Glossary :: M
Ma‘ání
A reference to the Imáms as the repositories of the inner meanings of the Word of God.
Mabel Rice-Wray Ives
1878 — 1943
An outstanding American Bahá’í whose strict obedience to the admonition to teach the Faith was exemplary. Married to Howard Colby Ives, she excelled at attracting the public and giving lectures, while he excelled at deepening and confirming those whom she attracted.
For a brief account of her life and service to the Faith, see The Bahá’í World 9: 616-23.
Madrisih
Religious college.
Magi
A caste of priests and sages among the ancient Persians.
A-Z : Magi
Magianism and Mazdeanism
Other names for Zoroastrianism
See also : Zarathustra and Zarathustrianism
A-Z : Zoroast(er)(rian(s))
Maḥbúbu’sh-Shuhadá’
See   Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥusayn
Mahdí
See   Mihdí
Maidservant of Bahá
See   Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum Rabbani
Major Plan of God
God’s plan for humanity that is tumultuous and mysterious in its progress. Its purpose in this cycle is to unite the human race and to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
See also : Minor Plan of God;   Plans.
Málik
One who is lord or possessor; one who is in charge; applied to the Angel in charge of Hell. (Qur’án, commentary, ‘Abdu’lláh Yúsif ‘Alí translation, p. 1340)
Man-Yuẓhiruhu’lláh
“He whom God will make manifest.” Title given by the Báb to the Promised One.
See also : Bahá’u’lláh.
Manifestation of God
Designation of a Prophet “endowed with constancy” Who is the Founder of a religious Dispensation, inasmuch as in His words, His person, and His actions He manifests the nature and purpose of God in accordance with the capacity and needs of the people to whom He comes.
The nature of a prophet or the Manifestation of God is described in Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pages 66 to 67:
 “…since there can be no tie or direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven…. These Essences of Detachment, these resplendent Realities are the channels of God’s all-pervasive grace. Led by the light of unfailing guidance, and invested with supreme sovereignty, they are commissioned to use the inspiration of Their words, the effusions of Their infallible grace and the sanctifying breezes of Their Revelation for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and dust of earthly cares and limitations.”
It must, however, be strongly noted that the “divinity attributed to so great a Being and the complete incarnation of the names and attributes of God in so exalted a Person should, under no circumstances, be misconceived or misinterpreted ... that invisible yet rational God ... however much we extol the divinity of His Manifestations on earth, can in no wise incarnate His infinite, His unknowable, His incorruptible and all-embracing Reality in ... a mortal being.Cf. Shoghi Effendi, The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh; see Memorials of the Faithful, page 35, footnote 1..
See also note 160 of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
A-Z : Manifestation(s)
Manifestations, Twin
See   Twin Founders
Majnún
Literally means “insane.”
The title of the celebrated lover of ancient Persian and Arabian lore, whose beloved was Laylí, daughter of an Arabian prince. Symbolizing true human love bordering on the divine, the story has been made the theme of many a Persian romantic poem, particularly that of Niẓámí, written in 1188–1189 A.D. (The Seven Valleys, p. 6 and n.)
Martha Root
10 August 1872 — 28 September 1939
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An American Bahá’í known not only for her work in the translation and dissemination of Bahá’í literature but particularly for her prodigious, unique exertions in the field of international teaching, which carried her around the globe four times over a period of some twenty years and granted her audiences with kings, queens, and numerous other prominent people.
Shoghi Effendi refers to her as the “archetype of Bahá’í itinerant teachers and the foremost Hand raised by Bahá’u’lláh since ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing.”
For a brief account of her life and service to the Faith, see The Bahá’í World 8: 643-48.
Martyrs, Prince of
See   Ḥamzih
Mary Lesch
? — 24 March 1945
An early American Bahá’í who contributed greatly, from 1910 to 1922, to the publication and distribution of Bahá’í literature, serving as head of the Bahá’í Publishing Society.
For a brief account of her life and service to the Faith, see The Bahá’í World 10: 544-45.
Mary Maxwell
See   Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum Rabbani
Mashhadí
A Muslim who has performed the pilgrimage to Mashhad.
