Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc

8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc

1/15

AnasPRESENTATION


2/15

Page

AnasPRESENTATION

TheBahFaithisaworldreligionwhose

purposeistounitealltheracesandpeoplesin

oneuniversalCauseandonecommonFaith.

BahisarethefollowersofBahullh,Who

theybelieveisthePromisedOneofallAges.

Asyouknow,thetraditionsofalmostevery

peopleincludethepromiseofafuturewhen

peaceandharmonywillbeestablishedonearth

andhumankindwillliveinprosperity.Webelievethatthepromisedhourhascomeand

thatBahullhisthegreatPersonageWhose

Teachingswillenablehumanitytobuildanew

world.InoneofHisWritings,Bahullhsays:

That which the Lord hath ordained as the

sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument

for the healing of all the world is the union

of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one

common Faith.

If it is all right with you, the rst of Bahullhs

TeachingsIwilldescribeforyouisaboutGod

andourrelationshipwithHim.Bahullh

teachesusthatGodisunknowableinHis

Essence.Thismeansthatweshouldnotmake

imagesofGodinourmind,thinkingofHim,for

example,asaman.Ingeneral,thatwhichhas

beencreatedcannotunderstanditscreator.For

instance,atablecannotunderstandthenature

ofthecarpenterwhomadeit.Thecarpenters

existenceistotallyincomprehensibletotheobjectshemakes.

GodistheCreatorofallthings.Hehasmade

theheavensandearth,withitsmountains

andvalleys,itsdesertsandseas,itsrivers,its

meadowsandtrees.Godhascreatedthe

animalsandGodhascreatedthehumanbeing.

Thereasonbehindourcreation,wearetoldby

Bahullh,islove.Hesays:

O Son of Man! I loved thy creation, hence

I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me,that I may name thy name and ll thy soul

with the spirit of life.

SoalthoughGodsexistenceisfarbeyond

ourunderstanding,Hislovetouchesourlives

andourbeingsceaselessly.Thewaythislove

ows to us is through His Eternal Covenant.

AccordingtothisEternalCovenant,God

neverleavesusaloneandwithoutguidance.

A world religion

Promised One

of all Ages

God is unknowable

God is the Creator

We were createdout of love

Eternal Covenant


3/15

Page

AnasPRESENTATION

WheneverhumanitymovesawayfromHim

andforgetsHisTeachings,aManifestationof

GodappearsandmakesHisWillandPurpose

knowntous.

Thewordmanifestmeanstoreveal,tobring

forthsomethingthatwasnotknownbefore.

TheManifestationsofGodarethosespecial

BeingsWhorevealtohumanitytheWordandtheWillofGod;thuswhenwelistentoThem,

wearerespondingtotheCallofGod.

Thereisanexamplefromthephysicalworld

thathelpsustounderstandtheconceptof

ManifestationastaughtbyBahullh.In

thisworld,thesunisthesourceofallwarmth

andlight,withoutwhichlifewouldnotexistonthe

planet.Yetthesunitselfdoesnotdescendtoearth,

andifwetriedtoapproachit,wewouldbetotally

consumed.Butsupposewetakeawell-polished

mirrorandpointittowardsthesun.Initwewillseetheimageofthesun,andthemoreperfectly

polishedthemirror,themoreperfecttheimagewill

be.TheManifestationsofGodarelikeperfect

Mirrors that reect the Light of God in all its

Splendor. And all these Mirrors reect the same

Light. While God is beyond our reach, these perfect

Beingscometousfromtimetotime,liveamong

us, give us guidance, and ll us with the energy

weneedtoprogress,materiallyandspiritually.

YouarefortunatetohavebeenraisedaccordingtotheTeachingssentbyGodtohumanitysometwo

thousandyearsagothroughHisManifestation,

Christ,WhoseStationisthatoftheSonofGod.

