The Hands of the Cause of God are a select group of Bahá'ís, appointed for life, whose main function is to propagate and protect the Bahá'í Faith on the international level. Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel, governing body of the Baháís The Baháí Faith is a religion founded by Baháulláh in 19th century Persia. ... Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel, governing body of the Baháís The Baháí Faith is a religion founded by Baháulláh in 19th century Persia. ...

According to The Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, they are to be nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Cause of God and are to be under his direction and obey his command.(pp. 12,13)

The title is no longer given out. As of June 2006 there is only one living Hand of the Cause - Dr. Varqá. The work of the Hands of the Cause is now carried out by the Continental Counsellers and the Auxiliary Boards. `Alí-Muhammad Varqá Dr. `Alí-Muhammad Varqá is currently the last living Hand of the Cause, and the trustee of the Huqúqulláh of the Baháí Faith. ... The Continental Counsellors, more commonly known as simply Counsellors, are part of the administrative order of the Baháí Faith, and are part of a greater administrative branch called the Institution of the Counsellors, established by the Universal House of Justice in 1973. ...

There were fifty Hands of the Cause in all, four named by Bahá'u'lláh, four by `Abdu'l-Bahá and forty-two by Shoghi Effendi (including ten posthumously). Twenty-seven Hands were alive when Shoghi Effendi died in 1957. Shrine of Baháulláh Baháulláh (ba-haa-ol-laa Arabic: ‎ Glory of God) (1817 - 1892), born (Persian: ‎ ), was the founder and prophet of the Baháí Faith. ... `Abdul-Bahá Sir `Abdul-Bahá `Abbás Effendí (May 23, 1844 - November 28, 1921) commonly known as `Abdul-Bahá (abdol-ba-haa Arabic: ‎ ), was the son of Baháulláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Baháí Faith. ... The last photograph of Shoghi Effendi, taken a few months before he died. ...

The most complete list of the Hands available is from "The Bahá'í World: Vol XIV". The Universal House of Justice has confirmed that this list may not be complete, and that a study of the letters and archives may reveal others named to this station. Seat of The Universal House of Justice For the building, see the Seat of the Universal House of Justice The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Baháí Faith. ...

Appointments

Note: Orthography of some names below is not correct. Accented and underscored characters were not transcribed.

Appointed by Bahá'u'lláh

• Hají Mullá `Alí-Akbar (1842-1910), known as Hají Ákhúnd
• Hájí Mírzá Muhammad-Taqí (d.1917), known as Ibn-i-Abhar
• Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan (1848-1919), known as Adíb
• Mírzá `Ali-Muhammad (d.1928), known as Ibn-i-Asdaq

Hají Ákhúnd Ḥájí Mullá `Alí-Akbar Shahmírzádí (Arabic: ‎ ), known as Ḥájí Ákhúnd (1842-1910) was an eminent follower of Baháulláh, the founder of the Baháí Faith, a global religion of Persian origin. ... Ibn-i-Abhar Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad-Taqí (d. ... Mirza Hasan, entitled Adib Hájí Mírzá Ḥasan-i-Adíbul-`Ulamá (Arabic: ‎ , b. ... Mírzá `Alí-Muḥammad-i-Khurásání (Arabic: ‎ ) (d. ...

Appointed by `Abdu'l-Bahá

• Aqa Muhammad-i-Qa'ini (1829-1892), known as Nabíl-i-Akbar
• Mirza 'Alí-Muhammad Varqá (d. 1896), the father of Rúhu'lláh
• Mulla Sadiq-i-Muqaddas, entitled Ismu'llahu'l-Asdaq
• Shaykh Muhammad-Riday-i-Yazdi

Áqá Muḥammad-i-Qáiní (1829-1892) also known as Fadil-i-Qaini (the Learned One of Qaín) surnamed Nabíl-i-Akbar, was a distinguished Baháí from the town of Qáin. ... Varqá during his torture Varqá (Arabic: dove), born Mírzá `Alí-Muhammad (d. ...

