At the request of Baha'u'lláh,`Abdu'l-Bahá wrote The Mysterious Forces of Civilization, a treatise on the establishment of a just, progressive and divinely-based government. [SDCv; Baha'u'llah on the Circumstances of the Composition of "The Secret of Divine Civilization" a provisional translation of a Tablet by Bahá'u'lláh by Adib Masumian]
• It was lithographed in Bombay in 1882. It was first published in English under the title The Mysterious Forces of Civilization in London in 1910. [SDCv] It was re-issued in 1918 and later translated as The Secret of Divine Civilization by Marzieh Gail and published by the Bahá'í Publishing Trust in Wilmette in 1957.
• See Marzieh Gail's Summon Up Remembrance pg46-47 for a description of Persia at the time. The nation was ostensibly ruled by a self-serving monarch who had little regard for the county or its people. The government administered the chessboard where Russia and England played out their competing imperialistic designs to increase their respective spheres of influence. Through bribery and intrigue, they contended to raise up ministers who would do their bidding. They thwarted the progress of the nation by manipulating the clergy to oppose any Western ideas, threatening that such would threaten Islam. If required these measures were supplemented with the bribery of the ulamas, accepted eagerly either for their personal gain or for contributions to their communities. Thus Iranians were kept divided, deprived, and ignorant; all the better to exploit them. [SUR62]
• Shoghi Effendi called The Secret of Divine Civilization "`Abdu'l-Bahá's outstanding contribution to the future reorganization of the world". [WOB37]
• See the English translation of the message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá'ís of Iran dated 26 November 2003 in which they make reference to this book.
• See a comment about the book.

In Bombay, on the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas was published for the first time. [SA250]
• It was published in Arabic. [SA250]

It is an historical account written by 'Abdu'l-Bahá around 1886 and first published anonymously in Persian in 1890. This English translation was prepared by Professor Edward G. Browne.

Tablets, Communes and Holy Utterances, a collection of writings by Bahá'u'lláh, was published in Chicago. 23p. [BFA2:26]
• It was the first prayer book and first compilation of Bahá'í writings published in the West. Most of the selections are from Bahá'u'lláh except for pages 18 to 21 which are from 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [BFA2:26]
• It was probably translated by Anton Haddad and published by the Behais Supply and Publishing Board. [BFA2:26]
• Collins gives the date as 1897. [BEL4.277]

A.L.M. Nicolas published his book Seyyed Ali dit le Bab. It was the first work by a western author dedicated entirely to the Báb, His movement and His teachings. (Conflict: See 1865)
• English translation A Prophet of Modern Times by Peter Terry.

  It is "(a) history of the Bábí movement up to 1852. Nicolas gives a list of sources for this book on pp. 48-53. It is interesting to note that among his oral sources are four of the leading Bahá'ís of that period, who had been designated by Bahá'u'lláh as 'Hands of the Cause': Mírzá 'Alí-Muhammad, 'Ibn-i-Asdaq: Mullá 'Al-Akbar-i-Sháhmírzádí, Hají Akhund; Mírzá Muhammad-Táqíy-i-Abharí, 'Ibn-i-Abhar; and Mírzá Hasan-i-Adíb. The other two oral sources named are Siyyid 'Ismu'lláh, who was presumably Siyyid Mihdíy-i-Dihají, and Mírzá Yahyá, Subh-i-Azál." [BBR38-39]

• The preamble to his book has an image that is supposedly of the Báb, but the portrait does not seem to be an authentic representation.

• William Miller also reproduced Nicolas's image on page 17 of his polemical work, The Bahá'í Faith: Its History and Teachings. (South Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1974). ['The Bab in the World of Images', Bahá'í Studies Review, vol. 19, June 2013, 171–90.]
• See also WOB83 for other missionaries who wrote polemics against the Bahá'í Faith.

The first issue of the Bahá'í News was published in Chicago. [BFA2:XVII; BW10:179; BWNS1289]
• See BFA2:320–2, BW8:927 and SBBH1:116–17 for the magazine's development.
• It was the first Bahá'í magazine published in the West. [BBD2 14]
• Star of the West was published as Bahá'í News (Volume 1, Issues 1-19 from 21 March, 1910 until 2 March, 1911) and later under Star of the West /The Bahá'í Magazine (Volume 2 to Volume 25, 21 March, 1911 until 25 March,1935).
• Its editors were Albert Windust and Gertrude Buikema. Others involved with its publication over its history were Albert and Emily Vail, Dr. Zia Baghdadi, Ahmad Sohrab, Edna M. True; with Horace Holley and Stanwood Cobb being singled out as early contributors. [Duane Troxel]

  ---

  Star of the West Published March 1910 to April 1935

  URL (For cut 'n' paste)	Volume # / Dates (links)
  Vol 1 (Mar 1910) - Vol 10 (Mar 1920)
  Vol 11 (Mar 1920) - Vol 20 (Mar 1930)
  Vol 21 (Apr 1930) - Vol 25 (Apr 1935)

  
  

  For an access to the Star of the West archives see http://www.starofthewest.info. This site is not searchable.