NowyoucanreceivetheTeachingsofanew

Manifestation,Bahullh,Whosetitlemeans

theGloryofGod.BahullhsTeachings,then,

areinperfectharmonywiththeTeachingsof

Christ,buttheyaddresstheconditionofhumanity

today.Ifyouthinkforamomentaboutthe

plightofhumanity,Iamsureyouwillagree

thatthetimeisrightforanotherManifestation

of God to have appeared. Let me recite for you

apassagefromtheWritingsofBahullhthat

speaksabouttheDayinwhichwelive:

This is the Day in which Gods most

excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the

Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused

into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the

peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and,

Manifestation

of God

Time for a new

Manifestation


4/15

Page

AnasPRESENTATION

with perfect unity and peace, abidebeneath the

shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness.

Beforegoingon,perhapsIshouldstophereso

thatwecandiscussanyquestionsyouhave.

WhatdoyouthinkaboutwhatIhavesaidup

tonow?

ThenextofBahullhsTeachingsthatIwouldliketopresenttoyouisrelatedtothe

aimoftheBahFaith,whichistounify

humanity.IntheBahTeachingswearetold

thatwearethefruitsofonetreeandtheleaves

ofonebranch.Althoughwedifferfromone

anotherphysicallyandemotionally,although

wehavedifferenttalentsandcapacities,weall

springfromthesameroot;weallbelongtothe

samehumanfamily.

Humanitycanbelikenedtoavastgardeninwhich grow side by side owers of every form,

colorandperfume.Thecharmandbeautyof

thegardenlieinthisdiversity.Weshouldnot

allowthedifferencesthatexistamongusin

ourphysicalcharacteristics,ourtemperaments,

ourbackgrounds,ourthoughtsandopinions

to give rise to conict and strife. We should see

themembersofthehumanraceasbeautiful

owers growing in the garden of humanity and

rejoiceinbelongingtothisgarden.

Althoughtheonenessofhumankindisan

undeniabletruth,thepeoplesofeartharesofar

fromitthatunifyingthemisnoeasytask.If

youchoosetojointheBahcommunityand

itwouldbringmesomuchhappinessifyou

woulddosoyouwillparticipatewiththerest

ofusinoureffortstobuildandmaintainunity.

Weareallstrivingtobringourthoughtsand

actionsinlinewithourbeliefintheonenessof

humankind.Wearetoldthat,whenathoughtof

warentersourminds,weshouldimmediatelyreplaceitwithathoughtofpeace.Whena

feelingofhatebeginstotakeshapeinour

hearts,weshouldimmediatelyreplaceitwith

afeelingoflove.Weshoulddoeverything

possibletoovercomeourprejudices.Prejudices

ofrace,color,nationality,culture,religion,and

sex,theseareamongthegreatestobstaclesto

buildingabetterworld.Somanypassagesin

Unity of Mankind

Join us in striving to

bring His vision


5/15

Page

AnasPRESENTATION

theBahwritingsteachushowtowalkinthe

waysofunityandhowtohelpotherstakethe

samepath.Thereisawonderfulpassagefrom

oneofthetalksofÀbdul-Bah,ofWhomI

willspeaklater,whichIhavememorized.

Hesays:

Bahullh has drawn the circle of unity,

He has made a design for the uniting of allthe peoples, and for the gathering of them

all under the shelter of the tent of universal

unity. This is the work of the Divine Bounty,

and we must all strive with heart and soul

until we have the reality of unity in our

midst as we work, so will strength be given

unto us.

Bahullhwasbornin1817inTihrn,the

capitalofIran.FromHisearlychildhood,He

showedsignsofgreatness.Hereceivedsome

instructionathome,butdidnotneedtoattend

school,forHewasendowedbyGodwithinnate

knowledge.Bahullhcamefromanoble

familyandwhenhewasayoungman,was

offeredahighpositioninthecourtoftheKing,

butHerefusedit.HewishedtodedicateHis

timetohelpingtheoppressed,thesickandthe

poor,andtochampionthecauseofjustice.

TherearetwoaspectsofBahullhslifewhich

Iwouldliketomentioninparticular.Oneisthe

sufferingHeendured.Theotheristhe

tremendous inuence He had on the hearts and

mindsofpeople.Theseactuallycharacterizethe

livesofalltheManifestationsofGod.

