1997
(A Selection of extracts from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá and letters written by and on behalf of the Guardian and the Universal House of Justice)
From the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá
When the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is completed, when the lights are
emanating therefrom, and the righteous assemble therein, when prayers are
offered to the Kingdom of divine mysteries and the voice of glorification is
raised to the Supreme Lord, then shall the believers rejoice, and their hearts
be dilated, overflowing with the love of the ever-living and self-subsisting
God.
The people shall hasten to worship in that heavenly Temple, the fragrance of God will be diffused, the Divine Teachings will take root in the hearts like unto the establishment of the spirit in the souls of men and the people will stand firm in the Cause of your Lord, the All-Merciful. (Translated from Arabic, dated May 1903)
**********
Although to outward seeming the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is a material structure, yet it hath a spiritual effect. It forgeth bonds of unity from heart to heart; it is a collective center for men's souls. Every city in which, during the days of the Manifestation, a temple was raised up, hath created security and constancy and peace, for such buildings were given over to the perpetual glorification of God, and only in the remembrance of God can the heart find rest. Gracious God! The edifice of the House of Worship hath a powerful influence on every phase of life. Experience hath, in the east, clearly shown this to be a fact. Even if, in some small village, a house was designated as the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, it produced a marked effect; how much greater would be the impact of one especially raised up. (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Bahá (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1997), section 60, pp. 101-2)
From the writings of the Guardian
Superb and irresistible as is the beauty of the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the West, majestic as are its dimensions, unique as is its architecture, and priceless as are the ideals and the aspirations which it symbolizes, it should be regarded, at the present time, as no more than an instrument for a more effective propagation of the Cause and a wider diffusion of its teachings. In this respect it should be viewed in the same light as the administrative institutions of the Faith which are designed as vehicles for the proper dissemination of its ideals, its tenets, and its verities. (The Advent of Divine Justice (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1990), pp. 44-5)
**********
This unique edifice, the first fruit of a slowly maturing Administrative Order, the noblest structure reared in the first Bahá'í century and the symbol and precursor of a future world civilization, is situated in the Heart of the North American continent.... It had already, long before its construction, evoked, and is now increasingly evoking ... such interest and comment, in the public press, in technical journals and in magazines, of both the United States and other countries, as to justify the hopes and expectations entertained for it by `Abdu'l-Bahá. ...this great "Silent Teacher" of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, it may be confidently asserted, has contributed to the diffusion of the knowledge of His Faith and teachings in a measure which no other single agency, operating within the framework of its Administrative Order, has ever remotely approached.
"When the foundation of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is laid in America," `Abdu'l-Bahá Himself has predicted, "and that Divine Edifice is completed, a most wonderful and thrilling motion will appear in the world of existence.... From that point of light the spirit of teaching, spreading the Cause of God and promoting the teachings of God, will permeate to all parts of the world." "Out of this Mashriqu'l-Adhkar," He has affirmed in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, "without doubt, thousands of Mashriqu'l-Adhkars will be born." "It marks," He, furthermore, has written, "the inception of the Kingdom of God on earth." And again: "It is the manifest Standard waving in the center of that great continent." "Thousands of Mashriqu'l-Adhkars," He, when dedicating the grounds of the Temple, declared, "... will be built in the East and in the West, but this, being the first erected in the Occident, has great importance." "This organization of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar," He, referring to that edifice, has moreover stated, "will be a model for the coming centuries, and will hold the station of the mother."(God Passes By (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1987), pp. 350-351)
From letters written by Shoghi Effendi
It should be borne in mind that the central Edifice of the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, round which in the fullness of time shall cluster such
institutions of social service as shall afford relief to the suffering,
sustenance to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved, and
education to the ignorant, should be regarded, apart from these Dependencies as
a House solely designed and entirely dedicated to the worship of God in
accordance with the few yet definitely prescribed principles established by Bahá'u'lláh
in the Kitabu'l-Aqdas. ...the central House of Bahá'í worship, enshrined within
the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar will gather within its chastened walls, in a serenely
spiritual atmosphere, only those who, discarding for ever the trappings of
elaborate and ostentatious ceremony, are willing worshipers of the one true
God, as manifested in this age in the Person of Bahá'u'lláh....
