Re: Please do this beneficial service for yourselves.

I don't think I can get past the first paragraph.


> Following the passing of Shoghi Effendi on 4 November 1957, the living
Hands
> of the Cause gathered in
> http://Bahai-Guardian.com/daily.observe.html#_Toc415050664  conclave at
> Bahji, 'Akka to determine who Shoghi Effendi had appointed as his
successor.
> The very fact that they held this conclave which is not called for in the
> Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá

I am not convinced that this statement is, in essence, true. In the Will and
Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha Shoghi Effendi is clearly appointed as the
Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, furthermore the Hands of the Cause of God are
told to take their directions from the Guardian. Four months before the
passing of Shoghi Effendi the Guardian sent a cable to the Hands of the
Cause of God and the National Spiritual Assemblies of the world stating:

"Divinely appointed Institution of the Hands of the Cause, invested by
virtue of the authority conferred by the Testament of the Center of the
Covenant with the twin functions of protecting and propagating the Faith of
Bahá'u'lláh, now entering new phase in the process of the unfoldment of its
sacred mission. To its newly assured responsibility to assist National
Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'í world in the specific purpose of
effectively prosecuting the World Spiritual Crusade, the primary obligation
to watch over and insure protection to the Bahá'í world community, in close
collaboration with these same National Assemblies, is now added."

Therefore it is clear that when the security of the worldwide Baha'i
commmunity was at risk from the uncertainty arising from the Guardian's
passing it was the Divine duty of the Hands of the Cause of God to assist
the National Spiritual Assemblies and that this duty is supported by the
Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha because they were acting under the
direction of the Guardian.


> already provided clear evidence of their
> complete unfamiliarity with or ignorance of the provisions of
'Abdu'l-Bahá's
> Will and Testament, for that sacred, divinely-conceived and immutable
> Document requires the Guardian to appoint and make known his successor in
> "his own life-time"

The term "make known" has implications that seem to go beyond the text of
the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'-l-Baha, I would assume that the following
passage is the one being referred to:

"O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the Guardian of the Cause of
God to appoint in his own life-time him that shall become his successor,
that differences may not arise after his passing. He that is appointed must
manifest in himself detachment from all worldly things, must be the essence
of purity, must show in himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and
learning. Thus, should the first-born of the Guardian of the Cause of God
not manifest in himself the truth of the words: -- "The child is the secret
essence of its sire," that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within
him (the Guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be
matched with a goodly character, then must he, (the Guardian of the Cause of
God) choose another branch to succeed him."

Here 'Abdu'l-Baha uses the word "appoint" which would be in keeping with the
expectation that the Guardian may have left a Will in which a member of a
branch of His family had been appointed. I believe this is how it was with
'Abdu'l-Baha's appointment of Shoghi Effendi, it was not a known fact that
Shoghi Effendi was to be the Guardian until after the passing of
'Abdu'l-Baha even though it had obviously been recorded during
'Abdu'l-Baha's own life-time.

> thereby precluding the need for any meeting or conclave
> following the passing of the Guardian to determine his successor such as
> would be required if a testamentary document were used.  If any further
> proof of their ignorance of this fact is required,

To me there seems to be a greater need for evidence that there is actually a
fact here rather than further proof to support it.

> one need only read the
> "Official Statement" issued by the Hands, under date of 19 November 1957,
> in which they announced that a body of nine Hands whom they had delegated
> "met, in order to open the Guardian's safe and desk [and] search for a
Will
> and Testament if one was executed by Shoghi Effendi. . . .and the
> non-existence of a will and testament executed by Shoghi Effendi was
> definitely established."

Indeed, this does show that the Hands of the Cause did look for a Will and
Testament of Shoghi Effendi and did not find one, but there is no reason to
believe that this act was not in keeping with the vision of the Will and
Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha.

> The Hands, as evidenced above, failed...

...and I see no point continuing, because nothing has been evidenced above.

In fact for the first paragraph to hold weight with me there are certain
assumptions that would have to be proven:

1. That 'Abdu'l-Baha had intended the appointment of the second Guardian to
be announced before the passing of Shoghi Effendi and that this provision
either excluded making this knowledge known to the wider Baha'i community or
Shoghi Effendi was unable to inform the wider Baha'i community, or any of
the Hands of the Cause of God (including his wife) of this exciting news
between first making it known and his passing away.

2. That a second Guardian of the Faith had, after the passing of Shoghi
Effendi and before the conclave of the Hands of the Cause of God, given new
guidance to the Hands of the Cause of God which relieved them of their duty
to "assist National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'í world" with "the
primary obligation to watch over and insure protection to the Bahá'í world
community", and that the Hands of the Cause of God had rejected this new
guidance.

Should you be able to prove these two points, or otherwise explain the
validity of this first paragraph which accuses the Hands of the Cause of
God, Divinely appointed by the Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, of
ignorance, then there may be some merit in proceeding to see what the second
paragraph says.

Thank you in advance.

Regards, h.