BahullhssufferingsbeganthemomentHe

arosetoproclaimtheCauseofGod.Hislifewas

oneofexile,imprisonmentandpersecution.He

wasputinchainsinadarkanddismaldungeon

inTihrn.Hewasexiledfourtimesfromland

to land, nally being sent to the Prison City

ofÀkkintheOttomanEmpire.Sointense

wereHissufferingstherethatHehasreferred

toÀkkastheMostGreatPrison.Inoneof

HisTablets,weread:

Remember My days during thy days, and

My distress and banishment in this remote

prison. And be thou so steadfast in My

love that thy heart shall not waver, even if

Signs of Greatness

Suffering & Inuence


6/15

Page

AnasPRESENTATION

the swords of the enemies rain blows upon

thee and all the heavens and the earth arise

against thee.

Ialwayscarryinmybagasmallnotebook

inwhichIwritemyfavoritepassagesfrom

the Bah writings. Let me read for you what

BahullhhassaidaboutHissufferings:

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 lled with gladness. 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 maybe exalted, and have suffered manifold

afictions, that ye might prosper and ourish.

He Who hath come to build anew the whole

world, behold, how they that have joined

partners with God have forced Him to dwell

within the most desolate of cities!

Everyeffortwasmadebytwopowerful

courtsthoseoftheKingofIranandthe

OttomanEmperortoopposeBahullh

and His Teachings. But the Light of Truth is

noteasilyextinguished.Theverywaterthatis poured on this re to put out its ame turns

into oil, and the re burns with more intensity.

NothingcouldbedonetostopBahullhs

growing inuence. The farther the authorities

banishedHim,thegreaterthenumberof

peoplewhowereattractedtoHisTeachings

andrecognizedHisPowerandMajesty.Inspite

ofconstantpersecution,Bahullhcontinued

torevealtheWordofGodformorethanforty

yearsandbroughtsomuchloveandspiritual

energy into this world that the nal victory of

HisCauseiscertain.

Bahullhpassedawayin1892.HisShrine,

whichweconsidertheHoliestSpotonearth,

islocatednearthecityofAkk.Herearesome

postcardsIhaveoftheentrancetotheShrine

andthegardenssurroundingit.Youdontknow

howmuchIwouldliketogoonpilgrimageto

Light of Truth is not

easily extinguished


7/15

Page

AnasPRESENTATION

the Holy Land. I hope, someday, you will be

abletodosoaswell.

SeveralyearsbeforeBahullhproclaimed

HisMission,Godsentaspecialmessengerto

announceHiscoming.Thisgreatmessenger

tookthetitleTheBbwhichmeansthegate.

HewasindeedagatetotheknowledgeofGod

andtoanewerainhumanexistence.Forsixyearshetaughtceaselesslythattheappearance

ofthenewManifestationofGodwasnearand

preparedthewayforHiscoming.Hetoldthe

peoplethattheywerewitnessingthedawnofa

newAge,thedawnofthePromisedDayofGod.

Hecalleduponthemtopurifytheirheartsfrom

earthlyvanitiessothattheycouldrecognize

HimWhomGodwouldsoonmanifest.

Thousandsuponthousandsofpeopleaccepted

theMessageoftheBbandbegantofollowHisTeachings.ButthegovernmentofIran

andthepowerfulclergywhoruledoverthe

massesroseagainstHim.Hisfollowerswere

persecutedandlargenumberswereputto

death.TheBbHimselfattheageof31was

martyredbyaregimentofsoldierswho,atthe

ordersofthegovernment,suspendedHimina

public square and opened re on Him.

SothatyoucanseehowpenetratingtheWords

oftheBbareIwouldliketorecitetoyoutwo

ofHisprayers:

Is there any Remover of difculties save God?

Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are

His servants, and all abide by His bidding!

Say: God sufceth all things above all things,

and nothing in the heavens or in the earth but God

sufceth. Verily, He is in Himself the Knower,

the Sustainer, the Omnipotent.

