The Overlooked Importance of Pilgrims' Notes

When conscientious journalists are on the track of a news story and they seek to document the details of events that relate to the account that they present to their audience, they go to great lengths to obtain information that can be verified. Likewise, when properly-constituted legal authorities seek evidence that will provide a strong basis for the case upon which they are working, they energetically pursue any legal avenues available to them to ascertain the truth so as to assure that justice is achieved in the matter. In either instance, whether the investigator is a journalist or a legal official, he or she looks for corroboration of the facts. Each of them needs to have sufficient basis to establish his or her position and to clearly state that position.

In their investigation, the real seekers after truth are interested in determining the reliability of their information. Careful journalists employ a common rule of thumb for such validation: they locate three or more reliable sources who can attest to the veracity of their data. Legal authorities, of course, will seek to find as many corroborating witnesses as they can.

The point of the preceding paragraphs is to point out that active seekers of the truth place credence in the views of qualified witnesses, especially when such views are similar to the views of other qualified witnesses.

For Bahá'ís, the matter of verification is an important one. All Bahá'ís recognize that Bahá'u'lláh made the establishment of justice as one of His fundamental injunctions. Thus, Bahá'ís--who should also be active seekers after truth--should be concerned with verifying the positions they take with regard to matters of the Faith. The established criterion for Bahá'ís has long been the position espoused by `Abdu'l-Bahá in a talk provided at the Chicago home of Mrs. Corinne True on November 1, 1912, when He stated: "If any soul wishes to say a word, they will ask Him: 'Is this a word of your own or from the Center of the Covenant? If you have a certificate from the Center of the Covenant, show it. Where is the letter from Him? Where is His signature?' If he can produce it, they will accept it. If he has not that in his hand, they say: 'We cannot accept this because this is from you and returns to you....You will have to advance a proof....'"

On the basis of that and similar statements, Bahá'ís believe that for a statement to be considered as reliable it must have appeared in an authorized text produced either by one of the Central Figures of the Faith or by the beloved first Guardian. Otherwise, most Bahá'ís would contend that the statement should be discounted. The statement may be of interest, they would agree, but it is not to be used to support a position that one takes with regard to reality or to the truth.

By taking this stance, Bahá'ís have placed major limitations onto the perspectives which are theirs. And such is especially true with regard to their use of pilgrims' notes--the papers that individuals who visited with Shoghi Effendi in the Holy Land have written about their visits with him and which often contain quotations or statements attributed to the beloved first Guardian. Therefore, what Bahá'ís tend to overlook in these pilgrim notes is the support that these notes provide for positions that the beloved first Guardian expressed in his authorized writings.

Certainly such a contention can be made with regard to the beloved first Guardian's views that pertain to a world-wide cataclysm, for pilgrim's notes from many pilgrims tell of the first Guardian's repeated assertions that the world will undergo a catastrophe of undreamt of proportions. (It is a catastrophe that has yet to occur but which is described in Shoghi Effendi's authorized writings.)

Similarly, pilgrim's notes from over the years lend much supporting strength to Shoghi Effendi's authorized writings attesting to the essentiality of the Guardianship of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi's authorized writings do not imply that he would be the only Guardian of the Faith. Indeed, his writings refer to future Guardians, and he states in his Dispensation that if the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh should find itself divorced from the institution of the Guardianship, that Order "would be mutilated." The implications of his statements in the Dispensation are clear that the Guardianship of the Faith is an integral institution to the Administrative Order of Bahá'u'lláh. And when he wrote about the construction of the International Bahá'í Archives building on Mt. Carmel in November of 1954, saying that it would subsequently be accompanied by "the administrative seats of such divinely appointed institutions as the Guardianship, the Hands of the Cause, and the Universal House of Justice," those reading that message knew that Shoghi Effendi envisaged the continuation of a line of living Guardians of the Faith.

