Shoghi Effendi referred to it as:

“The Document establishing that Order, the Charter of a future world civilization, which may be regarded in some of its features as supplementary to no less weighty a Book than the Kitab-i-Aqdas; signed and sealed by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; entirely written with His own hand; its first section composed during one of the darkest periods of His incarceration in the prison-fortress of Akka, proclaims, categorically and unequivocally, the fundamental beliefs of the followers of the Faith of Baha’u’llah; reveals, in unmistakable language, the twofold character of the Mission of the Bab; discloses the full station of the Author of the Baha’i­ Revelation; asserts that “all others are servants unto Him and do His bidding”; stresses the importance of the Kitab-i-Aqdas; establishes the institution of the Guardianship as a hereditary office and outlines its essential functions; provides the measures for the election of the International House of Justice, defines its scope and sets forth its relationship to that Institution; prescribes the obligations, and emphasizes the responsibilities, of the Hands of the Cause of God; and extolls the virtues of the indestructible Covenant established by Baha’u’llah.”  ~ Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, P.238

From the pen of ‘Abdu’l-Baha:

“O ye that stand fast in the Covenant! When the hour cometh that this wronged and broken-winged bird will have taken its flight into the Celestial Concourse, when it will have hastened to the Realm of the Unseen and its mortal frame will have been either lost or hidden neath the dust, it is incumbent upon . . . all the friends and loved ones, one and all to bestir themselves and arise with heart and soul and in one accord, to diffuse the sweet savors of God, to teach His Cause and to promote His Faith. It behooveth them not to rest for a moment, neither to seek repose. They must disperse themselves in every land, pass by every clime, and travel throughout all regions. Bestirred, without rest, and steadfast to the end, they must raise in every land the triumphal cry ” Ya Baha’u’l-Abha!” (O Thou the Glory of Glories), must achieve renown in the world wherever they go, must burn brightly even as a candle in every meeting and must kindle the flame of Divine love in every assembly; that the light of truth may rise resplendent in the midmost heart of the world, that throughout the East and throughout the West a vast concourse may gather under the shadow of the Word of God, that the sweet savors of holiness may be diffused, that faces may shine radiantly, hearts be filled with the Divine spirit and souls be made heavenly.”

Help us spread the word.. CLICK HERE to get your copy today and share the news of this long-awaited release with your friends, family and community by clicking the share buttons on the left side of the page!

Chelsea (One of the co-founders of the site) reached out to us to find out more about what we do and share it with their community of mothers. It was a great opportunity to connect with more parents and families. We are so delighted they invited us to be a part of what they are creating.

If you have a chance, please stop by their blog, check out their resources, and leave a comment on the interview post. It helps their community grow… and what they are creating is soooooo needed…  not to mention we are giving a few lucky readers of their blog a chance to win free audio books on CD!

Come on.. CLICK HERE.. What are you waiting for?

You can connect with them on Their Website, Facebook, & Pinterest

We need your help! Please vote below and tell us which history books we should focus on converting into audio books first.

Please choose up to 3 titles… if the one you want is not listed please write that answer in on the blank option provided. Once again, this is about the history surrounding the 3 Central Figures of the Faith and/or Shoghi Effendi… other history books and biographies will happen in due time.

Looking forward to getting started.. thanks for helping us narrow it down!

***UPDATE: Congratulations to Sara Simon for being our randomly chosen winning participant. Her Audio Books are on the way. Thanks to everyone else for participating in the giveaway and to continue to support the work we are doing. And though the giveaway is over please do not stop filling out the poll.. we still need your votes!”

And as an added bonus, everyone who (1) takes the poll, (2) ‘likes’ this post on Facebook AND (3) adds a comment about which history book(s) they find most moving and would love to have as audio will be entered into a drawing to win A free Audio CD Set of Tablets of The Divine Plan revealed by Abdu’l-Bahá AND The Advent of Divine Justice by Shoghi Effendi. We will announce the winner on September 17th 2012!

[polldaddy poll=6506651]

NOTE: No purchase necessary to participate in the drawing.

“Now is not the time to hold back; too many remain unaware of the new dawn. Who but you can convey the divine message? ”By God,” Bahá’u’lláh, referring to the Cause, affirms, “this is the arena of insight and detachment, of vision and upliftment, where none may spur on their chargers save the valiant horsemen of the Merciful, who have severed all attachment to the world of being.” ~ The Universal House of Justice

This most joyous Ridván season, The Universal House of Justice, greeted the worldwide Bahá’í community with an expression of praise and encouragement. The Supreme Body shared news of the continued advancement of the Cause through the efforts of eager souls “engaged in the work of constructing a new world through the systematic implementation of the Five Year Plan.”

