KEY TO PASSAGES TRANSLATED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI






INTRODUCTION


The years following Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival in Adrianople witnessed His
Revelation’s attainment, in the words of Shoghi Effendi, of “its meridian
glory” through the proclamation of its Founder’s message to the kings and
rulers of the world. During this relatively brief but turbulent period of
the Faith’s history, and in the early years of His subsequent exile in
1868 to the fortress town of ‘Akká, He summoned the monarchs of East and
West collectively, and some among them individually, to recognize the Day
of God and to acknowledge the One promised in the scriptures of the
religions professed by the recipients of His summons. “Never since the
beginning of the world”, Bahá’u’lláh declares, “hath the Message been so
openly proclaimed.”

The present volume brings together the first full, authorized English
translation of these major writings. Among them is the complete
Súriy-i-Haykal, the Súrih of the Temple, one of Bahá’u’lláh’s most
challenging works. It was originally revealed during His banishment to
Adrianople and later recast after His arrival in ‘Akká. In this version He
incorporated His messages addressed to individual potentates—Pope Pius IX,
Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II, Queen Victoria, and Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh.