Music

Abdu'l-Bahá seated himself in his usual chair by the window. A band of street singers just below struck up noisily. A girl in the flat above was practicing on the piano. 'Abdu'l-Bahá sat quietly till the noise ceased and still looking out of the window gave the following talk on the celestial music of the spheres:

"Last night a Hindu professor of music came to see me. He brought with him a musical instrument called the vina and sang for us certain Oriental verses, accompanying himself on the vina. Overhead, our neighbor was playing the piano, but as soon as the professor began, the piano became silent till the Hindu finished. This teaches us a lesson - whenever we hear superb music we must listen; then we will forget all inferior music. For instance, when a lover of music hearkens once to the entrancing notes of a great master, his love for music will no longer be satisfied by the playing of a pupil. If he listen with equal pleasure to the pupil, it shows a lack of artistic appreciation.

"Let us suppose that the most accomplished artist of Paris is playing for us in this room, inspiring the hearts by immortal songs and charming us with celestial harmonies - is it possible that any one of us could leave this room and going through the streets stop to enjoy the crude notes of a hurdy-gurdy?

"Today there are many melodies; from every studio divers strains are floated to our ears, but these tunes have become antiquated and covered with the rust of time. For thousands of years the same notes have been heard. They lack their original charm and purity, for the singers have grown old and decrepit and lost their voices. The song of life has lost its virility. From every direction melodies are sounded and we must needs have discriminating ears.

"Let us seek the song with the sweetest strains, so that it may be taken up by the angels and carried to the supreme concourse. Let us hearken to the melody which will stir the world of humanity, so that the people may be transformed with joy. Let us listen to a symphony which will confer life on man; then we can obtain universal results; then we shall receive a new spirit; then we shall become illumined. Let us investigate a song which is above all songs; one which will develop the spirit and produce harmony and exhilaration, unfolding the inner potentialities of life.

"Whenever the sun of reality dawns, the lower sphere expresses the virtues of the highest world.

"Why does not man hearken to the soul-stirring music of the supreme concourse and not run wild with joy over the jarring notes of a street organ!

"Strive day and night; perchance these sleeping ones may be awakened by the celestial strains of the city of melody and hear the soft, delicate music which is streaming down from the kingdom of El-Abhá."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Divine Philosophy, p. 76-78)

Mirza Abdu'l fazl

I Have Seen A Curious Article Which Astonished Me

MIRZÁ ABU’L-FAZL WAS ILL, BEDRIDDEN, AND SIXTY-SEVEN YEARS OLD when the attack on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá – published under the title “Bahaism: A Warning” – was given to him in Beirut. The article, written by Reverend Peter Z. Easton, had appeared in the September and October, 1911, issue of the British magazineEvangelical Christendom. By December it had found its way to Syria.

Defending the Bahá’í religion was nothing new for Abu’l-Fazl. Yet he appeared genuinely taken aback by Reverend Easton’s attack. “‘Abdu’l-Bahá calls the people of Europe to the lofty attributes of humanity,” Abu’l-Fazl wrote, “but Peter Z. Easton teaches them libels, execration, falsehood and calumnies!”

Mirzá Abu’l-Fazl Gulpáygání was a renowned scholar who had once risen to the highest ranks of the Shí’í Muslim clergy in Persia. His expertise encompassed Islamic and European sciences, rational philosophy, speculative theology, and even Buddhism. But then, in 1876, he became a Bahá’í. He was stripped of his position, imprisoned for four years, and narrowly escaped the campaigns of murder against Bahá’ís in the Middle East.

Abu’l-Fazl began his treatise by questioning Reverend Easton’s motives: “[J]ealousy has caused many to fall from the high station and lofty summit of courtesy,” he wrote. The implication was that Easton was jealous of Archdeacon Wilberforce, who had invited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to his church and prompted Easton’s attack.

“Are there not enough revilers, calumniators and prevaricators in the other parts of the world,” Abu’l-Fazl asked, “that such should also appear from Europe?”

