Baha'u'llah (1817-1892), the Inaugurator of the most recent of the independent world religions, the Baha'i Faith, has been described by the Guardian of that Faith as 'One Whom posterity will acclaim, and Whom innumerable followers already recognize, . . . as the Establisher of the Most Great Peace . . . and the Inspirer and Founder of a world civilization'. Few there are in the West who have known even one person who saw Him or experienced the majesty and power, the compassion, humility and humour which characterized His earthly life. Baha'is of the East are more fortunate, many having known those, often their relatives, who were in His presence as companions or pilgrims. Yet, as the editor of this book remarks, 'only a few recorded their observations for posterity'. It was in 1975 that 'the thought of collecting personal accounts' occurred to the Hand of the Cause 'Ali-Akbar Furutan. Through correspondence and the examination of numerous memoirs, published and in manuscript, he selected the stories in this enthralling collection. 'The day is approaching when God will have raised up a people who will call to remembrance Our days, ' wrote Baha'u'llah. The 144 stories in these pages make such remembrance both effortless and delightful. They come to mind whether one is far away or visiting the scenes in which they occurred. They describe Baha'u'llah in Iran, Baghdad, Constantinople, Adrianople, 'Akka and Bahji, and linger in memory to uplift and gladden both heart and mind.

The amazing stories of the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh, whose indomitable spirit, courage and steadfastness brought the Bahá'í message to countries where it was previously unknown. Why would a legal counsel with the rank of brigadier general in the Department of Defence go to a desolate island with just a few score inhabitants? Where it was so hot that he cooked his eggs on rocks on the beach and so isolated that the arrival of an eggplant on the tide was the cause of celebration? Why would a young doctor give up a potential job that included a nice house, servants, car and driver and a good salary, for a job paying just $25 a month in a place where the toilet was two boards placed over a stream full of water snakes? These and other stories of indomitable spirit, courage, steadfastness and self-abnegation are the subject of this book on the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh, those Bahá'ís who left their homes to bring the message of Bahá'u'lláh to countries and territories where it was unknown, and whose names are inscribed on Shoghi Effendi's Roll of Honour. They came from over two dozen countries scattered over the earth representing every continent; 131 of them were men and 126 women. The oldest left home at the age of 85, while the youngest was a youth no older than 14. They endured loneliness and made sacrifices, and in so doing experienced the greatest adventure of their lives.--Publisher's website.

Describes Bahá'u'lláh's life straightforwardly but with drama and a talent for evoking the ambience of the 19th-century Persian and Ottomoan milieus. Five appendices cover a chronology of the events in the life of Bahá'ulláh's life, Bahá'ulláh's family, the branches of Islam, millennial Christians, and his younger half-brother Mírzá Yahyá.

Vignettes from the Life of 'Abdu'l-Baha'u'llah is a unique collection of stories, sayings and comments, providing a special insight into the life, character and station of Baha'u'llah'u'llah's eldest son.

The first full-length biography of one of the greatest women in world religious history. Her towering spiritual strength offers readers an unrivaled model of sacrifice and service to one's faith.Born in Tehran, Bahiyyih Khanum (18461932) was the daughter of Baha'u'llah (18171892), Prophet and Founder of the Baha'i religion. Because Baha'u'llah's teachings were seen in His homeland as a heretical threat to the established order, He and His immediate family and a small group of followers were exiled for some forty years. Meanwhile, thousands of other followers were exterminated in an effort to eradicate the new faith.From the age of seven, Bahiyyih Khanum accompanied her father in exile to Baghdad, Constantinople, Adrianople, and eventually 'Akka, suffering all of the privations her father suffered. Yet she played a unique and crucial role in supporting her family; assisting members of the religion during periods of unspeakably brutal persecution; managing the small band's household under prison conditions; and, later in life, working with Baha'u'llah's successors to establish the Baha'i Faith as a universally recognized world religion. Her confident and resilient response to hardship and suffering, her acceptance of administrative responsibility, her exemplary leadership, and her capacity to deal constructively with change were exceptional.

In the mid 1800s, a Persian nobleman in exile claimed to be a new messenger of God. He called himself Baha'u'llah ("The Glory of God") and taught that all nations, races, and religions should come together to build a global civilization of peace and justice for all. Baha'u'llah's progressive teachings have inspired millions of people around the world. But his own family was torn apart by schism and authoritarian interpretations of the religion. Most of his descendants are remembered today as heretics or have been forgotten by Baha'is. This book tells the story of the Baha'i faith through the eyes of some of the children and grandchildren of its founder, and others who knew Baha'u'llah personally. Despite their sincere belief, they were excommunicated and shunned by their own relatives and fellow believers after the prophet's death. They called themselves Unitarian Baha'is and stood for a broad-minded faith based on reason and individual freedom of conscience. Shua Ullah Behai, the eldest grandson of Baha'u'llah, led a Unitarian Baha'i denomination in the United States and compiled an introduction to the Baha'i faith in the 1940s. This historically significant manuscript was preserved by the author's niece and is published for the first time in this annotated volume.