Bücher veröffentlicht von George Ronald Publisher Ltd

This second edition of Gerald Keil's thought-provoking book includes new material on the practical application of the Badí' calendar as well as examining its historical background and symbolic significance.The Badí' calendar is derived directly from the revealed writings of both the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh and is a component part of the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. The inherent symbolism of the calendar, however, has until now remained largely unexplored, so that the systematic investigation presented by this wide-ranging, impressive study is no doubt the ¿rst of its kind.One of the main themes of the book is that the Badí' calendar is creative in the sense that, through its symbolic association with different aspects of the Bahá'í Faith, it can serve to represent and illustrate many of the central tenets of the Faith. Symbol and object converge in the Badí'calendar in a manner which is unique in the entire revelation.The full effect the Badí' calendar will have on society is hardly predictable at present or in the near future. Just as the actual unfolding of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh will reveal to future generations aspects of practical and spiritual life which we cannot even imagine today, so too willthe world-wide application of the Badí' calendar exert an influence on the physical and spiritual rhythm of life in a fashion and to a degree which we cannot yet appreciate. The meaning of the Badí' calendar will ¿rst become fully evident to those privileged to live in the pulse of this future World Order.

1. A General Introduction to the Qayyum al-Asma'Muhammad Afnan (translated by Omid Ghaemmaghami) 2. The Commentary on the Sura of JosephNosratollah Mohammadhosseini3. Khutbat al¿iftikharIntroduced and translated by Khazeh Fananapazir4. Colours in the Writings of the BabVahid Rafati (translated by Omid Ghaemmaghami)5. A Grammar of the Divine: Solecisms in the Arabic Writings of the Bab and His Thoughts on Arabic GrammarWilliam F. McCants6. Secrets Concealed by Secrets: Taqiyya as Arcanization in the Autobibliographies of the BabJ. Vahid Brown7. The Surat adh-Dhikr of the Qayyum al-Asma' (chapter 108): A Provisional Translation and CommentaryMoojan Momen8. The Surat al-'Abd of the Qayyum al-Asma' (Chapter 109): A Provisional Translation and CommentaryTodd Lawson9. The Khutba al-Jidda (The Literary Sermon at Jeddah) of the BabStephen Lambden10.Muhammad Shah Qajar in Four Early Writings of the BabSholeh A. Quinn11.A Youth of Medium Height: The Bab's Encounter with the Hidden Imam in Tafsir Surat al-KawtharOmid Ghaemmaghami12.Phenomenology of Occultation and Prayer in the Bab's Sahifiy-i Ja'fariyyihNader Saiedi13.The Bab's Panj Sha'n (Five Modes)John Walbridge14.Undermining the Foundations of Orthodoxy: Some Notes on the Bab's Sharia (Sacred Law)Armin Eschraghi15.Concealment and Burial of the BabTranslated and annotated by Peter Terry16. Collusion and Re-creation: Dogen and the Bab as Interpreters of ScriptureGary Fuhrman

Here is the translation of Khátirát-i-Nuh-Sáliy-i-'Akká, the memoirs of Dr Youness Afroukhteh who served 'Abdu'l-Bahá as His trusted secretary and interpreter from 1900-1909. These were difficult years when the Master was imprisoned in the city of 'Akká, His every move subject to misrepresentation by the Arch-breaker of the Covenant and his associates, and even His life in danger. At the same time the period saw the victories of the construction of the Shrine of the Báb and the House of Worship in 'Ishqábád, and the rise of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh in the West. This important record, published in 1952 on the instructions of Shoghi Effendi, has been described as 'pre-eminent among those works dealing with the history of Covenant-breaking'. At the same time it chronicles the daily life in 'Akká of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and of the little band of devoted believers whose chief joy in life was to be of service to Him; it also describes the pilgrimages to 'Akká of many eminent early Western Bahá'ís including Thomas Breakwell, Hippolyte Dreyfus, Lua Getsinger and Laura Barney, the compiler of Some Answered Questions. Over those nine years Jináb-i-Khán (the title by which Dr Youness Afroukhteh was honoured by 'Abdu'l-Bahá) served the Master in 'Akká as secretary, translator, envoy and physician. His account of some of the most significant events of the period, his graphic and stirring pen-portraits of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and the description of his own emotions - all expressed in a lively and at time mischievous language of humour and wit - make this volume uniquely memorable.