Mashiach
The title Messiah; Hebrew meaning anointed
A-Z : Messiah
Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
“The Dawning Place of the Praise of God”: a title designating a Bahá’í House of Worship or Temple.
Continental Houses of Worship have been constructed in
Wilmette, near Chicago, Illinois
Kampala, Uganda
Ingleside, near Sydney, Australia
Langenhain, near Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Panama City, Panama
Apia, Western Samoa
New Delhi, India.
Santiago, Chile, This is the last of the continental Houses of Worship.
The first Bahá’í House of Worship, built in 1902 in ‘Ishqábád, Turkmenistan, was damaged by an earthquake in 1948 and, following heavy rains, had to be razed in 1963.
In its Riḍván message of 2012, the Universal House of Justice announced that the first National Houses of Worship were to be built in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in Papua New Guinea. In the same Message, the Universal House of Justice also announced that it was entering into consultation with “respective National Spiritual Assemblies regarding the erection of the first local House of Worship in each of the following clusters: Battambang, Cambodia;  Bihar Sharif, India;  Matunda Soy, Kenya;  Norte del Cauca, Columbia;  and Tanna, Vanuata.”
For a full description of the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, see Bahá’í World, Volume XVIII, pages 568-88.
See also : Mother Temple
Compilations : The Institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
A-Z : Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
Masjid
Mosque, temple, place of worship.
Masjid-i-Sháh
A great Mosque in Ṭihrán built by Fatḥ-‘Alí Sháh.
Master
A title of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá referring to the virtues He manifested and to His role as an enduring model for humanity to emulate.
Mathew Kasab
? — 1943
An outstanding American Bahá’í who, when he received the Guardian’s call for pioneers in The Advent of Divine Justice, immediately arose to pioneer in Panama, then Nicaragua, where he remained until his death.
For a brief account of his life and service to the Faith, see The Bahá’í World 9: 614-16.
Maxwell, William Sutherland
See   William Sutherland Maxwell
May Bolles Maxwell
May and Mary Maxwell
Alexandria, Egypt, 1923
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1870 — 1 March 1940
A distinguished early American Bahá’í who was among the first group of Western pilgrims to visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká in 1898/99.
Instructed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1899 to remain in Paris to teach the Faith, she established the first Bahá’í group on European soil there. Serving as a teacher and administrator of the Faith for forty years, she arose to pioneer to Buenos Aires, where she died on 1 March 1940, shortly after her arrival.
She was the wife of Sutherland Maxwell and the mother of Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum.
For a brief account of her life and service to the Faith, see The Bahá’í World 8: 631-42.
Maydán
A subdivision of a farsakh.
A square or open place.
Mázindarán
A province in northern Persia.
The Mansion of Mazra‘ih c. 1900
Photo: Edward Getsinger
Mansion of Mazra‘ih
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Mazra‘ih
Country mansion near the village of Mazra‘a, several miles north of the prison city of ‘Akká and about a half-mile from the Mediterranean Sea.
Bahá’u’lláh lived at Mazra‘ih for about two years after leaving ‘Akká in 1877. The mansion looks eastward to the hills of Galilee and has a pool and gardens.
Mecca
The capital of Arabia, the most sacred city of Islám, the birthplace of Muḥammad (ad 570).
In Mecca, the principal place of pilgrimage of the Muslim world, stands the Great Mosque surrounding the Ka‘bih (Kaaba), the ancient cubical temple believed to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael, which is the Muslim Qiblih.
See also : Baṭḥá
A-Z : Mecca
Medina
See   al-Madínah
Metempsychosis
The term “metempsychosis” “is a philosophical term in the Greek language referring to transmigration of the soul, especially its reincarnation after death.” (courtesy of Wikipeadia). It can refer to the transmigration of the soul into a body of the same species or that of a different species.
Mi‘ráj
“The Ascent”: Muḥammad’s mystic vision of the “night journey” in which He ascended into heaven with Gabriel.
A-Z : Muḥammad   (Apostle of God) ~ Night Journey of
Midian
A city and district on the Red Sea, southeast of Mt. Sinai, occupied by the descendants of Midian, son of Abraham and Keturah.