The first publication of the book that has come to be titled Paris Talks initially called Talks by Abdul Baha Given in Paris. Prior to this, in the autumn of 1911, Mornings Spent with Abdul Baha Abbas in London and Paris had been published which, of course, did not include information from His visit the following year.
• In 1924 the title was changed to The Wisdom of Abdul Baha from Addresses delivered in Paris 1910-1911. Talks by Abdul Baha Given in Paris...with supplementary historical note and introduction was printed in 1936 with the following editions starting in 1945 using the title that is currently used Paris Talks: Addresses Given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912
• Counting the initial publication, there have been 19 editions in English including one in Braille and an audio recording. In addition, there have been multiple editions in some 25 other languages. ['Abdu'l-Bahá in France 1911 to 1913 p726-730]

The periodical entitled "The Magazine of the Children of the Kingdom" was published and distributed by Miss Ella Roberts from 1919 to 1924. [Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America: Native American creation stories, edited by Rosemary Skinner Keller, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Marie Cantlon p.782-783]
• The story of the naming of the magazine...
  Margaret Randall told of the establishment of a Bahá'í Junior Magazine and asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá for a name for it. The Master was told who had charge of it, and His face lighted up with a beautiful smile as He said: "The name is The Magazine of the Children of the Kingdom. Who writes it? This (name) is suitable for it. [WHR128-129]
• See A Compilation on Bahá'í Education #96 for a tablet by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the children of the Bahá'í school, Urbana, Illinois found here.
• See A Compilation on Bahá'í Education #102 for a tribute to the magazine by Shoghi Effendi found here. He called it "first and only organ of the Bahá'í youth throughout the world".
• At the American National Convention in 1925 (July 4 - 9) it was reported that "The Magazine of the Children of the Kingdom", edited by Ella Roberts and "Bahá'í World Fellowship" edited by Mrs. Victoria Bedikian had merged. ["Bahá'í News Letter" #6 Jul-Aug 1925 p.6]

The Bahá'í community of Iran began publishing a monthly magazine called Aḵbār-e amrī, a publication whose name means "News of the Cause". Containing the holy writings of the Bahá'í faith, domestic and foreign Bahá'í news, official announcements of Bahá'í administrative bodies, and articles on various aspects of the Faith, the magazine became a vital means of communication and a register of the main historical events for six decades until its closing in 1980. It was published by "Lajnih-yi Nashr-i Nafahát" (Committee for the Diffusion of the Divine Fragrances) until 1978 and then by Mahfil-i Ruhání-yi Millí-yi Baháiyán-i Írán (National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Iran) [BAHAISM v. The Bahai Community in Iran by V. Rafati; BWNS1289]
• Scanned copies from B.E. 102 to B.E. 111 and B.E. 116 were taken from bound copies of the journal originally owned by Mr Hormuzdiar Sabet and contain his annotations, frequently noting the original English text that has been translated in the journal.

Shoghi Effendi wrote to the editors and manager of the Star of the West Albert Vail Miss Edna True Dr. Zia M. Baghdádí Mírzá Aḥmad Sohrab. He reported that he had requested every Spiritual Assembly throughout Persia, Turkestan, Caucasus, India, Egypt, 'Iráq, Turkey, Syria and Palestine to contribute periodically carefully written articles to the magazine, and submit regularly for publication a special report on their spiritual activities and the progress of the Cause in their own province. [Uncompiled Published Letters p30 by Shoghi Effendi]
• He sent a similar note of encouragement to the editor of the Indian Bahá'í News and to the editors of The Dawn in Burma. [PP347-348; Uncompiled Published Letters p36 by Shoghi Effendi]

Bahai Scriptures, edited by Horace Holley, was published. [SBR231; Collins4.71-4.72]
• It was the first comprehensive collection of Bahá'í writings made thus far in English. [SBR231]

The first Bahá'í News Letter, forerunner of Bahá'í News, was published in New York by the National Assembly of the United States and Canada with Horace Holley as the editor. [BBRSM122; BW10:180; BW13:856; SBR232]
• For links to the publications see entry at 1990-10-00.

The Bahá'í World was first published. [BW1:4; GT77; PP209; SBR232; BWNS1289]
• The first edition, April 1925 to April 1926, was called The Bahá'í Yearbook.
• For Shoghi Effendi's impression of it see UD82–4.
• This marked a new stage in the capacity of the Bahá'í community to provide reports and statistics, capture experience from diverse countries, and disseminate important insights and analyses. Each edition covered the progress of the international Bahá'í community over a defined period.

World Order magazine was founded. [SBR236; BWNS1289]
• The publication included essays, poems, personal recollections, and historical pieces. The periodical brought together into one volume works by scholars, poets, artists, and practitioners from various fields of endeavour. The first volume also included excerpts from a letter by Shoghi Effendi titled "The Goal of a New World Order."
• There was a break in publication from 1949 to 1966. [Bahá'í Works]
• PDFs of most volumes are available for downloading from the Bahá'í Works website.

The Bahá'í World News Service began publishing online, picking up the reins of the former Bahá'í International News Service which was a biweekly printed newsletter. [One Country Vol 12 Issue 3 October-December 2000; Ridván Message 2001]
• In 2018 the BWNS began providing podcasts and in subsequent months, in addition to English and Persian, stories were be made available in Spanish and French. [BWNS1289]
• By September 2023 the site was publishing in English, French, Russian, Spanish and Farsi. [BWNS1695]