“[H]ave not the people of Europe read history?” he added. Easton had based his attack on Bahá’u’lláh on a few questionable sources. The ancient Roman historians, Abu’l-Fazl said, had done exactly the same thing to Christ. Tacitus had accused Christianity of being “the enemy of humanity” without knowing the first thing about it.

Easton had also claimed that Baháu’lláh’s followers would become “slaves of the most awful despotism which ever showed itself on earth.” But, Abu’l-Fazl pointed out, Bahá’u’lláh had designed “the organization of a House of Justice in every city of the world, the members of which . . . shall be elected by the people. Such members must hold their consultations in the utmost purity of conscience and good will.”

Finally, the Persian scholar answered Easton’s central challenge: “What has Bahá’u’lláh brought which is not found in the Christian religion?”

Abu’l-Fazl had a lot of things to list: the rejection of oral tradition in favor of authenticated, written texts; the obligation to engage in a profession; elevating work to the status of worship; universal compulsory education for both sexes; the abolition of slavery; and democratic, constitutional government.

He then tossed in a few additional ones, among them “the prohibition of haughtiness and egoism,” perhaps a final nod to Reverend Easton. The rebuttal now complete, Abu’l-Fazl signed it, and mailed it to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “so that he can, in his wisdom, decide what to do with it.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá received the manuscript at 309 West 78th Street in New York on June 19, 1912. He had it translated and printed, and called it The Brilliant Proof. “Each one of you should have a copy,” he told the Americans. “Read, memorize and reflect upon it. Then, when accusations and criticisms are advanced . . . you will be well armed.”

The story of the blacksmith

One single breath exhaled in the love of God and for His service is written down by the Pen of Glory as a princely deed." -Baha'u'llah 

Lynell Waterman tells the story of the blacksmith who decided to give up his youthful excesses and consecrate his soul to God. For many years, he worked hard and performed many acts of charity; yet despite all his devotion, nothing seemed to go right in his life. On the contrary, problems and debts merely seemed to mount up.

One afternoon, a friend was visiting him and, taking pity on the blacksmith's sorry situation, he said:

“It really is very strange that as soon as you decided to become a God-fearing man, your life should immediately have taken such a turn for the worse. I wouldn't want to weaken your faith, but, despite your firm belief in the spiritual world, nothing in your life has improved.”

The blacksmith did not reply at once; he had often thought the same thing himself, unable to understand what was happening in his life.

He wanted to give his friend an answer, however, and so he began to talk and ended up finding the explanation he was seeking. This is what the blacksmith said:

“The unworked steel arrives in my workshop and I have to make swords out of it. Do you know how that is done? First, I heat the metal until it is red-hot, then I beat it mercilessly with my heaviest hammer until the metal takes on the form I need. Then I plunge it into a bucket of cold water and the whole workshop is filled with the roar of steam, while the metal sizzles and crackles in response to the sudden change in temperature. I have to keep repeating that process until the sword is perfect: once is not enough.”

The blacksmith paused for a long time, lit a cigarette, then went on:

“Sometimes the steel I get simply can't withstand such treatment. The heat, the hammer blows, the cold water cause it to crack. And I know that I will never be able to make it into a good sword blade. Then I throw it on the pile of scrap metal that you saw at the entrance to the workshop.”

Another long pause, then the blacksmith concluded:

“I know that God is putting me through the fire of afflictions. I have accepted the blows that life deals out to me, and sometimes I feel as cold and indifferent as the water that inflicts such pain on the steel. But my one prayer is this: Please, God, do not give up until I have taken on the shape that You wish for me. Do this by whatever means You think best, for as long as You like, but never ever throw me on the scrap.


share to me by my lovely and beautiful friend of Malaysia-

SohKien Lee

How I remember Amatul-baha Ruhiyyih khanun

How I remember Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum-- Written by kaveh hassankhani

It was an early month of 1980. I was a student and a pioneer in the city of Puebla, close to Mexico City. It was only 2 years I had come to Mexico from Iran. 
One of the professors of the university was an old American lady whose name was Dr. Edris Roshan Rice Wray. When I asked her how come she had a Persian name in the middle of her name, she said that the name was given to her by Abdul Baha when she was a little girl, in His visit to the United States.
So that’s how I learned that she was a Baha’i. Her father was Howard Colby Ives.
We became close friends and she offered to help me and other Baha’is in Puebla to run a fire side. We held those fire sides for 3 years almost, 3 nights a week in my house.
I did not know much Spanish then so she was the one who talked in those meetings.

