Succession of Baha
7. Succession of Baha
In the Aqdas Baha makes provision for succession to the office of heresiarch after his death, the relevant provision (Aqdas, E.T. P.56) sums as follows:"
When the sea of union [with me] has ebbed and the book of beginning is finished in the end. [then] turn [your faces] towards him whom God has meant, who has branched from this ancient root."
The passage is vague and ambiguous and does not designate by name the son by whom the heresiarch is to be succeeded. This passage is however clarified by a declaratory clause in Baha's will and testament which sums as follows:-
"The reference in this blessed verse is the most Great Branch [i.e. sir Abbas Effendi], followed by another passage on which Baha lays a great stress and which provides that sir Abbas Effendi is in turn to be succeeded by "the most might branch [i.e. his half-brother Mirza Muhammad Ali.]"
The relevant passage in Baha's will and testament sums as follows:-
انظروا ما انزلناه فی الکتاب الاقدس اذا غیض جرالوصال و فض کتاب المبدء فی المأل توجهوا الی من اراده الله الذی انشعب من هذا الاصل القدیم مقصود از این آیه مبارکه غصن اعظم بوده کذلک اظهرنا الامر فصلک من عندنا و انا الفضال الکریم قد قدر الله مقام الغصن الاکبر بعد مقامه ان هو الامر حکیم قد اصطضینا الاکبر بعد الاعظم امراً من لدن علیم خبیر
In the Aqdas Baha also makes provision for the interpretation of his law after his death. The relevant provision (Aqdas, E.T. P.70) sums as follows:-
"O people of creation, whenever the dove flies from the forest of praise and makes for the furthermost hidden goal, [then] refer you whatsoever you understand not in the Book to the Branch which is derived from this upright stock."
The term "the branch which is derived from this upright stock" makes no distinction between the most Great Branch and the most Mighty Branch. As such it applies to both. This point is further clarified in Baha's reply to a question. The relevant passage sums as follows:-
در مراسله ورقا در جواب سائل میفرماید « مقصود از کتاب، کتاب اقدس و ؟ منشعب عصن بوده
In the Aqdas Baha makes further provision for the functions, powers, and jurisdiction vested in and exercised by the most Great Branch and the most might branch to be exclusively vested in and exercised after their death, by the House of Justice. The relevant provision (Aqdas, E.T. P.31) sums as follows:
"God ordained that in every city they make a Home of Justice and the souls according to the number of al-Baha [9] will assemble in it. They must be stewards of the merciful amongst those in the realm of the possible and agents of God for the whole earth, and God has ordained that they shall consult about the well fare of creation for the sake of God, just as they consult about the welfare of creatures for the sake of God, just as they consult about their own affairs, and that they choose what is the choice."
It will thus be seen that were two appointees by specific nomination, charged with the duty of maintaining and interpreting Baha's laws.
Their right to hold the office of the heresiarch interest. That right ceased and determined on their death.
In due course of Baha's law the most Great Branch sir Abbas Effendi was to render up the authority to the Most Might Branch Mirza Muhammad Ali in turn was to render up the authority to Baha's House of Justice, of which nought is known save the name, and indeed it is a name without form and a title without reality.
Near to it the Most Great Branch and the Most Mighty Branch knew that Bahaism was a breakaway faction from the Bahai fait. They knew that Bahaism was conceived in deceit and delivered in violence. Bahai-assassinations which preceded and followed Baha's pretensions bear eloquent evidence there to. They knew that their father Baha had sabotaged BÂBi faith and relegated its founder Sayyid Ali Muhammad or the Point into the status of his harbinger. They knew that their father Baha had ousted Sayyid Ali Muhammad’s rightful and legitimate successor Subh-i Azal and cast himself as Him-Whom-God-Will-Make-Manifest. The promised one of Bayan, due to appear in 1511 or 2001 years on the strength of the Bayan from the time of Sayyid Ali Muhammad.
In fact the Most Great Branch and the Most Might Branch contributed their mite to Baha's God-craft.
Walking in the footsteps of his father Baha the Most Great Branch turned the on Baha. Emulating his father Baha sir Abbas Effendi regarded himself as apostle of new doctrines. He arrogated to himself the right to abrogate, change, cancel and develop Baha's law.
At a stroke of the pen, he set aside Baha's will and testament and the Aqdas. He ousted his successor-in-office Mirza Muhammad Ali. He inserted a settlement clause in his will and testament, by which the office of the heresiarch was scuttled upon Shoghi Effendi and the heirs of his body. He made Shoghi Effendi "the sacred head and the distinguished member, for life of the Universal House of Justice" to be.