See : Qur’án 7:85.
A-Z : Midian
Mihdí
Title of the Manifestation expected by Islám. One who guides aright, the Guided One. A title of the Twelfth (expected) Imám or Qá’im.
See also : The Báb;   Qá’im
A-Z : Mihdí
Miḥráb
The principal place in a mosque, where the imám prays with his face turned towards Mecca.
Minor Plan of God
The part of God’s Plan that is revealed by Bahá’u’lláh to His followers and is laid out for them in detailed instructions and successive plans by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and the Universal House of Justice.
In contrast to the Major Plan of God, it proceeds in a methodical, ordered way, disseminating His teachings and raising up the structure of a united world society.
See also : Major Plan of God;   Plans.
Mír Abu'l Findiriski
Siyyid of Findirisk
A noted Persian poet and thinker, who lived in the 16th Century, a.d.
Mír Muḥammad-Ḥusayn
The “She Serpent”. The Imám-Jum‘ih (head priest) of Iṣfahán, successor in this post to his brother Mír Siyyid Muḥammad who befriended the Báb—see The Dawn-Breakers.
He persecuted the Bahá’ís, and was responsible for causing the Martyrdom of the “King of Martyrs” and the “Beloved of Martyrs” to whom he owed a large debt, as a means to “nullify his obligations”. He schemed with Shaykh Muḥammad-Báqir to achieve this end.
For more information, see Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥasan and / or Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥusayn.
A-Z : Mír Muḥammad Ḥusayn
Mírzá
A contraction of Amír-Zádih, meaning son of Amír. When affixed to a name, it signifies prince; when prefixed, simply Mr.
Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl-i-Gulpáygání
See   Abu’l-Faḍl
Mírzá Abu’l-Qásim Faráhání
The Qá’im Maqám.
In Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, page 65, Bahá’u’lláh refers to him as “the Prince of the City of Statesmanship and Literary Accomplishment.”
Distinguished poet and scholar during the reign of Fath ‘Alí Sháh. He was a friend of Mírzá Buzurg, father of Bahá’u’lláh. Qá’im Maqám became Prime Minister of Persia in 1821, but in 1835 he was put to death by order of Muḥammad Sháh, at the instigation of Ḥájí Mírzá Aqásí.
Mírzá Aḥmad
See   Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím
Mírzá ‘Alí-Akbar
A paternal cousin of the Báb and intimate friend of Dayyán. Murdered by the followers of Mírzá Yaḥyá.
Mírzá Áqá Buzurg-i-Níshápúrí
Badí at age 15
Badí‘
1852 — 1869
Better known as Badí‘. Also titled the “Pride of Martyrs”.
He was entrusted by Bahá’u’lláh with a Tablet to Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh. On delivering the Tablet to the Sháh, Badí‘ was arrested, tortured for three days and then killed, his body being thrown into a pit and dirt and stones heaped upon it.
The Badí‘ Calendar is named in his honour.
See also : Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh.
Mírzá Áqá Ján
Amanuensis of Bahá’u’lláh, surnamed ‘Servant of God’ and ‘Servant-in-Attendance’.
A-Z : Mírzá ~ Áqá Ján
Mírzá Áqásí, Ḥájí
Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí
The Dawn Breakers
Chapter 12
Tutor and Chancellor to Muḥammad Sháh. Responsible for the exile of the Bábto the mountain fastnesses of Ádhirbáyján”. (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By)
Condemned by the Báb in the strongest of terms.
In God Passes By Shoghi Effendi describes him as “a vulgar, false-hearted and fickle-minded schemer.
A-Z : Ḥájí ~ Mírzá Áqásí
Mírzá Hádí Dawlat-Ábádí
One of the divines of Iṣfahán, who became a follower of the Báb, later supported Mírzá Yaḥyá, and was appointed his representative in Írán and his successor. During the persecutions against the Bábís he recanted his faith.
A-Z : Mírzá ~ Hádí Dawlat-Ábádí
Mírzá Ḥusayn-‘Alí Nuri
See   Bahá’u’lláh
Mírzá Ḥusayn Khán
Mushíru’d-Dawlih
The Persian Ambassador at the Sublime Porte through whose influence Bahá’u’lláh was transferred from Baghdád to Constantinople. (God Passes By, pp. 146 and 159).
