Friday, July 7, 2017

Tihran Time and the Baha'i Calendar



“We have decided that Tihran, the birthplace of the Abha Beauty, will be the spot on the earth that will serve as the standard for determining, by means of astronomical computations from reliable sources, the moment of the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere and thereby the day of Naw-Ruz for the Baha'i world.”

(The Universal House of Justice, “To the Baha'is of the World,” 10 July, 2014)


Tihran Has Been Set as a Standard for Time

The manifest wisdom and inevitability of the landmark announcement from the Universal House of Justice, quoted above, shines forth in the quotations below.

[Emphasis added in the quotations below.]

...the Sun of Truth arose in the city of Tihran -- a city which, by reason of so rare a privilege conferred upon it, had been glorified by the Báb as the "Holy Land," and surnamed by Bahá'u'lláh "the Mother of the world," the "Day-spring of Light," the "Dawning-Place of the signs of the Lord," the "Source of the joy of all mankind."

(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 102)


A Revelation, hailed as the promise and crowning glory of past ages and centuries, as the consummation of all the Dispensations within the Adamic Cycle, inaugurating an era of at least a thousand years' duration, and a cycle destined to last no less than five thousand centuries, signalizing the end of the Prophetic Era and the beginning of the Era of Fulfillment, unsurpassed alike in the duration of its Author's ministry and the fecundity and splendor of His mission -- such a Revelation was...born amidst the darkness of a subterranean dungeon in Tihran...

(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 100)



The second period (1853-1892) [“The Ministry of Baha’u’llah”] derives its inspiration from the august figure of Bahá'u'lláh, preeminent in holiness, awesome in the majesty of His strength and power, unapproachable in the transcendent brightness of His glory. It opens with the first stirrings, in the soul of Bahá'u'lláh while in the Siyah-Chal of Tihran, of the Revelation anticipated by the Báb...
(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. xiv)

"Ta" is the initial letter of Tihran, the capital of Iran. Bahá'u'lláh has often chosen to represent certain place names by reference to their initial letter. According to the abjad system of reckoning, the numerical value of Ta is nine, which equals the numerical value of the name Baha.

(The Kitab-i-Aqdas, Notes, p. 218)


LV. Call thou to remembrance, O Land of Ta (Tihran), the former days in which thy Lord had made thee the seat of His throne, and had enveloped thee with the effulgence of His glory. How vast the number of those sanctified beings, those symbols of certitude, who, in their great love for thee, have laid down their lives and sacrificed their all for thy sake! Joy be to thee, and blissfulness to them that inhabit thee. I testify that out of thee, as every discerning heart knoweth, proceedeth the living breath of Him Who is the Desire of the world. In thee the Unseen hath been revealed, and out of thee hath gone forth that which lay hid from the eyes of men. Which one of the multitude of thy sincere lovers shall We remember, whose blood hath been shed within thy gates, and whose dust is now concealed beneath thy soil? The sweet savors of God have unceasingly been wafted, and shall everlastingly continue to be wafted upon thee. Our Pen is moved to commemorate thee, and to extol the victims of tyranny, those men and women that sleep beneath thy dust.

Among them is Our own sister, whom We now call to mind as a token of Our fidelity, and as proof of Our loving-kindness, unto her. How piteous was her plight! In what a state of resignation she returned to her God! We, alone, in Our all-encompassing knowledge, have known it.

O Land of Ta! Thou art still, through the grace of God, a center around which His beloved ones have gathered. Happy are they; happy every refugee that seeketh thy shelter, in his sufferings in the path of God, the Lord of this wondrous Day!

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, pp. 109-110)


LVI. Let nothing grieve thee, O Land of Ta (Tihran), for God hath chosen thee to be the source of the joy of all mankind. He shall, if it be His Will, bless thy throne with one who will rule with justice, who will gather together the flock of God which the wolves have scattered. Such a ruler will, with joy and gladness, turn his face towards, and extend his favors unto, the people of Baha. He indeed is accounted in the sight of God as a jewel among men. Upon him rest forever the glory of God, and the glory of all that dwell in the kingdom of His revelation.

Rejoice with great joy, for God hath made thee "the Day Spring of His light," inasmuch as within thee was born the Manifestation of His Glory. Be thou glad for this name that hath been conferred upon thee -- a name through which the Day Star of grace hath shed its splendor, through which both earth and heaven have been illumined.

