...they should exemplify in every aspect of their lives
those attributes and virtues that are born of God and should arise to
distinguish themselves by their goodly behaviour. They should justify their
claim to be Bahá'ís by deeds and not by name. He is a true Bahá'í who strives
by day and by night to progress and advance along the path of human endeavor,
whose most cherished desire is so to live and act as to enrich and illuminate
the world, whose source of inspiration is the essence of Divine virtue, whose
aim in life is so to conduct himself as to be the cause of infinite progress.
Only when he attains unto such perfect gifts can it be said of him that he is a
true Bahá'í. For in this holy Dispensation, the crowning glory of bygone ages
and cycles, true Faith is no mere acknowledgement of the Unity of God, but
rather the living of a life that will manifest all the perfections and virtues
implied in such belief.... ('Abdu'l-Bahá,
in "Bahá'í Year Book" ["The Bahá'í World"], vol. 1 (New
York: Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1926; The Compilation of Compilations, vol.
I, Excellence in All Things)
December 30
... Each of us is responsible for one life only, and
that is our own. Each of us is immeasurably far from being 'perfect as our
heavenly Father is perfect' and the task of perfecting our own life and
character is one that requires all our attention, our will- power and energy.
If we allow our attention and energy to be taken up in efforts to keep others
right and remedy their faults, we are wasting precious time. We are like
ploughmen each of whom has his team to manage and his plough to direct, and in
order to keep his furrow straight he must keep his eye on his goal and
concentrate on his own task. If he looks to this side and that to see how Tom
and Harry are getting on and to criticize their ploughing, then his own furrow
will assuredly become crooked. (From a letter written on behalf of the
Guardian to an individual believer, May 12, 1925; ‘Living the Life’; ’Lights of
Guidance’)
December 29
Through
their wholehearted embrace of the Bahá'í electoral process, the believers will
witness, day by day, a greater contrast between the emerging institutions of
the Bahá'í Administrative Order and the decaying social order around them. In
this increasing distinction will be seen the promise of the glory of the World
Order of Bahá'u'lláh--the System destined to fulfil the highest expectations of
humanity. (The Universal House of Justice, Message to the Baha’is of the
World, 25 March 2007)
December 28
Her [Táhirih’s]career was as dazzling as it was brief, as
tragic as it was eventful. Unlike her fellow-disciples, whose exploits
remained, for the most part unknown, and unsung by their contemporaries in
foreign lands, the fame of this immortal woman was noised abroad, and traveling
with remarkable swiftness as far as the capitals of Western Europe, aroused the
enthusiastic admiration and evoked the ardent praise of men and women of divers
nationalities, callings and cultures. Little wonder that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá should
have joined her name to those of Sarah, of Ásíyih, of the Virgin Mary and of
Fátimih, who, in the course of successive Dispensations, have towered, by
reason of their intrinsic merits and unique position, above the rank and file
of their sex. “In eloquence,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself has written, “she was the
calamity of the age, and in ratiocination the trouble of the world.” He,
moreover, has described her as “a brand afire with the love of God” and “a lamp
aglow with the bounty of God.” (Shoghi Effendi, ‘God Passes By’)
December 27
You ask for elucidation of the statement made on behalf of
the Guardian in this letter of 11 February 1944, "When 'Abdu'l-Bahá states
we believe what is in the Bible, He means in substance. Not that we believe
every word of it to be taken literally or that every word is the authentic
saying of the Prophet." Is it not clear that what Shoghi Effendi means
here is that we cannot categorically state, as we do in the case of the
Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, that the words and phrases attributed to Moses and
Christ in the Old and New Testaments are Their exact words, but that, in view
of the general principle enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh in the
"Kitab-i-Iqan" that God's Revelation is under His care and
protection, we can be confident that the essence, or essential elements, of
what these two Manifestations of God intended to convey has been recorded and
preserved in these two Books? (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal
House of Justice dated 19 July 1981 to an individual believer; Compilation “The Bible: Extracts on the Old and New
Testaments”, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House
of Justice)
December 26
You have pointed out that on consultative bodies it may
sometimes happen that in a given case the view of one of the members is better
and has greater merit than that of the others, but these members are not
prepared to accept such a view. The Guardian stated that it is necessary and
imperative to consult frankly and with pure motives before arriving at a
decision. Once the decision is taken, it is incumbent upon all to follow the
majority view, and to enforce and put it into effect, even if the decision is a
wrong one. (From a letter written on
behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 1 February 1946 to an individual believer —
translated from the Persian; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I,
Consultation)
December 25
The
friends must be patient with each other and must realize that the Cause is
still in its infancy and its institutions are not yet functioning perfectly.