He converted Bahaism into a private family settlement and cast a calf in his issue instigated by the She of Isfahan" his wife, Lady Munira to quote Baha in Ibn-al-Baha Badiullah's memoirs. After all these irregularities, the Most Great Branch prided himself being Abdul Baha, namely servant of Baha, god, and claimed to be confirmed or convinced believer in "the Blessed Beauty [i.e. Baha as a Manifestation of God.
Unlike the most Great Branch, sir Abbas Effendi, who was vociferous, obstreperous, and opprobrious in his will and testament, the Most Might Branch Mirza Muhammad Ali, in his will and testament, was correctly polite towards him and referred to him not by name but by his title, the Most Great Branch. His polite criticism of his aberrations is supported by documentary evidence culled form Baha's holy texts.
At Baha's instance the Most Mighty Branch Mirza Muhammad Ali was one of the two survivors (see section 9.18.2), who weeded out the tares or obnoxious passage in Baha's holy text to bring them into line with Baha's later pretensions.
Unlike sir Abbas Effendi Mirza Muhammad Ali took no advantage of Baha's pitfalls and antecedents. He made no provision for succession as he was not empowered to do so. In his will and testament he stated that the ordinances of divine worship were to be governed by Aqdas and the House of Justice to be.
The relevant provision sums as follows:
ای یاران امرالله در ظهور مبارک تکمل شد و مطلبی ناقص نماند عبادات بما انزله الله فی الکتان و سیاسیات بیت العدل اختصاص یافت
Missionary enterprise (Tabligh) is forbidden in Israel. Bahai headquarters were established in the Holy Land long before the emergence of Israel, Israel has maintained the status quo. Pilgrims visit Israel as tourists. This provides hard currency.
"The Hands of the Cause of God" according to sir Abbas Effendi's will and testament, have diffused widely the divine fragrances, declared his faith, published abroad has laws, detached themselves from all things but Him, stood for rightfulness in the world, and filled the line of love and God in the very hearts and souls of men, to promote learning, to improve the character of all men and to be, at all times and under all conditions, sanctified and detached from earthly things. They must be nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the cause of God [i.e. Shoghi Effendi]. The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God. The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God."
The relevant provision in Baha’s Will & Testament relating to succession reads as follows:
“The behest of god is that the Branches [Aghsan, i.e. Baha’s sons], the Twigs [i.e. Afnan, kinsmen of the Point] and [Baha’s] relatives must one and all look to the Most Mighty Branch [i.e. Ghusn-i- Azam, Abbas Effendi]. See what we have sent down in Al-Kitab Al-Aqdas:” When the sea of Union [with me] is dried up and the Book of beginning is finished in the End, then turn to the one whom god desires, the one who is a branch from this ancient Root [Aqdas, p.56].” The reference in this blessed verse is to the Most Mighty Branch; Thus we have manifested the command as a grace on our part. Verily we are the All-Bounteous the Generous. Verily, god has decreed the station of the Most Great Branch [i.e. Ghusn-i-Akbar, Mirza Muhammad Ali] next to his [i.e. the former’s] station. In truth He is the Commanding One, the Wise One, we have chosen the Most Great next to the Most Mighty because of a command from before the presence of the Knower, the Aware.”
There is nothing in the provision to substantiate Abdul Baha’s statement quoted from the scriptures on P.2 lines 20-29 and p.3 line1.
Abdul Baha’s terms of reference were to maintain Baha’s law, the Aqdas, and to explain to a question of Baha’s follower what he could not understand in it, which was written in Arabic, a language foreign to the man in the street. Inasmuch as the Aqdas printed in 1890 was intended for limited circulation amongst a chosen few it was, to all intents and purposes, a closed book to Bahai rank and file. We have seen in chapter viii that the Aqdas is a rehash of the Bayan subject to minor amendments. We have also seen in the same chapter, enclosure II, that Baha’s son Mirza Muhammad Ali, whom Abbas Effendi during his rule denounced as a “covenant breaker” and “center of sedition”, and Baha’s amanuensis the servant of god Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan branded as “reprobate, croaker, hypocrite and devil” during Abbas Effendi’s tenure of office, Materials, P.88, were the co-revisers of the Aqdas as well as other “sacred writings” of Baha. Abbas Effendi was well aware of this fact. With the precedent thus established Abbas Effendi did not content himself with being merely interpreter and maintainer of the law given by Baha. He tampered with the Aqdas as well as with his father’s Will and Testament and introduced his own innovations as if he were the bearer of a new revelation.