Shoghí Effendí Rabbání
(March 1, 1897 — November 4, 1957)
First Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith
During his 36 year Ministry as first Guardian of the Baha’I Faith, following
his appointment in the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá in 1921 until
his passing, the Bahá'í religion developed into a global faith.
The first beloved Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, labored
unremittingly over the span of his thirty-six year ministry to establish the
Covenant on a firm foundation in the hearts and minds of the believers.
His copious and matchless writings contain numberless passages devoted
to the subject of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh and to that priceless
heritage, the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, whose provisions he
said only future generations would fully comprehend. Those of us who
read and studied the writings of Shoghi Effendi were thrilled by the
sublime and supernal vision that he imparted to us of the future World
Order of Bahá’u’lláh based on the divine System bequeathed to us in the
Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. One might ask what more could
Shoghi Effendi have said to bring to the friends a fuller comprehension of
the divine origin, the immortality and immutability of the unique
Institutions of that God-given System. What language could Shoghi
Effendi have chosen to more glowingly and befittingly describe the sacred
and divinely inspired character of that immortal Document — the Will and
Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a Document characterized by him as the
brightest emanation of His Mind, the divinely-conceived offspring
resulting from the mystical union between the Mind of Bahá’u’lláh and
the Mind of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and therefore the very Will and Purpose of the
Author of the Bahá’í Revelation, Himself. And what more superlative
appellation could he have given this Document than to extol it as a
supplement to the Most Holy Book, Itself — The Aqdas — and therefore a
part of the Divine Explicit Text whose Laws and provisions would remain
sacrosanct and unalterable down through the ages of the Dispensation of
Bahá’u’lláh. Supreme among the divinely-conceived Institutions
bequeathed to us in the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is the
Institution of Guardianship, for the incumbent of that Office in the
language of the Will and Testament is "the expounder of the words of
God", the director of the Hands of the Cause and the "sacred head and
distinguished member for life" of the Universal House of Justice, the
supreme legislative Organ of the Bahá’í Administrative System.
Early Life Born in `Akká in March 1897, Shoghi Effendi was related to the Báb through
his father, Mírzá Hádí Shírází, and to Bahá'u'lláh through his mother,
Ḍíyá'íyyih Khánum, the eldest daughter of `Abdu'l-Bahá. From the early
years of his life, Shoghi Effendi was greatly influenced by `Abdu'l-Bahá, who
provided much of his initial training. Shoghi Effendi learned prayers from
his grandfather `Abdu'l-Bahá, who encouraged him to chant. It was also
`Abdu'l-Bahá who insisted that the appellation given to the child should be
"Shoghi Effendi", ("Effendi" signifies "Sir"), rather than simply "Shoghi", as a
mark of respect towards him.
He was originally educated at home with the other children in the
household, and then attended a French Christian Brothers school in Haifa,
and then boarding at another Catholic school in Beirut. Shoghi Effendi later
attended the Syrian Protestant College (later known as the American
University of Beirut) for his final years of high school and first years of
university where he earned an arts degree in 1918. After studying at the
American University of Beirut he later went to Balliol College, Oxford in
England, where he matriculated in "Economics and Social Sciences", while
still perfecting his translation skills.
The Institution of Guardianship –
Shoghi Effendi, following the passing of Abdu'l-Bahá's , became the First
Guardian in 1921. `Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament, designated Shoghi
Effendi as "the Sign of God, the chosen branch, the Guardian of the Cause
of God". The Administrative Order which this historic Document [the Will
and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá] has established, it should be noted, is by
virtue of its origin and character, unique in the annals of the world’s
religious systems. . . the Administrative Order which the authorized
Interpreter of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings has instituted, an Order which by
virtue of the administrative principles which its Author has formulated, the
institutions He has established, and the right of interpretation with which
He has invested its Guardian, must and will, in a manner unparalleled in any
previous religion, safeguard from schism the Faith from which its has
sprung. The Document [the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá]
establishing that Order, the Charter of a future world civilization, which
may be regarded in some of its features as supplementary to no less
weighty a Book than the Kitáb-i-Aqdas . . . establishes the institution of the
Guardianship as a hereditary office and outlines its essential functions;
provides the measures for the election of the International House of
Justice, defines its scope and sets forth its relationship to that Institution;
prescribes the obligations, and emphasizes the responsibilities of the Hands
of the Cause of God; and extolls the virtues of the indestructible Covenant
established by Bahá’u’lláh.
