The Center of the Covenant
Including a Tablet
to Mr. Remey
and
Interview
with Badi'u'llah by Howard MacNutt
Published in Star of the West, Vol. III, No. 7, July 13, 1912, pp.
17-18
The time has come when the Bahais of the West should understand what is
intended by "The Center of the Covenant;' therefore we are pleased to
publish in this issue the article from the pen of Charles Mason Remey,
"Abdul-Baha, the Center of the Covenant." A tablet regarding this
important subject was recently revealed by Abdul-Baha through Mr. Remey. We
publish it herewith.
Tablet to Mr. Remey
by Abdu'l-Baha
trans. Ahmad Sohrab
To his honor Mr. Remey - Upon him be
BAHA'O'LLAH-EL-ABHA!
HE IS GOD!
0 thou who art firm in the Covenant!
Thy letter was received and I was informed of its
contents. Explain the matter according to the following Teachings, and do not
add one word thereto:
His Holiness Abraham-Upon him be Peace! - took
the Covenant of His Holiness Moses and gave the glad-tidings of His appearance.
His, Holiness Moses took the Covenant of the Promised One, His Holiness the
Christ, and gladdened the world with the glad-tidings of His Manifestation, His
Holiness the Christ took the Covenant of the "Paraclete" - which means
His Holiness Mohammed - and announced the glad-tidings of His Appearance. His
Holiness Mohammed took the Covenant of His Holiness the Bab, and the Bab was,
the Promised One of His Holiness Mohammed, for He gave the good news of His
Coming. His Holiness the Blessed Perfection BAHA'O'LLAH - was the Promised One
of His Holiness the Bab. The Blessed Perfection has prophesied of the coming of
a Promised One after one thousand years, or after thousands of years. That
Personage is the Promised One of the Blessed Perfection, and He will [p. 17]
appear after one thousand years or after thousands of years. Likewise with the
trace of the Supreme Pen He has taken a great Covenant and Testament from all
the Bahais, that after His Departure they must obey the Center of the Covenant
and must not deviate one hair's breadth from obedience to him. He has commanded
in the most explicit term in two instances in the Book of Akdas and He has
appointed most unmistakably the interpreter of the Book.
In all the Tablets, especially the chapter of
"Branch," whose meanings are all Abdul-Baha - that is, "the
Servant of Baha" - everything that is necessary is revealed from the
Supreme Pen. As Abdul-Baha is the interpreter of the Book, he says that the
chapter of "Branch" means Abdul-Baha, it refers to the servitude of
Abdul-Baha and nothing else.
In brief, one of the special favors of this
dispensation of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH which is not seen in past
Manifestations is this: - that He has left no place for difference. For in His
own Day, with the Trace of His own Supreme Pen He has taken a Covenant and a
Testament. He has pointed to the one who should be looked upon as authority by
all, He has shown the interpreter of the Book and has closed the doors of
outside interpretation.
Everyone should thank God that in this Blessed
Cause He has tranquilized all and has left no place for hesitation. Therefore
obedience and submission must be shown and the face turned completely to him
(the Center of the Covenant).
Restrict discussion to this and do not exceed
thereto, so that it may become the cause of fellowship and the remover of
differences.
Upon thee be BAHA-EL-ABHA!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Translated by M. Ahmad Sohrab
Montclair, N. J., June 24, 1912.
Notwithstanding that BAHA'O'LLAH pointed to the
one who should be looked upon as authority by all and named the interpreter of
His Words, leaving no place for difference and misunderstanding, yet it is
known that shortly after the departure [death] of BAHA'O'LLAH difficulties
arose. The following interview between Badi'u'llah [brother of Abdul-Baha] and
Howard MacNutt at the home of Abdul-Baha in Akka, Syria, January 10, 1905, is
a presentation of this important subject of "The Center of the
Covenant" from another standpoint. It is printed in the STAR OF THE WEST
at the request of Abdul-Baha:
Interview with Badi'u'llah.
Another afternoon, Badi'u'llah came in to see us. Our conversation had
been upon "loyalty to the Covenant." After the interpreter had
explained our views, Badi'u'llah listened gravely for a while, then said:
"Nine days after the ascension of the Blessed Perfection, [BAHA'O' LLAH]
the Kitab-el-Ahd [Book of the Covenant] was read. After a few days Mohammed Ali
Effendi [brother of Abdul-Baha and Badi'u'llah] and a part of the family
withdrew from Abbas Effendi [Abdul-Baha]. The other members of the family were
instigated by words of Mohammed Ali to the effect that the Blessed Perfection
had written in the Kitab-el-Akdas [Book of the Laws] that no Manifestation
should appear for one thousand years and that Abbas Effendi was taking the title
of "Manifestation" to himself. This was the cause of the breaking away
of part of the family, including myself.
"Afterwards I saw some of the actions of Mohammed Ali and realized that the
reason he had withdrawn from Abbas Effendi was not on account of the words of
BAHA'O'LLAH in the Kitab-elAkdas but that it had been occasioned by his own
feelings. And I saw too that these actions were not consistent with the commands
and writings of the Blessed Perfection. From this I saw and knew clearly that
the cause of his withdrawal had been hatred of Abbas Effendi.