But however inspiring the conception of Bahá'í worship, as witnessed in the central Edifice of this exalted Temple, it cannot be regarded as the sole, nor even the essential, factor in the part which the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, as designed by Bahá'u'lláh, is destined to play in the organic life of the Bahá'í community. Divorced from the social, humanitarian, educational, and scientific pursuits centring around the Dependencies of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, Bahá'í worship, however exalted in its conception, however passionate in fervour ... cannot afford lasting satisfaction and benefit to the worshipper himself, much less to humanity in general, unless and until translated and transfused into that dynamic and disinterested service to the cause of humanity which it is the supreme privilege of the Dependencies of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar to facilitate and promote.... Nothing short of direct and constant interaction between the spiritual forces emanating from this House of Worship centring in the heart of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar and the energies consciously displayed by those who administer its affairs in their service to humanity can possibly provide the necessary agency capable of removing the ills that have so long and so grievously afflicted humanity. For it is assuredly upon the consciousness of the efficacy of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, reinforced on one hand by spiritual communion with His Spirit, and on the other by the intelligent application and the faithful execution of the principles and laws He revealed, that the salvation of a world in travail must ultimately depend. And of all the institutions that stand associated with His holy Name, surely none save the institution of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar can most adequately provide the essentials of Bahá'í worship and service, both so vital to the regeneration of the world. Therein lies the secret of the loftiness, of the potency, of the unique position of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar as one of the outstanding institutions conceived by Bahá'u'lláh. (25 October 1929 to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada)
**********
Land for no less than eight of eleven Temple sites to be acquired according to the provisions of the Ten Year Plan, and involving an expenditure of eighty thousand dollars has been purchased in the following places: in the holy city of Baghdad, on the banks of the Tigris, blessed by the footsteps of Bahá'u'lláh, of an area of thirty thousand square metres; on the banks of the Nile in Cairo, the centre of both the Arab and Islamic worlds, of an area of seventeen thousand square metres; in Frankfurt, the heart of the European continent, of an area of seventeen thousand square metres; in New Delhi, the capital of India, of an area of sixty-six thousand square metres; in Sydney, the oldest Bahá'í centre in the Australian continent, of an area of eleven thousand square metres; in Kampala, in the heart of the African continent, of an area of twenty-four thousand square metres; in Johannesburg, the second largest city in the African continent, of an area of six thousand square metres; and in Panama City, the importance of which has been underlined by `Abdu'l-Bahá in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, of an area of twenty thousand square metres. (March 1955 to the Delegates of the National Convention of the Bahá'ís of the United States)
**********
The completion of the exterior ornamentation of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in Wilmette, the most hallowed Temple ever to be erected by the followers of Bahá'u'lláh and the crowning glory of the first Bahá'í century, is an event of unique and transcendental significance. Neither the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the Bahá'í world, reared in the City of Ishqabad, nor any House of Worship to be raised in succeeding centuries, can claim to possess the vast, the immeasurable potentialities with which this Mother Temple of the West, established in the very heart of so enviable a continent, and whose foundation-stone has been laid by the hand of the Centre of the Covenant Himself, has been endowed. Conceived forty years ago by that little band of far-sighted and resolute disciples of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, members of the first Bahá'í community established in the Western Hemisphere; blessed and fostered by a vigilant Master Who directed its course from the hour of its inception to the last days of His life; supported by the spontaneous contributions of Bahá'ís poured in from the five continents of the globe; this noble, this mighty, this magnificent enterprise deserves to rank among the immortal epics that have adorned the annals of the Apostolic Age of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh.
...The creative energies its completion must unleash are incalculable. The role it is destined to play in hastening the emergence of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, now stirring in the womb of this travailing age, cannot as yet be fathomed. We stand too close to so majestic, so lofty, so radiant, so symbolic a monument raised so heroically to the glory of the Most Great Name, at so critical a stage in human history, and at so significant a spot in a continent so richly endowed, to be able to visualize the future glories which the consummation of this institution, this Harbinger of an as yet unborn civilization, must in the fullness of time disclose to the eyes of all mankind. (28 March 1943 to a National Spiritual Assembly)
From letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
He sincerely hopes that now that the Temple is completed it
will be filled to the full with pure seeking souls. It should be different from
the other houses of worship which even if they are filled, their source of
attraction is the music heard. Here the spirit should be so powerful as to
awaken the heart of everyone that enters it to the glory of Bahá'u'lláh and to
the importance of the message of peace He has brought to the world. Please God,
the Master's promise will be fulfilled and the construction of the Temple will
inaugurate a new era in the history of the Cause in America. (31 May 1931 to an
individual believer)
**********
The Temple has, indeed, achieved one of its fundamental purposes in the Bahá'í community of today. For although its physical structure still remains to be completed yet, it has drawn to itself the attention of every believer throughout the world, and has become the focal centre of every important Bahá'í activity. In this way it has enabled the Faith to achieve the organic unity of its members, and to cement the bonds of co-operation and love between them. The spiritual significance of the Temple is thus made manifest to every fair-minded observer, and this alone is a sufficient proof of the divine potency with which it is endowed. What institution in our world of today has been able to weld together into one unit so many different communities, and has succeeded in concentrating their entire efforts on so noble and so unique an Edifice? Future historians of the Movement will undoubtedly consider such an event, which today seems to be of such slight significance, as one of the landmarks in the history of the world. (31 October 1933 to an individual believer)
