Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith

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Shoghi Effendi

For 36 years Shoghi Effendi moved the word of The Faith throughout all corners of the globe, reaching 1st, 2nd and 3rd world countries with equal determination. Undertaking the role of the Guardian in his early twenties, Shoghi Effendi was initially taken aback by the huge role and responsibility placed upon his shoulders. This combined with his grief for the death of his beloved Grand Father became a weight he could not carry. As a result SHoghi Effendi decided to leave the Holy land and seclude himself for several months. During this time, the Bahá'í community was without their appointed Guardian, and so, SHoghi Effendi left the runnings of the Bahá'í Faith to his great aunt Bahíyyih Khánum, Bahá'u'lláh daughter and `Abdu'l-Bahá sister.

Upon his return, Shoghi Effendi peformed several things, he protected a young Faith from the turbelent forces both within and external to the Faith. He served as the sole interpreter of the writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh and The Báb, taking their writing in Arabic and Persian and translating them into English, he worked tirelessly in beautification of the Bahá'í World Center in Haifa and Acre, and he erected the administrative order of the Faith. But perhaps the most important thing that he achieved, even more so than these tangible things listed above was his work in inspiring people all over the globe. He wrote numerous letters to the Bahá'í communities, urging them to provide better service to the Faith as well as to humanity itself. Any queries concerning the writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá and Bahá'u'lláh were ultimately directed at him, and while he had no power to alter any of these writings, Shoghi Effendi wrote thousands of individual letters to followers, clarifying and guiding them on some of the sacred writings. This helped in upholding one of the most important parts of the Bahá'í Faith, that of the prevention of 'breakaway' sects from the Bahá'í community. Through Shoghi Effendis translations and clarification of the writings, any misunderstanding or confusion on points not at first clear were cleared up, therefore keeping each follower clear on the direction they should be going, and encouraging one of the basic Bahá'í principles, One God, One Religion.

Shoghi Effendi also took the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá concerning the establishment of Bahá'í institutions that would administer the affairs of the Bahá'í communities and made the into reality. At the time of his becoming the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, there were no institutions set up to administer the affairs of the national Bahá'í community. At his passing there were 26, and after the completion of the Ten year plan set out by Shoghi Effendi there were 56.

Shoghi Effendi corresponded with these Spiritual Assemblies all over the world. The runnings, structure and guidelines that a National as well as a Local Spiritual assembly should undertake were all outlined by Shoghi Effendi by correspondance as early as 1923. To undertake just one of these tasks performed by him was a monumental achievement, the responsibility needed and belief were all something that only he could have undertaken at the time. Shoghi Effendi's efforts in the organisation and expansion of the Bahá'í Faith was something that one writer described as ..

the one human being in all history, past, present or future, to exercise the greatest influence on the ultimate shape and modus operandi of the social order of the world.

ABDU'L-BAHA UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE