Shoghi Effendi passed away in London in 1957, and is buried at the New Southgate cemetery.
There are two important Bahá’í locations in London: Shoghi Effendi’s resting place and the National Bahá’í Centre
Shoghi Effendi’s resting place.
Shoghi Effendi’s resting place is in the New Southgate Cemetery, Brunswick Park Road, New Southgate, London N11 1JJ ( in north London). It is a special place of prayer for Bahá’ís from all over the world.
UK National Bahá’í Centre
The United Kingdom’s National Bahá’í Centre is situated at 27 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PD. The building is significant for Bahá’ís not only because of its obvious administrative functions but also because it was the place from where the Guardian’s funeral cortege departed in 1957.
What goes on at the National Bahá’í Centre?
The building serves a number of purposes:
- it is the seat of the National Spiritual Assembly, the community’s national governing council;
- the National Assembly’s administrative offices are housed here;
- meetings of many different kinds – arranged by Bahá’í agencies and by other organisations – take place, such as receptions, diplomatic functions, interfaith meetings, devotional gatherings, and other events;
- a well-stocked bookshop serves the needs of all those who would like to purchase a wide range of Bahá’í literature.
Although one of the rooms is designated as a worship room, the Bahá’í Centre is not a place of worship nor is it generally a place where Bahá’ís come together for community activities. Most Bahá’í activities take place in localities and neighbourhoods.
Opening times
The Bahá’í Centre is open to visitors on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Getting there
The Centre is accessible from the Knightsbridge and South Kensington Tube stations on the Piccadilly Line. The Piccadilly line also connects Heathrow Airport with Arnos Grove, the closest station to Shoghi Effendi’s resting place.
Bus routes 9, 10 and 52 also pass Rutland Gate.
Use the Transport for London journey planner to work out how best to get to the Bahá’í Centre.
Getting in touch
The telephone number for the Centre is 020-7584-2566 from within the UK (+44 20-7584-2566 if dialling from abroad).
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi was the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith from 1921 until his passing in 1957. He was appointed to this position in the Will and Testament of His grandfather, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
As Guardian, Shoghi Effendi was the authorised expounder and interpreter of the Bahá’í holy texts. He guided the development of Bahá’í communities throughout the world through his voluminous correspondence; he personally directed the laying out of the Bahá’í gardens; and he oversaw the design and construction of the first two substantial Bahá’í buildings on Mount Carmel, the internationally renowned Shrine of the Báb and the International Bahá’í Archives.
Childhood and early years
Shoghi Effendi was born in ‘Akká in March 1897. He was greatly influenced by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who insisted that His young grandson should be referred to as “Shoghi Effendi”, rather than simply as “Shoghi”, as a mark of respect.
His initial education took place at home with the other children in the household. He attended Catholic schools in Haifa and Beirut. The Syrian Protestant College in Beirut provided his final years of high school and first years of university and he earned an arts degree in 1918.
Fluent in Persian, Turkish, Arabic and French, he dedicated himself to mastering English so that he could serve ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as secretary and translator.
Translations and commentaries
Shoghi Effendi had close ties to Britain. He studied at Balliol College, Oxford, where he mastered English and added it to his other languages, Persian, Turkish, Arabic and French.
Shoghi Effendi translated many passages of Bahá’í scripture into peerless English. These translations have been the model for all subsequent translations of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá into English and are the standard against which translations into other languages are judged.
He also chose to write his commentaries, expositions and histories of the Bahá’í Faith in English. His output of writing alone would have constituted a lifetime’s work for most authors.
Shoghi Effendi’s passing and funeral
Shoghi Effendi passed away in London in 1957, and is buried at the New Southgate cemetery. His death at the age 60 came as a huge shock to the Bahá’ís. He had been head of their community for 36 years.
Thousands of Bahá’ís attended the funeral. The British Bahá’í community came en masse, as did many Bahá’ís from other countries.
Rúhíyyih Khánum described the funeral: “For over two hours, the believers, eastern and western, filed by [the open grave]. … they knelt and kissed the edge or the handle of the casket. … Tears, tears and kisses, and solemn inner vows were poured out at the head of the one who had always called himself their ‘true brother’.”
The period of the Guardianship marked the Bahá’í Faith’s transition into a global religion.