1933
1933
— 105 —
January 10, 1933
Dear Mr. Vakíl,
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated December 30th15. He was very glad to obtain some news regarding the translation of Dr. Esslemont’s book into Urdu and Hindi, for he feels deeply interested in the work. He feels that it is only when such books are accessible to the public that the Cause will begin to spread and its followers increase in number.
He, therefore, wishes you to exert your effort along that line so that the task may be achieved properly and without any needless delay. Also please keep him informed regarding any new development or any progress made.
We do not now have any pilgrims, but the news we receive from different parts of the world show great progress achieved by the friends. Even though material conditions in some instances hamper their activities to an appreciable extent, yet their devotion and self-sacrifice are daily winning for them the admiration and sympathy of the world around them. Everyday a new group is formed and new souls attracted to the faith.[pg 93]
Please convey the Guardian’s loving greetings to all the friends specially the members of your family.
Dear and prized co-worker:
I grieve to learn of the delay in the translation and publication of the various translations of Dr. Esslemont’s valuable book, and I urge you to do all you possibly can to hasten the realization of our cherished hopes — hopes which when fulfilled will no doubt lend a great and fresh impetus to the advancement of the Faith in that land. I am enclosing a copy of my recent letter concerning the Greatest Holy Leaf and the measures which, I feel, must be taken by the friends in Persia preliminary to the formation of the House of Justice. May the Almighty guide your steps, cheer your heart and fulfil your dearest wish.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
— 106 —
February 8, 1933
[To the National Spiritual Assembly]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
The Guardian wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated January 18th 1933 giving him the glad news of the sum collected for a meeting place in Calcutta.
He sincerely hopes that through God’s infinite blessings the necessary sum will be forthcoming and that in time a Centre worthy of the prestige and name of the Cause will be purchased or built.
Such institutions greatly help the spread of the Faith, for there will be a permanent place where the interested souls can go for information. It also operates as the centre of the different activities of the Spiritual Assembly of that locality.
In his moments of prayer at the Blessed Shrines, the Guardian will think of you as well as of the other friends in that locality and ask for you all divine guidance and help.
He was also delighted to hear that three new souls have accepted the Faith in Calcutta. He hopes that before long we will have large groups, comprising hundreds of earnest and seeking souls, enter the Cause and take part in spreading the Message. Please assure the three of them of Shoghi Effendi’s loving greetings.[pg 94]
May the Beloved bless your constant and self-sacrificing endeavours for the promotion of His Cause and enable you and your devoted fellow-workers to fulfil your heart’s cherished desire.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
— 107 —
March 1, 1933
Dear Mr. Vakíl,
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to write you this short note to enclose a cheque for thirty pounds.
This is his contribution towards the publication of the translation of Dr. Esslemont’s book into Burmese which has been made by Siyyid Muṣṭafá Rumi. Please inform the latter about its receipt because he has asked the Guardian to send this contribution through you and he may be anxious to receive this news.
Assuring you of Shoghi Effendi’s prayers and best wishes.
— 108 —
March 23, 1933
[To Siyyid Muṣṭafá Rumi]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
The Guardian was very pleased to read your letter of March 6th 1933, because it bore the very welcome news that the translation of Dr. Esslemont’s book has been completed and that it has been already submitted to the press. He sincerely hopes that that stage of the work will also soon come to a close and that the Burmese-speaking people will be enabled to benefit from it. Shoghi Effendi has great hopes that the publication of this book will start a new era in the history of the progress of the Faith in that land. Those who read it are bound to be impressed by the teaching it contains and become imbued with the spirit it manifests. The efforts of the teachers will become a hundred fold more fruitful and those who are interested can be given the chance to deepen their knowledge.
In any case, Shoghi Effendi wishes me to express his deep appreciation for your labours and kind efforts along that line. The service the book shall render, will surely be a sufficient reward for your work.[pg 95]
The Guardian feels that one thousand copies are sufficient. When this edition is sold out and a demand is created for them, then we could have a second and larger edition printed. In any case when the book is out please send fifty copies to the address of the Guardian. He wishes to place some copies in the different libraries he has instituted here in Haifa.