Many Bahis know especially the rst prayer

byheartandsayiteitheraloudormentallyin

times of difculties. If you want, we can pause

alittleandyoucanmemorizeit.Itisreallyeasy

todoso.

FollowingHismartyrdom,theremainsof

theBbwererecoveredbyHisfollowersand

takenfromplacetoplace,alwayshiddenfrom

theenemiesoftheFaith.Finallytheywere

transferred to Mount Carmel in the Holy Land.

Messenger to

announce

His coming


8/15

Page

AnasPRESENTATION

Here,IhavesomepostcardsthatIwouldliketo

showyouofHisShrineinHaifaandafewother

HolyPlacesinthatcityandinAkk,whichis

acrossthebay.Thesetwincitiesaretodaythe

spiritualandadministrativeworldcenterofthe

BahFaiththespiritualcenterbecauseitis

herethattheShrinesoftheBbandBahullh,

aswellasmanyotherHolyPlaces,arelocated,

andtheadministrativecenterbecausetheSeatofthesupremegoverningbodyoftheFaiththe

UniversalHouseofJustice,isalsoon

MountCarmel.

TheideamostcentraltoourlivesasBahis

isthatwehaveenteredintoaCovenantwith

Bahullh.Asyouknow,inallotherreligions,

afterthepassingoftheManifestation,His

followershadthousandsofdisputesamong

themselvesand,asaresult,splitthereligionintomanysects.Thecauseofdisunitywas

sometimesthedesireforleadershipofcertain

ambitiousindividuals.But,whendifferencesof

opinionarosebetweenevensincerebelievers

aboutwhattheWordsoftheManifestation

meant,noonehadbeenauthorizedby

theManifestationHimselftosettlethe

disagreements, and this contributed to conict

anddissension.Eachsetofinterpretationsled

tothecreationofadifferentsect.

BahullhhasprotectedHisFaithagainstsuchdivisionbyendowingitwithaunique

power,thepoweroftheCovenant.Before

Hispassing,Hestatedintheclearestterms,in

writing,thatafterHim,allBahisshouldturn

toÀbdul-Bah.

Àbdul-Bah,HisoldestSon,wasthus

namedthesoleInterpreterofHisWordsand

theCenterofHisCovenant.Hehadbeen

raisedbyBahullhHimself,hadrecognized

HisStationevenasachild,andhadsharedthesufferingsofHisFather.Hewasamost

preciousgiftgiventohumanity,theperfect

ExemplarofallBahTeachings.

Àbdul-Bahlivedonthisearthfor77

years.Hewasbornonthesamenightthe

BbdeclaredHisMissionin1844andpassed

away in November 1921. His life was lled

with afiction, but to everyone who entered

sharing

Holy Land images

Center of the

Covenant


9/15

Page

AnasPRESENTATION

HispresenceHebroughtthegreatestjoyand

happiness.AfterthepassingofHisFather,

theresponsibilityfortheBahcommunity

fellonHisshoulders,andHelaboredday

andnighttospreadtheFaiththroughoutthe

EastandtheWest.Hewrotethousandsof

Tabletstoindividualsandgroupseverywhere

and claried the Teachings of His Father. His

interpretationsarenowanessentialpartoftheWritingsoftheBahFaith.

ByfocusingonÀbdul-BahastheCenter

ofBahullhsCovenant,theBahisofthe

worldremainunitedintheireffortstolivea

Bahlifeandtocreateanewcivilization.

Werememberthataspartofourpromiseto

Bahullh,wearetoloveoneanotherand,

inAbdul-Bah,weseetheperfectexample

ofonewholoves.Werememberthatwemust

upholdjustice,thatwemustbegenerous,thatwemustoverlookthefaultsofothers,and

fromtheexampleofÀbdul-Bahwelearn

justice,generosityandforgiveness.More

thananythingelse,bykeepingourfocuson

Àbdul-Bah,wearealwaysawareofour

covenantwithBahullhthatwewillnot

allowtheunityofHisfollowerstobebroken

andthat,unitedasaworldwidecommunity,we

willlaboruntiltheonenessofhumankindhas

been rmly established.

