An Appreciation by Shoghi Effendi
Dearly beloved brothers and sisters in 'Abdu'l-Baha:
With feelings of profound sorrow I am moved to address you
these few lines, mourning the loss which the Cause has undoubtedly sustained by
the passing of one who, for many years and in circumstances of exceptional
significance, rendered the sacred Threshold distinctive and inestimable
services. The hand of Divine Decree has removed, by the death of our talented
and dearly beloved friend, Mr. Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney, yet another
outstanding figure in the Cause of Baha'u'llah, who, by his brilliant gifts of
mind and heart as well as by the divers achievements of his life, has truly
enriched the annals of God's immortal Faith.
A pioneer of the Cause of Baha'u'llah ever since its
celestial light first warmed and illuminated the West, he has, by his close
association with the person of 'Abdu'l-Baha, by his numerous and extensive
travels in Eastern and Western lands, by his contact with all sections of
society, by his scholarly presentation of the history and fundamentals of the
Faith, and lastly by his unforgettable share in the settlement of the complex
and pressing issues that called for expert assistance in the days following
'Abdu'l-Baha's passing, achieved a standing which few have as yet attained.
The days of his spiritual communion with 'Abdu'l-Baha and His household within the walls of the prison-city 'Akka, wherein he imbibed the principles which he later so ably expounded to the peoples of the West; his pre-eminent role on his return to Paris in kindling the torch which is destined to shed eternal illumination upon his native land and its people; the links of abiding fellowship which he forged with our Persian brethren in the course of the historic mission entrusted to his charge by our Beloved; the seeds which he scattered far and wide during his subsequent travels to the heart of Asia, throughout India, beyond the remotest villages of Burma and as far as the eastern confines of Indo-China; the able support he lent in its initial and intermediary stages to the case of Baha'u'llah's house in Baghdad; his unhesitating intervention with State officials in paving the way for the ultimate emancipation of our Egyptian brethren from the yoke of orthodox Islam; the stimulating encouragement his visit caused to the Baha'i community of Tunis on the northern shores of Africa; and last but not least the ability and diligence with which he applied himself to the solution of the delicate and vexing problems of the Holy Land in the critical years following 'Abdu'l-Baha's ascension - all stand out as memorable landmarks in a life that was as varied in its international aspects as it was rich in its spiritual experience.
His gifts of unfailing sympathy and penetrating insight, his
wide knowledge and mature experience, all of which he utilized for the glory
and propagation of the Message of Baha'u'llah, will be gratefully remembered by
future generations who, as the days go by, will better estimate the abiding
value of the responsibilities he shouldered for the introduction and
consolidation of the Baha'i Faith in the Western world.
Suffering as he did in his last days from the effects of a
slow and painful illness, he bore heroically his share of the afflictions of
the world, and is now in the realms of blissful deliverance partaking his full
share of the goodly reward which he certainly deserved. To me, and particularly
amid the storm and stress that have agitated my life after 'Abdu'l-Baha's passing,
he was a sustaining and comforting companion, a most valued counsellor, an
intimate and trusted friend.
With much emotion and the deepest sense of gratitude I
supplicate at the holy Threshold - and request you to join with me in my
prayers - for the spiritual advancement in the realms above of a soul who by
the sheer merit of the signal services he rendered already deserves to rank
highly among the departed faithful.
May he forever rest in peace.
December 21, 1928.
- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Baha’i World 1928-1930)
