We live in an 'age of anxiety'. The loss of serious interest in religion has deprived people of the help of ministers, priests and rabbis. But to the Bah ' , all true healing comes from God.

This collection of quotations from the Bah ' Sacred Writings offers vital help for emotional and spiritual healing. Grouped in three main sections, 'Coping with Stress', 'Orientation to the Divine' and 'Developing Helpful Attitudes', these 'pearls of wisdom' from the extensive literature of the Bah ' Faith concentrate on common problems and their solution, and will be of comfort and value to many.

Women of the Middle East in the 19th century are generally absent from the pages of history. Even their names are not recorded. They have no voice. They are invisible.

The women closest to the twin Manifestations, the B b and Bah 'u'll h, are especially enigmatic.

What were they like as children? What was it like to live in the family of the Manifestation of God? What did they think about the new Revelations from God? How did they respond to the suffering and persecution that came upon them? So little is known.

Baharieh Ma'ani decided to rectify this. Her task was formidable. There is little published about these women and documents are rare.

Over two and half decades she worked to gather all the known information about the women whose lives were intertwined with those of the Manifestations of God for this age ־ mothers, wives, sisters, daughters. Looking beyond published sources, she was given permission by the Universal House of Justice to consult original documents in the Bah ' International Archives and to make provisional translations of more than 50 Tablets, letters, memoirs and papers not previously published in English, many never before published in any language.

The result is an engaging and readable book that provides a unique and intriguing insight into the lives and circumstances of the women who played such important yet unseen roles in shaping the early history of the B b and Bah ' religions. Mrs Ma'ani has made the invisible visible.

All was quiet along the army lines as the sleepy soldiers settled in for a cold, dark winter's night. Not so with the oppressed band of defenders behind the walls they had built; all were alert and ready for action, their eyes fixed upon the man in their midst who was the most valiant warrior among them. He was more awake than he had ever been in his life - every nerve of his body surging with energy, he was ready for action . . .

Here are the men and women who took up the Cause of the B b, whose revelation in 1844 was to shake the very foundations of the land of its birth and reach every corner of the globe, initiating a new era in human civilization. It called forth a band of souls of matchless spiritual strength - the Heroes of the New Age. The stories of Mull Husayn, Qudd s, T hirih, Vah d, Hujjat, the maid Zaynab, the youth An s, the seven Heroes of God at Tehran and the many other heroes of Tabars , Nayr z and Zanj n are vibrantly retold here by Edward Diliberto.

Includes questions for discussion on each chapter.

This is the hilarious story of a poor boy from the Middle West who became one of America's topflight TV stars. But he was bothered with a boyhood dream and eventually left the big time. He made his home in three continents and became a much-loved world traveller.

Through all the laughter - and it's uproarious at times - there is an underlying serious note, and the fact that his dream came true and brought him long-sought spiritual assurance is a considerable satisfaction to the reader.

Revealed by Baha'u'llah in Adrianople and sent to Mirza Ahmad Yazdi who was travelling from Baghdad to see Him, the Tablet of Ahmad is one of the prayers identified by Shoghi Effendi as having been invested with a 'special potency and significance'.

H. Richard Gurinsky explores the Tablet of Ahmad to discover its significance and importance in the lives of Baha'is today. Taking each verse in turn, he reflects on the many levels of meaning that every phrase holds and draws the reader into a deep meditation on the import of Baha'u'llah's words.

. . . your visits wherever you go bring inspiration to the hearts of the friends, stimulate and enhance their efforts to proclaim and publicize the Faith and attract the hearts of the true seekers to the divine Message. Letter from the Universal House of Justice to Meherangiz Munsiff, 1972

Meherangiz Munsiff's many achievements were grounded in her unwavering and profound love for Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith. The few days of her pilgrimage in 1953 defined the course of her life and initially led to her arising alone to pioneer to Madagascar and the French Cameroons, leaving her family behind in London and rewarding her with the station of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh.

This experience, where she was utterly reliant for support on prayer and meditation, her 'lifeline', led to later travels that would ultimately cover more than 147 countries: 'I decided to create a course which had as its objective a path to encourage anyone who cared to listen that we as human beings are exclusively able to call on the power of prayer with a view to protecting and serving mankind.' Her manuscript on prayer and meditation comprises the second part of this book, and demonstrates her personal style which in its directness and sincerity distinguishes her perspective - sometimes challenging, always encouraging and inspirational.