Ere long will the state of affairs within thee be changed, and the reins of power fall into the hands of the people. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing. His authority embraceth all things. Rest thou assured in the gracious favor of thy Lord. The eye of His loving-kindness shall everlastingly be directed towards thee. The day is approaching when thy agitation will have been transmuted into peace and quiet calm. Thus hath it been decreed in the wondrous Book.

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, pp. 110-11)


LXIII. O thou whose face is turned towards Me! As soon as thine eyes behold from afar My native city (Tihran), stand thou and say: I am come to thee out of the Prison, O Land of Ta, with tidings from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. I announce unto thee, O mother of the world and fountain of light unto all its peoples, the tender mercies of thy Lord, and greet thee in the name of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, the Knower of things unseen. I testify that within thee He Who is the Hidden Name was revealed, and the Unseen Treasure uncovered. Through thee the secret of all things, be they of the past or of the future, hath been unfolded.

O Land of Ta! He Who is the Lord of Names remembereth thee in His glorious station. Thou wert the Day Spring of the Cause of God, the fountain of His Revelation, the manifestation of His Most Great Name -- a Name that hath caused the hearts and souls of men to tremble. How vast the number of those men and women, those victims of tyranny, that have, within thy walls, laid down their lives in the path of God, and been buried beneath thy dust with such cruelty as to cause every honored servant of God to bemoan their plight.


LXIV. It is Our wish to remember the Abode of supreme blissfulness (Tihran), the holy and shining city -- the city wherein the fragrance of the Well-Beloved hath been shed, wherein His signs have been diffused, wherein the evidences of His glory have been revealed, wherein His standards have been raised, wherein His tabernacle hath been pitched, wherein each of His wise decrees hath been unfolded.

It is the city in which the sweet savors of reunion have breathed, which have caused the sincere lovers of God to draw nigh unto Him, and to gain access to the Habitation of holiness and beauty. Happy is the wayfarer that directeth his steps towards this city, that gaineth admittance into it, and quaffeth the wine of reunion, through the outpouring grace of his Lord, the Gracious, the All-Praised.

I am come to thee, O land of the heart's desire, with tidings from God, and announce to thee His gracious favor and mercy, and greet and magnify thee in His name. He, in truth, is of immense bounteousness and goodness. Blessed be the man that turneth his face towards thee, that perceiveth from thee the fragrance of God's Presence, the Lord of all worlds. His glory be on thee, and the brightness of His light envelop thee, inasmuch as God hath made thee a paradise unto His servants, and proclaimed thee to be the blest and sacred land of which He, Himself, hath made mention in the Books which His Prophets and Messengers have revealed.

Through thee, O land of resplendent glory, the ensign, "There is none other God but Him," hath been unfurled, and the standard, "Verily I am the Truth, the Knower of things unseen," been hoisted. It behoveth every one that visiteth thee to glory in thee and in them that inhabit thee, that have branched from My Tree, who are the leaves thereof, who are the signs of My glory, who follow Me and are My lovers, and who, with the most mighty determination, have turned their faces in the direction of My glorious station.

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, pp. 120-22)


...this Servant journeyed from the Seat of Sovereignty [Tihran]...

(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 106)


Baha’u’llah shared an Islamic tradition from centuries before which referenced the environs of Tihran as the site of momentous happenings:

Moreover, observe how these things that have come to pass, and the acts which have been perpetrated, have all been mentioned in former traditions. Even as it hath been recorded in the "Rawdiy-i-Kafi," concerning "Zawra'." In the "Rawdiy-i-Kafi" it is related of Mu'aviyih, son of Vahhab, that Abu-'Abdi'llah hath spoken: "Knowest thou Zawra'?" I said: "May my life be a sacrifice unto thee! They say it is Baghdad." "Nay," he answered. And then added: "Hast thou entered the city of Rayy?",[1] to which I made reply: "Yea, I have entered it." Whereupon, He enquired: "Didst thou visit the cattle-market?" "Yea," I answered. He said: "Hast thou seen the black mountain on the right hand side of the road? The same is Zawra'. There shall eighty men, of the children of certain ones, be slain, all of whom are worthy to be called caliphs." "Who will slay them?" I asked. He made reply: "The children of Persia!"
[1 Ancient city near which Tihran is built.]