A-Z : Ḥájí ~ Mírzá Ḥusayn-Khhán
Mírzá Javád
See   Mírzá Vahháb-i-Khurásání
Mírzá Karím Khán, Ḥájí
A pretender to knowledge, author of a book “Guidance to the Ignorant” (“Irshádu’l-‘Avám”), whose works perished with him.
Bahá’u’lláh discusses his pretensions in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, pages 170-176
A-Z : Ḥájí ~ Mírzá Muḥammad Karím Khán-i-Kirmání
Mírzá Mihdí
Mírzá Mihdí
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The Purest Branch: youngest son of Bahá’u’lláh and Navváb, and brother of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
He died at the age of twenty-two in 1870 when he fell through a skylight while rapt in prayer on the roof of the prison barracks in ‘Akká. He asked Bahá’u’lláh to accept his life as a ransom so that pilgrims prevented from attaining Bahá’u’lláh’s presence would be enabled to do so.
Bahá’u’lláh, in a prayer, made this astounding proclamation:
“Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou seest Me in the hands of Mine enemies, and My son blood-stained before Thy face, O Thou in Whose hands is the kingdom of all names. I have, O My Lord, offered up that which Thou hast given Me, that Thy servants may be quickened and all that dwell on earth be united.”
A-Z : Mírzá ~ Mihdí
Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí
circa 1868
Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí
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of Wikipedia
1852 — 1937
Arch-Breaker of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh.
A son of Bahá’u’lláh and younger half-brother of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Refered to by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-‘Ahd as “the Greater Branch”.
He broke the Covenant by attempting to create a following of his own within the Bahá’í community after the passing of Bahá’u’lláh.
See also : Covenant-Breaker.
A-Z : Mírzá ~ Muḥammad-‘Álí
Muḥammad Ḥasan
See   Haṣan-i-Mázindarání
Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥasan
Also known by the title of King of Martyrs (Sulṭánu’sh-Shuhadá’).
Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥasan
Image courtesy
of Wikipedia
He was an honored and wealthy citizen of Iṣfahán who was martyred along with his brother, the Beloved of Martyrs, at the instigation of the Imám-Jum‘ih of that city. The episode is described by Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By (page 200) in the following manner:
A month later occurred in that same city the tragedy of the two famous brothers Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥasan and Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥusayn, the “twin shining lights,” respectively surnamed “Sulṭánu’sh-Shuhadá’” (King of Martyrs) and “Maḥbúbu’sh-Shuhadá’” (Beloved of Martyrs), who were celebrated for their generosity, trustworthiness, kindliness and piety. Their martyrdom was instigated by the wicked and dishonest Mír Muḥammad-Ḥusayn, the Imám-Jum‘ih, stigmatized by Bahá’u’lláh as the “she-serpent,” who, in view of a large debt he had incurred in his transactions with them, schemed to nullify his obligations by denouncing them as Bábís, and thereby encompassing their death. Their richly-furnished houses were plundered, even to the trees and flowers in their gardens, all their remaining possessions were confiscated; Shaykh Muḥammad-Báqir, denounced by Bahá’u’lláh as the “wolf,” pronounced their death-sentence; the Ẓillu’s-Sulṭán ratified the decision, after which they were put in chains, decapitated, dragged to the Maydán-i-Sháh, and there exposed to the indignities heaped upon them by a degraded and rapacious populace. “In such wise,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, “was the blood of these two brothers shed that the Christian priest of Julfá cried out, lamented and wept on that day.” For several years Bahá’u’lláh in His Tablets continued to make mention of them, to voice His grief over their passing and to extol their virtues.
Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥusayn
Also known by the title of Beloved of Martyrs (Maḥbúbu’sh-Shuhadá’).
Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥusayn
Image courtesy
of Wikipedia
Martyred along with his brother, the King of Martyrs, at the instigation of the Imám-Jum‘ih of Isfahán. The episode is described by Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By (page 200) in the following manner:
A month later occurred in that same city the tragedy of the two famous brothers Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥasan and Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥusayn, the “twin shining lights,” respectively surnamed “Sulṭánu’sh-Shuhadá’” (King of Martyrs) and “Maḥbúbu’sh-Shuhadá’” (Beloved of Martyrs), who were celebrated for their generosity, trustworthiness, kindliness and piety. Their martyrdom was instigated by the wicked and dishonest Mír Muḥammad-Ḥusayn, the Imám-Jum‘ih, stigmatized by Bahá’u’lláh as the “she-serpent,” who, in view of a large debt he had incurred in his transactions with them, schemed to nullify his obligations by denouncing them as Bábís, and thereby encompassing their death. Their richly-furnished houses were plundered, even to the trees and flowers in their gardens, all their remaining possessions were confiscated; Shaykh Muḥammad-Báqir, denounced by Bahá’u’lláh as the “wolf,” pronounced their death-sentence; the Ẓillu’s-Sulṭán ratified the decision, after which they were put in chains, decapitated, dragged to the Maydán-i-Sháh, and there exposed to the indignities heaped upon them by a degraded and rapacious populace. “In such wise,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, “was the blood of these two brothers shed that the Christian priest of Julfá cried out, lamented and wept on that day.” For several years Bahá’u’lláh in His Tablets continued to make mention of them, to voice His grief over their passing and to extol their virtues.
Mírzá Muḥammad Taqí Afnán, Ḥájí
See   Vakílu’d-Dawlih
Mírzá Músá
Mírzá Músá
Jináb Mírzá Músá, also known as Áqáy-i-Kalím.
A faithful brother of Bahá’u’lláh.
Mírzá Muṣṭafá
Of Naráq
One of the followers of the Báb who was executed in Tabríz.   (See Memorials of the Faithful, pp. 148-50.)
Mírzá Riḍá-Qulí
One of Bahá’u’lláh’s brothers who could not recognize His station, kept apart from Him, and hid his relationship.
Mírzá Ṣafá
Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥasan-i-Ṣafá, an accomplice of Mírzá Ḥusayn Khán, in active hostility towards Bahá’u’lláh in Constantinople.
Mírzá Takhi Khán Amír-Niẓám
See   Ámir Kabír
Mírzá Vahháb-i-Khurásání
Also known as Mírzá Javád, a prominent early believer who lived during the ministry of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh.
Mírzá Yaḥyá
1831 — 1912.
Mírzá Yaḥyá
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of Wikipedia
“… known as Ṣubḥ-i-Azal (Morning of Eternity), a younger half-brother of Bahá’u’lláh, who arose against Him and opposed His Cause.
Mírzá Yaḥyá was nominated by the Báb to serve as a figure-head for the Bábí community pending the imminent manifestation of the Promised One. At the instigation of Siyyid Muḥammad-i-Iṣfahání, Mírza Yaḥyá betrayed the trust of the Báb, claimed to be His successor, and intrigued against Bahá’u’lláh, even attempting to have Him murdered.
“When Bahá’u’lláh formally declared His Mission to him in Adrianople, Mírza Yaḥyá responded by going to the length of putting forward his own claim to be the recipient of an independent Revelation. His pretensions were eventually rejected by all but a few, who became known as Azalís.
“He is described by Shoghi Effendi as the ‘Arch-Breaker of the Covenant of the Báb’ (see God Passes By, chapter X).”
(Source: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Note 190)
See also : Nominee of the Báb
A-Z : Mírzá ~ Yaḥyá
Mithqál
A unit of weight, equivalent to a little over 3 1/2 grammes, used in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas with reference to quantities of gold or silver for various purposes, usually in amounts of 9, 19 or 95 mithqáls. The equivalents of these in the metric system and in troy ounces (which are used in the measurement of precious metals), are as follows:
9 mithqáls = 32.775 grammes = 1.05374 troy ounces
19 mithqáls = 69.192 grammes = 2.22456 troy ounces
95 mithqáls = 345.958 grammes = 11.12282 troy ounces
This computation is based on the guidance of Shoghi Effendi, conveyed in a letter written on his behalf, which states “one mithqál consists of nineteen khuds. The weight of twenty-four nákhuds equals four and three-fifths grammes. Calculations may be made on this basis.”