Did Shoghi Effendi, then, say something different to the pilgrims who visited him in the Holy Land? Not at all. The statements attributed to him corroborate his authorized statements, and I believe that anyone who ignores these validating statements is overlooking the importance of pilgrims' notes. For instance, as noted in #147 of Directives from the Guardian, one finds the following:

Regarding the notes taken by pilgrims at Haifa. The Guardian has stated that he is unwilling to sign the notes of any pilgrim, in order that the literature consulted by the believers shall not be unduly extended... This means that the notes of pilgrims do not carry the authority resident in the Guardian's letters written over his own signature. On the other hand, each pilgrim brings back information and suggestions of a most precious character, and it is the privilege of all the friends to share in the spiritual results of these visits. -Directives From the Guardian, page 54

See the following address:

To Ruth Moffett when she was on pilgrimage to Haifa in 1954, the Guardian said:

Pilgrim notes are very important. They should be eagerly received as they bring the Spirit of the Shrines, and the station of the Guardianship, and the first-hand impressions which the cablegrams and letters cannot convey. Of course they cannot be authoritative, as they are not written by the Master or the Guardian, but they are very important, and should be so considered.

And in another instance--see #1439 of Lights of Guidance, from a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer on April 28, 1939--the view concerning pilgrims' notes is stated as follows: "Though not strictly official, and in some instances inaccurate and misleading, these notes, as experience has shown, can be of tremendous help, guidance and inspiration to many individual believers, and their value as such should therefore be readily admitted."

Unfortunately, most Bahá'ís today would probably maintain that pilgrims' notes are of no value and probably should not be looked upon as supportive of the views of Shoghi Effendi, even though such views have been identified as the official position for Bahá'ís. Yet different pilgrims from visits at different times with the first Guardian of the Faith cited the Guardian's views on the continuing Guardianship which, rather than contrasting with his authorized statements, have supported and, in some cases, extended the views that he had otherwise expressed. It is clear, for instance, that the repeated references to later Guardians years and years in the future establish the folly of the position of the Haifa-Wilmette believers which implies that 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament was so flawed that it was impossible for even the first Guardian to appoint his successor.

In addition, the various statements related to the fixed money offering--the Huquq--that is to be offered only through the Guardian of the Faith brings into question the illegitimate interpretation of the Hands and their sans-Guardian Universal House of Justice of a Tablet by Baha'u'llah which refers to endowments and which they maintain foreshadows the demise of the Guardianship. Such statements in the pilgrims' notes alone make the notes that follow (and which were written by various pilgrims at different times during the ministry of Shoghi Effendi) of more than just passing interest. But the notes are equally supportive on other related issues, and they, too, should therefore be read with truth-seeking eyes.

MAXWELL NOTES - 1937

In the Maxwell notes, that were the result of Rúhíyyih Khánum and her mother's pilgrimage to Haifa in 1937, one finds a goodly number of pertinent statements, views that dovetail with positions recorded by the first Guardian in more 'authoritative' places. Those statements include the following:

The Bab prophesied that His religion would spread to the whole world. One of the chief causes why this will be possible is because schism has been made impossible in the Cause due to the appointment of a successor in the "Book of the Covenant" and "Will and Testament." Therefore there will be no opposition to its spread, such as Protestantism and Catholics, Shi'ih and Sunni.

In the Bahá'í Revelation we have the institutions and laws and succession. The Bab referred to it, but it was vague again. In the Gospel there is a reference to succession, but no administrative principles, institutions or order. In the Quran there is reference to administrative principles, laws, etc., but no reference to the succession. The Babi Revelation referred to both, but vaguely.