Appointed posthumously by Shoghi Effendi

• John Ebenezer Esslemont (1874-1925)
• Hájí Amín (1817-1928)
• Keith Ramsom-Kehler (1876-1933)
• Martha Root (1872-1939)
• Hyde Dunn (1855-1941)
• Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí (d. 1942)
• Abdu'l-Jalil Bey Sa'd (d. 1942)
• Muhammed Taqiy-i-Isfahani (d. 1946)
• Roy C. Wilhelm (1875-1951)
• Louis George Gregory (1874-1951)

John Ebenezer Esslemont (1874-1925), was a prominent British Baháí from Scotland. ... Mullá Abul-Hasan-i-Ardikání (Arabic: ملا أبو الحسن أرديكاني), surnamed Amín-i-Iláhí, better known as Hájí Amín (1817-1928) was an eminent follower of Baháulláh, the founder of the Baháí Faith, a global religion of Persian origin. ... One of the prominent traveling teachers of the Baháí Faith in the late 19th and early 20th century. ... Louis George Gregory Louis George Gregory (b. ...

First contingent, appointed 24 December 1951 by Shoghi Effendi

• Dorothy Beecher Baker (1898-1954)
• Amelia Engelder Collins (1873-1962)
• `Alí-Akbar Furútan (1905-2003)
• Ugo Giachery (1896-1989)
• Hermann Grossmann (1899-1968)
• Horace Holley (1887-1960)
• Leroy Ioas (1896-1965)
• William Sutherland Maxwell (1874-1952)
• Taráz'u'lláh Samandarí (1874-1968)
• Valíyu'lláh Varqá (1884-1955)
• George Townshend (1876-1957)
• Charles Mason Remey (1874-1974)

`Alí-Akbar Furútan `Alí-Akbar Furútan (1905-2003) was a prominent Iranian Baháí. Due to persecution, his family moved from Sabzivár in Khurásán to Ashkhabad across the Russian border. ... Horace Holley, detail from larger photograph Horace Holley (1887 - 1960) was a prominent follower of the Baháí Faith, having been elected to several Spiritual Assemblies, appointed by Shoghi Effendi in 1951 to be a Hand of the Cause, and later elected to be one of the nine Custodians who stewarded... Leroy Ioas, 1953, Israel Leroy Ioas was a Hand of the Cause of God, appointed in 1952 to the International Baháí Council where he served until 1961 as Secretary General. ... William Sutherland Maxwell William Sutherland Maxwell (b. ... Mírzá Valíyulláh Khán-i-Varqá (1884-1955) was a prominent Persian Baháí, and appointed a Hand of the Cause by Shoghi Effendi. ... George Townshend George Townshend (1876-1957) was born in Ireland and was a well known writer, clergyman before his conversion to the Baháí Faith in which he became a Hand of the Cause. ... Mason Remey, Hand of the Cause of God and Second Guardian of the Orthodox Baháí Faith Charles Mason Remey (May 15 1874 - February 4, 1974) was an eminent and controversial American Baháí with a distinguished life of service to the Baháí Faith. ...

Second contingent, appointed 29 February 1952 by Shoghi Effendi

• Siegfried Schopflocher (1877-1953)
• Shu'á'u'lláh 'Alá'í (1889-1984)
• Músá Banání (1886-1971)
• Clara Dunn (1869-1960)
• Dhikru'llah Khadem (1904-1986)
• Adelbert Mühlschlegel (1897-1980)
• Corinne True (1861-1961)

Dhikrullah Khadem (Arabic: ‎ ) (or Zikrullah Khadim) was a prominent follower of the Baháí Faith, and was appointed by Shoghi Effendi to be a Hand of the Cause in 1952. ...

Appointed by Shoghi Effendi [year of appointment]

• Rúhíyyih Khanum (1910-2000) [1952]
• Jalal Khazeh [1953]
• Paul Haney [1954]
• `Alí-Muhammad Varqá [1955]
• Agnes Baldwin Alexander [1957]

Amatul-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum Born Mary Maxwell in New York City in 1910, Amatul-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum was raised in Montreal, Québec. ... `Alí-Muhammad Varqá Dr. `Alí-Muhammad Varqá is currently the last living Hand of the Cause, and the trustee of the Huqúqulláh of the Baháí Faith. ...

