“Ah woe, that Day, to the Rejecters of Truth!” Surah Mursalat, Chapter 77

“Ah woe, that Day, to the Rejecters of Truth!”.

is repeated ten times in the Surah and every time follows a new topic.

Surah Mursalat, 77:15, 19, 24, 28, 34, 37, 40, 45, 47, 49

THE world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day. Its face is turned towards waywardness and unbelief. Such shall be its plight, that to disclose it now would not be meet and seemly. Its perversity will long continue. And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake. Then, and only then, will the Divine Standard be unfurled, and the Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody. 
                                                             Baha'u'llah (1817-1892)

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/gleanings-writings-bahaullah/4#978731768

"The Bab instructed his followers to make and wear talismans, and there are numerous references to these in his writings." While the Bahá'í teachings de-emphasize such esoteric practices, there are prayers and other Writings that mention or provide talismanic protection.

https://bahai-library.com/bab_daira_haykal_1

BEHOLD, how the divers peoples and kindreds of the earth have been waiting for the coming of the Promised One. No sooner had He, Who is the Sun of Truth, been made manifest, than, lo, all turned away from Him, except them whom God was pleased to guide. We dare not, in this Day, lift the veil that concealeth the exalted station which every true believer can attain, for the joy which such a revelation must provoke might well cause a few to faint away and die.

He Who is the Heart and Center of the Bayán (Báb) hath written: “The germ that holdeth within itself the potentialities of the Revelation that is to come is endowed with a potency superior to the combined forces of all those who follow Me.” And, again, He saith: “Of all the tributes I have paid to Him Who is to come after Me, the greatest is this, My written confession, that no words of Mine can adequately describe Him, nor can any reference to Him in My Book, the Bayán, do justice to His Cause.”

Whoso hath searched the depths of the oceans that lie hid within these exalted words, and fathomed their import, can be said to have discovered a glimmer of the unspeakable glory with which this mighty, this sublime, and most holy Revelation hath been endowed. From the excellence of so great a Revelation the honor with which its faithful followers must needs be invested can be well imagined. By the righteousness of the one true God! The very breath of these souls is in itself richer than all the treasures of the earth. Happy is the man that hath attained thereunto, and woe betide the heedless.

                                             Baha'u'llah (1817-1892)

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/gleanings-writings-bahaullah/2#316576698

The Virtue of Studying this Surah (Mursalat 77)

It is narrated from the Prophet (S) that:

“One who studies Surah Mursalat will be registered as a non‑pagan”.1

Another narration from Imam Sadiq (as) cites that:

“If one studies this Surah, Allah makes him familiar to Muhammad (S)”.2

This reward is certainly for a person who studies it, thinks it over and acts accordingly. So, we see by a narration that some of the Prophet’s close friends told him:

“Oh Muhammad, how soon you have grown old!”

He answered:

“Hud, Vaqiah, Mursalat, and Nabaa brought old age upon me”.3

It is worth considering that in all these Surahs the circumstances of the Here after and the horrors of the Resurrection Day and the Great Judgment are illustrated; and are the very things that affected the Prophet’s (S) holy soul.

Obviously, reading without thinking and acting cannot be very fruitful.

1.  Majma'-al-Bayan, vol 10, p.414

2.  ibid

3.  Khisal-i-Saduq, Chapter 4, Tradition 10

https://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-19/surah-mursalat-chapter-77

The Iranian Islamic form of anti-Bahaism is reminiscent of the Nazi regime's persecution of the Jews in the 1930s

25 September 2013
NEW YORK - Having heard Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's address to the United Nations today, the world will be watching to see how he will, beyond his general call for hope and moderation around the world, address the essential question of human rights in Iran.

 The Baha'i International Community is eagerly waiting to see what practical steps President Rouhani and his government will now take to redress human rights violations faced by Iran's ethnic and religious minorities, including Baha'is, the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority, as well as other sectors of Iran's population.

"In particular, we are hoping that President Rouhani will take steps to accord to the Baha'is their full rights as Iranian citizens," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community.

 "A first step would be to revoke the provisions of the 1991 secret memorandum issued by the Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council and signed by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. That document calls for the Baha'is to be treated in such a way that 'their progress and development are blocked' and it sets out policies aimed at eliminating the Baha'i community as a viable entity in Iran.

"For more than 30 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has systematically persecuted Baha'is, solely because of their religious beliefs, which promote peace, obedience to law and pose no threat to the government.

"A critical first test of his real intentions, then, is whether President Rouhani will begin to release the more than 115 Baha'is who are currently in prison in Iran, all wrongfully held on false or trumped up charges," said Ms. Dugal.

For more details about the persecution of Baha'is in Iran, go to:

http://www.bic.org/persecution-bahai-community  To read the 1991 secret memorandum,
go to: http://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/yaran-special-report/feature-art...

Source: http://news.bahai.org/story/967 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Translation and Source of letter: The English translation of the attached letter stamped by Khamenei's office (Religious & Supreme Leader of Iran): "In the name of God. All members of the Bahai cult are guilty as being infidels & are regarded as "Najes" (an islamic term for being inherently unclean/dirty), thus people are advised to avoid proximity in food & other things because of their contagious nature AND it is paramount that the believers combat the schemes & devious nature of this misled cult."