In addition, The House of Justice also shared an historic and moving development in this, the Fifth Epoch of the Formative Age of the Faith, in that of the emergence of a series of plans to construct seven new Houses of Worship in nations and clusters who’s “process of entry by troops was sufficiently well advanced.”

“let every believer look to ‘Abdu’l-Baha… Tirelessly, He expounded the teachings in every social space… Uncompromising in defence of the truth, yet infinitely gentle in manner, He brought the universal divine principles to bear on the exigencies of the age. To all without distinction… He imparted love, wisdom, comfort, whatever the particular need. While elevating their souls, He challenged their assumptions, reoriented their perspectives, expanded their consciousness, and focused their energies. He demonstrated by word and deed such compassion and generosity that hearts were utterly transformed. No one was turned awaY…. Set His example before your eyes and fix your gaze upon it; let it be your instinctive guide in your pursuit of the aim of the Plan.”
~The Universal House of Justice

We have received such overwhelming feedback over the last several months, since the release of the 2010 Ridván Message and the December 28th Message to the Continental Boards of Counsellors, it has become clear that this guidance available in audio format is something the community thirst for. So, it is with great pleasure, that we present the 2011 Ridván Message from The Universal House of Justice.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW

The Universal House of Justice welcomes in this most joyous Ridván season with this message of love. Addressing the Bahá’í world they encourage and prepare the believers to meet the challenges and opportunities present in this current and newly inaugurated Five Year Plan.

The House of Justice addresses the turmoil present in the political, social, and economic affairs of humanity. It directs the community of the Greatest Name to play its part in combatting these ills by “building capacity for effective action amongst the diverse populations of the planet”.

The beloved House of Justice offers the framework, goals and confirmations that, over the course of the next five years, will steer the community as it strives to fulfill the sacred obligation to “convey to others the spark of faith.”

“Conscious of their high calling, confident in the society-building power which their Faith possesses, they press forward, undeterred and undismayed, in their efforts to fashion and perfect the necessary instruments wherein the embryonic World Order of Bahá’u’lláh can mature and develop. It is this building process, slow and unobtrusive, to which the life of the world-wide Bahá’í Community is wholly consecrated, that constitutes the one hope of a stricken society.” ~Shoghi Effendi

HearTheWritings.com is pleased to present The December 28th 2010 Message from The Universal House of Justice. Just as we had finished and released our version of The 2010 Ridván Message The House of Justice released this powerful message addressing the key features of the next five year plan. Naturally, with its significant implications to the work of the Cause, we had to release an audio version of it as well. We are pleased to offer it to you here, now, for Free.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD IT NOW

“There is no time to lose. There is no room left for vacillation. Multitudes hunger for the Bread of Life. The stage is set. The firm and irrevocable Promise is given. God’s own Plan has been set in motion… Such an opportunity is irreplaceable.” ~Shoghi Effendi

HearTheWritings.com is pleased to present The 2010 Ridván Message from The Universal House of Justice. As we near the last few months of the current plan we felt impelled to create an audio version of this weighty message to share with the community in the hopes that those who take the opportunity to study it deeper might be galvanized in their efforts to serve the Cause. Since this message is so critical to the growth of the Faith, and the timing so critical, we are offering the MP3 download for FREE.

If you find this to be of value to you please take a moment and click the “tweet” button and/or the “like” button (floating over on the left side of the page) to share it on Facebook. We want to make this audio version as widely available as possible. Both buttons are at the top of this post. Thank you for helping spread the word.

Choosing our first title was a challenge, but when we reflected on the current state of the world and our role in changing that world, it became clear that the gift given to the North American believers decades ago was now more timely than ever.

Our good friend and colleague, Adam Mondschein, agreed to voice the audio book and we set about the process of transforming this weighty work into an audio version of the highest quality. Adam’s experience in theater was invaluable in conveying the writings of the Guardian in a way that is at once heartfelt and lofty.

Though it took several months to complete, we are elated with the outcome. We are thrilled to present this audio book of The Advent of Divine Justice to you for your listening pleasure and deepening on the guidance.

Totaling out at over Four Hours, this weighty book is not an audio book to be missed.