(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, pp. 246-47)


Moreover, we see below that Tihran has also been implicated in determining the timing for the future appearance of the next Manifestation of God:

62. Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration of a full thousand years # 37

The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh will last until the coming of the next Manifestation of God, Whose advent will not take place before at least "a full thousand years" will have elapsed. Bahá'u'lláh cautions against ascribing to "this verse" anything other than its "obvious meaning", and in one of His Tablets, He specifies that "each year" of this thousand year period consists of "twelve months according to the Qur'án, and of nineteen months of nineteen days each, according to the Bayan".

The intimation of His Revelation to Bahá'u'lláh in the Siyah-Chal of Tihran, in October 1852, marks the birth of His Prophetic Mission and hence the commencement of the one thousand years or more that must elapse before the appearance of the next Manifestation of God.

         (The Kitab-i-Aqdas, Notes, pp. 195-96)

Sunday, May 28, 2017

The Term "Cord" in the Baha'i Writings and in the Qur'an

Photo © Baha’i International Community
Prayer Beads of Baha'u'llah

Here below are 73 snippets of text wherein the image "cord" occurs in authoritative Baha'i sources.

Following that is a passage from the Qur'an where the term "cord" occurs, with some context, as presented in six different English translations of the Qur'an (Rodwell, E.H. Palmer, Yusef Ali, Pickthall, Muhammad Asad, and George Sale).

Then, at the very bottom, are some remarks that scholar Todd Lawson, a Baha'i, shared with me in an email, regarding the use of the word "cord" (or "rope") as used in Islam and in the Baha'i Faith.

Photo © Baha’i International Community
Marion Jack, Baha'i Pioneer

*****
From the Baha’i Writings

Ordain for them that have set their faces towards Thee, and for Thine handmaids that have held fast by Thy Cord, that which beseemeth the Ocean of Thy bounty and the Heaven of Thy grace.  (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 134)


What mankind needeth in this day is obedience unto them that are in authority, and a faithful adherence to the cord of wisdom.  (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 206)



Have mercy, then, O Thou Who art the sovereign Lord of all, Who art the King of everlasting days, and Ruler of all nations, upon these Thy servants, who have clung to the cord of Thy commandments, who have bowed their necks to the revelations of Thy laws which have been sent down from the heaven of Thy Will.  (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 300)

All, however, have, as soon as the Sun of Truth shed its radiance upon the world, been deprived of its benefits, and have been shut out as by a veil from its glory, except them that have clung to the cord of the unfailing providence of the one true God, and have with complete detachment from all else but Him turned their faces towards His holy court.  (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 306)

Cling thou to the hem of the Robe of God, and take thou firm hold on His Cord, a Cord which none can sever.  (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 308)


Members of the human race! Hold ye fast by the Cord which no man can sever. This will, indeed, profit you all the days of your life, for its strength is of God, the Lord of all worlds.  (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 342)


I am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast the cord of Thy loving-kindness, and clung to the hem of Thy mercy and favors.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 9)


I am the one, O my Lord, that hath held fast the cord of Thy mercy which hath surpassed the entire creation.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 19)


I entreat Thee, O Thou Who art the Ruler of the kingdoms of creation and the Author of all names, to write down my name with the names of them who, from eternity, have circled round the Tabernacle of Thy majesty, and clung to the hem of Thy loving-kindness, and held fast the cord of Thy tender mercy.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 21)


I am sore sick; I have held fast the cord of Thy healing.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 22)


I am the one who hath forsaken his all and set his face towards the splendors of the glory of Thy countenance, who hath severed every tie and clung to the cord of Thy love and of Thy good-pleasure.      (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 25)


Inspire them, O my Lord, with a sense of their own powerlessness before Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self, and teach them to recognize the poverty of their own nature in the face of the manifold tokens of Thy self-sufficiency and riches, that they may gather together round Thy Cause, and cling to the hem of Thy mercy, and cleave to the cord of the good-pleasure of Thy will.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 47)

Direct, then, his eyes, O my God, towards the horizon of Thy loving-kindness, and make steadfast his heart in its attachment to Thee, and unloose his tongue to praise Thee, and make him able to hold fast the cord of Thy love, and to cling to the hem of Thy bounteousness, and to proclaim Thy name amidst Thy creatures, and to recount Thy virtues throughout Thy realm...  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 53)