'Abdu'l-Baha, The Centre of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah was the first comprehensive biography of this 'magnetic figure' and 'perfect Exemplar' of Baha'i life, and remains the foremost source for subsequent accounts. Over 250 pages describe 'Abdu'l-Baha's journey to the West, the places He visited and audiences He addressed, many of those who were privileged to meet Him, and the example He gave in daily life. The ideals He upheld for all are reflected in a wealth of quotations from His talks.

Revealed by Baha'u'llah in Adrianople and sent to Mirza Ahmad Yazdi who was travelling from Baghdad to see Him, the Tablet of Ahmad is one of the prayers identified by Shoghi Effendi as having been invested with a 'special potency and significance'.H. Richard Gurinsky explores the Tablet of Ahmad to discover its significance and importance in the lives of Baha'is today. Taking each verse in turn, he reflects on the many levels of meaning that every phrase holds and draws the reader into a deep meditation on the import of Baha'u'llah's words.

Vol 1 - Early Years 1870-1922Beginning with their childhood years, this is the story of May Bolles and Sutherland Maxwell; their youth, their meeting and courtship in Paris; their marriage;their first pilgrimages; the birth of their daughter and the historic visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to their home in Montreal in 1912.One family, bonded in their love for the Bahá'í Faith and for each other, committed through decades of uninterrupted service to the promotion and establishment of that Faith worldwide. They were born during the Heroic Age of the Faith the parents during the lifetime of Bahá'u'lláh, the child during the Ministry of Abdu'l-Bahá and they lived to serve the Guardian of the Cause during the early decades of the Formative Age at the most critical time of his ministry. The mother became a beloved handmaid and distinguished disciple of Abdu'l-Bahá, of whom He wrote that her company uplifts and develops the soul. The father was a noble, cultured and saintly man, an outstanding architect, not only of the Shrine of the Báb but also as a partner in the largest and most preeminent architectural firm in Canada during the first quarter of the 20th century. And the daughter grew up to play a unique role in history as the wife of the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith. Their names were May Bolles, William Sutherland and Mary the Maxwells of Montreal.Volume I (Early Years) covers the years 1870-1922, beginning with the childhood years of May Bolles and Sutherland Maxwell; their youth, their meeting and courtship in Paris; their marriage and their first pilgrimages. It tells the story of the birth of their daughter and the historic visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to their home in Montreal just before World War I. It also describes the early development and training of young Mary, the family's activities during the war years, the reception of the Tablets of the Divine Plan, and the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá which ended the Heroic Age of the Bahá'í Faith.The book draws on over 1,600 personal letters between May, Sutherland and Mary Maxwell (Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum), together with about 1,400 letters which the three Maxwells exchanged with their relatives and some of the early Bahá'ís. It includes citations from the 195 Tablets, letters and cables from 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and the Greatest Holy Leaf to members of the family, which have never been transcribed before. It also contains extracts from Rúhíyyih Khánum's notebooks, the memoirs of her mother, sketches made by her father, and articles and photographs related to the period.