InHisWillandTestament,Àbdul-Bah

namedHisgrandsontheGuardianoftheFaith

andafterHispassing,ShoghiEffendibecame

theauthorizedinterpreteroftheTeachings.

For36years,hecontinuedtheworkofHis

Grandfather,clarifyingtheWordsofthe

Manifestation and rmly establishing His

Faithinallpartsoftheplanet.Fiveanda

halfyearsafterhispassing,theBahisofthe

worldelectedtheUniversalHouseofJustice,

asenvisionedbyBahullhandclearly

describedbyÀbdul-BahandtheGuardian.

TheUniversalHouseofJusticeisthesupreme

institutionoftheFaithtowhichalltheBahis

oftheworldnowturn.

ManyoftheideasIhaveexplainedonthislast

subjectrequireagreatdealofthought.Ifyou

agree,someothertimewecandiscussthisin

The Guardian


10/15

Page

10

AnasPRESENTATION

moredepth.Forthatdiscussion,Iwillbringa

fewpassagesfromBahullhsBookofthe

CovenantaswellastheWillandTestamentof

`Abdul-Bahsowecanreadthemtogether.

Butletmegoonandpresenttoyouafew

otherideasyouwillwanttoknowaboutthe

BahFaithrightfromthebeginning.Amost

importantaspectofeveryreligionisthelaws

thattheManifestationbringstohumanityinordertoguideitintherightpath.Someofthese

lawsandcommandmentsareeternal,others

changeashumanityprogressesandevolves.In

theFaithwearetaughtthatweshouldnotthink

ofBahlawsasaseriesofdosanddonts.

BahullhtellsusthatHislawsare

the lamps of My loving providence among My

servants, and the keys of My mercy for My

creatures.Norshouldweobeytheselaws

outoffearofpunishment,forHeclearlyhasstatedinHisMostHolyBook:Observe My

commandments, for the love of My beauty.

TheseideaswillbecomeclearerifIgiveyoua

fewexamplesofBahlaws.Inthephysical

world,humanbeingshavetoeateveryday.

Thisisarequirementofthehumanbody;ifwe

dont,wewillgetsickandquicklydie.Wecan

say,then,thateatingdailyisalawofphysical

existencewhichhastobeobeyed.Inthesame

wayoneofthecommandmentsofBahullh

is that we should pray every day. Like our

body,oursoulneedsconstantnourishment,

andprayerprovidesthenourishmentforour

spiritualgrowth.Therearemanybeautiful

prayersrevealedbytheBb,byBahullh

andby`Abdul-Bahwhichwecansaywhen

wearealoneorreciteinmeetings.Some

oftheseprayersarespecial,andsomeare

obligatory.Oneobligatoryprayerisrecitedby

Bahiseverydaysometimebetweennoonand

sunset.Itsays:

I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast

created me to know Thee and to worship Thee.

I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and

to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.

There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril,

the Self-Subsisting.

Itisashortandbeautifulprayerandhavingseen

howeasyitisforyoutomemorizeverses,Iamsure

youwillknowitbyheartafterrepeatingitafewtimes.

Observe My

commandments,

for the love of My

beauty

Obligatory Prayers

as an example of

Bahaullhs laws


11/15

Page

11

AnasPRESENTATION

Inanothercommandment,Bahullh

prohibitsbackbitingandcalumny.Thisis

importantbecause,ifyouthinkaboutit,oneof

thegreatestenemiesofunityisbackbiting.And

unfortunately,ithasbecomeanestablished

practiceamongmostofhumanitytotalk

aboutotherpeoplesfaultsintheirabsence.

Everybodyseemstobeconcernedwith

everybodyelsesshortcomings,whicharemadebiggerandbiggerastheyareconstantly

mentioned.`Abdul-Bahtellsustodojust

theopposite.Ifweseetengoodqualitiesin

someoneandonefault,weshouldconcentrate

ontheten,andevenifapersonhastenfaults

andonlyonegoodqualityweshouldfocuson

thatonequality.