I entreat Thee, O my Lord, by these days and by all such as have during that period clung to the cord of Thy commandments, and laid hold on the handle of Thy precepts, to grant that unto every soul may be assigned a place within the precincts of Thy court, and a seat at the revelation of the splendors of the light of Thy countenance.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 66)

I have laid hold on the handle of Thy grace, and clung to the cord of Thy tender mercy.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 75)


Unto Him I have turned, wholly detached from all things, and cleaving steadfastly unto the cord of Thy gifts and favors.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 80)


Thou seest me then, O my God, with my face turned towards Thee, cleaving steadfastly to the cord of Thy gracious providence and generosity, and clinging to the hem of Thy tender mercies and bountiful favors.     (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 81)


I have held fast the cord of Thy grace, and clung to the hem of the garment of Thy loving providence.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 100)


Grant, then, O my God, that Thy servant who hath turned towards Thee, hath fixed his gaze upon Thee, and clung to the cord of Thy mercifulness and favor, may be enabled to partake of the living waters of Thy mercy and grace.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 124)

What, then, can this poor creature hope to achieve, and to what cord must this wretched soul cling?  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 173)


In Thee I have placed my whole confidence, unto Thee I have turned my face, to the cord of Thy loving providence I have clung, and towards the shadow of Thy mercy I have hastened.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 220)


I am Thy servant who hath laid hold on the cord of Thy tender mercies, and clung to the hem of Thy bounteousness.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 224)


I beseech Thee by Thy Name, through which the faces of them that are nigh unto Thee have turned white, and the hearts of such as are devoted to Thee have winged their flight towards Thee, to grant that I may, at all times and under all conditions, lay hold on Thy cord, and be rid of all attachment to any one except Thee, and may keep mine eyes directed towards the horizon of Thy Revelation, and may carry out what Thou hast prescribed unto me in Thy Tablets.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 225)


Thou seest me, O my God, with my face turned towards Thee, and my hands clinging to the cord of Thy grace.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 226)


I am he, O my God, that hath clung to the resplendent hem of Thy robe, and taken hold on Thy strong cord that none can sever.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 228)


Do Thou destine for me, O my God, what will set me, at all times, towards Thee, and enable me to cleave continually to the cord of Thy grace, and to proclaim Thy name, and to look for whatsoever may flow down from Thy pen.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 242)

I have wakened this morning with my face set toward the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy Revelation, through Which the heavens of Thy power and Thy majesty have been illumined, acknowledging Thy signs, believing in Thy Book, and holding fast unto Thy Cord.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 249)


I have set out from my home, holding fast unto the cord of Thy love, and I have committed myself wholly to Thy care and Thy protection.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 257)



Thou seest, O my Lord, Thy suppliant waiting at the door of Thy bounty, and him who hath set his hopes on Thee clinging to the cord of Thy generosity.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 265)


Thou seest me turning toward Thee, and rid of all attachment to anyone save Thee, and clinging to Thy cord, through whose movement the whole creation hath been stirred up.  (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 317)


Hold ye fast unto the cord of means and place your trust in God, the Provider of all means.  (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 30)


Cleave ye unto the cord of refinement with such tenacity as to allow no trace of dirt to be seen upon your garments.  (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 46)


Lay hold on this Sure Handle and on the Cord of My mighty and unassailable Cause.  (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 61)


Cling, O ye people of Baha, to the cord of servitude unto God, the True One, for thereby your stations shall be made manifest, your names written and preserved, your ranks raised and your memory exalted in the Preserved Tablet.  (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 62)


They [referring to the Qur’an 2:23 about the revealed verses] constitute the indissoluble Bond, the firm Cord, the Urvatu'l-Vuthqa, the inextinguishable Light.  (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 205)


Thou seest me turning towards Thee, holding fast unto the cord of Thy bounty, clinging to the hem of Thy generosity, acknowledging the sanctity of Thy Self and the purity of Thine Essence, and testifying to Thy unity and Thy oneness.  (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 3)


My [the Shaykh’s] sore injustice hath severed the cord of my [the Shaykh’s] hope, and my [the Shaykh's] rebellion hath darkened my [the Shaykh's] face before the throne of Thy justice.  (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 6)


O Shaykh! Know thou that neither the calumnies which men may utter, nor their denials, nor any cavils they may raise, can harm him that hath clung to the cord of the grace, and seized the hem of the mercy, of the Lord of creation.  (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 9)


Cling ye to the hem of virtue, and hold fast to the cord of trustworthiness and piety.  (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 29)