The Advent of Divine Justice is Shoghi Effendi’s gift to the North American believers. In it, Shoghi Effendi outlines our destiny and mission while focusing our attention on the challenges, opportunities, and requisites for success in our endeavors to serve the Cause of Baha’u’llah. He pays particular attention to the specific ills afflicting our community which must be conquered through “moral rectitude”, “complete freedom from prejudice”, and observance of “absolute chastity.” What is of unique significance is how Shoghi Effendi devotes more than half of the entire address to the subject of teaching. He outlines the “spiritual obligation” placed before every believer “to make of the mandate of teaching” “the all pervading concern” of their lives. Serving both as a warning signal and a call to action, The Advent of Divine Justice is the guide book for any believer treading the path of service.

I grew up in a Baha’i family in Westerville, Ohio and spent many of my formative years in the Baha’i youth workshop and attending youth conferences. It was during these teaching trips, conferences, and workshop events that I began to deepen on the writings and through service develop an understanding of my Baha’i identity. After completing high school I spent my year of service in Ohio serving the national Teaching Comittee. It gave me loads of opportunities to create deepening materials and share them with the other youth around the region. The power of the writings is something which became tangible to me. After completing my term of service I moved to New York City to pursue my passion for music production and jazz studies. During my ten years in the City of the Covenant, with its long commutes and bustling energy, I developed a love for audio books. Long subway rides gave me ample time to listen to books I would otherwise have had trouble reading in hard copy. My appetite for “reading” was voracious. I read dozens of books this way… but none of them were the sacred texts. I knew that reading the texts everyday was a mandate in the writings… but it was difficult for me to find the time to sit down and read… but the time to pop in a CD or listen to something while in transit was always there.

I was already working in the audio industry as a mildly successful recording engineer and knew that if this resource were going to come into existence that I was going to have to create it. This would be my service to the community.  With the intention of learning how to create powerful audio versions of the sacred and historical texts of the faith I began work at three of the top audio book production houses in NYC. During the year that I worked at these production houses I learned the ins and outs of the audio book industry and what it takes to create great audio books. I was fortunate to work with some of the top directors and voice over talent in the industry. I worked on projects for Random House, Harper-Collins, Penguin Audio, Highbridge, Houghton Mifflin, Renaissance Audio, and on and on. Here are a few of the titles I was privileged to work on:

I used each project as an opportunity to pick the brains of the world class talent that was in the room and build my skills. With my foundation firmly rooted in the audio book industry I began to formulate my plan to execute my vision… business plan, investor, the whole nine yards… but I couldn’t find anyone to invest… so the project sat waiting for me to find the time. With all things, change is inevitable, and I was blessed by meeting and marrying my beautiful and loving wife Auntieclare. We settled in LA and she became my greatest source of encouragement. Together we revived this project and began to pursue translating this vision into reality. Through sheer dedication we set aside the time and resources necessary to create our first audio book. The book (The Advent of Divine Justice – By Shoghi Effendi) is our first offering to the community. Many more are in the works.. it is our intention to translate all the sacred and historical texts of the Baha’i faith into audio format. With your encouragement, support and assistance we will be able to create this resource and help encourage Baha’i scholarship in our community.

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to HearTheWritings.com – Your Daily Dose of the Sacred Word. If you want to share a thought, offer a suggestion or just lend your support (as a reader, technically, financially or otherwise) please drop me a note through the form on the contact page. I look forward to hearing from each of you and how, in some small way, these audio books have aided you to draw closer to Baha’u’llah.

~ Jon Rezin

You can view my other sites here:

9StarMedia.com

jonrezin.com

Welcome to Hear The Writings.com.  This site is the beginning of the realization of a long term mission… to convert the Sacred writings of the Faith into a high quality audio format. Until now those wishing to study the Sacred writings as well as historical accounts had to find periods of time where they could sit and read from the Holy writings. In our modern society this time, unfortunately, is often sacrificed to other seemingly important pressures and time commitments such as long commutes to and from work. Now the time to immerse ourselves in the Sacred Word can be found anywhere… driving, riding the bus, taking a subway ride, on a flight. Becoming a scholar of the Sacred texts and history of the Faith begins with a first step. Hopefully the efforts we make at HearTheWritings.com to offer these materials in a common and accessable format will assist those loooking for such a step. Enjoy… please share this site with a friend… and happy listening!

~ Jon Rezin