As 'Abdu'l-Bahá'ís secretary and translator from 1918 to 1920, and then at Balliol College Oxford, the young Shoghi Effendi was being prepared to become the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith.As World War I drew to its close, Shoghi Effendi, a young graduate of the American University of Beirut, returned home to Haifa in the Holy Land to be of service to his beloved grandfather, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the head of the Bahá'í Faith. From late 1918 to mid-1920 Shoghi Effendi became the chief secretary and translator of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's voluminous correspondence with Bahá'ís in Western countries as well as India and Japan, and accompanied 'Abdu'l-Bahá in his meetings in Haifa and 'Akká with officials, enquirers and pilgrims. All this prepared him for directing the growth and development of the Bahá'í Faith as its Guardian - a responsibility that would be bestowed upon him on the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.Shoghi Effendi himself was unaware of this future event. He longed to perfect his command of the English language that he might be of better service to his beloved grandfather, and to fulfil this purpose he applied and was admitted to Balliol College at Oxford University, one of the greatest centres of learning in the world. His studies at the University, and his visits to the Bahá'í communities in England, are described in this book.This updated and expanded edition was originally published as Shoghi Effendi in Oxford.

Shoghi Effendi Through the Pilgrim's Eye tells the story of the Guardian's ministry from 1922 when the young Shoghi Effendi, just 24 years old, was charged with guiding the affairs of a worldwide Faith. Rather than a biography, it draws on the diary entries and letters (many now published for the first time) of the many pilgrims and visitors to the Bahá'í Holy Places in Haifa and 'Akká, as well as the accounts of those who worked to assist the Guardian in his many extraordinary achievements.As in all such cases, these recollections must be taken in the spirit of pilgrim notes - interesting and thought-provoking highlights and observations, but not any part of the Bahá'í Sacred Text. They do, however, provide unique insights and inspiration.Volume I (1922-1952) covers the years when the Guardian was laying the foundations of the Bahá'í Administrative Order destined to culminate in the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, while at the same time planning and carrying out the extension and development of the Shrines of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, translating the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh as well as The Dawn-Breakers and writing his own major works, as well as facing challenges to his authority and responding to the confiscation of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad and the persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran and Egypt. The volume ends just before the dramatic decade that was to begin in 1953 with the celebration of the Bahá'í Holy Year, the first intercontinental conferences and the launching of the ten-year worldwide spiritual plan to carry the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh to every place on the planet.Pilgrims include:Agnes AlexanderEffie BakerMúsá and Samíhíh Banání Victoria Bedekian Lady Blomfield Nancy BowditchTed Cardell Stanwood and Nayyan CobbAmelia Collins Genevieve Coy Ethel Dawe Alice DoolittleSabrí EliasJohn EsslemontNell French 'Alí-Akbar FurútanUgo Giachery Hermann, Anna & Elsa GrossmannPhilip HainsworthLarry Hautz James HeggieEmogene Hoagg Leroy IoasMarion JackDhikru'lláh KhádemAli-Kuli Khan and Florence Abu'l-Qásim KhurásáníRom LandauMay and Mary Maxwell Sutherland MaxwellMargery McCormickMuhammad MustafaNew Zealand Bahá'ísSadie and Bertha OglesbyMabel and Sylvia PaineAziz Panahi Keith Ransom-KehlerMason RemeyMartha RootEthel RosenbergEmeric SalaFred and Lorol Schopflocher May and Isabelle Stebbins Habíb Taherzadeh Juliet ThompsonGeorge Townshend Corinne TrueGladys and Ben WeedenAlbert Windust

Door of Hope is an indispensable guide to the history and sites of pilgrimage of the Bahá'í Faith in the Holy Land. The author lived at the Bahá'í World Centre for twenty-five years, and used the opportunity to make the subject of this book his special study. He methodically examined the geography, archaeology and history of all that relates to the Bahá'í Faith, as well as the results of Jewish, Christian and Bahá'í scholarship.The text is enriched by a unique collection of historic photographs and drawings which will prove both fascinating and of great value for Bahá'í pilgrims and visitors, as well as those who have not had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land.