In closing, may I express again Shoghi Effendi’s deep appreciation for your services and assure you of his prayers and best wishes.
Dear and valued co-worker:
It is with the greatest pleasure that I have learned of the completion of the translation into Burmese of the “New Era,” and of the determination of the friends in Burma to ensure its prompt publication. The circulation of this book will constitute a landmark in the history of the Cause in that land. May it be a prelude to an intensive campaign of teaching and concerted effort on the part of the friends in those regions and like a magnet, attract the abundant blessings of our departed Master. I will place most of the 50 copies you will send me in the library of the newly restored Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí, a constant reminder of the self-sacrificing endeavors of my beloved Burmese brethren.
Shoghi
— 109 —
March 24, 1933
Dear Mr. Vakíl,
The Guardian has directed me to acknowledge tile receipt of your letter of March 10th
He was very glad to learn that the Burmese translation has been completed and that it is now in the hands of the printers. As he has communicated with Sayed Muṣṭafá Rumie, the Guardian thinks that one thousand copies are quite sufficient for the present. If these are circulated widely and further demand is created then we could consider the question of enlarging the second edition. Shoghi Effendi wishes also to have fifty copies sent to him for his use here in Haifa, whenever they are out of the press and ready for distribution.
Now the translation into Burmese and Gujrati have been completed and the latter is even printed and circulated. The Guardian feels we should concentrate upon the Hindi and Urdu translations. We[pg 96] should not permit so much unnecessary delay. If one way seems closed or difficult we could try another and strive for the speedy completion of those books. The more we see the crying need of the world for the spiritual teachings of our Faith the more restless we should feel in giving out the Message and improving the means of diffusing the precepts of the Cause.
In his moments of prayer at the Blessed Shrines the Guardian will think of you and ask God to guide and sustain your efforts. He knows fully how difficult it is these days to bring a task to a speedy and successful conclusion, but to a person who is determined and lays his trust in God nothing is impossible.
Dear and precious co-worker:
I rejoice to hear of the steps that are being taken for the printing of the Burmese edition of the “New Era” but deplore the delay in the translation of the book into Hindi and Urdu. The Gujrati copies have already been placed in the library of the Mansion at Bahjí and I long with all my heart to witness these remaining translations in their final and printed form, side by side with the nineteen printed versions which have already been collected and distributed throughout the world. I would urge you to concentrate your energy on this important and essential preliminary to an intensive campaign of teaching among the masses in India. Persevere and rest assured that my prayers will continue to be offered on your behalf.
Shoghi
— 110 —
June 8, 1933
[To N.R. Vakíl]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
Your message of March 24th, 1933 addressed to our beloved Guardian was received and was deeply appreciated. The delay in answering was caused by the unusual amount of work which demanded Shoghi Effendi’s personal and immediate supervision during the last few months. He was very glad to receive the Gujrati translation of Dr. Esslemont’s book, and he hopes that through your efforts the Hindi and Urdu translation of it will soon be ready for publication.[pg 97]
As you may know, this work has already been translated into nineteen different languages, and its rendering into eleven others will be soon completed. This is really encouraging.
Recently the Guardian received a letter from Mr. Habibo’llah M. Monji, one of our young Bombay friends, telling him of his intention of having the Hidden Words translated into Gujrati and Hindi. This is a splendid idea, provided Mr. Monji’s knowledge of these languages be sufficiently extensive. He seems to be a very devoted and enthusiastic Bahá’í. Shoghi Effendi would like you to find out whether he is really competent to undertake such an important work, and in case you find that he is really capable, he would strongly urge you to help him and encourage him to bring his work to successful completion.
In closing, may I assure you of his best and kindest wishes for your family and for yourself. The memory of your visit to Haifa is still fresh in his mind. Your sincerity and devotion to the Cause he will always remember and greatly appreciate. He hopes that as years go by they will increasingly enrich the splendid record of your services to the Faith.