One day Dr. Edris told me that a close friend of hers, a friend from early childhood was going to come to Mexico to visit the Baha'i Friends, and she would love to go a few hours earlier to see and chat with her before the conference began, Her childhood friend was Rouhiyye Khanum. She asked me if I could drive her car to go to Mexico city a few hours before the conference began. I was more than happy to do that as I could have more time to see Ruhiyyeh Khanum.
So I drove the 2 hours trip to Mexico City and reached the hotel where Amat’u’lbaha was staying.
Mexico city was a big giant city and I had no idea how to get there,but Dr. Edris Roshan knew it well and guided me over. I parked by the hotel and I went with Dr. Edris to the room which was on the 4th or 5th floor.
Dr. Knocked and Mrs. Nakhjavani who accompanied Ruhiyyeh Khanum opened the door. Dr. Edris went in and hugged and kissed her old friend, and I was left at the door speechless. She noticed I could not speak and in sweet Persian called me and asked me to get in . All I could say was Allah’u’abha and could not say anything else.
Then I noticed that the friends wanted to chat and talk about old times, and I told Dr. Edris that I would wait downstairs by the car.
When I got to the car, I saw a police officer around the car figuring whose car was it.
“What seems to be the problem officer?”, I asked. He told me that the car could not be there and needed to be parked somewhere else. I told him that the owner was upstairs with Ruhiyye khanum and they would soon come down to go to a place where Ruhiyye khanum could hold a conference for the Baha’is of Mexico.
He looked curious and said who Ruhiyye khanum was and what was ‘Baha’is’?
Through the fire sides I had had in my house I had learned how to introduce the Faith in Spanish so gave him a brief introduction of the Faith and he was listening. But he said that he had to give a ticket or tow the car if I did not move it. I told him that Ruhiyye Khanum was a very prominent person of the Baha’i Faith and is coming from the Holy land just for this conference and if he did that his name would go in the history as a policeman who gave a ticket to the car carrying her.
We were in that discussion when suddenly the 3 ladies apeared and I told him. Look there she comes. This is Ruhiyye khanum. She was wearing an Indian Sari, and looked so beautiful and gorgeous in that outfit.
The police man who was writing the ticket just closed his book and remained surprised and stunned of her presence. He asked me where was she going to hold the confernce? I went to ask Dr. Edris about the conference address. She gave it to me and she asked what was with the Police officer? What was he saying? I told her I would explain on the way to the conference site.
The policeman called on his radio for another police man to go with a motorcycle to help him to escort us because an international personality was there and he wanted to help her out.
In a minute another motorcycle with an officer showed up and the officer told me to follow them because it was far and we might get lost.
So I followed them who were riding ahead of us with their sirens on, opening the dense traffic and I drove fast behind them.Everybody was looking at us, thinking "who were those people that the police was escorting?"
Then Ruhiyye khanum asked me what had happened and I told her that "we were going to get a ticket for bad parking but when the cop saw her he refrained and instead, decided to escort us. It must have been the impression of your presence." She said that it was a help from Baha’u’llah.
On our arrival to the site of the conference, both officers got out of their bikes and gave a military salute to Ruhiyye khanum and bade farewell. Ruhiyye khanum waved at them and said Thank you and good bye.
This is a story I can never forget when I first met Ruhiyye khanum, and I was thinking “what else could it have been but help from Baha’u’llah? You get it when you less expecte it?”