Agnes Alexander was the only Hand of the Cause of God to be mentioned in the Tablets of the Divine Plan. 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote of her: 'I declare by the Lord of Hosts that had this respected daughter founded an empire, that empire would not have been so great', and described her as 'the daughter of the Kingdom, the beloved maid-servant of the Blessed Perfection'. Her life spanned the closing epoch of the Apostolic Age of the Faith and the earliest epoch of the Formative Age, saw the erection of National Spiritual Assemblies in lands where she was once the lone Bahá'í, and also witnessed the birth of the long-promised era of the Universal House of Justice. Two things guided her. The first was the direction given both to her personally and to the Bahá'ís collectively by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. The second was her constant belief that things happen 'if God wills' them to happen. She was an optimist, rarely acknowledging the negative side of things. She radiated love and kindliness everywhere she went and never spoke badly of others; consequently she was able to do many things others could not. During her 70 years of service to the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, Agnes Alexander opened Hawaii, Japan and Korea to the Bahá'í Faith, travelled with Martha Root in China and served across the Pacific Ocean. At the age of 83, she served simultaneously on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Kyoto, the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the North East Asia and as a Hand of the Cause. A close friend wrote of her: 'she was Japan's real super-hero disguised as a little old lady'. This book is based on Agnes Alexander's own accounts of the establishment of the Bahá'í Faith in Hawaii and Japan, but more especially on the 40 years of research by Duane Troxel into her life - over 12,000 files of letters, photographs, audio and video interviews and a host of other previously unpublished materials. It was the task of author Earl Redman to distill these into this fascinating and readable story of an exceptional life.

What lies beyond Covid-19? How does it challenge humanity as a whole and ourselves as individuals to bring about change?The global pandemic that changed the world in early 2020, and the subsequent challenges that are emerging as a result, propel us to consider what is beyond this moment. The spirit of humanity, challenged daily by increasing trauma, requires constant reflection on who we are and who we collectively want to be. How can we arise to create a global collective consciousness? What is latent within humanity to bring about the transformation required?Among the most provocative and profound resources for the journey before us are observation and discovery within the natural and scientific world. This book identifies four essential questions that challenge our thinking, and weaves a web of scientific discovery and spiritual exploration through the magic of storytelling.The purpose of this book is to provide the traveller on his or her spiritual path with a guide to develop the discipline necessary for the journey. At this time of world peril, we look for answers and directions to take that will assist humanity as a whole, and ourselves as individuals, to reach safe shores and calm waters.

Most of us have grown up in a culture where alcohol is commonplace. Many people believe it (and certain drugs) to be harmless - only severe substance abuse is harmful, responsible use can even be beneficial and is part of normal social life . . . so goes the argument.We now live in a society awash with alcohol and drugs, which makes abstinence appear odd, unreasonable or even fanatical. Yet everyone knows someone (often a family member) whose life has been damaged by drugs or alcohol. So this book advocates rebellion. If being a rebel in some past age meant partying all the time, binge-drinking, taking drugs, being cool, this form of rebellion is long dead. Still, we rarely take a sceptical look at the use of 'alcohol and other chemical pastimes' in our society.Although inspired by the Bahá'í Writings, this book is not inherently religious. Drawing on reputable scientific sources easily available online, it makes the case for choosing a life free of alcohol and drugs - and not only for health reasons. It invites the reader to rebel against indolence, irrationality, prejudice, injustice and hatred; to stand for justice, clarity, community and compassion in the face of apathy and lethargy; to care deeply for humanity and to become a leader in the cultural change needed for society as a whole to fulfil its potential.Rob Cacchioni grew up in a small Canadian town, enmeshed in his own 'chemical pastimes' on the 'other side of the tracks'. In his early 20s he moved to Vancouver to study counselling and personal coaching. Already a student of comparative religion, he there encountered the Bahá'ís. He investigated Bahá'u'lláh's claim and embraced His global vision. He spent several years in South Korea, Taiwan and Yemen. He now lives in Vancouver with his wife and two children, where he teaches martial arts and music, and regularly offers talks on religious unity. For 20 years, he's studied religion and philosophy and currently runs a YouTube channel called Bridging Beliefs, offering bridges between Bahá'u'lláh's vision and Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, secularism and atheism.