Light and glory, greeting and praise be upon the Hands of His Cause, through whom the light of fortitude hath shone forth . . . Bahá'u'lláh

The first Hands of the Cause of God were appointed by Bahá'u'lláh. They were given various responsibilities, particularly the protection and propagation of His Faith. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in Memorials of the Faithful, referred to other believers as Hands of the Cause and in His Will and Testament included a provision calling upon the Guardian of the Faith to appoint Hands of the Cause. Shoghi Effendi named a number of believers Hands of the Cause after their passing. In the last years of his ministry he raised 32 women and men from all continents to this rank.

Here is a unique collection of pen portraits of each of the 50 Hands of the Cause of God, the 'Chief Stewards of Bahá'u'lláh's embryonic World Commonwealth'. Drawn from many sources, including accounts by Hands themselves, these brief essays provide a fascinating insight into the lives of this small band of individuals, whose rank is unparalleled in religious history and who, in the words of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, 'have diffused widely the Divine Fragrances, declared His Proofs, proclaimed His Faith, published abroad His Law, detached themselves from all things but Him, stood for righteousness in this world, and kindled the Fire of the Love of God in the very hearts and souls of His servants'.

Fasting . . . is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Shoghi Effendi

We have enjoined upon you fasting during a brief period, Baha'u'llah writes in His Book of Laws. The Baha'i Fast is a time of spiritual regeneration, when Baha'is all over the world rise before dawn to pray and meditate before beginning their daily fast from sunrise to sunset.

This handbook brings together passages from the Baha'i Writings about the Fast, with reflections by Baha'is on the practice of fasting, and prayers appropriate to the fasting period. It has been compiled primarily for personal use by Baha'is during their Fast, but it is also of interest to anyone who wants to know about the age-old practice of fasting for spiritual reasons - what it is, how to do it and what it means to those who experience it.

Includes all the Baha'i prayers for the Fast available in English.

The Revelation of Baha'u'llah is a four-volume series about the Scriptures of the Baha'i Faith. It is a unique survey of the Writings of Baha'u'llah, using both authentic English translations and original sources, that describes the contents of all major works, including many unknown in the West.

Volume 3

'Akk The Early Years: 1868-77

From behind the walls of the Most Great Prison, Baha'u'llah addressed His majestic summons to the rulers of the world. Here he submitted to the tragic death of His beloved son, M rza Mihdi, the Purest Branch, and here, in the house of 'Udi Khammar He revealed His Most Holy Book, the Kitab-i-Aqdas.

In this third volume of his survey of the Writings of Baha'u'llah, Adib Taherzadeh gives us new and fascinating insights into the works revealed during, and the events of, this period. Five chapters alone are devoted to the themes of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, while other important works examined include the Suriy-i-Haykal, the Tablets to the kings and rulers, the Lawh-i-Fu'ad and the Fire Tablet. And then there are the heart-warming stories of Baha'u'llah and His Family, of His companions, of His exile and of those who came as pilgrims, the stories of Badi', of M rza Abu'l-Fadl, of Haji Amin . . . and much, much more.

Never before told in its entirety here is the story of the first pilgrimage of Western Baha'is to the Holy Land.

That journey of fifteen souls during the winter of 1898-1899 has come to be recognized as a pivotal event in the history of the Baha'i Faith; more than a pilgrimage a turning point that would have far-reaching implications many centuries into the future for millions of people.

Based on all available sources, including handwritten journals and letters never previously published, this story is not a mere recounting of history, it is a tale that inspires and instructs. Those privileged to take part in the first Western pilgrimage were, in the main, ordinary people with extraordinary spiritual insight. With almost no resources available to them, they took what they gained from their time in the Holy Land, established the Faith in Europe and reestablished the American Baha'i community on a rock-solid foundation.

Above all, the Hearst pilgrimage provides a brief glimpse of Abdu'l-Baha Himself and how patiently and lovingly He nurtured those from America and Europe whose religious background and ethnic culture were so different from the main body of Eastern believers at the time. The lessons he taught during that winter, the messages he conveyed, still resonate today, for he saw the end in the beginning. These were not simply fifteen pilgrims; they were the vanguard of waves of the whole of humanity. Their achievements will remain an inspiration to all future generations.

