"O ye merciful friends and the respected spiritual maid-servants!"

He Is God

Your blessed photograph[1] was received and studied. It imparted unmeasurable happiness. Praise be to God! that the faces are illumined, the hearts are the rose-gardens of the love of God and the spirits are rejoiced through the divine Glad-tidings. Thank ye God that ye have assembled your likenesses upon one page. All of you are the sons and daughters of the Kingdom, are in perfect harmony and united, attracted and enkindled.

Just as these bodies are assembled together, so the hearts are attuned with the music of heaven and the souls enraptured with the melody of Truth. Ye are all waves of one sea, rays of one sun, trees of one orchard and flowers of one garden. The power of the Kingdom hath assembled you together, and I hope that you may become assisted in such wise as to raise the canopy of the oneness of the kingdom of humanity, to unfurl the banner of love and kindness among the sons of men, to perfume the nostrils with the Fragrances of the Paradise of Abha and to illumine the hearts of the people of the world with the splendors of the Sun of Truth.

Upon ye be Baha’ul-Abha!

(Signed) ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas
(Star of the West, vol. 1, no. 6, June 24, 1910)
[1] Refers to the photograph taken of the committee gathered to examine the plans submitted by architects for the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, at the residence of Mrs. Corinne True, Chicago, August 1, 1909.

To "Mrs. Louise R. Waite, Chicago, Ill.”

He Is God

O thou daughter of the Kingdom!

Thy letter was considered. On account of the lack of time, a brief answer is given.

The Spiritual Assembles which are organized for the sake of teaching the Truth, whether assemblies for men, assemblies for women or mixed assemblies, are all accepted and are conducive to the spreading of the Fragrances of God. This is essential. Likewise the public meeting in which, one day during the week, the believers gather, to be engaged in the commemoration of God, to read communes and deliver effective speeches, is acceptable and beloved. But now it is utterly impossible to establish the House of Justice, which is mentioned in the Book of Aqdas; nay, rather, it is impracticable and not to be thought of. That is for the time when the Cause is proclaimed and the Commands of God have become effective. Therefore, now is not the time for the House of Justice, which must be established by general election. Its mention is not permissible and its realization impossible.

To "the Officers of the Persian-American Educational Society through Mirza Ahmad Sohrab"

Upon thee be Baha’u’l-Abha!

He Is God

O ye who are favored in the Threshold of the Almighty and the lovers of His Holiness, Baha’u’llah!

According to the reports of his honor Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, in these days the Persian-American Educational Society is organized in America and the friends of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful with the utmost zeal and enthusiasm are engaged in the solidarity of this Society. If possible, change the name of this Society to Persian-American Interdependence Society so that in the future it may include all points, such as commerce, industry and education so that spiritual and material results and benefits might be produced. Now in the beginning it may find no importance in the eyes of some of the people but in the future it will attain to world-wide celebrity and it will indicate that -- Praise be to God -- at this early period the friends have directed their thoughts to this most important subject. Should the circle of this Society be widely extended and its various branches well organized and systematized it will remain firm and become established and if its members arise with perfect unity and agreement, know ye of a certainty that at the end it will become the greatest Society of the world, produce inexhaustible results and benefits, become the tree of the oneness of the realm of humanity and cast its all-encircling shade over the people of the East and the West. But firmness and firmness, steadfastness and steadfastness is necessary. This Society must be so organized and in the course of time its various policies so well defined, that since the beginning of the world until now no such association has ever been founded. This must become the first society embracing such universal aims and objects. ‘Abdu’l-Baha with the utmost supplication and contemplation towards the Kingdom of Abha, prays in your behalf and begs confirmation and assistance.

To his honor Mirza Ahmad Sohrab

Upon him be Baha’u’l-Abha!

In the last two mails detailed answers have been written to thee. Now the papers that you have forwarded pertaining to the Persian-American Educational Society have been received. Truly I say, although the importance of this Society at present, is apparently unknown, but if it remain firm and steadfast in the future it will become the Association of the union of the realm of man, it will thoroughly combine and harmonize the East and the West and accomplish a great service to humanity.

The believers of God must give great importance to this Society and arise to perform its fundamental principles and essential duties with heart and soul. I send my congratulation and felicitation to this blessed Society and ask from the bounty of His Highness the Incomparable confirmation and assistance, supplicate and entreat at the Threshold of Oneness and beg from the Kingdom of Abha preservation and protection, providence and safety. If this Society acts with independence and exerts itself in bringing about relations between the East and the West, it will become the foundation of the oneness of the world of humanity. Firmness is essential, for if small affairs can not be accomplished without firmness and steadfastness, how much more are these qualities needed for the undertaking of great matters! The friends of God must encourage each other to be firm and steadfast, to reason and consult with each other so that day by day this Society will progress.

Tarbiat School

The question of the School of Tarbiat is very important. Through the Bounty and Providence of the True One it must become evident to all that it is the first school of Persia and its graduates are the most successful. Otherwise its non-being is better than its being. Therefore display the utmost zeal in matters pertaining to the progress of this school.

(Signed) ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas
(Star of the West, Vol. 1, No. 5, June 5, 1910)

Tarbiat School

The problem of the School of Tarbiat is of the utmost importance. It is an essential obligation and duty incumbent upon all the friends to serve that school. This is, the first school that the friends have founded in Persia, and all the people know that it belongs to them. Neglect and carelessness in the management of its progressive affairs is a blow to the Cause of God. Therefore everyone must give extraordinary importance to the school of Tarbiat and assist it from some standpoint either through enlightened ideals or the introduction of modern system of education, either by liberal contributions or continual encouragement and assistance. To be brief: It is the hope of this Servant that in the course of time this school become distinguished from among all the schools of the world. Now consider how important is this matter.

(Signed) ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas
(Star of the West, Vol. 1, No. 5, June 5, 1910)