August 25, 1963
To the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'í World
Dear Bahá'í friends,
The whole Bahá'í World will be grief-stricken at the news of
the sad fate which has overtaken the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in 'Ishqabad, the first
Temple raised to the glory of Bahá'u'lláh. [The temple was located in
Turkmenistan, near the Iranian border, north of the Iranian province of
Khurasan ] Due to its unsafe condition, resulting from earthquakes, the
building has been entirely demolished and the site cleared.
The building of this edifice, the only structure of its kind
to be raised and completed in the lifetime of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, was described by
the beloved Guardian as "a lasting witness to the fervour and the
self-sacrifice of the Oriental believers." This "enterprise,"
the Guardian further wrote, "must rank not only as the first major
undertaking launched through the concerted efforts of His followers in the
Heroic Age of His Faith, but as one of the most brilliant and enduring
achievements in the history of the first Bahá'í century."[GPB, p. 300. The
first Bahá'í century ended in 1944.]
The Bahá'í centre in 'Ishqabad was founded in the days of
Bahá'u'lláh. Already during His lifetime preliminary steps had been adopted by
the friends of that community to build, in accordance with the provisions of
the Most Holy Book, a Mashriqu'l- Adhkar.[The Most Holy Book is the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh's book of laws]
However, the project had to be postponed until 1902, at the
end of the first decade of the Ministry of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, when He initiated its
construction, called on the friends in the East to offer their contributions
towards the fulfilment of this goal, and personally encouraged and directed its
development at every stage. The Báb's cousin, the venerable Haji Mirza
Muhammad-Taqi, the Vakilu'd- Dawlih, offered his total wealth towards this
meritorious enterprise, established his residence in that city, and personally
supervised its construction.
The laying of the cornerstone of this edifice at a ceremony
attended by the delegate of the Czar -- the Governor-general of Turkistan --
and the initial steps taken to raise this first House of Worship of the Bahá'í
World, inspired the friends in America, who, in 1903, eager to demonstrate the
quality of their faith, petitioned 'Abdu'l-Bahá for permission to erect the
first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the West.
In addition to the Temple itself, two schools, one for boys
and one for girls, and a pilgrim house were built. The local community, and the
activities of the friends throughout the provinces of Turkistan expanded and
developed in stature until 1928, when the law expropriating religious edifices
was applied to this Temple. However, under the terms of two five-year leases,
the Bahá'í community was permitted to continue to use the building as a house
of worship. In 1938 the Temple was completely expropriated and converted into
an art gallery.
In 1948 violent earthquakes shook the whole town causing
devastation and ruin. The building was seriously damaged. The only section
which remained relatively secure was the central rotunda. Heavy yearly rains
further weakened the structure to such a degree as to endanger the safety of
houses in the vicinity. It was at this point that the authorities decided to
demolish the remaining edifice and clear the site.
A reliable report, recently received, indicates that had the
Temple been restored to us at this point, we should have had no option but to
raze the building ourselves.
Please share this news with the friends but we do not wish
National Assemblies, Local Assemblies or individual believers to take any
action.
With loving greetings,
The Universal House of Justice
- The Universal House
of Justice ('Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963 to 1986')
