God Passes by

Introduction

The original book is in English and titled “God Passes By”. “God Passes By” was published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States in 1944, consisting of four chapters and 412 pages. The book “God Passes By” is a translation of the Ridván 101 message issued in honor of the Western believers, and it has been translated into Persian by Nasrollah Mavadat for Persian speakers. In the Persian translation, each section has been independently published in a separate volume.

The translation of  “God Passes By” was done freely. As the translator himself states in the preface of the book:

    “Every language has its own unique style and method for conveying truths and meanings. Therefore, if a word-for-word translation is done, or if it is translated literally, not only will the elegance of the speech and what is pleasing to the taste and agreeable to the sensibilities of those with refined taste be lost, but it may also lead to misunderstandings and distortions of meaning in some cases, completely altering the concept of the text. Hence, in translating the book, as much as possible, word-for-word translation has been avoided, and the spirit of the text has been captured and rendered into the common language.”

The book includes a 40-page introduction written by George Townshend, one of Shoghi Effendi’s companions and Hands of the Cause. This introduction was written to present the book and was included in the preface of “God Passes By” at the request, permission, and approval of Shoghi Effendi. “God Passes By” provides a brief history of the emergence of the Bahá’í Faith from its inception to its hundredth year, written in a biased and unrealistic tone. This book is considered by Bahá’ís to be one of the important and reliable historical accounts.

What do we study in the historical God Passes by?

The first volume of “God Passes By” (Qarn-i-Badi’) covers the emergence of the Báb, his claims, and the uprisings of his followers. It includes the following chapters:

Introduction of the book by Shoghi Effendi
Birth of Mírzá ‘Alí Muhammad Shirazi
Imprisonment of the Báb in Azerbaijan
Events in Mazandaran, Nayriz, and Zanjan
The assassination attempt on Naser al-Din Shah and its consequences
The martyrdom of the Báb

The second volume of “God Passes By” is about Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri, the leader of the Baha’is, and his life, covering the following topics:

The birth of the Baha’i leader
The exile of Mirza Husayn Ali to Iraq
His claim of being “He Whom God Shall Make Manifest” and his exile to Istanbul
The rebellion of Mirza Yahya and the declaration of Baha’u’llah’s mission in Edirne
The imprisonment of Mirza Husayn Ali in Acre
The death of Mirza Husayn Ali

It is worth mentioning that the Baha’i Faith first published the second volume of the book, which is about the Baha’i leader. Only the second volume of this book has been printed three times. In the third edition, the first two chapters of the book were omitted because the same content was included at the end of the first volume.

The third volume of “God Passes By” discusses Abbas Effendi, his succession, and his modernizations in the West, summarized under the following titles:

The Covenant in the Baha’i Faith
The succession struggles after Mirza Husayn Ali
The renewed imprisonment of Abbas Effendi
The transfer of Mirza Ali Muhammad Bab’s coffin to Haifa
Abbas Effendi’s travels to Europe and America
The death of Abbas Effendi

The fourth volume of “God Passes By” discusses the administrative actions of Shoghi Effendi in the Bahá’í community from the death of Abbas Effendi to the hundredth anniversary of the Báb’s declaration. It covers the following topics:

The emergence and establishment of the administrative order
Attacks on Bahá’í institutions and projects
The separation and independence of the Cause of God and its institutions
The international expansion of teaching activities
A look at the past and future goals of the Bahá’í community