The Bahá'í Revelation has administrative institutions established by Bahá'u'lláh and made clear in the Master's Will and Testament. The Master's Will appointed both the successor and interpreter... No other Revelation has this. Forty days after the death of Muhammad the schism occurred, the Caliph rejected Ali. The split in Christianity was not Luther, but Paul versus Peter. Decline is an inevitable result of schism. There can be no schism in this Cause; hence no decline. Differences are inevitable, but schism is impossible in the Cause. One is inevitable, the other impossible

The friends should read and study the "Will and Testament." We are too near to it to see it in the proper light. It is like a huge edifice. We cannot yet see it in perspective. This and the Aqdas are the two chief depositories of the truths enshrined in the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. There are gaps in the Aqdas which the Will fills in as if the Master and Bahá'u'lláh had arranged it. An example of this complimentariness between the Will and the Aqdas is the Huquq. Huquq is referred to in the Aqdas, also endowments, fees, fines, inheritance, etc. Bahá'u'lláh specifies in the Aqdas that fines, fees, inheritance, if the heirs are dead, and endowments are all payable to the House of Justice. He establishes the House of Justice and fixes its revenues. Regarding Huquq, He does not say in the Aqdas to whom it is to be paid, neither in the Aqdas [is there] text on questions and answers. Bahá'u'lláh says what Huquq is, emphasizes its importance, but does not say to whom it shall be given and does not say that it goes to the House of Justice. In the Will the Master makes it clear. The ordinance of Huquq is established by Bahá'u'lláh in the Aqdas, but He never said whom it was to be payable to, so He left a gap which the Master, in His Will, fills. He anticipates an Institution but does not refer to what it may be anywhere. Were it not for the Will, this would be very perplexing.

"Will," part I, page 13: referring to the Hands: they must report the delinquent member to the Guardian, [and] he puts them out. Three elements in the Will: the Guardian is the Interpreter, the International House of Justice the Legislature; the Hands propagate and teach the Cause, through research work and the example of their lives and conduct. The Administrative Order would be paralyzed if one of these institutions should cease to function.

In [the] Will and Testament of Abdul-Bahá the words "irremovable and expounder" are found, (irremovable Head of International House of Justice and expounder of teachings). The Huquq is a fixed revenue for the Guardian paid direct, and has nothing to do with the administrative funds, local, National or International.

The Guardians are the equivalent in the Bahá'í Revelation to the Imams in the Muhammadan Revelation. It is the Guardian's responsibility to prevent the International House of Justice from abrogating any of the laws of the Aqdas.

The Master shares with the Prophet His Perfection. Shoghi Effendi shares with the Master the right of interpretation.

Bahá'u'lláh purposely left a gap in the Aqdas which was filled by the Master's Will and Testament with the Guardianship. (Huquq)

There was a danger that the friends might misunderstand the Master's Will and so the "Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh" was written, his (Shoghi Effendi's) spiritual testament in detail. He has fixed it in the relations of things to each other. We cannot go beyond what he has defined; however the second Guardian can interpret the "Dispensation" itself. He has the same promise to be the inspired interpreter. The Guardian is the interpreter, expounder of the Cause and the protector of the Cause.

The Guardian can over-rule the decision of the International House of Justice if he conscientiously feels it is not in accord with the teachings. This is the interpretive right. The second part of his work is participation in the legislative body. All endowments, international and local are to be deferred to the International House of Justice. The Guardian has no right whatsoever in these matters. He has the Huquq. Fines specified in the Aqdas and inheritance, go to the International House.

The will of the Master is like a huge edifice. We must recede from it to properly grasp its import. "Even if I had time I could not do it," said Shoghi Effendi regarding elaborating on it. It must recede from us. The lapse of time and unfoldment of the Revelation will enable us to fully appreciate it. The words of the Guardian are as binding, have the same authority, as the words of the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh and the Master, but the stations are different. He considers he has written his testament, his statement, in "The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh." What he says about the Guardianship is binding on future Guardians. The Will of the Master is a third kind of covenant. Bahá'u'lláh's Will is the lesser covenant.

