Baha'ism

'Abd al-Baha'

Of all the children of Baha’ Allah, his eldest son, ‘Abbas Effendi ‘Abd al-Baha’,46 looms into the foreground as a pivotal figure in the Baha’i religion. As a young man ‘Abbas assisted his father and held a position of authority, regulating the affairs of the Baha’is, when Baha’ Allah and his followers were exiled to Palestine. In 1873 he married the widow Fatimah Munirah Khanum47 (1847-1938) at the arrangement of Baha’ Allah; she would be his only wife. Together they had nine children of which four daughters survived to adulthood.48

In his will, Baha’ Allah named ‘Abbas as his successor, however just as Baha’Allah and Subh al-Azal had split over the question of leadership, ‘Abbas was challenged by his younger half-brother Mirza Muhammad ‘Ali.49 As before, the split was acrimonious, with Muhammad ‘Ali and his supporters (including most of Baha’ Allah’s family) eventually being labelled Covenant-Breakers and officially expelled from the body faithful.50 MacEoin writes of the split:

Both sides used excommunication as a weapon, but in the end the largely progressive faction of ‘Abbas succeeded in gaining control, largely through the superior charismatic appeal of ‘Abd al-Baha’ himself and his greater openness to a move beyond the Near East.51

Until the Young Turk revolution in 1908, ‘Abd al-Baha’ experienced a level of personal danger with periods of imprisonment and the constant threat of exile or worse. With the downfall of the Ottomans he was freed, and thus began a period of travelling and proselytising for the Baha’i movement. In 1909 he organised for the interment of the Bab’s remains on the side of Mount Carmel situated at Haifa and in 1910 he moved his headquarters there. ‘Abd al-Baha’s travels from 1910 onwards included visits to Egypt; Europe and North America.52

With the work of ‘Abd al-Baha’, the emerging Baha’i religion began to develop the western arm of its identity. As well, ‘Abd al-Baha’ continued developing his father’s theology and doctrines with his own scriptural works. ‘Abd al-Baha’ himself stood as a nexus between the original Islamic world of the Babi and Baha’i movements and the newly developing western Baha’i faith. While he himself still attended the masjid on Fridays; wore traditional Islamic dress and emphasised the Baha’i faith’s legitimacy within an Islamic paradigm, he also encouraged the expansion of the Baha’i message into Europe and North America and received the devotion of eminent western converts to the religion.53 For Baha’is, ‘Abd al-Baha’ is the “perfect” Baha’i whose life and manner should be emulated.

In 1920 ‘Abd al-Baha’ received a knighthood for his charitable work in Palestine. He passed away in 1921 having gained widespread admiration and respect as the leader of the Baha’i faith, and was buried in a room of the Shrine of the Bab in Haifa.

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References

46Meaning “Slave of the Splendour”. ‘Abbas was given the titles aqa “Master” and ghusn allah al-a‘zham “the Mightiest Branch of God” among others. He chose ‘Abd al-Baha’ himself.

47Munirah meaning “Illumined”.

48Smith, “‘Abdu’l-Bahá”, A Concise Encyclopedia of the Bahá’í Faith 15.

49Known as ghusn allah al-akbar “the Greater Branch of God”.

50Originally the station of Covenant-Breaker was given to those Baha’is who failed to accept the official succession of leadership, denied the legitimacy of the recognised heads of the religion and wilfully opposed their authority. ‘Abd al-Baha’ instructed the faithful to shun Covenant-Breakers.

51Maceoin, Denis, “Baha’ism”, A New Handbook of Living Religions, ed. John R. Hinnells, (London: Penguin Books, 1998) 626.

52Smith, “‘Abdu’l-Bahá” 17.

53Smith, “‘Abdu’l-Bahá” 16-18.

Next > Baha'ism: Shoghi Effendi