It must be also clearly understood that the institution of Guardianship does
not under any circumstances abrogate, or even in the slightest degree
detract from the powers granted to the Universal House of Justice by
Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and repeatedly and solemnly confirmed by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will. It does not constitute in any manner a
contradiction to the Will and Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, nor does it nullify any
of His revealed instructions. It enhances the prestige of that exalted
assembly, stabilizes its supreme position, safeguards its unity, assures the
continuity of its labors, without presuming in the slightest to infringe upon
the inviolability of its clearly-defined sphere of jurisdiction. We stand
indeed too close to so monumental a document [the Will and Testament of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá] to claim for ourselves a complete understanding of all its
implications, or to presume to have grasped the manifold mysteries it
undoubtedly contains. Only future generations can comprehend the value
and the significance attached to this Divine Masterpiece, which the
Master-builder of the world has designed for the unification and the
triumph of the world-wide Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Only those who come
after us will be in a position to realize the value of the surprisingly strong
emphasis that has been placed on the institution of the House of Justice
and of the Guardianship. Divorced from the institution of the Guardianship
the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh would be mutilated and permanently
deprived of that hereditary principle which, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written has
been invariably upheld by the Law of God. . . Without such an institution
the integrity of the Faith would be imperilled, and the stability of the entire
fabric would be gravely endangered. Its prestige would suffer, the means
required to enable it to take a long, an uninterrupted view over a series of
generations would be completely lacking, and the necessary guidance to
define the sphere of the legislative action of its elected representatives
would be totally withdrawn.
The Institution of the Universal House of Justice Severed from the no less essential institution of the Universal House of
Justice this same System of the Will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would be paralyzed in
its action and would be powerless to fill in those gaps which the Author of
the Kitáb-i-Aqdas has deliberately left in the body of His legislative and
administrative ordinances.
"The mighty stronghold," He further explains, "shall remain impregnable
and safe through obedience to him who is the Guardian of the Cause of
God." It is incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice, upon all
the Aghsán, the Afnán, the Hands of the Cause of God, to show their
obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the Guardian of the
Cause of God."
"It is incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice," Bahá’u’lláh,
declares in the Eighth Leaf of the Exalted Paradise, "to take counsel
together regarding those things which have not been outwardly revealed
in the Book, and to enforce that, which is agreeable to them. God will
verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth and He is verily the
Provider, the Omniscient." "Unto the Most Holy Book" (the Kitáb-i-Aqdas),
"Abdu’l-Bahá states in His Will, "every one must turn, and all that is not
expressly recorded therein must be referred to the House of Justice. That
which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is
verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself. Whoso doth deviate
therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath shown forth malice,
and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant."
From these statements it is made indubitably clear and evident that the
Guardian of the Faith has been made the Interpreter of the Word and that
the Universal House of Justice has been invested with the function of
legislating on matters not expressly revealed in the teachings. The
interpretation of the Guardian, functioning within his own sphere, is as
authoritative and binding as the enactments of the International House of
Justice, whose exclusive right and prerogative is to pronounce upon and
deliver the final judgement on such laws and ordinances as Bahá’u’lláh has
not expressly revealed.
The Twin Institutions –
Neither can, nor will ever, infringe upon the sacred and prescribed
domain of the other. Neither will seek to curtail the specific and undoubted
authority with which both have been divinely invested.
Though the Guardian of the Faith has been made the permanent head of so
august a body he can never, even temporarily, assume the right of exclusive
legislation. He cannot override the decision of the majority of his fellowmembers, but is BOUND TO INSIST UPON A RECONSIDERATION BY THEM
OF ANY ENACTMENT HE CONSCIENTIOUSLY BELIEVES TO CONFLICT WITH
THE MEANING AND TO DEPART FROM THE SPIRIT OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S
REVEALED UTTERANCES.
It is clear from the above quoted statement from Shoghi Effendi that,
without the living Guardian presiding as its sacred and permanent head to
insure that the enactments of the Universal House of Justice are always in
complete conformity with the "meaning" and "spirit" of the "revealed
utterances" of Bahá’u’lláh, a headless sans-Guardian Universal House of
Justice would be subject to error in its enactments and consequently would
unquestionably not be the infallible institution delineated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
in His sacred and immortal Will and Testament.