Whilst afflicted with trials, He held fast unto the cord of patience and fortitude, and was satisfied with the things which have befallen Him at the hands of His enemies, and was crying out: "I have renounced My desire for Thy desire, O my God, and My will for the revelation of Thy Will.  (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 36)


...aided by the hosts of wisdom, of utterance, of exhortations and understanding, they have all seized and taken fast hold of the firm cord of patience and of the shining hem of fortitude...  (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 71)


It behooveth whosoever hath set his face towards the Most Sublime Horizon to cleave tenaciously unto the cord of patience, and to put his reliance in God, the Help in Peril, the Unconstrained.            (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 99)

In this connection it is necessary to mention the following occurrence, that haply men may take fast hold of the cord of justice and truthfulness.  (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 108)


Though my transgressions be manifold, and unnumbered my evildoings, yet do I cleave tenaciously to the cord of His bounty, and cling unto the hem of His generosity.  (Baha'u'llah, quoting Haji Shaykh Muhammad Ali who self-sacrificed himself. Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 110)


Where shalt thou secure the cord of thy faith and fasten the tie of thine obedience?  (Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 13)

Know, moreover, that should the cord of assistance binding this mighty Pivot to the dwellers of earth and heaven be severed, they would all assuredly perish.  (Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 74)


Take heed lest thou cling to the cord of idle fancy and withhold thyself from that which hath been ordained in the Kingdom of God, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.  (Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 62)


Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast to this firm Cord.  (Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 72)


O God, my God! Thou seest Thy loved ones turning their hearts to Thee, and holding fast unto the cord of Thy ordinances and laws.  (Baha'u'llah, Fire and Light, p. 14)


In all these journeys the traveler must stray not the breadth of a hair from the "Law," for this is indeed the secret of the "Path" and the fruit of the Tree of "Truth"; and in all these stages he must cling to the robe of obedience to the commandments, and hold fast to the cord of shunning all forbidden things, that he may be nourished from the cup of the Law and informed of the mysteries of Truth.  (Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, pp. 39-40)


Cleave ye to the hem of the raiment of virtue and keep fast hold of the cord of piety and trustworthiness.  (Baha'u'llah, ‘Trustworthiness,’ The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 331)


Cleave ye at all times to the cord of trustworthiness and hold fast the hem of the garment of truthfulness: thus biddeth you He Who is the Truthful, the Trusted One.  (Baha'u'llah, ‘Trustworthiness,’ The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 334)


Blessed is the house that hath attained unto My tender mercy, wherein My remembrance is celebrated, and which is ennobled by the presence of My loved ones, who have proclaimed My praise, cleaved fast to the cord of My grace and been honoured by chanting My verses.  (Baha'u'llah, ‘Family Life,’ The Compilation of Compilations vol I, p. 385)


Cling ye to the cord of God's laws, and follow not those who have turned away from the Book, for verily they have opposed God, the Mighty, the Beloved.  (Baha'u'llah, The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, p.7)


I beg of Thee, O my God, by those who have fasted for love of Thee and have quaffed the living waters of submission from the hands of Thy bounty, to ordain for Thy loved ones, who under the blaze of the orb of Thy trials have clung to the cord of patience, all the good Thou hast reckoned in Thy Books and Thy Tablets.  (Baha'u'llah, The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, p. 26 )


Rich is the one who hath held fast to the cord of Thy wealth, is submissive before Thy face, and for whom Thou art sufficient above all things.  (Baha'u'llah, The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, p. 32)


Wilt Thou stay far removed, O my God, after Thou hast invited all mankind to return and draw nigh unto Thee, and urged them to hold fast to Thy cord?  (Baha'u'llah, The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, p. 36)


Yet another sacred duty is that of clinging to the cord of moderation in all things, lest they who are to be the essence of detachment and moderation be deluded by the trappings of this nether world or set their hearts on its adornments and waste their lives.  (Baha’u’llah, quoted by The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 437)


If wealth and prosperity become the means of service at God's Threshold, it is highly meritorious; otherwise it would be better to avoid them. Turn to the Book of the Covenant, the Hidden Words, and other Tablets, lest the cord of your salvation become a rope of woe which will lead to your own destruction.  (Baha’u’llah, quoted by The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, pp. 437-38)


...assist me under all conditions to lay fast hold on the cord of Thy Cause, and to arise to serve Thee and to extol Thy Name amongst Thy servants.  (Baha’u’llah, quoted in Messages to the Indian Subcontinent, p. 433) [Translation authorized by the Universal House of Justice.]


