Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh

Four groups of people have earned titles over the history of the Bahá'í Faith, from

the Declaration of the Báb to the election of the Universal House of Justice. These

groups are the Letters of the Living, the Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh, the Disciples of

'Abdu'l-Bahá and the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. Unlike the Hands of the Cause who

were designated as such for their loyalty, dedication and knowledge, and were part

of an Institution given distinct duties, those named in the four groups earned their

titles by arising on their own initiative to do what had to be done at four different

times of the Faith's development.

The Apostles came from Islamic backgrounds and lived during a time of

intense physical suffering when thousands of Bábís and Bahá'ís in Persia

were imprisoned, tortured and martyred. Their own stories are filled with

severe tests and persecution, and yet they gleam with transcendent qualities:

complete detachment from the things of this world, tranquillity and steadfastness

in the face of bi er opposition, sacrifice of everything except their faith in the

Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, and an indomitable passion for teaching the Faith

at all costs. This book explores the lives of these valiant men designated as

'Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh' in the photo montage compiled for the Bahá'í World

Volumes by Shoghi Effendi.