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24 January 1933
Dear Mr. Dunn:
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated December 16th 1933.
What you stated as the basic teachings of this Faith is quite correct, only you should not say that the Master, who obtained His inspiration from Bahá'u'lláh, rather than directly from God, was on the same footing as Bahá'u'lláh. The moon cannot be compared to the Sun. And this the Master states in His last will & testament. There he states what ought to be the basic belief of every Bahá'í.
As regards the charts: what the Guardian told Mrs. Dunn was that we should be very careful not to consider geometrical figures as expressing in an absolutely true form what is in reality spiritual relations & beyond our comprehension. The charts may be helpful to state some primary facts but surely the reality has elements far beyond what they can express.
All these points are clearly explained in books such as the Iqán and Some Answered Questions, and the students of the teachings should be encouraged to study them & the more they study them the more will the truth reveal itself to them.
Shoghi Effendi was very glad to hear of your services & of the progress of the Faith. The credit for most of what has been achieved surely is yours, for you have been the father of that community. The Guardian hopes that you will continue to render distinguished services to the Faith.
As regards the tea-room the Guardian believes that you should confer with the friends there who are better acquainted with the circumstances. Anyhow you have his best wishes. God will surely help devoted servants of His such as you.
Please convey Shoghi Effendi's loving greetings to Mr. and Mrs. Bolton. It was surely a very Bahá'í act for them to open their home to you, God will surely recompense him who helps the servants of His Cause.
The Guardian will pray for them as well as for their son. May they all render distinguished services to His Cause.
While visiting the blessed Shrines the Guardian will think of you & Mrs. Dunn, as well as the other friends there & ask for you all divine guidance & help.
Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan.
Dear and most prized co-worker,
Your letters are always a source of genuine pleasure & satisfaction to my overburdened heart & soul. I deeply value your services, above all I value beyond words the spirit that animates you in His service. The chart which you have sent, & which I regard as very helpful, I will keep in the mansion of Bahá'u'lláh at Bahji. I hope you may be enabled some day to visit it. My prayers will continue to be offered in your behalf. Convey my greetings to Mrs. Dunn and assure her of my keen & abiding appreciation of her constant and self-sacrificing labours.
Your true & grateful brother, Shoghi
2 March 1933 [Maysie Almond]
Dear Bahá'í Sister:
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated January 27th 1933.
As regards the changing of the pronouns in the prayers of Bahá'u'lláh. Even though the change is not so important for it makes no alteration in an important aspect of the writings, yet it is counter to a basic principle mentioned by Bahá'u'lláh in the book of Aqdas. There he prohibits in most emphatic terms the interpolation of the Words. It would therefore be wrong to effect such modifications even though it is insignificant.
It is very difficult, that having an English translation of a prayer, to know the Persian or Arabic original of it, for Bahá'í's prayers are many & not all compiled in one or a series of books. It is therefore difficult to find the original of the prayer you mention to compare it with the translation. If we follow the meaning of the verse we would find that the last word "world" should be plural. This is also a familiar expression of Bahá'u'lláh & quite true for He says repeatedly that besides this there are many worlds.
The Guardian will surely, while visiting the Shrines, pray for you & Meade Almond as well as for Ethel Dawe and Hilda Brooks. He trusts that through your efforts, now and in the future, the spirit of the Faith will spread far and wide & bring many seeking souls to the teachings of the Cause. With best wishes, yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan.
Dear co-worker:
I wish to assure you in person of my continued prayers for your spiritual advancement & for the success of the noble efforts you are exerting for the spread of our beloved Faith. Rest assured & persevere in your pioneer work which the Almighty will abundantly bless & enable you to extend its scope in the days to come.
Your true brother, Shoghi
29 March 1933 [Eric Watkin]
Dear Mr. Watkin:
The Guardian wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter as well as the manuscript of your thesis.
As he has no time to go over it in person at present, he asked me to read it & give you any suggestions I have. He will avail himself of the first opportunity he obtains to read it through personally.
In one connection you mention that the Garden of Ridván is near Mt. Carmel and that Bahá'u'lláh lived in it & used to go to the Mountain for prayer. This is incorrect. The garden is in Acre and far from the Mountain. Having never seen Haifa you have confused the localities & different sites. I would advise you to leave out those passages.
Then, you mention the importance of numerology & the occult sciences and advise that the students should be taught these things. As you are trying to express the Bahá'í point of view on the subject of education, it would be far better to leave this out, for the Master discourages the study of numerology & the occult sciences instead of encouraging them. He says there is a germ of truth in them but that does not justify us to attribute any importance to them. I have mentioned this to the Guardian & he also feels you had better leave out the passage.