VALERA ALLEN: Notes taken on Dec. 15-23, 1956:

The Guardian was asked if the meaning of the verse in the Bible "the day that would not be followed by night" meant that succeeding Manifestations would not be persecuted but immediately accepted by the people. He answered, "No, there will always be evil in the world and doubtless the succeeding Manifestations would be persecuted though in a lesser degree." The meaning of the verse was that the Guardians would be sources of guidance and protection for the Faith until the coming of the subsequent Manifestation which might not be for 6000 years although He might come any time after 1000 years depending on need.

We, [Valera Allen wrote], became slightly involved as to why the people would probably not accept the new Manifestation if they had the Guardian to guide and direct them which led to Shoghi Effendi recounting for us the functions of Guardianship. He stressed the Infallibility of the Guardian as being the essential thing that kept schisms from developing in the Faith. One could not say that he was infallible only as Interpreter of the Writings but he was infallible in anything that he stated he was infallible in. He was the only one who could know when he was guided infallibly. That was the very nature of infallibility.

Regardless of what he talked about if he gave his word as an infallible statement then it was so. If it were a suggestion he would say so. In speaking of the Guardian as the Head of the Universal House of Justice he said that the Universal House of Justice was bound to accept the Guardian's authority if he spoke from the Station of Infallibility, because of [the] statement in the "Will and Testament of `Abdu'l- Bahá" which says: "It is incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice, upon all the Aghsan, the Afnan, the Hands of the Cause of God to show their obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the Guardian of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before him." He spoke with great power and authority when he mentioned the Station of the Guardian and the functions of the Guardianship. We had the feeling that he does not think that the Americans or the peoples of the West have a true concept of the Guardianship but take it a little too lightly and taking it too lightly we have a tendency not to appreciate its true worth and the great bounty that is ours in this Day of Days. We are too close to the source to fully and rightly evaluate the tremendous dynamic power behind that personality. Just as one gazing at a spring cannot realize the power and force of the river that makes possible the running of great dynamos that send out light, heat and power to countless homes and factories and brings life giving water to vast areas. We see and love the personality of the Guardian but only vaguely sense the power at such times as these or glimpse it through the scope and compelling force of his writings.

ISOBEL SABRI, APRIL 18-28, 1957 (as cited by Susan Maneck in a posting on soc.rel.bahai of 15 October 1996):

The Guardian was asked a question concerning whether or not the next Manifestation of God would be opposed by the people of the world, as had Bahá'u'lláh and all former Messengers of God.

[The first Guardian's response was given in this vein]: In the future, when the next Manifestation appears, the Guardian of the Cause at that time will tell the believers who the Manifestation is and will call on them to accept Him. What is the use of the infallibility of the Guardian if he does not do this? This is one of the very important things that he will do. Opposition to the next Manifestation will thus be much less than in former times--that is to say, the area of opposition will be reduced. 'This is the day that shall not be followed by night' means that divine guidance will not again be withdrawn from the world. This civilization which we are beginning to build now will not decline.

MARION HOLLEY HOFMAN --1953:

The Tablet of Carmel is the Charter of the World Order of the Faith just as the Will is the Charter of the Administrative Order. We build according to the direction of these Charters. The Divine plan constitutes the 3rd Charter for the propagation of the Faith. There are three distinct processes:

1. Building the administrative Order according to the Will.

2. Propagation of the Faith according to the Divine Plan.

3. Building up the World Center according to the Tablet of Carmel.

THE NOTES OF LOROL SCHOPFLOCHER, KEITH RANSOM-KEHLER WITH CLARA DUNN AND LYLE LOVEDAY-- MAY 12 AND 13, 1932.

[NOTE: On the website where these pilgrims' notes can be found, R. Jackson Armstrong-Ingram provides an introduction, indicating that during their meeting with the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi "discussed many of the issues that he addresses in Dispensation." As is pointed out by Jackson, "There are various points in this discussion where one can even recognize fore-echoes of parts of the letter [meaning Shoghi Effendi's Dispensation]." These notes--almost all of which are not included here--are especially interesting for their many correlations to the Dispensation. To include them here would extend this paper far beyond its present scope.]