Dear and valued co-worker:
I long to hear from you and of the progress of your devoted and incessant activities in the service of our beloved Faith. I am also eager to receive the good news of the completion of the translation and early publication of the Urdu and Hindi versions of the “New Era.” The utmost effort should be exerted to ensure the consummation of this work, which, I feel, must precede an intensive teaching campaign among the masses in India. I am arranging for Mrs. Kehler to visit southern Persia this autumn after which she is expecting to visit India, this winter. I trust you are keeping in good health and that your pioneer work is progressing satisfactorily.
Your true, your affectionate and grateful brother,
Shoghi
— 111 —
June 13, 1933
[To Prof. Pritam Singh]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
I am directed by Shoghi Effendi to inform you of the receipt of your letter dated May 25th, 1933 and to renew the expression of his[pg 98] heartfelt appreciation of your unforgettable services to the Cause in India.
He was particularly glad to learn that some of our Indian friends have encouraged you to start a fortnightly paper on the Cause. The idea is, undoubtedly, most genuine and meets with our Guardian’s wholehearted approval. He wishes you, however, not to act hurriedly, to take all the necessary steps which can ensure its safety and development.
Such projects are not so easy to carry out, specially in these days when the economic crisis is getting so acute. At any rate, if you find that your financial conditions allow you to undertake such an important work, you should persevere in your efforts and try to make your paper an indispensable adjunct to the teaching activities of the friends.
The Guardian hopes that you will be more successful in this, your second attempt. The unexpected death of the “Bahá’í Weekly,” he feels, had badly affected the prestige of the Cause. It is hoped that your new fortnightly paper will enable all to appreciate more adequately the divine potency with which it is endowed. Mrs. Keith Ransom Kehler, who has been doing such a fine work in Persia, is planning to leave for India at the beginning of winter. Her presence among you will be certainly appreciated. She is such a wonderful soul, so devoted, so active and so capable. The Guardian hopes that you will make the utmost use of her stay in India. In closing, may I assure you of his prayers on your behalf and on behalf of all the believers in Lahore.
P.S. Shoghi Effendi wishes also to express his special thanks to all those who have specially contributed their share for the resumption of the Magazine. Kindly convey to them all the expression of our Guardian’s deepest gratitude and lively appreciation.
Dear and valued co-worker:
Your unswerving loyalty and inflexible resolve to carry on the work you have so nobly initiated are indeed worthy of the highest praise. I will pray for your success and the steady and uninterrupted progress of your activities whenever flay my head on the sacred Threshold and will supplicate for you all the strength and guidance you need for the prosecution of your task. The friends in India and Burma shoddy bestir themselves and, under the guidance and by the aid of the National[pg 99] Assembly prepare the way for the forthcoming visit of our able and brilliant international teacher Mrs. Kehler. May the Lord sustain and guide them in their endeavours and reward them for their acts of self-sacrifice in His Path.
Shoghi
— 112 —
June 17, 1933
[To N.R. Vakíl]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
The Guardian has requested me to send you enclosed a rough copy of a memorandum he has recently addressed to the British High Commissioner in Jerusalem. He wants you to read it very carefully and then write immediately a strongly worded petition on behalf of the National Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India and Burma to the High Commissioner in Palestine, emphasizing the fact that the Indian National Assembly is earnestly appealing to the High Commissioner to realize the gravity of the issues invoked in their petition.
The Guardian does not want you to follow too closely the text and form of the enclosed memorandum, but to be only guided by the facts that are set forth therein. He wishes you then to sign it, to seal it and then to forward it directly to Jerusalem. He is sending you enclosed the full address of the High Commissioner. He has also requested the Persian, the American, the British and the German Assemblies to address immediately a similar petition and mail it directly to Jerusalem. The crisis has been precipitated by the enemies of the Cause, who have contended that for legal purposes the Bahá’í community does not exist in Palestine… These petitions will be probably forwarded to the Colonial Office in London. The case will thereby acquire added significance and may well pave the way for an official recognition of the Bahá’í Faith by the British authorities as an independent religion in Palestine.