Shoghi Effendi deeply appreciates your efforts in presenting the educational program of the Faith to the public. It is, naturally, premature for us to say what the full & considered program is, for all the Tablets have not been collected & studied, & we do not know, as yet, every thing that Bahá'u'lláh & the Master have said on the subject. The step you have taken is therefore that of a pioneer who even though he may not achieve everything will create enough interest to arouse others to follow his footsteps.
In closing may I express the Guardian's loving greetings to you as well as to Mrs. Watkin & assure you both of his earnest prayers for the progress of your work.
With best wishes, Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan
With the assurance of my prayers for your welfare, your success & spiritual advancement.
Your true brother, Shoghi
27 April 1933 [Dorothy Dugdale]
Dear Bahá'í Sister:
The Guardian wishes me to thank you for your kind letter dated March 26th 1933 expressing to him your deep love & attachment to the Cause.
He sincerely hopes & prays that this love will stimulate you to render distinguished services to the Faith; & he is confident that it will, because such a deep attachment is bound to express itself in your acts & inspire you to constantly strive & sacrifice in the path of attainment to your spiritual longings.
In his moments of prayer at the Blessed Shrines, the Guardian will think of you & ask God to guide & assist you & to reinforce your efforts in promoting the Faith in Australia.
With the condition of the world as it is - full of strife, distrust & uncertainties - we should not sit idle for a single moment. We should bear in mind the admonitions of the Master, as well as His encouraging words & lofty principles, & labour until His hopes are realized & His ideals attained. With best wishes, Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan
Dear & precious co-worker:
I am deeply touched by the sentiments expressed in your letter & I wish to assure you in person of my loving, my ardent & constant prayers for the speedy realization of your heart's desire & for your spiritual advancement. I will also remember in my prayers your devoted co-workers in Adelaide & will supplicate for them the Master's richest blessings. Rest assured & be happy,
Your true brother, Shoghi
28 April 1933
Mr. Stanley W. Bolton, Box 56, Palmer School of Chiropractic, Davenport, Iowa. U.S. America.
Dear Mr. Bolton,
The Guardian wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated April 2, 1933.
He sincerely hopes that wherever you be and whatever you do you may be guided and assisted by the spirit of the Master. These are surely difficult days and without the consciousness that the spirit of the Master is leading us onward to our final destiny and spiritual attainments, we would never be able to stand our sorrows and overcome the obstacles we find on our way.
Shoghi Effendi was very glad to hear that Dr. Palmer has met the Master and was deeply impressed by him. May he gradually come to learn and accept this divine message and consecrate his life to its service.
As regards your return to Australia, in case Haifa will fall on your way you are heartily welcomed to visit the Shrines and spend a few days in the pilgrim-house. To spend a few moments of deep meditation in those sacred spots is a blessing that every true and sincere soul will deeply appreciate.
Assuring you and the members of your family of the Guardian's prayers and best wishes I remain, Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan.
May the Beloved bless richly your efforts, guide every step you take, deepen your knowledge of the essentials of His Faith and enable you to render signal services to His Cause, Shoghi.
29 April 1933
Dear Mrs Axford:
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to thank you for your kind letter of March 16th 1933, as well as the enclosed article which has been translated by Mr. Paul into the Maori language.
The Guardian has already written Mr. Paul & expressed his deep appreciation for the service he has rendered to the Faith, but especially to his own people who through the means of such literature will be acquainted with the teachings & will receive the light of guidance brought to the world by Bahá'u'lláh.
I believe the Guardian has already intimated his approval of this pamphlet & the desire that the friends in Australia publish and circulate it among the Maoris.
As regards the passages with sacred writings indicating the wrath of God; Shoghi Effendi says that the Divinity has many attributes. He is loving & merciful but also just. Just as reward & punishment, according to Bahá'u'lláh, are the pillars upon which society rests, so mercy and justice may be considered as their counterpart in the world to come. Should we disobey God & work against His commands He will view our acts in the light of justice & punish us for it. That punishment may not be in the form of fire, as some believe, but in the form of spiritual deprivation & degradation. This is why we read so often in the prayers statements such as "God do not deal with us with justice, but rather through thy infinite mercy". The wrath of God is in the administration of His justice, both in this world & in the world to come. A God that is only loving or only just is not a perfect God. The Divinity has to possess both of these aspects as every father ought to express both in his attitude towards his children. If we ponder a while, we will see that our welfare can be insured only when both of these divine attributes are equally emphasised & practised.
In closing may I express the Guardian's loving greetings & best wishes for the progress of your work in serving the Cause. Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan
May the almighty bless your efforts, deepen your understanding of the essentials & distinguishing features of His Faith, guide your steps, & aid & assist you to extend the range of your activities & services,
Your true brother, Shoghi
29 May 1933
The Adelaide Spiritual Assembly c/o Hilda Brooks, Secty. Adelaide, South Australia.
