1. The Influence of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh calls on the peoples of the world to build
houses of worship throughout the lands in the name of Him Who is the Lord of all religions. Make them as perfect as is possible in the world of being, and adorn them with that which befitteth them, not with images and effigies. Then, with radiance and joy, celebrate therein the praise of your Lord, the Most Compassionate. Verily, by His remembrance the eye is cheered and the heart is filled with light.14
‘Abdu’l-Bahá elaborates on the importance of this institution, referring to the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár as “the lodestone of divine confirmations” and “the mighty foundation of the Lord, the firm pillar of the Faith of God”. In the same Tablet, He states that the establishment of the House of Worship “is a means for the exaltation of the Word of God” and that the “praise and glorification emanating from it cheereth the heart of every righteous soul”. He thus exhorts the friends to “be occupied therein with prayer and the worship of God, the recitation of the verses and words of God, and the chanting of heavenly odes in glorification of the All-Merciful”.15
Elsewhere, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá describes the House of Worship as “a centre wherein the spirits are gladdened and the hearts attracted to the Abhá Kingdom”16 and avers that it has “a powerful influence on every phase of life”,17 awakening the friends18 and promoting the oneness of humankind.19 By gathering together in this edifice to make mention of the Lord, “bonds of unity”20 are forged while affection grows and flourishes “in the human heart”.21 Indeed, through the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, which “causeth hearts to be illumined, souls to become spiritual, and the fragrances of the Kingdom of Glory to be inhaled”, the world of humanity is “transformed into another world, and the susceptibilities of the heart are heightened to such a degree that they encompass the entire creation”.22 According to Shoghi Effendi, the impact of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is “incalculable and mysterious”,23 directly bolstering the faith of the individual, while also serving, in the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as “the greatest means of diffusing the sweet savours of the Lord”.24 “As a potent symbol and an integral element of the divine civilization towards which Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation ushers all peoples,” the House of Justice observes in a letter written on its behalf, “the House of Worship becomes the focal point of the community from which it emerges.”25 “The people shall hasten to worship in that heavenly Temple,” the Master declares, “the fragrance of God will be diffused, the Divine Teachings will take root in the hearts like unto the establishment of the spirit in the souls of men, and the people will stand firm in the Cause of your Lord, the All-Merciful.”26