The effect of Bahá’u’lláh Himself upon His followers, even upon His enemies, was unique and indescribable. About Him emanated a majesty that glorified every suffering, an awe that penetrated to the rudest soul, a consecrated love that portrayed man in his ultimate perfection. Voluntarily sharing these fateful ordeals from very childhood was the son of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (“Servant of Baha”), whose confinement at ‘Akká, lasting forty years, was terminated at last in 1908 by the overthrow of the old regime by the Young Turks.

Bahá’u’lláh ascended in 1892, leaving a Testament naming ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Head of His Cause, the Interpreter of His teachings and the Promulgator of His faith. The providential spirit guiding and protecting the Bahá’í Cause from its beginning, centered thereafter in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá served as the witness and proof of Bahá’u’lláh from 1892 until November 28, 1921. By His singleness of devotion, purity of life, tireless effort, humanitarian love and unfailing wisdom the Bahá’í Message slowly but surely spread to all parts of the world. From 1911 to 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá journeyed through Europe and America, unfolding before numerous audiences the spirit of the age. His addresses explore the fundamental problems of religion as an attitude toward God reflected in life. In these addresses we find the message of Bahá’u’lláh developed in relation to the needs of civilization, and an organic harmony is created between religion, science, economics and social order. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá expanded the religion of spirit to include all the functions of life, destroying forever the antagonism between “religious” and “secular” matters. But this religion of spirit bears little resemblance to institutional creeds.

In these addresses also we find vivid and inspiring pictures of the latent possibilities of the human soul and the new civilization which shall arise from the influence of the Holy Spirit. The adaptability of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the particular audience or individual inquirer produced a true unity between groups and interests never reconciled before. No such source of education in the whole meaning of the word exists in the modern world outside the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In these writings the ideals of Christian, Jew and other religionists; of philosopher and scientist, of economist and reformer are abundantly realized.

At the time of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’ís existed in many countries of East and West. To these He left explicit instructions explaining and applying the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, concerning the method of unifying the believers and administering the work of the Cause. He appointed in His Will and Testament His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, as first Guardian of the Cause, and left directions for the election of an international Council (Baytu’l-‘Adl, i.e., House of Justice) based on the universal suffrage of the believers, which should in conjunction with him guide the development of the Movement and co-ordinate the activities of its followers in accordance with the principles laid down by Bahá’u’lláh.