SHOGHI EFFENDI said:

The Bahai Revelation has two Manifestations, the BAB and BAHA'U'LLAH...[plus] ABDUL-BAHA the Perfect Examplar, the Centre of the Covenant of mankind, the true interpreter of His Words, a perfect human being. To give Abdul-Bahá a station comparable to Baha'u'llah is absolute heresy.

The whole opposition of Muhammad Ali was based upon his insistence that Abdul-Bahá claimed to be the divine successor of Baha'u'llah, occupying a cognate station. Muhammad Ali declared: "Never so long as I live will I cease to agitate against this imposter who claims that before the expiration of a full thousand years to occupy the same station as Baha'u'llah."

The misguided attitude of the frends in attempting to maintain Abdul-Bahá in this station was the basis of the whole persecution by the covenant-breakers. Again and again Abdul-Bahá wrote disclaiming any station beyond that of examplar, interpreter and Centre of the Covenant, but Mohammed Ali said "this was only a blind, that while openly stating this he was secretly encouraging his followers to manintain and accept him as the Manifestation." Those who overestimate the station of Abdul-Bahá are quite as reprehensible and have done just as much harm as those who underestimate.

Abdul-Bahá is quite apart and different from anyone who has ever appeared on earth before. A perfect human being! Can you conceive a perfect human being? The phrase that best expresses Abdul-Bahá is the true exemplar, the Center of the Covenant. It is just as grave a mistake to over-estimate Abdul-Bahá as to under-estimate him. Abdul-Bahá never claimed to be a Manifestation, all His life He suffered from this assumption. But we must never go to the other extreme and confuse anybody else with Him or His station.

In his response to Keith's statement: 'Your word is infallible when it comes to interpreting the text.', Shoghi Effendi stated:

Yes, the GUARDIAN alone can determine whether any piece of legislation [of the Universal House of Justice] can be undertaken or whether the condition is covered in the holy text. It is promised that the Guardian is protected by God from making mistakes in these decisions. But apart from that I am like anyone else.

At another point in the notes he states:

I am a human being like you or anybody else and I have no divine station. I am under the protection of Baha'u'llah. The Master promised to protect me from error, likewise the House of Justice. No one is justified in looking upon me as other than human.

And near the close of the notes Lorol is quoted as saying, "There are those who pray to you, Shoghi Effendi," to which the Guardian responded in the following vein:

This is absolutely heretical. Such things are not permissible. It is wrong to address me as Lord or Master, or Thee or Thine. I had to send a very abrupt cable to the friends in Bombay to prevent them from celebrating my birthday. If this starts now there will be no end to it. The first Guardian's birthday, the first Guardian's death, the tenth Guardian's accession. They would have 400 Guardian's celebrations in 365 days. Nor must they refer to me as His Holiness. These things have no place in our Faith, they savour of popishness.

BEN LEVY NOTES - 1953

The function of the Hands is to protect and propagate the Cause - its two chief functions. Now the NSAs function is also to protect and propagate the Faith - later these functions will be fully handled by the Institutions of the Hands. Like the NSAs - they will have their own boards - committees and sub-committees. They will have Institutions parallel to the present NSAs committees, etc. The Institution of the Hands and the NSA functions are complementary - not at odds with one another. The NSAs will become more and more legislative - will handle the affairs of the community - they will first legislate - then apply laws.

I asked the Guardian if the Hands of the Cause were unerring in their functions of propagation and protection of the Cause and he replied - they receive instructions from the Guardian. The Hands of the Cause and the Administrative Order complement one another. Function of the Guardian - interpretation; Hands, protect and propagate; Universal house of Justice - legislate; National SAs - administrate these laws. Bahá'u'lláh established the Institution of the Hands of the Cause; the Master embodied it in His Will and Testament. The machinery is established for the establishment and propagation of the Faith.

