Monthly Reflection: Azamat (Grandeur) – On Listening

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One of the most meaningful ways I learned about the history of the Babi Dispensation as a child was by listening to Jack Lenz’s impactful audio drama called “Midsummer Noon”. As a teenager, I once encouraged some friends to listen to it too. We huddled together in a small room, in the dark: just us and the voices of actors speaking as though they were Fatimih Bagum, the Bab’s mother, Khadijih Bagum, the Bab’s wife, Tahirih, Sam Khan and many others.

For someone wholeheartedly and unabashedly in love with reading and the written word, audio dramas have a very special place in my heart.

This month we released “Some Kind of Foreigner”, which is based on a monologue or prose piece by Roger White. It shares the fictional account of Bill, a tradesman who meets Abdu’l-Baha in London and who learns how work, carried out in the spirit of service, is a form of worship. The imaginary tale is told from the perspective of Gladdie, Bill’s wife. Emma Pring performed the voice of Gladdie and truly brings her to warm, endearing life. (Many thanks to George Ronald for their permission to use this text!)

This is the third audio drama we’ve shared on Baha’i Blog over the years. You can also listen to “My Name is John Good, Servant of the Servant” that tells us about the transformation of a former convict who lived on the streets of the Bowery in New York City at the turn of the 20th century. It is also a story about the high station accorded to the poor and the tribute paid to the patrons of the Bowery Mission by Abdu’l-Baha during His visit to North America in 1912.

And last, but certainly not least, you can listen to a dramatic reading of an account by E. G. Browne, a professor from Cambridge University who met Baha’u’llah in the Mansion of Bahji in April 1890 and who recorded his thoughts and impressions for posterity. He was the only Westerner to meet Baha’u’llah and his account, although brief, is a treasure as it offers us a unique perspective of what it was like to attain Baha’u’llah’s presence.

While not purely audio in form, we also have recordings of some of our articles and as Baha’is and their friends around the world prepare to celebrate the anniversary of the Declaration of the Bab, I’d like to bring four to the surface:

“The Other Witnesses: Khadijih Bagum and Haji Mubarak at the Declaration of the Bab” is a piece where we learn a little about the wife of the Bab, Khadijih Bagum, and His servant, Haji Mubarak and their whereabouts on that fateful evening. “Mulla Husayn: The Unlikely Hero Who Advanced the Cause of Truth” tells us about Mulla Husayn’s outstanding qualities and heroism. In “The Bab: The Harbinger of the Most Great Light” we learn some of the titles of the Bab, and in “The Bab – What was He like?” we are treated to some descriptions of His Personage.

We have a whole collection dedicated to videos, talks, music (and more!) all about the unique and magical holy day that is the Declaration of the Bab, and we have another one that shares resources all about the Bab.

In continuing to offer free downloadable content, Cherie has designed invitation templates for Declaration of the Bab celebrations which can be found on our special page dedicated to all of our downloadable content. If you find these templates helpful, please check back as we’ll continue to add more!

Sending you much love as we celebrate the Declaration of the Bab!

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Sonjel Vreeland

In her innermost heart, Sonjel is a stay-at-home parent and a bookworm with a maxed out library card but professionally she is a museologist with a background in English Literature. She currently lives on Prince Edward Island, an isle in the shape of a smile on the eastern Canadian coast. Sonjel is a writer who loves to listen to jazz when she's driving at night.