Shoghi Effendi himself, he and his wife found themselves unable to have children. With no heirs, and having excommunicated every living descendant of Baha’u’llah but himself, there was no one eligible to be appointed as his successor in accordance with the provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, so the office of the Guardianship became permanently vacant upon his passing.
He died suddenly of the Asian flu, at the age of 60, while visiting London in 1957. His grave is located in that city instead of among the Baha’i shrines in Israel, because, according to Baha’i law, a body cannot be moved more than one hour’s journey from the place of death.
He failed to leave a will, violating Baha’u’llah’s command that “Unto everyone hath been enjoined the writing of a will,” and thus the Baha’is had no clear guidance for how their faith should be led without a second Guardian after his passing.
Courtersy:- Extracts taken from the book ‘ A Lost History Of The Baha’i Faith’
