A last picture of the Guardian

Shoghi Effendi at a funeral of a believer in Haifa shortly before his passing. 

The Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas is behind the Guardian.

Shoghi Effendi’s station

Concerning Shoghi Effendi's station: he surely has none except what the Master confers upon him in His Will and that Will also states what Shoghi Effendi's station is. If anyone misinterprets one part of the Will he misinterprets all the Will. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 1930 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, quoted by Ruhiyyih Khanum in ‘The Priceless Pearl’)

How Baha’is show regard the Guardian

May I also express my heartfelt desire that the friends of God in every land regard me in no other light but that of a true brother, united with them in our common servitude to the Master's Sacred Threshold, and refer to me in their letters and verbal addresses always as Shoghi Effendi, for I desire to be known by no other name save the one our Beloved Master was wont to utter, a name which of all other designations is the most conducive to my spiritual growth and advancement. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 5 March 1922 to the American friends; quoted by Ruhiyyih Khanum in ‘The Priceless Pearl’)

How the Guardian wished to be known

I wish to be known, to realize myself however far I may proceed in future, as one and only one of the many workers in His Vineyards...whatever may betide I trust in His ['Abdu'l-Bahá's] wondrous love for me. May I in no wise by my deeds, thoughts or words, impede the stream of His sustaining Spirit which I sorely need in facing the responsibilities He has placed on my youthful shoulders...

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated February 6, 1922 to one of the Persian Bahá'ís; quoted by Ruhiyyih Khanum in ‘The Priceless Pearl’)

April 1922: Mason Remey’s first impression of the Guardian

As I used to sit at table looking at Shoghi Effendi I was struck by his resemblance to the Master. In the shape and poise of his heed, his shoulders, his walk and his general bearing. Then I felt the terrible weight and responsibility which had been placed upon that young boy. It seemed overwhelming that he, whose life was just starting, so to speak from the human worldly standpoint, should have had this great responsibility and care thrust upon him, a weight which would so consume him and place him aside by himself as to eliminate from his life the freedom and joy of the human side of life, which , though not eternal, has a certain call l for each of us human beings.
- Mason Remey  (‘A Brief Account of Eight Pilgrimage to the Holy Land’, 1922)

Shoghi Effendi’s humility and selflessness – a kind not yet known elsewhere

Humility of a kind not yet known elsewhere was one of Shoghi Effendi's many unique virtues, a humility which came from the conviction that man's faculties are not self-created but are a precious trust from God, not to be displayed or used overbearingly or with vanity. And yet he emanated true pride and dignity, such a regal dignity that raised him far above any man I have yet met or known.

When conversing with him, one could strongly sense this feeling of humility, while his ample brow and penetrating eyes reflected an inner light born of faith, courage and determination. One could feel an awareness that was amazing and rendered one speechless.

Shoghi Effendi's selflessness was not only outstanding but exemplary. He never placed his personal interests or desires ahead of his functions as Guardian. Those who were near to him inevitably felt that his life was something to be fully expended in the service of God and humanity, in a dedication unlike that of any other human being. When close to him I always felt the powerful process of his sublimation to the reality of the unseen world, while his body was there, near to me, like a visible, finely-tuned musical instrument whose melodies, imperceptible to the human ear, vibrated unseen through the ether.