Source: http://vladtepesblog.com/?p=47094 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...This Islamic form of anti-Bahaism is reminiscent of the Nazi regime's persecution of the Jews in the 1930s. The Nazis demonised the Jews just like the Iranian Islamists demonise the Bahais because they believe in the emancipation of men and women and reject militant Jihadism. Bahais believe that parliamentary democracy is the best way forward and call for human rights oriented ethics to be at the fore when working towards world peace. Clearly the Iranian state clerics consider the Bahai faith as dangerous since it conveys ideas which are seen as invalid by the totalitarian rulers of Iran...

Source:
http://www.thecommentator.com/article/1152/stop_state_sponsored_genocide_and_crimes_against_humanity

Efforts to destroy the economic life of the Baha'i in Iran

Efforts to destroy the economic life of the Baha'i community has, in fact, been a facet of the government's persecution since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when the government began dismissing Baha'i civil servants wholesale - and then moved to systematically revoke the business licenses of Baha'is in the private sector. In this manner, thousands of Baha'is have lost jobs or sources of livelihood over the last 30 years. Then, during the 1990s, there was a period of relative security, when government pressure eased. More recently, however, economic oppression has again risen - and the situation in Semnan offers a case study of how authorities are attempting to literally starve Baha'is out of existence. The most recent case shows the extremes to which authorities are willing to go to eliminate means of livelihood for Baha'is in Semnan. On 28 May 2012, Intelligence Ministry agents raided and sealed two factories, with full or partial Baha'i ownership. One of the factories - which manufactured drapery - employed 51 staff, 36 of whom were not Baha'is. The other, a lens grinding factory, had two Baha'I employees and six others. Such closures demonstrate that, in the ongoing effort to strangle the Baha'is economically, the authorities are willing to cause other workers - including Shia Muslims - to face economic hardship as well. The assault on the livelihood of the Baha'i community of Semnan began in early 2009 when the Chamber of Commerce of Semnan, along with 39 member trade unions, decided to stop issuing business licenses and managerial permits to the Baha'is - and to stop renewing current licenses. This led to the revocation and confiscation of existing business licenses and permits for Baha'is throughout the city. As well, authorities frequently put seals on the doors of Baha'i-owned shops in the city, indicating they have been officially closed. As of this writing, at least 27 Baha'i-run business enterprises, including factories, shops, workshops, and offices have been closed by the authorities, leaving more than 110 Baha'i families without a source of income. Among those whose shops were closed this way is Shamil Pirasteh. Her business license was revoked without explanation on 10 March 2009. When officials were asked about the revocation, they said the order came from "higher authorities." In another example, the flower shop of Peiman Rahmani was closed after his business license was revoked in 2009. His father had owned and successfully operated the shop for some 20 years. Reports indicate that these steps came as a result of pressure that the head of the Basij trade union had placed on these organizations. Banks have also begun to refuse to extend loans to Baha'is who are otherwise well qualified to receive such financial support. Mr. Behfar Khanjani - husband of Shamil Pirasteh - was repeatedly refused loans that would keep him and his wife solvent. At least five other Baha'is in Semnan have been refused loans. Mr. Khanjani's apparel store was closed and he was imprisoned in June 2011 for four years. Recently, some of the Baha'is of Semnan were barred from bringing merchandize from elsewhere to the province for trade and sale, gravely limiting or cutting off their ability to generate any income. Those who are still able to operate their businesses report that they are under surveillance and receive phone calls to report to the authorities from time to time. When they do so, they are told the call they received did not come from that office. In other cases they are accused of undermining the government by closing their stories on Baha'i holy days. They are told that by doing so they are creating public disturbance for which the authorities threaten to shut down their businesses. Authorities have also harassed Baha'i farmers in the region. For instance, orders were issued to destroy the acreage which the farmers had attained, with legal permission, for their own use. In one case, orders were given to destroy the animal stock on these farmlands, which had been purchased by the Baha'i farmer 17 years previously. On other occasions, authorities have closed and sealed water wells on Baha'i farms, even though permits for those wells had been legally issued. There have also been general efforts in Semnan to suppress Baha'i businesses by encouraging people not to patronize them. Other merchants, such as architects, have been warned against dealing with Baha'is in construction, including accepting bids or contracts from them. All of these measures are in line with the policy outlined in the Baha'i Question memorandum - and they have also been implemented in other towns and cities throughout Iran. That this effort at economic strangulation is official government policy was proved by the emergence of a secret letter, dated 9 April 2007, from the Public Places Supervision Office of the Public Intelligence and Security Force in the province of Tehran. Addressed to regional commanders of police and the heads of public intelligence and security forces, that letter instructs them to prevent members of the "perverse Bahaist sect" - along with members of other "anti-revolutionary political organizations" - from engaging in a wide range of businesses. These include "high-earning businesses," "sensitive-business" categories, such as the press, engraving, the tourist industry, car rentals, publishing, hostel and hotel management, photography and film, computer sales and Internet cafés, and food businesses which might offend Shi'a concepts of "cleanliness."

 Source: http://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/semnan/feature-articles/economic-attacks