The Guardian feels that the document should be very carefully worded and should emphasize the importance and significance of the Shrine of the Báb, as one of the holiest spots in the Bahá’í world.
With the renewed assurance of his best wishes for the members of the National Assembly and for yourself.[pg 100]
P.S. Will you kindly send him a copy of your petition as soon as you send it to Jerusalem.
Read and Approved,
Shoghi
— 113 —
August 6, 1933
[To N.R. Vakíl]
Dear Bahá’í Co worker,
Your letters addressed to the Guardian and dated June 16th and 23rd, and July 7th and 8th, 1933 were duly received and were read with deepest care and appreciation. He was also very glad to receive a copy of your petition to His Excellency the High Commissioner and he feels confident that it will serve to impress upon the authorities in Jerusalem the urgency of our case.
As regards the Urdu translation of Dr. Esslemont’s book, Shoghi Effendi wishes you to make all the necessary effort to have it published as soon as possible. He is fully aware of the difficulties that have caused an inevitable delay in the publication of this highly important work, but he feels certain that, through your perseverance and through the kind and invaluable assistance of Prof. Pritam Singh and Dr. Hishmatu’llah the translation will be soon completed and be ready for publication.
The Guardian would like you also to take all the necessary steps for the Hindi translation of this same work. It is hoped that no delay will be caused this time.
In closing, let me ask you to extend to the members of your newly elected National Assembly the loving greetings of Shoghi Effendi. May Bahá’u’lláh increasingly help you to carry forward His Message and impart to your soul the strength and the peace of which you are all in such a great need in these days of storm and stress.
With his fervent prayers on your behalf and on behalf of every member of your family.[pg 101]
Dear and prized co-worker:
Your petition to the High Commissioner is splendid, and to you, in particular, I wish to express my abiding and deep gratitude.
The Serbian and Hungarian versions of “The New Era” have been recently published through the efforts of Martha Root. The Rumanian translation has been undertaken and the Greek version will soon be started. I long to see the Urdu, the Hindi and the Burmese versions in print and circulated among the masses of the Indian people. Persevere and redouble your efforts.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
— 114 —
September 10, 1933
[To N.R. Vakíl]
Dear Bahá’í Friend,
The Guardian has directed me to acknowledge on his behalf the receipt of your letter dated August 18th, 1933, together with the enclosed copy of the High Commissioner’s letter addressed to the President of our Indian National Spiritual Assembly in reply to your petition concerning our case with the Demits. The answer he has himself received is very promising and contains the High Commissioners replies to your Assembly, as well as to our other National Assemblies in various other lands. He hopes that the Authorities will keep their promise and will carefully and impartially consider the case when it will be put before them for final decision.
Shoghi Effendi was deeply gratified to learn of the important steps you have taken for the translation and publication of Dr. Esslemont’s book into Hindi. He has greatly appreciated the assistance of Dr. Kaushal Kishore, and sincerely trusts that through your combined efforts the work will be soon completed and will be ready for circulation. In a recent communication to the Guardian, our devoted friend Siyyid Muṣṭafá Rumie, has given the news of the publication of this same book in Burmese. It is hoped that this will serve to encourage our Indian believers to follow his example.
In closing, may I assure you once more of our Guardian’s ardent prayers on your behalf and on behalf of each and every member of your family. He was so grieved to hear of your illness, and hopes that, by the time this letter reaches you, your health has been completely[pg 102] restored, and that you are fully able to resume your important work on behalf of the Cause.
With his loving greetings and best wishes for Mrs. Vakíl, children and your dear self.
Dear and valued co-worker:
I am so pleased and grateful to you for your incessant efforts in connection with the translation and publication of the “New Era,” and I am deeply gratified to learn of the progress already achieved. I will continue to pray for the speedy realization of your hopes, plans and wishes in the service of this glorious Faith. I grieve to learn however of your recent illness, and entreat you not to overtax your strength, and to rest as completely and as long as possible. The Cause stands in dire need of servants and promoters such as your dear self I will pray for your complete recovery from the depths of my heart.
