Abdul Baha - His Failure at Family Unity
By: GAMAL NASEER

 

Abdul Baha The Most Mighty Branch Maintaining the unity of the Baha\'i Faith after Bahaullah; But.. Forgot to maintain amongst Family Members.

Abdul Baha (Sir Abbas Effendi) was born in Tehran on May 23, 1844 (the same day as the Declaration of the Báb, and was named Abbas, after His grandfather, Mirza Buzurg Nuri. His mother was Asiyih Khanum, herself of a notable Iranian family. Shortly after Abduul-Baha\'s birth, His father became a prominent member of the Babi religion which was to change the life of the family dramatically. (bahaikipedia.org)

Early years of his ministry 1892-1911

Bahaullah passed away on 29 May 1892. In such works as the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the Tablet of the Branch, Bahaullah had indicated that Abduul-Baha was to be His successor. The successorship was then clearly and unequivocally stated in Bahaullah\'s Will and Testament, the Book of the Covenant.

With such a clear designation, it would seem to have been impossible to challenge ‘Abdul Baha\'s authority. Mirza Muhammad Ali, Abdul Baha’s half-brother, did, however, do this on the grounds that ‘Abdul Baha had exceeded His station and claimed to be a prophet with a revelation from God.

History has recorded that after becoming the head of the faith Abdul Baha kept a side teaching of Bahullah and started propagating about himself, his station and his position and claim of “Center of Covenant of God” which was for Bahaullah, although Bahaullah in his tablets clearly mentioned that the next Manifestation will take place after 1000 years of his declaration Baha’i followers were puzzled and confuse over his claims, his house hold started raising their voice against his false claims and keeping aside the teaching of Bahaullah.

The Axe of Ex-Communication

He realize that if the objection of house hold is heard outside, followers of faith will revolt against him and would choose his half brother Muhammad Ali as successor of Bahaullah (as Bahaullah has mentioned in his Will and Testament). He declared them covenant breakers and ex-communicated them. Followers of Bahaullah who were in deep sorrow due to departure of Blessed beauty were warned for the same consequences.

His half brother Badiullah who was titled as Ghusn Noor by Bahaullah has penned down whatever he heard from his holy father a part of which was published as “Khaterate badiullah (memoris of Badiullah). I would like to bring few pages from his book for the reader to think about how Abdul Baha has misused his power, which will proof for reader that he was not eligible to be called as Baha’i, forget about a claim to be Center of Covenants of God.

Abusive language of Abbas Effendi towards Mahd-i-Ulya (wife of Bahaullah)

One day I proceeded to Acre accompanied by Baha\'s surviving wife Mahd-i-Ulya and members of his household. In the Courtyard of Sir Abbas Effendi\'s home, there was a group of his followers, who were murmuring. We walked straightway into the room, where Sir Abbas Effendi was sitting. \"He received us full of rage and with flushed face.\" He turned towards Mahd-i-Ulya and poured forth words and remarks, which decency forbids me to put down. He was grossly scurrilous.\" He told her: \"As an instance, you say that my writings should not be named \'tablets\' and that carpet [i.e. outfit of tablet and pen is rolled up.\" With the utmost politeness she replied: \"We do not say this. The Blessed Beauty [i.e. Baha] has commanded it. It is provided in the tablets [in allusion to Baha\'s writings, in which he records that at his death, the supreme Pen ceases to move on tablets, and the cry of the Supreme Pen is hushed].” Sir Abbas Effendi \"pronounce the Blessed name [of Baha] most scornfully. He was abusive and scurrilous. His wife and her clique were sitting. Their faces displayed pleasure.\"
(Ref: Khaterate badiullah P. 19)

Hardship Brought on Baha’s Household

Poisons were administered by the catastrophe to the Most Great Branch, wherewith to secure love and obsess his thoughts, included the mandrake.\" In no time all avenues were blocked in the face of these wrong done (Naqeseen) by Sir Abbas Effendi. All were strictly forbidden to associate and converse with, and even told at us. Anyone who raised opposition and made signs of recognition [to the wronged-ones], Sir Abbas Effendi\'s spies immediately informed against him and the poor fellow was victimized with thousand lies and innumerable slanders. He incurred the wrath of Sir Abbas Effendi. He was abused foully. He was beaten up. Any cruelty was deemed lawful for him. Sir Abbas Effendi brought such pressure to bear on Baha\'s house and cut off food supplies that for a time we were in fact starving in the Bahja mansion. To palliate his action the Most Great Branch said: \"I have purposely put the screw on them to make them come and ally themselves with me.\" Wherever his purpose was to implement vicious intentions of his wife and to act up an ephemeral hierarchy and nothing else. Some non-Baha\'i friends learnt the fact and rendered financial assistance.

Great Branch\'s move to thwart the assistance aborted. News of Sir Abbas Effendi\'s treatment of us spread like wild fire in Acre and reached the ears of the Divisional-General Mustafa Remzi Pasha. The Most Great Branch cooked a statement of account and took it to the Pasha. In it he posted huge sums of money by having been spent for the Bahja mansion. The Pasha laughed in his sleeve and told him: \"The account does not agree with truth. Go and deal by your brothers in a manner befitting high rent and greatness.\" The Most Great Branch was agitated. He noised absurd that the Branches had complained to the authorities against him. Khaterate badiullah P. 29:

The Dark and Light Sides of Abbas Effendi

Said Divisional-General Mustafa Remzi Pasha: \"[Sir] Abbas Effendi bouts a summoning people of the world into peace, love and union. How can he justify his treatment of his brothers in this manner?\" The Pasha paused for a while, and continued: \"Outwardly [Sir] Abbas Effendi is light, and inwardly darkness. We are aware of his machination, and we take no notice of them. Be at ease. We will not let him cause harm to you.
(Ref: Khaterate badiullah P. 56)

P. 57 : With all frankness I can state that ninety percent of what he [i.e. Sir Abbas Effendi] has bruited about or written as regards the events at Acre as well as the history of the cause before and after the ascension [i.e. Baha\'s death] to this day, are contrary to the truth; because they are based on self-interest, namely, to annihilate the branches, Baha\'s family, and the writings of the Pen of the Most Glorious [Baha], and to designate a degenerate successor, as evidenced as clear as the sun at non-day after his passing.

Conclusion

Sir Abbas Effendi was nominated by Baha in capacity of “The Most Mighty Branch” he was supposed to lead the Baha’i faith as per teaching of Bahaullah, instead he started his own teaching he started claiming the status declared himself “Center of Covenant of God” he started issuing Tablets, when objected by Households of Baha, he started ex-communicating them and announce them as covenant breakers, he forgot the Baha\'i principal which his father has made.

“Oneness of Mankind”
“Elimination of Prejudice of all Kinds”

He called himself as “Center of Covenants of God” his action shows, he cannot be called a simple Baha\'i, forget about of being leader to a community, he himself was a covenant breaker by disobeying his father the leader of faith.

Source: http://bahaileaders9.blogspot.com