Emilia,whoislisteningwithspecialinterest

toAnnaslastcomments,rememberssome

recentincidentsatschoolinwhichbackbitingresusltedinmanypeoplebeinghurt.Thetwo

friendstalkforsometimeabouthowgossipcan

destroyafriendshipandthenAnnasearchesin

hernotebookandreadsthefollowing:

O Companion of My Throne! Hear no evil,

and see no evil, abase not thyself, neither

sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou

mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and

magnify not the faults of others that thine

own faults may not appear great; and wishnot the abasement of anyone, that thine own

abasement be not exposed. Live then the

days of thy life, that are less than a eeting

moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart

unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature

sancti ed, so that, free and content, thou

mayest put away this mortal frame, and

repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in

the eternal kingdom forevermore.

Althoughthisdoesnotaffectusmuchatour

age,youshouldalsoknowthatBahullhprohibitsthedrinkingofalcoholand,ofcourse,

substanceabuse.Drinkingalcoholisreallyone

ofthegreatestsocialillsthatexiststodayinthe

world.Itisoneofthemostcommoncausesof

violenceandtheruinofhealthyfamilylife.To

tellyouthetruth,Ihaveneverunderstoodwhy

peoplewouldtakesomethingthatinterferes

withtheirmindsandmakesthemlosetheir

Backbiting Prohibited

Drinking alcohol as

one of the greatestsocial ills today


12/15

Page

1

AnasPRESENTATION

abilitytothinkclearly.Drinkingmakespeople

capableofactinginshamefulways,whenwe

haveactuallybeencreatednoble.Iknowabeautiful

quotefromBahullhsWritingsaboutnobility:

O Son of Spirit! I created thee rich, why

dost thou bring thyself down to poverty?

Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou

abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge

I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment

from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I

molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with

another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou

mayest nd Me standing within thee, mighty,

powerful and self-subsisting.

AnothercommandmentofBahullh,which

isoneofmyfavorites,isabouttheobligation

ofparentsandsocietytoeducatechildren.

Here,Ihaveinmynotebookashortpassage

from`Abdul-BahsWritingsthatexplainsthiswell:

Therefore, the beloved of God and the

maid-servants of the Merciful must train

their children with life and heart and teach

them in the school of virtue and perfection.

They must not be lax in this matter; they

must not be inefcient. Truly, if a babe

did not live at all it were better than to let

it grow ignorant, for that innocent babe,

in later life, would become aficted with

innumerable defects, responsible to andquestioned by God, reproached and rejected

by the people. What a sin this would be and

what an omission!

The rst duty of the beloved of God and

the maid-servants of the Merciful is this:

They must strive by all possible means to

educate both sexes, male and female; girls

like boys; there is no difference whatsoever

between them. The ignorance of both is

blameworthy, and negligence in both cases

is reprovable. Are they who know and theywho do not know equal?

You know, after I reected on this great

commandment,Idecidedtodosomething

aboutit.SoIholdaBahchildrensclass

withafriendonceeveryweekandwehave

seventeenstudents.Iwouldlovetoinviteyou

tocomeandhelpuswithourclass.Doyou

havetimethisSaturdayafternoon?

Obligation to

educate children


13/15

Page

1

AnasPRESENTATION

IamsureyouareawarethatIaminviting

youtojoinareligionandnotjustaccepta

collectionofniceideals.Infact,theBah

Faithisaveryorganizedreligionwhoseaim

is nothing less than the unication of the entire

humanrace.Itwillbehelpfulforyoutothink

oftheworkoftheBahisasthebuildingof

aworldcivilization.TheUniversalHouseof

Justicetellsusthattherearethreeparticipantsinthiswork,eachwithaveryimportantrole.

The rst participant is the individual believer.

