God Passes By

Read online at https://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_god_passes_by .

Need to read

Young Bahá'ís to gain a mastery of "God Passes By"

"...as to what subjects within the Faith you should concentrate on he feels that the young Bahá'ís should gain a mastery of such books as the “Dawn-breakers”, “God Passes By”, the “Íqán”, “Some Answered Questions” and the more important Tablets. All aspects of the Faith should be deeply studied."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, The Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 143)

"God Passes By" is an important book providing a weighty history and review of the Faith and of great educational value

"The Guardian has already had a sum transferred to Mr. Hofman to meet the expenses of publishing "God Passes By". He trusts this important work will soon be in your hands, as it will be of great educational value to the German believers. They are, he feels, just the people to appreciate such a weighty history and review of the Faith."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance, pp. 160-161)

Gives fuller knowledge of Faith's history as well as how it has been attacked by enemies formerly having high positions in its ranks (e.g., Ahmad Sohrab and those of formerly higher rank) who were cast out to preserve its health

"He is pleased to hear that the friends are intensively studying 'God Passes By', as it is most essential for them to gain not only a fuller knowledge of their Faith's history but also to see how persistently it has been attacked by enemies who once held high positions in its ranks. Indeed he hopes a perusal of this book will help not only friends and observers of the Cause to see Ahmad Sohrab in his proper colours, but also believers who are not familiar with the defections of those who were far more highly placed and who turned against the Faith in the days of Bahá'u'lláh and the Master."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 16 October 1944, to participants at Louhelen Summer School, August 1944, quoted in the compilation Studying the Writings of the Guardian, at https://bahai-library.com/compilation_studying_writings_guardian)

"The Guardian feels that one of the best antidotes to those --Sohrab or others--who seek to undermine the faith of the believers, especially by harping on the subject of excommunication, is to place in their hands a German edition of "God Passes By". For in that book he (the Guardian) has clearly pointed out that the Cause of God has always been attacked from within, and that, beginning in the days of the Báb, the "Sea of Truth" has over and over cast out its spiritually dead. It must do this, even as the body seeks to rid itself of poisons so as to preserve the health of the entire organism."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance, vol. 1, p. 136)

To master the subjects and facts contained and bring them to the attention of the Bahá'ís for perspective

"He feels that you will benefit greatly by the history of the Cause as outlined in 'God Passes By', and he hopes you will master the subjects and facts it contains and help to bring them to the attention of the Bahá'ís, as there is a need in the Cause to see our Holy Faith in its proper perspective, and he feels you can be of great help in this connection."

(August 1944, to an individual believer, quoted in the compilation “Studying the Writings of Shoghi Effendi” on-line at https://bahai-library.com/compilation_studying_writings_guardian )

Potential for historical error

"The faith of the believers should not be disturbed, nor their adherence to the provisions of the Covenant diminished, by the occasional discovery of factual inaccuracies in the Guardian's writings such as “God Passes By” or his translation of “Nabil's Narrative”..."

"That some of the historical reference material he consulted may have contained inaccuracies, which inadvertently found their way into his book, should not be surprising. Such factual discrepancies do not result in any blemish on the infallible insight with which the Guardian treats such subjects as the development of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, the significance and import of the turbulent events in its history, and the interpretation of its Teachings.

"As you have pointed out in your letter, this matter should be treated with care and wisdom. When the believers are properly informed of it, they will thereby be immunized against the attempts of the malicious to sow the seeds of doubt through propagating unwarranted inferences about the Guardian's infallibility on the basis of their discovery of historical inaccuracies.

(Research Department, 20 January 1998) [1]

(cited at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_self-defense_ungodly_infallibility#s4 )

Important portions of the unpublished portions of the Dawn-Breakers are reflected in God Passes By

"You inquire about the unpublished portion of “The Dawn-Breakers”. The Universal House of Justice has no specific plans for the translation into English and publication of this material. Important portions of this material are reflected in the contents of “God Passes By” as well as the Hand of the Cause of God Hasan Balyuzi’s “Bahá’u’lláh, The King of Glory”."

(at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_persian_manuscript_tarikh-i-nabil )

Note

• Since the published portion of the Dawn-Breakers rather closely matched chapters 1-5, and part of 7 for the Bábí period, it seems that the unpublished content is likely to include instead chapters 6 until 13 (the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh), i.e., covering the Ministry of Bahá'u'lláh.

French passages translated

• https://bahai-library.com/godpassesby_french

Study Outlines

• by Horace Holley - Topical, but also tends to follow the book's sequence as well as time chronology; includes Overview of Figures, Writings, Events, World Order, Recapitulation & Meanings
• [1] - Sequential (expands slightly the original Table of Contents headings); presently only includes outlines for the Introduction, Foreword, Chapters 1-5, 7, and some of 6, and the Retrospect and Prospect (i.e., Book overviews and the Bábí period)
• The Table of Contents pages at bahai-library.com containing the original subheadings (linked subheadings or unlinked subheadings) can serve as a form of study outline (they also include a few inline notes added to point out where the text did not follow the order of the subheadings).
• by Ehsan Bayat - Thematic study guide

Study of the Teachings of the Faith according to an overview of the Writings of the Central Figures as outlined in God Passes By (also can study by subject (alphabetically listed))

• http://home.connection.com/~watler/ (archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20050204145816/http://home.connection.com/~watler/ )

By page

95

• Erratum: Lines 6 and 7 should read "Zechariah had extolled Him as the 'Lord' Who 'shall be king over all the earth,' . . ." [2]
• Erratum: Daniel does not refer to "day of the Lord" [3]

119

Repetition of Remover of Difficulties 500 times not a regular observance

"On page 1 of your October News letter you have quoted the Bab's prayer for the removal of difficulties and have added: 'Baha'u'llah has said to repeat this prayer 500 times by day and by night that it may aid us to recognize Him and our souls will be illumined.'

"The above statement gives the impression that the repetition of the said prayer 500 times is one of the prescribed devotionals of the Faith, and has a specified effect on the believer who observes this form of prayer.

"We do not feel it is justified to infer such conclusions from the reference in 'God Passes By', page 119, which you mention. The passage in question obviously refers to a specific circumstance in the life of Baha'u'llah in Baghdad before the declaration of His Mission, and should not be presented to the believers as one of the prescribed observances of the faith."

(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, November 24, 1971; quoted in Lights of Guidance, no. 1528, p. 466)

See also

• Dawn-Breakers