The mithqál traditionally used in the Middle East had consisted of 24 nákhuds but in the Bayán this was changed to 19 nákhuds. Bahá’u’lláh confirmed this as the size of the mithqál referred to in the Bahá’í laws
A-Z : Mithqál
Moloch
A biblical Caananite god related to the sacrifice of children, through fire or through war.
By tradition, Moloch is depicted as a statue made of bronze, having a fire into which victims were thrown.
See Wikipaediea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moloch for a more detailed description.
Mona Maḥmúdnizhád
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Mona Maḥmúdnizhád
Muná Mahmúdnizhád
One of 10 young Baha’i female martyrs who refused to recant their faith in Shíráz, Írán on June 18, 1983.
Monument Gardens
The Monument Gardens are on Mount Carmel, forming the centre-point of the Arc.
The resting-places of the Greatest Holy Leaf; her brother, the Purest Branch; her mother, the Most Exalted Leaf, and Munírih Khánum, wife of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, are located in these Gardens.
Moody, Susan
See   Susan Moody
Morn of Eternity
See   Mírzá Yaḥyá
Moses
One of the six great Prophets, according to the Muslims.
See Exodus 4:16, where God says to Moses: “thou shalt be to him instead of God”; and Exodus 7:1: “I have made thee a god unto Pharaoh.”
Moses led the exodus from Egypt, which is now dated about 1440 B.C.
A-Z : Moses
Moslem
See   Muslim
Mosque of Aqṣá
The name by which the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem is referred to in the Qur’án.
A-Z : Aqṣá Mosque
Most Exalted Leaf
See   Ásíyih Khánum and Bahíyyih Khánum
Most Great Festival
See   Riḍván
Most Great Infallibility
In the The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Paragraph 47 and in the Tablet of Ishráqát, page 105, Bahá’u’lláh affirms that the Most Great Infallibility is confined to the Manifestations of God.
Chapter 45 in Some Answered Questions is devoted to an explanation by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá of this verse of the Aqdas. In this chapter He stresses, among other things, the inseparability of essential “infallibility” from the Manifestations of God, and asserts that “whatever emanates from Them is identical with the truth, and conformable to reality”, that “They are not under the shadow of the former laws”, and “Whatever They say is the word of God, and whatever They perform is an upright action”.  (The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, note 75, page 199
Likewise, in the Tablet of Ishráqát, beginning page 108 through to page 110, Bahá’u’lláh explains the Most Great Infallibility.
Most Great Jubilee
The centenary of the declaration of Bahá’u’lláh’s prophetic mission in the Garden of Riḍván in Baghdád, 22 April — 3 May 1863. It was commemorated by the first Bahá’í World Congress, held in Royal Albert Hall, London, during the Riḍván Festival (28 April — 2 May) 1963.
The Most Great Jubilee coincided with the victorious completion of the Ten Year World Crusade launched by Shoghi Effendi in April 1953 (fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel 12:12 regarding the spread of the Bahá’í Faith throughout the world) and the establishment of the Universal House of Justice elected a few days earlier in Haifa, Israel.
Most Great Name
See   Greatest Name
Most Great Ocean
See   Ancient Beauty
Most Great Peace
The second of two major stages in which Bahá’ís believe peace will be established.
The Most Great Peace will be the practical consequence of the spiritualization of the world and the fusion of all its races, creeds, classes, and nations. It will rest on the foundation of, and be preserved by, the ordinances of God.
See also : Lesser Peace.
A-Z : Peace ~ Most Great
The Prison in ‘Akka
Most Great Prison
Image copyright ©
Romane Takkenberg, 2009
Most Great Prison
The prison city of ‘Akká in which Bahá’u’lláh, His family, and companions were confined from 31 August 1868 until June 1877.
A-Z : ‘Akká ~ Most Great Prison
Most Great Tablet
See   Book of the Covenant
Most Holy Book
See   The Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Most Holy Court
See   Ḥaram-i-Aqdas
Most Mighty Branch
See   ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Most Holy Shrine
The Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh in Bahjí.
