The passing of Hand of the Cause, Dr. Ali-Muhammad Varqa, on 22 September 2007 was the end of an era for the sans-Guardian Bahai Faith that is presently headquartered in Haifa and Wilmette.
Dr Varqa came from a distinguished family of holy Baha'is. Dr. Varqa was a descendant of the revered martyr, Hand of the Cause Aqa Mirza Varqa, and received his name by Abdu'l-Baha in memory of his illustrious grandfather. His father, Hand of the Cause Valiyu'llah Varqa, was the trustee for the Huquq'ullah for Shoghi Effendi. Upon his father's death, Dr Varqa was appointed a Trustee of the Huquq by Shoghi Effendi just two years before the first Guardian's passing, and he continued to serve in that capacity on behalf of the Custodians and then the headless UHJ after it was created by the Hands.
Dr. Varqa was one of the nine Hands who met after the passing of Shoghi Effendi in order to open the Guardian's safe and desk in their futile search for Shoghi Effendi's Will and Testament. During the ministry of the Custodians following Shoghi Effendi's death, Dr. Varqa sometimes acted as one of the "substitute Custodians" in the absence of a permanent Custodian from Haifa. Dr. Varqa was the last living Hand of the Cause appointed by Shoghi Effendi. His death now means that organization is not only permanently deprived of its Guardian, but also now its Hands of the Cause.
How said it must be for Dr. Varqa to enter the Abha Kingdom in disgrace, In such sharp contrast to the station of glory to which his father and grandfather must have attained in the next world. To be counted amongst the instigators of the Great Violation must torment his soul. What a dubious honor it must be to be identified publicly as the "last Hand."
Of course, the Institution of the Hands of the Cause and of the Guardianship are alive and well in the Orthodox Bahai Faith, despite the efforts of the violators to kill these essential Institutions of Baha'u'llah's Kingdom. Although the Orthodox Baha'is are incredibly small in number, they have intact and functioning the Bahai Administrative Order as intended by Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha, as a shining beacon of light and guidance for the world. The Orthodox Baha'is have an activated International Bahai Council, with the Guardian (Joel B. Marangella) as its head, and both national and local councils serving under it. The Guardian has appointed 8 Hands of the Cause (one of whom was appointed posthumously).
After Shoghi Effendi's death, the Hands met together in secret conclave and decided the end of the Guardianship, declaring "Badah," that God had changed His mind. Then, instead of allowing the International Bahai Council, the embryonic UHJ created by Shoghi Effendi, to head up the Faith, the Hands appointed "Custodians" to exercise "all such functions, rights and powers in succession to the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith" and then to deliver those illegitimate rights and powers to the illegitimate UHJ of their own making. As a result of this violation, the Hands actions threatened the end of the Guardianship and of the Institutions of the Hands (which can only be appointed by the Guardian). If not for the heroic deeds of Mason Remey and his followers, and now of Joel B. Marangella, and those who obey his Guardianship, in keeping alive these Institutions of the Cause of God, the Administrative Order of Baha'ullah might have been lost!
But it is not too late. The followers of the illegitimate UHJ now sitting in Haifa have the opportunity to right this wrong and to try to redeem the name of Dr Varqa and his fellow violating Hands. They simply must abandon this violation and approach the Guardian of Cause with humility and devotion, recognizing his Guardianship and offering their loyalty to him. They will be welcomed back to the true Cause of God and the healing Message of Baha'u'llah at last can begin to be spread throughout the world, and not a moment too soon.
I was fortunate ? to be Dr. Vargha's aid when he came to Prtague, Czechoslovakia for the election of that country's first NSA.
Then We visited again when I sang in the Choir at the 1992 World Congress.
We were friends.
Posted by: Michael Zargarov | August 24, 2008 at 12:38 PM