Alláh'u'Abhá Dear Friends ﻰﻬﺑﺍ ﷲﺍ

I wish to make two comments:

1. Eddy’s interesting letter reminds me of the topic I wanted to address earlier which had somehow faded away. I will link it to the question: what do you find to be spiritually enriching in Century of Light.

This book step by step describes the events of the last century with the world’s spiritual as well as the material events. It interweaves and blends both of these aspects and puts them into perspective in the reader’s mind in a way that one can not help but to relate the two – something that we so often consider separately. Besides the spiritual achievements, the station and the role of Abdu’l-Bahá in spiritualising and energizing the friend in both East and West, and more, the material and scientific advances of the world in the past century are highlighted. It explains how these achievements, which are nothing but instruments of God’s plan to bring mankind closer to realization of its oneness and peace on earth, at times created so much misconceptions in human minds and societies. That how these instruments have been used as destructive means resulting in manifold sufferings. It creates awareness in us about the purpose of many however negligible events that took place in the world and their hidden purposes (hidden to our human understanding). It encourages us to be aware and learn about all that happened during this time and understand and relate them to the Faith, both as a result of obedience or the consequences of lack of it throughout the century.

The book indirectly encourages us to stay abreast of the world’s current situation, of the pain and sufferings apparent everywhere, and remember always that it is nothing but lack of understanding of the purpose of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings for humanity.

To be informed, how often do we opt for various news channels unconsciously and become pre-occupied and disillusioned by the media telling us who is supposed to be the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I do agree that we should stay informed but practice our Independent Investigation of the Truth to the extent possible.

2. Regarding the two conditions of unity: I was having a conversation with my dear sister-in-law in Johannesburg last week-end. She was telling me about the time she had to take care of the family while her husband was in prison in Iran. Telling me that despite the various difficulties and separation form her husband, the whole situation now leaves no feeling of pain but some of the best years and fondest memories of her life. She said :” ….and I am not the only one. Other friends from the same situation, express the same feelings when we communicate from across the continents.” As I was listening to her and having read paragraph 4.5, just a while before, I reached for her Farsi version of the book and read with her the following:

“Unity is not, that is, merely a condition resulting from a sense of mutual goodwill and common purpose, however profound and sincerely held such sentiments may be, any more than an organism is a product of some fortuitous and amorphous association of various elements. Unity is a phenomenon of creative power, whose existence becomes apparent through the effects that collective action produces and whose absence is betrayed by the impotence of such efforts. However handicapped it often has been by ignorance and perversity, this force has been the primary influence driving the advancement of civilization, generating legal codes, social and political institutions, artistic works, technological achievements without end, moral breakthroughs, material prosperity, and long periods of public peace whose afterglow lived in the memories of subsequent generations as imagined ‘golden ages’.”

I asked her whether this great feeling was not a result of the collective efforts of the community through the sacrifices individuals or families would make for the others (as she has told me through so many heart-warming stories). I felt that despite the absence of the Administrative bodies during the time, which would have guided and energised the community, the magical feeling created, was a result of not only the sacrifices, but of going beyond the first step of unity, through the potency of their somewhat unconscious collective action which Abdu’l-Bahá has promised to generate a creative power.

Warmest love,

Aazam Binazir