Revenues for the Guardianship and Hands - and Universal House of Justice, has been clearly established in the Aqdas. Huquk - 19% - is for the Guardian and Hands of the Cause. Fines and taxes etc. are for the Universal House of Justice.

RUTH MOFFETT - 1954

Bahá'u'lláh is the Founder of the Shrines on Mt. Carmel, and much more. He is the Founder of the whole set of Institutions on Mt. Carmel. He is the Founder of all the Administrative and Spiritual centers of the World Commonwealth. The Tablet of Carmel is the Charter of the World Center of the Faith. The Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá is the Charter of the Administrative Order. We will build according to the directions of this Charter and the Divine Plan, or third division, which is the Charter for the Propagation of the Faith. All these form The Charter for World Order. The Guardian spoke of the objective of the Ten Year Plan in relation to the World Center of the Faith in Israel. His first point is that the preliminary steps be taken for the construction and beautification of the Sepulcher of Bahá'u'lláh in Bahji; following that will be the purchase of land for the building of the Temple on Mt. Carmel. This has already been accomplished, and a pointed monument on a pedestal will be placed upon that site until it is time to erect the Temple. The names of Mason Remey, architect, and Millie Collins, donor, will be engraved upon it.

The next point was the importance of establishing an International Bahá'í World Court. This is most wonderful, for we know what the World Court of the League of Nations did during a brief period. It was very important and effective as far as it went, but not all nations were members and therefore it was not truly a World Court.

WOOLSON, GAYLE - 1956

He then referred to the four world Administrative buildings that would be constructed in Haifa, saying, the Archives Building is for preservation; the Guardianship building is for Interpretation; the Building of the Hands is for Propagation and the Building of the Universal House of Justice is for Legislation.

One of the Persian pilgrims at Haifa when I was, told me that one of the Persian men in their group had asked the Guardian about his descendants, about a son, and the Guardian answered, "Everything that is written in the Will and Testament will be fulfilled. The Bahá'ís must not be anxious about this."

Now, clearly, if one holds to the position taken by the sans-Guardian Universal House of Justice, written to an individual believer on January 23, 1980, one will not attribute much importance to the aforesaid pilgrims' notes, for that body wrote the following at that time:

The instructions of the Master and the Guardian make it very clear that Pilgrims' notes are hearsay and cannot claim the authority and binding power of the Sacred Text.... Moreover, the fact that the pilgrim writing of his experience is a reliable or well-known believer, or that the reported statement seems to be repeated in the notes of several pilgrims, does not in itself confer authority upon the pilgrim's note in question.

On the other hand, if one is interested in supporting statements that are related to information to be found in authoritative texts written by the first Guardian, it is unreasonable that he or she should overlook the importance of the data to be found in the various pilgrims' notes that have been placed on the internet and to be found at the following address:

In an article entitled "Truth Is a Linguistic Question," appearing in the book Language and Public Policy, published by the National Council of Teachers of English in 1974, Dwight Bolinger of Harvard University wrote on page 166:

...when two parties are in communication, anything that may be used which clogs the channel, and is not the result of accident, is a lie. I am trying to paint the lie as black as I can by not requiring that it be intentional. There are consciously intentional lies, of course, but there are also lies by habit, and people who believe their own propaganda and chiefs of state who surely harbor such a concept as that of a little lie being part of a larger truth, on the analogy of War is Peace or what you don't know won't hurt you. So I'd rather make falsehood embrace the hidden and unconscious, as well as the barefaced and deliberate. By contrast, truth would always be prompted by the active willingness to share what we know.

So that the truth may be known, it is my contention that Bahá'ís should be willing to share what they know from whatever reasonable sources the information may come, including the pilgrims' notes of those who met for a precious time with the first Guardian of the Faith. To do otherwise is to clog the channel of communication and to suppress what should be openly available and a part of the consciousness of all Bahá'ís.

--Frank Schlatter February 1998