Dearest friends,
One of the most powerful invocations, used by ‘Abdu'l-Baha’ in His times of crisis, (prior to the end of WWI), when the Ottoman soldiers came to take Him to be executed, and when the Holy Family was distraught from the absence of Baha’u'llah in the mountains of Sulaymaniyah.
The Bab also prescribed His followers to repeat it 2098 times as they never knew which day would be their last!
“`Abdu’l-Bahá told of the time in Bagdad when Bahá’u’lláh Had retired to the mountains.
His family did not know where He Had gone and were extremely worried.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá was a boy at that time and the absence of His Father was very difficult.
One night, `Abdu’l-Bahá recited and supplicated with all his heart saying “‘Ya’ Allah el Mustaghas!
Ya’ Allah el Mustaghas!” all night.
In the morning after, at the break of dawn, `Abdu’l -Bahá received a message which he understood to be about the return of Bahá’u’lláh.
Ali Kuli Khan understood that the invocation of “Ya’ Allah el Mustaghas!” would be the Prayer to utter in moments of need.
It seems that `Abdu’l-Bahá used this powerful Prayer at different occasions.“
~ Marzieh Gail ,
Arches of the Years, page 312.
Shoghi Effendi also had the burden of the believers’ personal griefs.
Florence once asked him for a very powerful prayer, and he answered, ‘What could be better than Yá Allahu’l-Mustaghath?’ …
It was her ounderstanding that this was the prayer repeated over and over by the Master, as He paced His garden when the Turkish ship was coming to take Him away.
The Universal House of Justice clarifies that the phrase “Yá Allahu’l-Mustaghath”, … is an Invocation Revealed by the Bab.
He prescribed it for recitation by His followers in times of trouble and difficulty.
Shoghi Effendi has translated the word “Mustaghath” as “He who is invoked for help”.
~ The Universal House of Justice,
Excerpt from a letter of 25th of November 1999.
In the same letter, The Universal House of Justice clarifies that “In the Writings of the Bab, “Mustaghath” refers to Bahá’u’lláh, and “the time of ‘Mustaghath‘” refers to the time of Bahá’u’lláh’s Dispensation…
Mustaghath literally means “He Who is invoked”.
It denotes the cycle of every Divine Manifestation, referred to in the Writings of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh.”
~ The Universal House of Justice,
Excerpt from a letter of 25th November 1999.
“It seems that the One being invoked for help is Bahá’u’lláh.
Perhaps the following explanation of `Abdu’l-Bahá about the phrase “He is God”, can explain why Bahá’u’lláh is invoked.”
“In Paris, when Shoghi Effendi was on his way to the University in England, he told madam Kahn that shortly before the World War I ended, he used to accompany ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ to Haifa, and each week they would spend 4 days usually looking after the shrines and to see about conditions in general.
One day the Master closed His door and Shoghi Effendi (he said) knelt outside it, leaning his head against it.
For 8 continuous hours the Master paced in the room, praying only one prayer ... ‘Ya’ ALLAH-EL-MUSTAGATH!’
When Shoghi Effendi related this to Madame Ali Kuli-Khan she exclaimed ‘Why it was shortly after this that the European War ended!’
Shoghi Effendi smiled, but did not reply either yes or no.
In 1924, when she was leaving the presence of the Guardian at Haifa, en-route for Persia to America, she enquired if there were any prayers she could use for special help.
The Guardian smiled and replied:
‘Is there any prayer better than ‘Ya’ Allah-el-Mustaghath’ ? …
Showing he recalled their conversation in Paris.”
~ The above was given to Doris Lohse by Madame Khan in her own handwriting.
This is a copy of the original statement.
”Mustaghath literally means ‘He Who is invoked.’
It denotes the cycle of every Divine Manifestation, referred to in the Writings of the Bab and Baha’u’llah.
See also glossary in Kitab-i-Iqan.”
“With regard to the number of times these words are to be repeated, the repetition of this invocation is not definitely fixed, and there is a great deal of flexibility concerning the repetition of this and other Prayers.
While the invocation is prescribed in the Writings of the Báb to be repeated 2098 times during occasions of great need, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in one Tablet states that this verse is to be repeated 95 times and, in another Tablet, 81 times.
Letters from the Guardian concerning this invocation , as well as other Prayers, indicate that repetition is a matter of individual choice.
In a postscript added in his own handwriting to a letter to an individual he stated:
“There is no objection to saying “Yá Ilaha‘l-Mustaghath” any time you like and as often as you like”.”
~ The Universal House of Justice,
Excerpt rom a letter of 25th of November 1999.
“To be prayed or repeated 1000 times between midnight and dawn for 9 or 19 nights (though to use the prayer once daily or even 9 or 19 times is enough).
It seems infallible, even marvellous in power. ”
“ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said it for 3 days just before World War I ended: Ya’ Allau’l-Mustagath!
O God Our Deliverer, whom we invoke in times of extreme need, danger, or crisis!
With regard to the number of times these words are to be repeated, the repetition of this invocation is not definitely fixed, and there is a great deal of flexibility concerning the repetition of this and other Prayers.
While the invocation is prescribed in the Writings of the Báb to be repeated 2098 times during occasions of great need, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in one Tablet states that this verse is to be repeated 95 times and, in another Tablet, 81 times.
Letters from the Guardian concerning this invocation , as well as other prayers, indicate that repetition is a matter of individual choice.”
~ The Universal House of Justice,
Excerpt from a letter of 25th of November 1999.