**********
The wide and deep interest which this glorious Edifice has created in all circles is, indeed, the full realization of the promises of our beloved Master concerning the future glory of the Temple. The latter, as a matter of fact, has become the most effective medium through which the friends can spread the Teachings. Its physical beauty, which combines majesty with grace, its slow, though continued and uninterrupted construction, despite the severe and unprecedented economic crisis in which the entire world is deeply plunged, and above all the spirit of fellowship, of goodwill and of co-operation between peoples of various races and cultural backgrounds which it has been able to create, all these combined cannot but impress the masses of visitors who daily throng its doors with the beauty, power and effectiveness of this mighty Cause of God. (7 November 1933 to an individual)
**********
The Guardian hopes that the meetings held in the Temple will grow to be a national attraction and lead to the conversion of many, many thirsty truth-seekers. Now that the building is all but completed, it must be of far greater interest to the public than ever before, and no doubt when the steps are laid, and wide publicity is given to the fact that our first, historic, Temple is at last finished, a far greater number of people will flock to its doors and be eager to hear its Message. (18 September 1942 to an individual believer)
**********
The Guardian does not wish to interfere unduly with the national tastes nor the actions of the National Assembly; but he attaches the utmost importance to the Temple in Eschborn, as this is the first Temple in Europe, and the only one to be constructed in Europe during the Ten Year Crusade. Therefore he feels that this House of Worship must represent throughout Europe the dignity and spirit of the Faith. (10 November 1955 to a National Spiritual Assembly)
**********
Repercussions of the Chicago Temple are felt everywhere, and the same is becoming increasingly true of the Shrine. One single edifice, raised to the glory of Bahá'u'lláh, shines like a beacon and attracts the hearts of the people; no doubt many seeds are sown just through the act of people visiting these edifices -- seeds which in the future will germinate. It is because of this that he is very eager to have the Australian one commenced as soon as circumstances permit. (13 June 1956 to a National Spiritual Assembly)
**********
He feels that, as this is the Mother Temple of Europe, and an institution which will be supported by contributions from Bahá'ís all over the world, it has a very great importance, and must under all circumstances be dignified, and not represent an extremist point of view in architecture.... (21 June 1956 to a National Spiritual Assembly)
**********
The influence that this Mother Temple of the whole Pacific area will exert when constructed is incalculable and mysterious. The beloved Master told the American friends that their Temple would be the greatest silent teacher, and there is no doubt that this one building has exerted a profound influence on the spread of the Faith, not only in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, but throughout the world. We can therefore expect that the construction of another "Mother Temple" in the heart of Australasia, and one in the centre of Africa, as well as one in the heart of Europe, will exert a tremendous influence, both locally and internationally. (19 July 1957 to a National Spiritual Assembly.)
From letters written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
With praise and gratitude to God the whole Bahá'í world
acclaims the dedication of the Mother Temple of Latin America, an edifice which
glorifies the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh at that point where, the beloved Master
asserted, "the Occident and the Orient find each other united through the
Panama Canal," where "The teachings, once established..., will unite
East and the West, the North and the South."
This historic project, in a hemisphere of infinite spiritual potentiality, fulfills one of the most important goals of the Nine Year Plan, and brings untold joy to the hearts of the friends in every land. Privileged are they who share in the raising of this glorious Silent Teacher with deeds of loving generosity and sacrifice. A crown to the labors of all those who have striven to establish the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh in Latin America, this Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, the rallying point for the Bahá'ís of those lands, whether they are of the blessed Indian peoples or represent the other races whose diversity enriches the nations of that hemisphere, will be a fountainhead of spiritual confirmations, and this mighty achievement will endow the Bahá'í Community with new and greater capacities, enabling the friends in Latin America, and particularly in this privileged land of Panama, to win victories that will eclipse all their past achievements. (19 March 1972 to the Beloved of God gathered in the Conference called on the occasion of the Dedication of the Mother Temple of Latin America; published in Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1968-1986 (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1996), pp. 210-11)
**********
There are many ways in which the institutions and activities of the Bahá'í community can develop, but it must be remembered that the Bahá'í Cause is an organic body, and it is for the World Centre of that Cause to determine the methods and steps by which its potentialities and functions will unfold. The term "Mashriqu'l-Adhkar" has been used in the Writings to describe various things: the gathering of the friends for prayers at dawn; a building where this activity takes place; the complete institution of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, with its dependencies; the central edifice of that institution, often described as a "House of Worship" or "Temple". These variants can all be seen as denoting stages or aspects of the gradual introduction of Bahá'u'lláh's concept as promulgated in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. For the development of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, several lines of action have been set in motion, and it is to these that the believers should devote their efforts and attention. (20 April 1997 to an individual)
(Baha’i Library Online)