Mother Book
The term “Mother Book” is generally used to designate the central Book of a religious Dispensation. In the Qur’án and Islamic Hadíth, the term is used to describe the Qur’án itself. In the Bábí Dispensation, the Bayán is the Mother Book, and the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is the Mother Book of the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh. Further, the Guardian in a letter written on his behalf has stated that this concept can also be used as a “collective term indicating the body of the Teachings revealed by Bahá’u’lláh”. This term is also used in a broader sense to signify the Divine Repository of Revelation. (The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, note 129)
A-Z : Mother ~ Book
Mother Dunn
See   Clara Dunn
Mother Temple
Refers to the first Bahá’í House of Worship to be built in a hemisphere or continent. For example, the Bahá’í House of Worship outside of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, is known as the Mother Temple of Europe; the House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, the Mother Temple of the West.
See also : Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.
Mount Carmel
A mountain in Israel on which the Shrine of the Báb and the Bahá’í World Centre are located. The home of the prophet Elijah.
It is referred to by Bahá’u’lláh as “the Hill of God and His Vineyard” and was extolled by Isaiah as the “mountain of the Lord” to which “all nations shall flow”. On it Bahá’u’lláh pitched His tent and revealed the Tablet of Carmel, the charter of the world spiritual and administrative centres of the Bahá’í Faith.
See also : Armageddon;   Arc;   Bahá’í World Centre;   Tablet of Carmel
A-Z : Carmel
Mountain of the Lord
See   Mount Carmel
Mu’adhdhin
The one who sounds the Adhán, the Muḥammadan call to prayer.
Mu‘áwíya
Name of two Umayyad caliphs, the first and the third. The first (ad 666), son of Abú-Sufyán, established the Umayyad dynasty (based in Damascus).
Mufaḍḍal
Reference to Shí‘íh traditions.
Mufaḍḍal was a devoted follower of Imám Ṣádiq, who has handed down many Muslim traditions from the Imám
See also : Arba‘ín;   ‘Aválim;   Biḥár;   Biḥáru’l-Anvár;   Káfí;   Traditions;   Yanbú‘.
A-Z : Mufaḍḍal
Muhájir
Emigrant   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhajir
A person who has immigrated   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/muhajir
Muḥammad
The Apostle of God
The Prophet of Islám and Revealer of the Qur’án.
Born August A.D. 570. Declared His mission A.D. 613. Fled to Medina A.D. 622. See Some Answered Questions, pages 18-24.
Foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15); by St. John the Divine, (Revelation 11, see Some Answered Questions, pages 45-61)
A-Z : Muḥammad   (Apostle of God)
Muḥammad Taqí Afnán
See   Vakílu’d-Dawlih
Muḥammad-‘Alí, Mírzá
See   Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí
Muḥammad-Báqir, Shaykh
See   Shaykh Muḥammad-Báqir
Muḥammad-Ḥasan, Mírzá
See   Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥasan
Muḥammad-Ḥusayn, Mírzá
See   Mírzá Muḥammad-Ḥusayn
Muḥammad-i-Iṣfahání, Siyyid
See   Siyyid Muḥammad-i-Iṣfahání
Muḥammad Javád-i-Qazvíní
Bahá’u’lláh bestowed the title Ismu’lláhi’l-Júd (The Name of God, Bounty) upon him. He transcribed numerous Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh during His Ministry, but subsequently broke the Covenant. (See God Passes By pages 247 and 319.)
Mullá
Muslim trained in theology and Islamic jurisprudence; theologian; priest.
Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím
Of Qazvín. Also known as Mírzá Aḥmad
A devoted follower of the The Báb and of Bahá’u’lláh and amanuensis of the Báb, who before His death sent through him His gifts and effects to Bahá’u’lláh.
Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Kháliq-i-Yazdí
At first a Jewish priest, he accepted Islám, joined the Shaykhí School, and was converted by Mullá Ḥusayn to the Bábí Faith.
A-Z : Mullá ~ ‘Abdu’l-Kháliq-i-Yazdí
Mullá ‘Álí Ján
A believer in Mázindarán: martyred in Ṭihrán.   (God Passes By, p. 201)
Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Baraqání
Uncle of Ṭáhirih, one of the most learned and famous members of the Shaykhí community. Being converted to the Bábí Faith, he became in Ṭihrán one of its most earnest and able expositors.