O peoples of the earth! Cleave ye tenaciously to the Cord of the All-Highest God, which is but this Arabian Youth, Our Remembrance -- He Who standeth concealed at the point of ice amidst the ocean of fire. Chapter XXIX.  (The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 54)


Seek ye refuge in God from whatsoever might lead you astray from the Source of His Revelation and hold fast unto His Cord, for whoso holdeth fast unto His allegiance, he hath attained and will attain salvation in all the worlds.  (The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 85)

Having clung tenaciously to Thy Cord, O my God, I have detached myself from all mankind, and having set my face towards the habitation of Thy tender mercy, I have turned away from all created things.  (The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 194)


Later he [Muhammad-Mustafa Baghdadi] moved from Beirut to Iskandarun, and there he spent some time, until, drawn as if by a magnet to the Lord, detached from all save Him, rejoicing in His glad tidings, holding fast to the cord that none can sever -- he ascended on the wings of the spirit to his Exalted Companion.  (Abdu'l-Baha, Memorials of the Faithful, p. 134)

         
He is God!
O ye heavenly souls, sons and daughters of the Kingdom:
GOD says in the Qur'án: "Take ye hold of the Cord of God, all of you, and become ye not disunited."[1]
[1 Qur'án 3:103.]   (Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 101)


“Thy pomp ... shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast by this firm Cord. We see abasement hastening after thee...." All this happened just as announced by Bahá'u'lláh. Napoleon III was dethroned and exiled. His empire passed away and became nonexistent while the dominion and sovereignty of Bahá'u'lláh, the Prisoner, has become eternal through the confirmation of God.  (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 211)


Extolled by the writer of the Apocalypse as "the Ark of His (God) Testament"; associated with the gathering beneath the "Tree of Anisa" (Tree of Life) mentioned by Bahá'u'lláh in the Hidden Words; glorified by Him, in other passages of His writings, as the "Ark of Salvation" and as "the Cord stretched betwixt the earth and the Abha Kingdom," this Covenant has been bequeathed to posterity in a Will and Testament which, together with the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and several Tablets, in which the rank and station of 'Abdu'l-Bahá are unequivocally disclosed, constitute the chief buttresses designed by the Lord of the Covenant Himself to shield and support, after His ascension, the appointed Center of His Faith and the Delineator of its future institutions.  (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 239)


"The word 'cord', so often mentioned in the teachings, means both the Faith itself and also the power of the Faith which sustains those who cling to it."  (From letter dated April 18, 1941 written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer)


Happy is the handmaid that hath mentioned thee, [Navaab] and sought thy good-pleasure, and humbled herself before thee, and held fast unto the cord of thy love... I bear witness that thou hast believed in God and in His signs, and answered His Call, and turned unto Him, and held fast unto His cord...  (Shoghi Effendi quoting Baha’ullah, Messages to America, p. 35)


In counselling the friends, and conveying condolences to the victims of this latest outrage, your Assembly should urge them to cleave now as never before to the firm cord of God's holy ordinances and teachings, never to deviate by so much as a hair's breadth from the Straight Path; and to bide the advent of that day when it shall please Him to accomplish His foreordained decree.  (From letter written on behalf of the Guardian 2 July 1942 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Persia, The Compilation of Compilations, vol I, p. 182)


Afire with that same love that burned so brightly in the hearts of its earliest pioneers, holding fast to the strong cord of the spiritual precepts and administrative principles of the Faith it has so whole-heartedly espoused...   
(Shoghi Effendi, Messages to Canada, p. 70)


"However great may be our inability to understand the mystery and the implications of the passing of Shoghi Effendi, the strong cord to which all must cling with assurance is the Covenant.  (Universal House of Justice, 27 May 1966, Lights of Guidance, p. 317)
                                                                     
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From a passage in the Qur'an
 
O ye believers! fear God as He deserveth to be feared! ... And hold ye fast by the cord of God, all of you, and break not loose from it; and remember God's goodness towards you, how that when ye were enemies, He united your hearts, and by his favour ye became brethren;

And when ye were on the brink of the pit of fire, he drew you back from it. Thus God clearly sheweth you his signs that ye may be guided;

3:100 And that there may be among you a people who invite to the Good, and enjoin the Just, and forbid the Wrong. These are they with whom it shall be well.

And be ye not like those who have formed divisions, and fallen to variance after the clear proofs have come to them. These! a terrible chastisement doth await them...  (The Qur'an (Rodwell tr), Sura 3 - The Family of Imran)

O ye who believe! fear God with the fear that He deserves, and die not save ye be resigned.
Take tight hold of God's rope altogether, and do not part in sects; but remember the favours of God towards you, when ye were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts, and on the morrow ye were, by His favour, brothers. Ye were on the edge of a pit of fire, but he rescued you therefrom. Thus does God show to you His signs, perchance ye may be guided; and that there may be of you a nation who shall invite to good, and bid what is reasonable, and forbid what is wrong; these are the prosperous. Be not like those who parted in sects and disagreed after there came to them manifest signs; for them is mighty woe...  (The Qur'an (E.H. Palmer tr), Sura 3 - Imran's Family)


103. And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make his signs clear to you: that ye may be guided.

104. Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong; they are the ones to attain felicity.

105. Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations after receiving clear signs; for them is a dreadful penalty. 
(The Qur'an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 3)

103 And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate. And remember Allah's favour unto you: How ye were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that ye became as brothers by His grace; and (how) ye were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations unto you, that haply ye may be guided,

104 And there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. Such are they who are successful.

105 And be ye not as those who separated and disputed after the clear proofs had come unto them. For such there is an awful doom...  (The Qur'an (Pickthall tr), Sura 3 - The Family Of Imran)

3:103
And hold fast, all together, unto the bond with God, and do not draw apart from one another. And remember the blessings which God has bestowed upon you: how, when you were enemies, He brought your hearts together, so that through His blessing you became brethren; and [how, when] you were on the brink of a fiery abyss. He saved you from it. In this way God makes clear His messages unto you, so that you might find guidance, (3:104) and that there might grow out of you a community [of people] who invite unto all that is good, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong: and it is they, they who shall attain to a happy state!
3:105
And be not like those who have drawn apart from one another and have taken to conflicting views after all evidence of the truth has come unto them: for these it is for whom tremendous suffering is in store...  (The Qur’an (Muhammad Asad tr), Sura 3 – The House of Imran)


[The English translation of George Sale that follows, from the year 1734, does not use verse numbers or paragraphs or capitalization of pronouns referring to God. He also doesn’t use the terms “cord” or “rope” or “cable” or “bond,” but instead, “cleave” and “covenant.”]

III. ...But he who cleaveth firmly unto GOD, is already directed in the right way. O believers, fear GOD with his true fear; and die not unless ye also be true believers. And cleave all of you unto the covenant of GOD, and depart not from it, and remember the favor of GOD towards you: since ye were enemies, and he reconciled your hearts, and ye became companions and brethren by his favor: and ye were on the brink of a pit of fire, and he delivered you thence. Thus GOD declareth unto you his signs, that ye may be directed. Let there be people among you who invite to the best religion; and command that which is just, and forbid that which is evil; and they shall be happy. And be not as they who are divided, and disagree in matters of religion, after manifest proofs have been brought unto them: they shall suffer a great torment.  (Al Koran (George Sale tr) Chapter III, Intitled, The Family of Imran; Revealed at Medina)

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From Scholar Todd Lawson

Below is a list of all verses in which ḥabl  - rope or cord - occur [in the Qur'an]. It is a very important image in the Baha’i writings, as you observed. One stream of Shi’i Quran commentary interprets the rope or cord as the Imam or Prophet. Sometimes the Quran itself is considered the ḥabl.

There is another word for rope in the Quran, sabab. I believe that most of the occurrences of “cord” in the Baha’i writings are translations of ḥabl. This would be a great topic for further research.

(3:103:2) biḥablito (the) ropeوَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا
(3:112:8) biḥablinwith a ropeضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ أَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُوا إِلَّا بِحَبْلٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ
(3:112:11) waḥablinand a ropeوَحَبْلٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ
(20:66:5) ḥibāluhumTheir ropesفَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ
(26:44:2) ḥibālahumtheir ropesفَأَلْقَوْا حِبَالَهُمْ وَعِصِيَّهُمْ
(50:16:13) ḥabli(his) jugular veinوَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ
(111:5:3) ḥablun(will be) a ropeفِي جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِنْ مَسَدٍ