance with which our talented Bahá’í brother, Dr Pritam Singh, is carrying on his work in connection with the publication of the “Bahá’í Weekly,” copies of which he has received and read with deepest interest.
You may have heard of the projected publication by the Bahá’í Publishing Committee of the book entitled “The Dawn Breakers,” being Nabíl’s narrative of the early days of the Bahá’í revelation, recently translated by the Guardian. It is hoped that the Indian friends will order a few copies of this highly valuable book and that they will send a few others to some of the leading libraries in India and Burma.[pg 73]
With the renewed assurance of the Guardian’s best wishes for your family and for yourself and of the continued and fervent prayers for your spiritual and material advance and success.
Dear and esteemed co-worker:
My prayers will continue to be offered on behalf of the loyal and self-sacrificing friends in India and Burma. Prof. Pritam Singh’s notable and ever increasing share in the administrative, literary, and financial activities of the Faith in that land is a source of genuine and constant satisfaction. I would specially request your Assembly to prepare a comprehensive and detailed report on the activities and progress of the Faith in India and Burma during the last two years, 1930-32, for inclusion in the forthcoming issue of the “Bahá’í World.” Will you kindly forward the report to Mr. Horace Holley as soon as possible, as he has been charged to draw up a survey similar to the one published in the last volume. I would also urge the friends in India and Burma to order as many copies of the “Dawn Breakers” as they possibly can as I regard its circulation of vital importance to the Cause.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
— 85 —
September 17, 1931
[To Siyyid Muṣṭafá Rumi]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
I am directed by Shoghi Effendi to acknowledge on his behalf the receipt of your letter dated July 27th, 1931…
The Guardian was greatly rejoiced to hear of you again and to see with what enthusiasm and zeal you are consolidating the interests of the Faith in Burma.
I need not assure you of the brightest hopes he cherishes for your future work in that land. Your long and highly valuable efforts in the past are a sufficient witness to the bounties which God is continually showering upon you.
Regarding the series of your articles on the early beginnings of the Movement in India and Burma published in the “Bahá’í Magazine,” Shoghi Effendi strongly feels that they will constitute a valuable contribution to the history of the Cause in that land and he[pg 74] wishes me to urge you to persevere in this work.
You may have heard of the projected publication by the Publishing Committee of the National Assembly of the United States of a monumental and most authoritative history on the early beginnings of the Movement recently translated by our Guardian and it is hoped that the friends will not fail to purchase one copy of this history as it will assuredly serve to deepen their knowledge and to strengthen their faith in the Cause.
With Shoghi Effendi’s best wishes for yourself and for all the believers in Mandalay.
Dearly beloved co-worker:
I cannot refrain from adding a few words in person as a token of my lively admiration for your exemplary efforts in the service of the Cause.
Your splendid record of unflinching service, animated by faith and zeal that none can surpass, constitutes an asset that I greatly prize and value. I will continue to pray for you from the depths of my heart that the Beloved may bless richly your work, may guide your steps, cheer your heart, and sustain your high and self-sacrificing endeavours.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
— 86 —
December 5, 1931
[To Siyyid Muṣṭafá Rumi]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated November 14th 1931 which accompanied a file on the Bahá’í feasts. As he is now compiling the fourth volume of the “Bahá’í World” and he will have to reconsider the correctness of the Calendar found there, the information you have sent him will be most valuable. You could refer to that book when out, to know his real decision on the subject. It is surely very important to have all the facts and bring to light all the Tablets that refer to the subject before the problems that revolve around the Bahá’í Calendar can be solved.
Shoghi Effendi wishes me also to extend to you his love and best wishes and express his hope that you are well and as usual active in teaching the Cause. These days that political and economic difficulties are reaching a climax, and millions of people are perishing[pg 75] through suffering, we should redouble our energy and work with even greater zeal. Western civilization will crumble down and destroy with it the already poverty stricken East, if the message of Bahá’u’lláh is not established throughout the world and its divine remedy not applied to the sick body of society.
In his moments of prayer and meditation at the Blessed Shrines, Shoghi Effendi always thinks of the friends who are striving to teach the Cause throughout the world and ask for them divine guidance and help.
Dear and valued co-worker:
Your pioneer services so devotedly and conscientiously rendered constitute a shining page of Bahá’í history and will be gratefully remembered by future Bahá’í generations. Your exemplary services will continue to inspire future workers in the Cause and their memory will cheer their hearts and reinforce their endeavours. You have won for yourself a warm and abiding place in all hearts that throb with the love of Bahá’u’lláh. Be assured, and persevere in your glorious task.
Your true brother,
Shoghi[pg 76]