"The brother of the wife of Mohammed Ali, Mirza Majded-din, was sent by
Mohammed Ali to Damascus with a letter for the Governor of Damascus. In that
letter Mohammed Ali wrote a complaint against Abbas Effendi. This messenger was
also instructed to tell the Governor by word of mouth certain things which would
injure the Cause further for Abbas Effendi. The letter and messages were duly
delivered to the Governor-General of Damascus. In twenty-five days the messenger
returned. Just about that time a telegram came from the Sultan to the
Governor-General of Beiruit who telegraphed it to the Governor at Akka: "Abbas
Effendi and his brothers shall not be allowed to go outside the city." I
was deeply grieved by these happenings.
"After thinking over the matter carefully I concluded that the best course
would be for Mohammed Ali and all the family to come here to Abbas Effendi and
reach some understanding so that discord and disunion might no longer exist. I
thought they should come themselves and ask for the truth of these rumors set
afloat by Mohammed Ali concerning Abbas Effendi. I myself came first to Abbas
Effendi and told him what I wanted to accomplish. Then I went to Mohammed Ali
and said "Do come with me to Abbas Effendi so that all the terrible trouble
may cease." All the family were happy about this proposal of mine, except
Mohammed Ali himself. I spoke a great deal to him and tried to persuade him to
follow my advice but without success. I have written out in detail all the
conversations I had with Abbas Effendi upon these matters. What I am giving you
today is but a brief synopsis of them.
"After hearing my words Mohammed Ali spoke a great deal to his family and
those who followed him, uttering falsehood and thus driving them further and
further away from the prospect of unity. When I finally realized that
reconciliation and harmony were impossible I was so deeply grieved that I became
very ill. When I recovered I wished to leave Akka and determined to do so if I
could secure permission. I wrote to the Governor-General of Beiruit asking that
I "might be removed from this prison to another prison as the conditions
were [p. 18] so distasteful to me here." I took a copy of this letter.
Although this prison was the best of all homes to me on account of the Blessed
Perfection's life here, yet I was so miserable I wished to leave at any
sacrifice. By the way, all I ever heard Abbas Effendi say proved the rumors set
afloat by Mohammed Ali to be false and untruthful. After I had written to the
Governor-General of Beiruit, I wrote to the Sultan, copying this letter also.
There is a prison on the Island of Rhodes where criminals and offenders are
sent. In my letter to the Sultan I asked that I might be sent to it. I forwarded
this letter to a man in Constantinople asking him to present it to the Sultan.
"Afterwards I saw Abbas Effendi and learned that he did not sanction this
action, so I wrote immediately to the man in Constantinople, saying, "Do
not deliver the letter." I also wrote to the Governor-General of Beiruit
countermanding my wish to be removed from Akka. If the letter had been delivered
to the Sultan it might have been too late to change the result. The prisoners at
Rhodes are mostly Jews and Turks. As time went on I found it impossible for me
to remain with Mohammed Ali. Finally I went to talk with him again. Accompanying
me as a witness to the conversation was Seyd Ali, a brother of a son-in-law of
Abbas Effendi. I said to Mohammed Ali, "If you will go with me to Abbas
Effendi, come and go with me now." He said, "I will not go." I
then took my family and left the house.
"I have written two accounts regarding this matter, - one brief, another in
full detail, beginning at the time of the Ascension of the Blessed Perfection.
The short one has been translated into English; the long one is not yet
translated (January, 1905). The latter account explains everything fully and
clearly shows that Mohammed Ali's action and behavior was not on account of his
love for the Blessed Perfection but on account of his personal feelings and
jealousy.
"Since I came to Abdul-Baha with my family, fifty men and women have come
back to him in love and loyalty. Five or six returned after a few days; and only
day before yesterday five others came to him, - about fifty in all. The
adherents to M6hammed Ali do not number fifty all told. In Akka there are two,
in Haifa three, in Teheran one and in other places a few. Only this small number
remain in support of him. And why is this so? Because it was not for the Glory
of God but for his own personal motives that Mohammed Ali acted so.
"The Blessed Perfection said, "My Cause is to unite men and bind them
together; and those who violate this command step away from the protecting
Shadow of My Word." He commanded that we must sow the seeds of love in our
hearts, not the thorns of hatred. Therefore if any of the sons of the Blessed
Perfection follow His Word they are under the Shadow of His Command and
Protection; and if not, they are afar off. For example, if the Sultan has a
Governor who obeys the Sultan it is the duty of the people to love and obey him
because he himself is obedient. I wish this explanation to be perfectly and
clearly understood in America. In the Persian Hidden Words, BAHA'O'LLAH says:
"0 Friend! In the garden of the heart plant only flowers of love and cling
to the Nightingale of Love and yearning."
"All must know and realize that he who says that which is not in-accordance
with the Words of the Blessed Perfection or speaks that which causes discord to
arise in human souls is assuredly not one of the servants of God and a follower
of the Blessed Perfection. It is impossible for a true lover to desire to harm
his beloved. If he does that which injures his loved one it is evident that his
love is not true. The sign of a true lover is that all his actions aim to please
his beloved. The first quality of a real lover is that he sacrifices his own
desire for the wish and desire of his beloved. Mohammed Ali has followed his own
will and desire and has left the Will and Desire of the Beloved. This is why he
failed and fell."
Back to the
Temple