It is the duty of this individual to remain rm

intheCovenant,tostrivedailytobringhisor

herlifeinlinewithBahullhsTeachings,

andtoservehumanity,alwaysconsciousof

thefactthatlifedoesnotendwithdeathand

thatonesrelationwithGodiseternal.After

death,oursoulsbecomefreeandcontinueto

progresstowardsGodforalleternity.Ourliveshereareverymuchlikethelifeofaninfantin

thewombofthemother.Forsomeninemonths

thechilddevelopsfacultieseyes,ears,hands

andsoontobeusedlaterinthisworld.Inthe

sameway,wearetodevelopherethespiritual

facultiesthatweneedtoprogressintheother

worldsofGod.Ofcourse,wedonotachieve

ourpurposebyjustthinkingaboutit.Wehave

towork,serveourfellowhumanbeings,and

sharetheknowledgewegainwithothers.

Thesecondparticipantisthecommunity.

Humanbeingswerenotcreatedtoexistalone.

Weliveincommunitiesandmustworktogether

tobuildthenewcivilization.Thecommunity

closesttousisthelocalonewhichconsistsof

theBahisofourvillageortown.Itisinthe

localcommunitywherewelearntocooperate

withoneanother,togrowtogetherandbecome

united.Inadditiontobeingmembersofthe

localcommunity,wearealsomembersofthe

nationalcommunityandthentheworldwide

Bahcommunitywhichisconstantly

expandingandattractingpeoplefromevery

religiousbackground,race,andnationality.

TheinstitutionsoftheFaith,theUniversal

HouseofJusticetellsus,representthe

thirdparticipantinthebuildingofthenew

civilization.Thisisasubjectaboutwhichwe

Invitation to join

this religion

Individual as the

1st participant

Life here compared

to an infant in

the womb

Community as the

2nd participant

Institutions as the

3rd participant


14/15

Page

1

AnasPRESENTATION

willhavetotalksomemorewhenwediscuss

theCovenant.Fornow,letmejustmentionthat

includedinthecommandmentsofBahullh

aremanyrelatedtothewaysocietyshould

beorganized.Inthepast,theManifestations

ofGodhavenotsaidmuchabouthowtheir

followersshouldorganizethemselvesand

peoplehavehadtodiscoverhowtodothis

bythemselves.But,inthecaseoftheBahFaith,BahullhhasbroughtHisown

AdministrativeOrder,whichmeansthatHe

hastolduswhatinstitutionswemustcreate,

howtheyshouldfunction,andhowhumanity

shouldbegoverned.

Wehavealreadyspokenaboutthesupreme

institution,whichistheUniversalHouseof

Justice.Ineachcountry,Bahiselectoncea

yeartheNationalSpiritualAssembly,andin

each locality, the Local Spiritual Assembly.Thisistheinstitutionthatyouwillgetto

knowthesoonest.Therearenopriestsorclergy

in the Bah Faith, and it is the Local Spiritual

Assemblythatguidestheaffairsofthe

communityandwatchesoverthewell-being

of the individual believers. A Local Spiritual

Assemblyconsistsofninememberselectedin

aprayerfulatmospherebysecretballotbyall

theadultbelieversinthecommunity.Spiritual

AssembliesareextremelyimportanttoBahis.

Throughthemwelearnhowhumanaffairsare

tobeadministeredandhowanewordercanbe

establishedinsociety,anorderwhichistobe

knownastheWorldOrderofBahullh.

Annatakesasmallprayerbookoutofher

bagandgivesittoEmiliaasagift,suggesting

theysayaprayertogetherbeforetheygotheir

separateways.Emiliaopensthebookandreads:

O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit.

Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my

affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my

Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved;

I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no

longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass

me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.

O God! Thou art more friend to me than I

am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.

Gift of a

prayer book


15/15

Page

1

AnasPRESENTATION

If the friends always waited

until they were fully qualied

to do any particular task, the

work of the Cause would be

almost at a standstill!

But the very act of striving to

serve, however unworthy

one may feel, attracts the

blessings of God and enables

one to become more tted

for the task.

(Written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,

dated 4 May 1942 to an individual believer)

ContentsfromRuhiBook6

SomeofthePhotography:

BahiMediaBank

BahInternationalCommunity

http://media.bahai.org

OtherPhotography

&GraphicDesign:

2007NeginKhoshkhesal-Etemadi

[email protected]

WhendoI

make my rst

presentation?

Documents

Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc