Ruhiyyih After the Death of Shoghi Effendi

 

Abdul Baha says:

“In each cycle the guardian and holy souls have been twelve. So Jacob had twelve sons; in the time of Moses there were heads or chiefs of the tribes; in the time of Christ there were twelve Apostles; and in the time of Mohammad there were twelve Imams. But in this glorious manifestation there are twenty-four, double the number of all the others, for the greatness of this manifestation requires it.”

(Some Answered Questions)

Rúhíyyih Khánum was the wife of Shoghi Effendi, the First Guardian of the Baha’i Faith. In the Will and Testament, Abdul Baha chose Shoghi Effendi as his successor. Also, to ensure there is no schism in the Faith, Abdul Baha gave further guidelines for the appointment of future successors/guardians.

The Will of the Master says:

“O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the Guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own lifetime him that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing….”

It is important to note that Shoghi Effendi did not die young nor did he die without fulfilling his duties. Shoghi Effendi died at the age of 60 years, and it is not possible that he would die without appointing his successor at such an old age.

Complying with the command of Abdul Baha, Shoghi Effendi in his own life established the International Baha’i Council (future UHJ) in embryonic form and made Charles Mason Remey its head and president. It goes without saying that the head of UHJ can be no one other than the Guardian of the Faith.

Things went pretty well until the sudden death of our Beloved Guardian Shoghi Effendi.

After his death, Rúhíyyih Khánum started showing her true colours and ended up becoming the first covenant breaker after the death of First Guardian.

Let us examine the acts of Rúhíyyih Khánum which will give us a clear picture about her intention and how she played a vital role in finishing Guardianship and misguiding the believers.

Acts of Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum:

1. Rúhíyyih Khánum believed that Shoghi Effendi is still the Guardian of the Faith directing from the Abha Realm, therefore, no successor is needed or is ever to be. She holds that the “Guardianship is closed.” (Extracts from the Daily Observations, p. 21)

2. In 1958 (Five years before the election of the bogus UHJ) Rúhíyyih Khánum went down to Kampala for a conference and announced that the Guardianship has ended and has become Badah (change in the will of God). Later in a meeting with Hands of Cause in Haifa, she explained herself saying that she spoke on the spur of the moment and without thought and should not have announced this.

3. She went to the extent of saying that if the Guardianship if re-established, she would abandon Haifa and go to the wilds of Tibet and hide herself from Baha’is.

4. Rúhíyyih had suicidal tendencies and used to threaten to commit suicide if things didn’t go as per her will. She even said that after her, no one would ever live in the Guardian’s house in Haifa. (Extracts from the Daily Observations, p. 24)

A series of her acts can be found in the book ‘Baha’is in Exile’ by Vernon Elvin Johnson, from Page 22 to 26.

Objections against Rúhíyyih Khánum:

a. How did Rúhíyyih Khánum come to know that Guardianship has become Badah when the change in the will of God is communicated by God to His Manifestation and not to any layman?

b. The belief of Rúhíyyih that Shoghi Effendi is still the Guardian and guiding from the Abha realm completely contradicts the Will and the saying of Abdul Baha about future Guardians.

c. Shoghi Effendi died in 1957 and UHJ was established in 1963. The saying of Rúhíyyih in the Kampala conference (1958) is a proof that there was some backend planning going on to finish Guardianship. And that is the main reason why, when she was asked by the Hands the reason for making such announcement, she regretted the same and covered her words by calling it a slip of tongue.

The fact that Rúhíyyih had suicidal tendencies and was threatening to leave Haifa if Guardianship is re-established clearly proves that Rúhíyyih was afraid and insecure that by the coming of the next Guardian, her position would be impacted and she wouldn’t have that weight and authority over the Faith which she had then.

Also an important point, which is found in the book ‘Unanswered Letters to Rúhíyyih Khánum’ by Joel Bray Marangella, is that Shoghi Effendi had informed Rúhíyyih about his impending death. But still, in her book “The Guardian of the Baha’i Faith”, she mentions that she was unaware about Shoghi Effendi’s death.

In her paper titled ‘Twenty Five Years of Guardianship’ she wrote:

“For the first time in history, a religion has been given to men which cannot be split up into sects, for the two Wills — those of Baha’u’llah and the Master — are so strongly constructed and so authentic beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is impossible to divorce the body of the teaching from their provisions.”

What happened to Rúhíyyih Khánum after the death of Shoghi Effendi that she herself backed off from her words?

Shoghi Effendi’s highly significant message of June 30th, 1952:

“At the World Center of the Faith where at long last the machinery of its highest institutions have been erected and around whose most holy shrines the supreme organs of its unfolding Order are in their embryonic form unfolding….”

Highest institution refers to embryonic UHJ which was formed as the International Baha’i Council. Shoghi Effendi made Charles Mason Remey President of this institution — i.e., the future Guardian.

Shoghi Effendi described the Will and Testament of Abdul Baha as: Immortal Document, Charter of the New World Order of Baha’u’llah, A document which is supplementary to Kitab-i-Aqdas.

Abdul Baha says:

A specific teaching not given by any of the Prophets of the past is the ordination and appointment of the Center of the Covenant (Guardian/Successor). By this appointment and provision, He has safeguarded and protected the religion of God against differences and schisms, making it impossible for anyone to create a new sect or faction of belief.

Abdul Baha’s Will mentions:

In all countries a secondary House of Justice must be instituted… The Guardian is its sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body.

Where is the secondary House of Justice?

How is it functioning without its Head, which as per the Will and Testament of Abdul Baha is supposed to be the Guardian of the Faith?