1892 7 Jun 189- |
On the ninth day after Bahá'u'lláh's passing the Will and Testament of Bahá'u'lláh, the Kitáb-i-`Ahd (The Crimson Book) was read at Bahjí before a large assembly in His Most Holy Tomb. [AB51–2; BBD132; CB150; DH113; GPB238; RB4:419–20, BKG420-425]
In it Bahá'u'lláh explicitly appointed `Abdu'l-Bahá His successor, the Centre of the Covenant and the Expounder of the revealed word. [BKG420; GPB239]
The Kitab-i-'Ahd (The Book of the Covenant), was only document that explicitly announced 'Abdu'l-Bahá as the Centre of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh and the one to whom all must turn after His ascension. It was published among the believers only after Bahá'u'lláh's passing. This historic document was probably written at least one year before His ascension, for it is alluded to in the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf as the 'Crimson Book'. Bahá'u'lláh kept His Will and Testament secret, retained it in His own possession and did not share its contents with anyone during His lifetime. But there is evidence to suggest that He had intimated its contents to 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [CoCp29]
See CB150, 164 for the effect this had on the believers. |
Kitáb-i-Ahd (Book of the Covenant); Bahá'u'lláh, Will and Testament of; * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Bahá'u'lláh, Shrine of; Bahá'u'lláh, Ascension of; - Basic timeline, Condensed; - Basic timeline, Expanded; * `Abdu'l-Bahá, Basic timeline; * `Abdu'l-Bahá (chronology); Covenant; Crimson Book; Crimson; Bahji, Israel |
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