Last contingent, appointed October 1957 by Shoghi Effendi

• Hasan M. Balyuzi (1908-1980)
• Abu'l-Qasim Faizi (1906-1980)
• John Ferraby (1914-1973)
• Harold Collis Featherstone (1913-1990)
• Rahmátu'llah Muhájir (1923-1979)
• Enoch Olinga (1926-1979)
• John Robarts (1901-1991)
• William Sears (1911-1992)

Hasan M. Balyuzi (1908-1980) was a prominent Iranian Baháí. He was born in Iran, but he spent most of his life in Britain. ... Abul-Qasim Faizi with his wife Gloria. ... John Ferraby (1914-1973) was a British Baháí born in a liberal Jewish family. ... Harold Collis Featherstone Harold Collis Featherstone (1913-1990) was a prominent Baháí from Adelaide, Australia. ... Rahmátullah Muhájir Rahmatulláh Muhájir (1923-1979) was a prominent Iranian Baháí. He was born in a Baháí family. ... Enoch Olinga Enoch Olinga (1926 – 1979) was born to a Christian family of the Iteso ethnic group in Uganda. ... John Robarts John Aldham Robarts (1901 - 1991) was a prominent Canadian Baháí. He was born on 2 November 1901 in Waterloo, Ontario, to Aldham Wilson Robarts and Rachel Mary Montgomery Campbell Robarts. ... William Sears William Sears (1911 - 1992) was a prominent American Baháí teacher and writer. ...

See also

• Letters of the Living

• Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh

• Disciples of `Abdu'l-Bahá

• Institution of the Counsellors

The Letters of the Living was a title provided by the Báb to the first eighteen disciples of the Bábí movement. ... The Apostles of Baháulláh were nineteen of the most eminent of the early followers of Baháulláh, the founder of the Baháí Faith. ... Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baháí Faith, designated nineteen Western Baháís as Disciples of Abdul-Bahá and Heralds of the Covenant: Dr. John E. Esslemont Thornton Chase Howard MacNutt Sarah Farmer Hippolyte Dreyfuss-Barney Lillian Kappes Robert Turner Dr. Arthus Brauns Lua Getsinger Joseph Hannan Chester I. Thatcher... The Continental Counsellors, more commonly known as simply Counsellors, are part of the administrative order of the Baháí Faith, and are part of a greater administrative branch called the Institution of the Counsellors, established by the Universal House of Justice in 1973. ...

References

• Bahá'u'lláh [1873] (1992). The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-85398-999-0.

• Bahá'u'lláh [1873-92] (1994). Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-87743-174-4.

• Effendi, Shoghi (1974). Bahá'í Administration. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-87743-166-3.

• Effendi, Shoghi (1976). Principles of Bahá'í Administration, 4th ed., London, UK: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-900125-13-6.
• Rabbani, Ruhiyyih (Ed.) (1992). The Ministry of the Custodians 1957-1963. Bahá'í World Centre. ISBN 0-85398-350-X.

• Harper, Barron (1997). Lights of Fortitude, Paperback, Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-413-1.

Shrine of Baháulláh Baháulláh (ba-haa-ol-laa Arabic: ‎ Glory of God) (1817 - 1892), born (Persian: ‎ ), was the founder and prophet of the Baháí Faith. ... Shrine of Baháulláh Baháulláh (ba-haa-ol-laa Arabic: ‎ Glory of God) (1817 - 1892), born (Persian: ‎ ), was the founder and prophet of the Baháí Faith. ... The last photograph of Shoghi Effendi, taken a few months before he died. ... The last photograph of Shoghi Effendi, taken a few months before he died. ... Amatul-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum Born Mary Maxwell in New York City in 1910, Amatul-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum was raised in Montreal, Québec. ...

External links

• Hands of the Cause of God - links to biographies

• Fadil-i-Mazandarani - House of Justice message of 1998 concerning the status and rank of Fadil-i-Mazandarani.

• The Guardian Announces Appointment of Hands of the Cause - Announcement of the first contingent of 12 Hands in 1951.

• Second Appointment of Hands of the Cause - Announcement of the second contingent, appointing 7 new hands in 1952.

• A Tribute to the Hands of the Cause of God - History, appointments, and other details.