Shoghi Effendi’s Ministry During his leadership the Bahá'í religion developed into a global faith. From
the time of appointment until his death, the Bahá'í Faith grew from 100,000
to 400,000 members, and the countries in which Bahá'ís had representation
went from 35 to 250. As Guardian he had a clear vision of how he believed
the religion should progress, and he communicated his vision to the Bahá'ís
of the world through his numerous letters and his meetings with pilgrims
who would come to Palestine
During the 1920s, he first started to
systematize and extend the Bahá'í administration throughout the world
where there existed Bahá'í communities; because the Bahá'í community
was relatively small and undeveloped when he assumed the leadership of
the religion, he strengthened and developed it over many years to the
point where it was capable of supporting the administrative structure
envisioned by `Abdu'l-Bahá. Under Shoghi Effendi's direction, National
Spiritual Assemblies were formed, and many thousands of Local Spiritual
Assemblies sprang up as the Bahá'í Faith spread around the globe. Then,
during the 1930s he worked on a series of major translation projects,
translating the works of Bahá'u'lláh into English. Starting in 1937, he set
into motion a series of systematic plans to establish Bahá'í communities in
every country of the world. The culmination of these plans was the Ten
Year Crusade that covered the years from 1953 to 1963. Starting in the late
1940s, after the independence of Israel, he also started to develop the
Bahá'í World Centre in Haifa, including the construction of the
superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb and the building of the
International Archives as well as beautifying the gardens at Bahji, where the
Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh is located; In the 1950s he also continued building the
Bahá'í administration, establishing in 1951 the International Bahá'í Council
to act as a precursor to the Universal House of Justice with the
appointment of Charles Mason Remey as its President, as well as
appointing 32 living Hands of the Cause — Bahá'ís who achieved a
distinguished rank in service to the religion and whose main function was to
propagate and protect the religion.
The Immutable Administrative Order Shoghi Effendi made it very clear the importance of the Administrative
Order in stating “Let no one, while this System is still in its infancy,
misconceive its character, belittle its significance or misrepresent its
purpose. The bedrock on which this Administrative Order is founded is God’s
immutable Purpose for mankind in this Day [ the Day of God]. The Source
from which it derives its inspiration is no less than Bahá’u’lláh Himself . . .
The axis round which its institutions revolve are the authentic provisions of
the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá . . . The pillars that sustain its
authority and buttress its structure are the twin institutions of the
Guardianship and of the Universal House of Justice.
Shoghi Effendi’s Writings In his lifetime, Shoghi Effendi translated into English many of the writings of
the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá, including the Hidden Words in 1929,
the Kitáb-i-Íqán in 1931, Gleanings in 1935 and Epistle to the Son of the
Wolf in 1941. He also translated such historical texts as The Dawn-breakers.
His significance is not just that of a translator, but he was also the
designated and authoritative interpreter of the Bahá'í writings. His
translations therefore are a guideline for all future translations of the Bahá'í
writings.
The vast majority of his writings were in the style of letters with Bahá'ís
from all parts of the globe. These letters, of which 17,500 have been
collected thus far and are believed to number of 30,000, ranged from
routine correspondence regarding the affairs of Bahá'ís around the world to
lengthy letters to the Bahá'ís of the world addressing specific themes.
Some of his longer letters include World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, regarding the
nature of Bahá'í administration, Advent of Divine Justice, regarding teaching
the religion, and Promised Day is Come regarding Bahá'u'lláh's letters to
world leaders. Other letters included statements on Bahá'í beliefs, history,
morality, principles, administration and law. He also wrote obituaries of
some distinguished Bahá'ís. Many of his letters to individuals and
assemblies have been compiled into several books, which stand out as
significant sources of literature for Bahá'ís around the world.
The only actual book he ever wrote was God Passes By in 1944 to
commemorate the centennial anniversary of the religion. The book, which
is in English, is an interpretive history of the first century of the Bábí and
Bahá'í Faiths.
Shoghi Effendi’s Passing Shoghi Effendi's death came unexpectedly in London, on 4 November 1957,
as he was travelling to Britain and caught the Asian flu and he is buried
there in New Southgate Cemetery