Dear Bahá'í Friends,
I have been requested by the Guardian to inform you of the receipt of your letter dated April 24th, 1933 together with the enclosed membership application form which you had sent for his approval. The news of the projected formation of an Australian National Assembly greatly cheered his heart and confirmed his hopes for the future of the Cause in Australia and New Zealand. He is confident that through your perseverance, enthusiasm and devotion great results will be achieved. He wishes you, however, not to be in a hurry, to proceed slowly and carefully and to follow as closely as possible the example set by our American brethren in their attempt to widen and consolidate the nascent institutions of the Faith in their land. The formation of a National Assembly is not an easy matter. It is fraught with incalculable difficulties. Our Australian friends, therefore, should act with great caution and wisdom lest they jeopardize the very best interests of the Cause.
Shoghi Effendi has carefully read your membership application form for affiliation with Bahá'ís of Australia and New Zealand and he wishes me to assure you that it has met with his whole-hearted approval. In all the various & important steps you are now taking for the formation of your National Assembly he would strongly urge you to ask the advice of the American National Assembly, to keep in close and constant touch with its members who are on the whole much more experienced in matters pertaining to the actual functioning of Bahá'í administrative institutions. Moreover, the volume "Bahá'í Administration" is an indispensable book for a thorough understanding of the spirit as well as the form of Bahá'í Administrative system. Its perusal is incumbent upon all, for upon its study much of our understanding of the Cause depends.
In conclusion may I extend to you all the loving greetings of the Guardian. In his moments of meditation and prayer he will remember you and [illegible] the Lord to enable you render His Cause yet greater services. Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani
Dearly-beloved Co-workers:
Your activities & institutions, the development of which constitutes the privilege & sacred obligation of the Bahá'í elected representatives in Australia & New Zealand, should, I strongly feel, follow the lines & function according to the principles, adopted by the American National Assembly - embodied in their by-laws and Declarations of Trust, both national and local. These fundamental principles, whether spiritual or administrative, are the bedrock of the future civilization, the source & centre of which is the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. I advise you to keep in constant touch with the American National Assembly & seek from them the advice & assistance you require in your noble mission. May the spirit of Bahá'u'lláh guide, inspire & assist you to rear the noble structure of a duly constituted National Assembly for that far-away yet promising continent.
Your true & grateful brother, Shoghi.
23 June 1933
The Bahá'í Assembly c/o Mr. E.H.Brewer, Secty. Sydney, Australia.
Dear Bahá'í Friends,
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge on his behalf the receipt of your letter of May 19th, 1933, written through Mr. Brewer your secretary, together with the enclosed communication addressed by you to the Adelaide Assembly, all of which he has read with deepest appreciation. He hopes that the newly-elected members of your Assembly will be deeply confirmed in their efforts for the further extension & consolidation of the nascent institutions of the Faith in Australia. The Guardian wishes you to concentrate most of your efforts during this year on the ways and means essential for the eventual establishment of an Australian National Assembly. The time has come, he sincerely believes, when our Australian friends have to coordinate their administrative activities & thereby give a new impetus to the development of the Cause in their land.
Shoghi Effendi was extremely pleased to witness how earnestly you are serving the cause of the Temple, through your continued & self-sacrificing endeavours. He is confident that the financial & the moral assistance you are so devotedly extending to our American brethren will increasingly draw upon you the blessings of God & will enable you to serve His Cause with increasing success.
With the assurance of his best wishes for you all, Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani
Dearly beloved co-workers:
The incessant & ever increasing activities of the Sydney believers & of their collaborators in other cities of Australia & New Zealand are a source of joy & inspiration & strength to my heart, & soul. I will pray that Bahá'u'lláh's almighty arm may guide your steps in your efforts to erect one of the national pillars of that supreme & universal world-embracing House of Justice the promise of which lies enshrined in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh & 'Abdu'l-Bahá. More power to your elbow! My heart is full of gratitude for your splendid initiative & pioneer services. Shoghi
25 July 1933 [Eric Watkin]
Dear Bahá'í Brother,
Your letter of May 19th, 1933 addressed to Ruhi Afnan was duly received together with the enclosed sum as your contribution to the Faith.
The Guardian was especially glad to learn that you are in a good health & that you are so devotedly & so continuously offering your
services to the Cause. It is so encouraging and inspiring to see the friends so eager to promote the Teachings. He is confident that through your self-sacrificing efforts as well as through your thorough understanding of the essentials of the Faith you can win a great success in the teaching field. May Bahá'u'lláh inspire & sustain your noble efforts & impart to your soul the courage, wisdom & strength you need for the fulfilment of your work.
Shoghi Effendi will always remember you in his prayers & will implore for you the blessings of God so that you may be increasingly confirmed in His Cause.
Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani
8 August 1933 [Bertha Dobbins]
Dear Spiritual Sister,
Shoghi Effendi was so glad to receive your beautiful & most interesting message of June 28th, 1933 together with the enclosed newspaper clipping and to learn of your activities after such a long time. The many news you have given him about the progress of the Cause in Australia, together with the suggestions you have made for its further extension and consolidation in that continent, were thoroughly appreciated by him. You seem to have given him a faithful & true account of the standing of the Cause in your community. He hopes that you will write to him more frequently & will keep him in close & constant touch with your activities.
The Guardian is firmly convinced that you can be of a great help to the friends in Australia & that your knowledge of the Cause & your eagerness to promote its principles make you specially fit to devote a good deal of your time to the teaching of the Faith. You should fully avail yourself of this opportunity & arise to dedicate your life to the service of the Cause. Before you is a vast & endless field of teaching. You have the energy, the courage, & the ability to undertake such a highly important & most delicate task. May Bahá'u'lláh strengthen & help you & may He shower upon you His blessings & impart to your soul that peace & serenity of which the world is in such a crying need.
Shoghi Effendi would like you also to make all your effort to increase among the friends the spirit of unity & of cooperation & to encourage the young believers to come into a closer contact with the older generation of friends, so that through this harmonious cooperation the Cause may be given a further chance to develop & expand. The Faith needs both the experiences & the wisdom of age as well as the enthusiasm & the energy of youth. When all these qualities are harmoniously combined great results will be achieved.
With the assurance of the Guardian's best wishes & of his fervent prayers on your behalf & on behalf of your devoted husband, Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani
Dear & prized co-worker:
Do not lose courage or hope. I will fervently pray for the deliverance & awakening of the continent in which you live. Persevere in your efforts. I cherish bright hopes for the future of your work in both the teaching & administrative fields, & I feel confident that Bahá'u'lláh will guide your steps & enable you to surmount all obstacles for the child you expect. I will also pray. Rest assured,
Your true & grateful brother, Shoghi
13 August 1933 [Joe Dobbins]
Dear Bahá'í Brother,
Your message of July 4th, 1933 brought much joy & happiness to the Guardian's heart, as it was abounding with facts that clearly demonstrated your eagerness to spread the Holy Message & your readiness to foster & safeguard the cause of the Administration in your locality. The Cause greatly needs your enthusiasm, your spirit of initiative & of whole-hearted loyalty to the essentials of the Faith, & above all your genuine realization of the necessity of cooperation & consultation in all your Bahá'í activities.
In regard to your wish of broadcasting the Message, Shoghi Effendi would advise you to consult with the Spiritual Assembly as to whether such an action meets their approval, & if so to ask their assistance & help for finding the best means through which to carry out your plan. The idea of a wireless station is rather ambitious & requires much financial expenditure. If, however, you find it feasible & within your financial capacity you should not hesitate to do so, inasmuch as this will enable you to spread the Cause in a much easier & more efficient manner.
In closing please extent the Guardian's loving greetings to your dear wife & to all the friends in your community & assure them all of his fervent prayers for their advancement & welfare. Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani
With the assurance of my loving & fervent prayers for the realization of your hopes & the complete & speedy success of your high & devoted endeavours,
Your true brother, Shoghi
5 December 1933
The Bahá'í Spiritual Assembly, c/o Miss Hilda Brooks, Box 447D, Adelaide, South Australia.
Dear Bahá'í Friends,
The news letter which your secretary D.M. Dugdale kindly forwarded to the Guardian was received and its perusal filled his heart with inexpressible joy. It is so encouraging & uplifting to learn of the steadfastness, loyalty and devotion with which our Australian brethren are toiling for the extension of the divine World Order, and are sacrificing so much of their resources for the widening & the strengthening of the basis of its nascent administrative institutions.
Shoghi Effendi sincerely hopes that all the friends & Assemblies throughout Australia & New Zealand will combine their efforts in the coming year in order to hasten & insure the establishment of their National Assembly, and in this way advance a step further in the administrative organisation of the Cause. He has already urged the friends to take all the steps necessary & essential to the creation of such a body which will coordinate & unite the teaching as well as the administrative activities of the entire body of our Australian & New Zealand believers.
The Guardian wishes also to stress the importance, in these days when the Cause is making such a rapid advance in the West, of widening, as much as resources permit, the sphere of your teaching activities as well as Bahá'í publications. Their standard, both intellectual & artistic, should be raised in order that through them the interest of the public in the teachings of the Faith may be increased & kept alive. Much effort should be spent particularly on your monthly magazine, the "Herald of the South" that its subscribers may increase in number & that they may encourage their friends to read & study its contents.
The Guardian will continue to supplicate on behalf of you all, that you may soon be able to form your National Assembly & thus contribute your share to the formation of the future Intern. House of Justice & to the administrative expansion & consolidation of the Faith. With loving Bahá'í greetings & best wishes,
Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani
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