Shoghi
— 115 —
September 10, 1933
[To Siyyid Muṣṭafá Rumi]
Dear Bahá’í Friend,
I have been requested by Shoghi Effendi to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated August 14th, 1933 and to renew the expression of his abiding appreciation of the pioneering services you have been, and are so increasingly rendering to the Faith in Mandalay. I wish to thank you particularly on his behalf for the admirable way in which you have carried out his wishes and instructions in connection with the translation and publication of Dr. Esslemont’s book into Burmese. Such a highly difficult task has, undoubtedly, cost you a good deal of self-sacrifice and of hard and continued effort. But you can be assured that the result obtained is of such a high significance and importance to the progress of the Cause in Mandalay that it will not only add a fresh lustre to the immense work that you have been doing for so many long years, but will constitute a challenge to every thoughtful and loyal believer to follow the example you have set before him. Our beloved Master is surely looking down upon you from the Realm above with eyes full of admiration and praise, and is[pg 103] looking still forward to see you more active and more ardent than ever in His Divine Covenant.
Assuring you once more of our Guardian’s best wishes and of his fervent prayers on your behalf, so that the Almighty may guide your steps, cheer your heart and keep you firm and constant in His Faith.
With loving greetings and deepest Bahá’í love to you and to all the friends in Kunjangoon.
Dearly beloved co-worker:
What you have accomplished with zeal, courage, ability and love fills me with joy, thankfulness and admiration for the sterling qualities that have characterized your long and distinguished career of service to the Cause of God. You have added fresh laurels to an already brilliant record of service. The fifty volumes you have sent will be placed on your behalf and in your name in the international Bahá’í library within the holy Mansion at Bahjí adjoining the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. I will ever be reminded of your glorious and exemplary services to the Abhá Revelation.
I will continue to pray for you from all my heart.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
— 116 —
October 5, 1933
[To Siyyid Muṣṭafá Rumi]
Dear Bahá’í Friend,
I have been requested by the Guardian to thank you for your letter dated September 2nd, 1933, and to express his heartfelt appreciation of your efforts in connection with the writing of the history of the Cause in India and Burma. Your valuable studies on the subject which have appeared in the form of a series of articles in the “Bahá’í Magazine” have greatly interested both the Bahá’ís and the non-Bahá’ís.
It is hoped that the history you have been asked to write in Persian will produce similar results you should try to make it as detailed as possible, giving all the facts you can gather, together with any document or photograph which can illustrate the work and give it a scholarly and scientific character.
In closing, let me assure you once more of Shoghi Effendi’s fervent prayers on your behalf and on behalf of all our friends in Burma.[pg 104]
Dear and most prized co-worker:
What you will place on record regarding the history of the Faith in India and Burma will acquire tremendous significance and influence in the days to come. It will serve to instruct, inspire, and cheer countless souls among the rising generation, and will add fresh laurels to those you have so deservedly won in the service of Cod’s immortal Faith. No words can adequately convey the gratitude I feel in my heart for your continued and inestimable services.
Your true and affectionate brother,
Shoghi
— 117 —
October 27, 1933
[To N.R. Vakíl]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
Your letter of September 13th, 1933, addressed to Shoghi Effendi… were all duly received… The continued and most timely assistance which our Indian believers have so kindly and so devotedly extended to their American brethren in their supreme effort for the resumption of the work on the Temple dome has been a fresh source of encouragement and of comfort to him, and he trusts that this truly Bahá’í spirit of cooperation between the East and West will continue to animate and to add a fresh lustre to their precious services to the Cause.
The Guardian was also very glad and deeply comforted to learn that your health is improving, and that gradually your energy is being restored. He wishes you to be very careful not to overtax your strength, and take all the necessary measures for your speedy and complete recovery. His prayers on your behalf will continue to be offered to Bahá’u’lláh, that He may strengthen you, and keep you as ever active in His Faith.
With best wishes for Mrs. Vakíl, children and your dear self.