This book shines a light on a remarkable heroine of the Baha i Faith. Alma Knobloch (1864-1943) one of the three Knobloch sisters, raised up the first African-American community in North America, and was instrumental in the growth of the Baha'i community in Germany. In His Tablets of the Divine Plan, 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote: 'Likewise Miss Knobloch travelled alone to Germany. To what a great extent she became confirmed!'

Alma's 13 years in Germany saw an astonishing growth in the Bahá'í community to become the largest in Europe. Following 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit in 1913 and the outbreak of the First World War, the emerging community focused its efforts on peace: soldiers who had attended Baha'i meetings entered the battlefields with Baha'i prayers and quotations against their breasts. Alma continued to open new Baha'i communities, and at the end of the War she emerged from the bomb shelters of Mannheim to receive confirmations in large halls overflowing with hundreds of people who came to hear the message of Baha'u'llah throughout Germany. She also taught early believers in Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic, as well as future Hand of the Cause Hermann Grossmann, and the first European martyr, Adam Benke. Many of the Tablets from 'Abdu'l-Baha to Alma and other believers in Germany from 1908 to 1920 are published in English in this book for the first time.

In 1920, Alma returned to the United States, where she dedicated the rest of her days to race unity, fearlessly crossing the racial and social barriers to build up lasting communities in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. These later years of her life have been little known until now and are recounted here.

If the believers . . . establish, in a befitting manner, union and harmony
with spirit, tongue, heart and body, suddenly they shall find 'Abdu'l-Bahá in their midst. 'Abdu'l-Bahá

'Abdu'l-Bahá in Their Midst is the story of the journeys of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
to Europe and North America over the period 1911 to 1913.

Rather than focusing on the public talks he gave, inspiring though these were, it narrates how 'Abdu'l-Bahá affected and transformed the lives of those he met, described in their own words.

A revealing and heartwarming book.

If you know someone who wants a fabulous book that sets them on the path to happiness and resilience, despite the challenging times in which we live, The Secrets of True Happiness is the best gift possible. Farnaz, Bijan, and Adib Masumian have written the single most comprehensible and comprehensive book on the secrets of true happiness yet. . . This book is a vitamin pill for the soul and a ticket to a flourishing and meaningful life. . . I can easily state that this is the finest book on happiness that I have ever read with regard to both content, style, and potential to transform lives.

The Secrets of True Happiness is perfect for anyone wanting to find all about the research on happiness in one place. A wonderful resource!

A far-reaching account of what is meant by the human spirit, and its relevance to the worldwide efforts being made to meet the challenges that define this historical moment.

Notions of identity, grounded in socially constructed conceptualizations of race, gender, class, and nationality continue to pose serious threats to our collective future. At the same time, everything that had once been associated with the human spirit is often understood today only in terms of neurobiology and cognitive science. Yet if the twenty-first century is to be any different from the century just ended, the protection and development of the human spirit will have to emerge as an appropriate focus for judging the moral legitimacy of human acts, social policy, or cultural or religious practices.

In a Bahá'í-inspired approach to these issues, the unique perspectives contained in the Bahá'í writings are explored alongside the rich diversity of other philosophical, epistemic, and moral traditions that have contributed to our understanding of the nature and needs of the human spirit over the ages.

The materials gathered together in this Study Companion are intended to stimulate study of Bahá'u'lláh's Book of Certitude, the Kitáb-i-Íqán.

Shoghi Effendi called the Kitáb-i-Íqán 'Bahá'u'lláh's masterly exposition of the one unifying truth underlying all the Revelations of the past'. Bahá'u'lláh Himself stated that 'all the Scriptures and the mysteries thereof are condensed into this brief account'. The study of this important work of Bahá'u'lláh is vital to an understanding of the basic truths of our Faith.

The materials gathered together in this Study Companion are intended to stimulate study of Bahá'u'lláh's Book of Certitude, the Kitáb-i-Íqán. With repeated use in classes, they have evolved over a number of years into their present form, which may be used for both individual and group study. It is intended that these notes will assist the student of the Íqán to acquire a broader vision of its fundamental themes and truths and prove a convenient point of reference for explanations not always at hand.

The Study Companion includes:

• annotations to the Íqán
• major themes of the Íqán identified by Shoghi Effendi
• a new index to the Íqán
• a suggested course of study for the Íqán