A-Z : Mullá ~ ‘Alíy-i-Baraqání
Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Basṭámí
One of the Letters of the Living. Sent on a special mission by the Báb from Shíráz in 1844, he became the first to suffer and to lay down his life in the path of this new Faith.
A-Z : Mullá ~ ‘Alíy-i-Basṭámí
Mullá Báqir
1. A brother of Mullá Mihdíy-i-Kandí, martyred at Ṭabarsí.
2. A native of Tabríz and a man of great learning, became a Letter of the Living. Was with Bahá’u’lláh in Núr, Mázindarán and Badasht. Outlived all the other Letters of the Living.
A-Z : Mullá ~ Báqir
Mullá Ḥusayn
1813 — 2 February 1849
Mullá Ḥusayn-i-Bushrú’í. Given the title of Jináb-i-Bábu’l-Báb (Gate of the Gate) by the Báb. First follower of the Báb, and first Letter of the Living.
A student of Siyyid Káẓim for nine years. Following Siyyid Káẓim’s death, Mullá Ḥusayn spent 40 days in prayer in Kúfih. He then journeyed to Shíráz where, on the 22 May 1844, he met the Báb, Who declared to Mullá Ḥusayn that He was the Qá’im for whom Mullá Ḥusayn had been seeking.
Mulla Ḥusayn was martyred at the Battle of Fort Ṭabarsí on 2 February, 1849.
A-Z : Mullá ~ Ḥusayn
Mullá Káẓim
Martyred in Iṣfahán. (See Traveller’s Narrative, p. 400 note).
Mullá Mihdíy-i-Khu’í
A close companion of Bahá’u’lláh and tutor to the children of His household. Martyred at the fort of Shaykh Ṭabarsí.
A-Z : Mullá ~ Mihdíy-i-Khu’í
Mullá Muḥammad-‘Alíy-i-Zanjání
Surnamed Ḥujjat.
One of the ablest and most formidable champions of the Faith(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, page 44), the leader of the Bábís in what Lord Curzon called “the terrific siege and slaughter” they suffered at Zanján where he, with 1,800 fellow disciples, was martyred.
A-Z : Mullá ~ Muḥammad ‘Alíy-i-Zanjání
Mullá Muḥammad ‘Alíy-i-Bárfurúshí
See   Quddús
Mullá Muḥammad-i-Zarandí
See   Nabíl-i-A‘ẓam
Mullá Ni‘matu’lláh-i-Mázindarání
A Bábí martyred at the fort of Shaykh Ṭabarsí
A-Z : Mullá ~ Ni‘matu’lláh-i-Mázindarání
Mullá Yúsuf-i-Ardibílí
One of the Letters of the Living, martyred at Shaykh Ṭabarsí
A-Z : Mullá ~ Yúsuf-i-Ardibílí
Munírih Khánum
1847 — April 28, 1938
Wife of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, they were married on March 8, 1873. Four of their children survived, one of whom, Ḍiyá’iyyih Khánum was the mother of Shoghi Effendi.
Born Fáṭimih Nahrí, she was entitled Munírih (Illumined) by Bahá’u’lláh.
Mushíru’d-Dawlih
See   Mírzá Ḥusayn Khán
Muslim
Submitter to the will of Allah and Muḥammad His Prophet; Arabic for submitter.
A-Z : Muslim(s)
Mustagháth
Literally “He who is Invoked (for help), God”.
The numerical value was assigned by the Báb as the limit of the time fixed for the advent of the promised Manifestation.
Refers to the appearance of Bahá’u’lláh at the time announced by the Báb.
See also : Ḥín.
A-Z : Mustagháth
Mystery of God
A translation of Sirru’lláh.
One of the titles of Bahá’u’lláh.
A title Bahá’u’lláh gave to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá referring to His unique spiritual station in which the incompatible characteristics of human nature and superhuman knowledge and perfection are blended and completely harmonized.
A-Z : Mystery | Mysteries ~ of God
Mystery, Land of
See   Adrianople