Dear and precious co-worker:
Your previous letter of August 25 has reached me and I rejoice to learn that the Burmese version of the “New Era” is being circulated. I long to hear of the completion and publication of the Hindi and Urdu versions. The utmost effort should be exerted in order to expedite this most important and urgent work. The situation in Bombay is confused,[pg 105] and I would request you to visit the friends if possible and endeavour to establish harmony and cooperation among the new and old elements that are striving to Promote the Cause in that great and important city.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
— 118 —
November 26, 1933
[To N.R. Vakíl]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
The Guardian was deeply gratified to receive your welcome letter of November 18th and to learn of the success of the meeting of our Indian National Spiritual Assembly held in Bombay. It is very regrettable that you could not attend the session in person for your presence is of such a valuable help to the friends, particularly in these stormy days when the Faith needs more than ever the whole hearted assistance of its capable, loyal and active followers.
The sudden passing of that wholly consecrated and brilliant teacher and international promoter of the Cause Mrs. Keith Ransom Kehler, has plunged Shoghi Effendi into deepest sorrow for in her he has lost not only a valuable co-worker but a dear friend. After more than a year of intense teaching work in Persia, where she was entrusted by the Guardian with the mission of acquainting our Persian brethren with the basic principles of the Administration, and of liberating them from the appalling persecutions to which they have been lately subjected, our precious Keith left this world under so tragic circumstances that she was given by the Guardian the title of the first Western martyr on Persian soil, and was raised by him to the station of one of the Hands of the Cause. Her deep-rooted and unshakable faith, her unqualified loyalty to the Cause of the Administration, and her profound knowledge of the Teachings, all these fully entitled her to occupy such an eminent rank among the faithful.
Our Indian friends, who have been so appreciative of her last visit to them, must have been particularly affected by such an irretrievable joss. May the memory of her services inspire them to follow in her footsteps, and to tread the path of service as firmly and as successfully as she did.
With the renewed assurance of our Guardian’s fervent prayers on your behalf and on behalf of Mrs. Vakíl and children.[pg 106]
Dear and precious co-worker:
I grieve to learn that you have not yet fully recovered and I urge you to abide by the doctor’s instructions and to take whatever measures are necessary for the complete and speedy restoration of your precious health. I am so eager to receive the news of the completion and publication of the Hindi and Urdu versions of the “New Era,” and it will please and encourage you to know that we have already twenty five different printed versions of this precious book translated into Eastern and Western tongues.
Your true and affectionate brother,
Shoghi
— 119 —
December 27, 1933
[To The National Spiritual Assembly]
Dear Bahá’í Friend,
The Guardian was greatly pleased to read the minutes of the last meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India and Burma and he wishes me to express his genuine appreciation of the important steps which your Assembly has taken for the further extension and consolidation of the administrative institutions of the Faith in that country. He would be very grateful if you send him regularly the minutes of the meetings of the National Spiritual Assembly, and he would be only too glad to offer any suggestion or advice which may help its members to better discharge their manifold and delicate functions. He sincerely hopes that your Assembly will meet as regularly and as frequently as possible in order to maintain the efficiency of its functioning and to raise the standard and to widen the scope of its activities.
The important decision of the National Spiritual Assembly relative to the registration of the Bombay Assembly as a recognized religious body is, in the Guardian’s opinion, a leading step towards the official recognition of the Cause as an independent religious organisation by the Government authorities both in India and Burma. He would strongly urge, however, that the constitution to be adopted should not only be based on that which the New York Assembly has adopted for its own registration but should reproduce it identically without any change whatsoever but with due consideration to all local and geographical differences.[pg 107]
The Guardian wishes also to stress the necessity of completing the Urdu and the Hindi translations of Dr. Esslemont’s “New Era.” He has already, in several communications addressed to Mr. N.R. Vakíl, requested him to take all the necessary steps in this direction. May the decision of the National Spiritual Assembly on this point hasten and ensure the completion of this task to which the Guardian has so repeatedly drawn the attention of the friends.
In closing, let me assure you and through you each and every member of our Indian National Spiritual Assembly, of Shoghi Effendi’s fervent prayers for the development and success of your continued labours for the strengthening and the widening of the basis of the administrative institutions of the Cause in India and Burma…