The greater the patience, the loving understanding and the forbearance the
believers show towards each other and their shortcomings, the greater will be
the progress of the whole Bahá'í community at large. (From a letter dated 27
February 1943 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The
Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Living the Life)
December 24
"Peter," 'Abdu'l-Bahá has testified,
"according to the history of the Church, was also incapable of keeping
count of the days of the week. Whenever he decided to go fishing, he would tie
up his weekly food into seven parcels, and every day he would eat one of them,
and when he had reached the seventh, he would know that the Sabbath had
arrived, and thereupon would observe it." If the Son of Man was capable of
infusing into apparently so crude and helpless an instrument such potency as to
cause, in the words of Bahá'u'lláh, "the mysteries of wisdom and of
utterance to flow out of his mouth," and to exalt him above the rest of
His disciples, and render him fit to become His successor and the founder of
His Church, how much more can the Father, Who is Bahá'u'lláh, empower the most
puny and insignificant among His followers to achieve, for the execution of His
purpose, such wonders as would dwarf the mightiest achievements of even the
first apostle of Jesus Christ! (Shoghi Effendi, ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’;
The Power of Divine Assistance)
December 23
Regarding the questions you asked him: there is no objection
to children who are as yet unable to memorize a whole prayer learning certain
sentences only.
He does not feel that the friends should make a practice of
saying grace or of teaching it to children. This is not part of the Bahá'í
Faith, but a Christian practice, and as the Cause embraces members of all races
and religions we should be careful not to introduce into it the customs of our
previous beliefs. Bahá'u'lláh has given us the obligatory prayers, also prayers
before sleeping, for travellers, etc. We should not introduce a new set of
prayers He has not specified, when He has given us already so many, for so many
occasions. (From a letter dated 27 September 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi
Effendi to an individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I,
Baha’i Education)
December 22
Mounted on His steed, a red roan stallion of the finest
breed, the best His lovers could purchase for Him, and leaving behind Him a
bowing multitude of fervent admirers, He rode forth on the first stage of a
journey that was to carry Him to the city of Constantinople. “Numerous were the
heads,” Nabíl himself a witness of that memorable scene, recounts, “which, on
every side, bowed to the dust at the feet of His horse, and kissed its hoofs,
and countless were those who pressed forward to embrace His stirrups.” “How
great the number of those embodiments of fidelity,” testifies a
fellow-traveler, “who, casting themselves before that charger, preferred death
to separation from their Beloved! Methinks, that blessed steed trod upon the
bodies of those pure-hearted souls.” “He (God) it was,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself
declares, “Who enabled Me to depart out of the city (Baghdád), clothed
with such majesty as none, except the denier and the malicious, can fail to
acknowledge.” (Shoghi Effendi, ‘God Passes By’)
December 21
In the case of a believer who continues to take alcoholic
drinks the Assembly should decide whether the offence is flagrant, and, if it
is, should try to help him to understand the importance of obeying the Bahá'í
law. If he does not respond he must be repeatedly warned and, if this is
unsuccessful, he is subject to loss of his voting rights. In the case of an
alcoholic who is trying to overcome his weakness the Assembly must show especial
patience, and may have to suggest professional counselling and assistance. If
the offence is not flagrant, the Assembly need take no action at all. (The
Universal House of Justice, from a letter dated 26 September 1978 to a National
Spiritual Assembly; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Prohibition on
Drinking Alcohol)
December 20
The
House of Justice is aware of the electronic postings on the Internet by
Covenant-breakers. While it is closely following this issue, it sees no cause
for undue concern. "The Bahá'í World", a Web site developed by the
Bahá'í International Community's Office of Public Information, was launched in
July 1996. It, together with a range of specialized Bahá'í Internet
presentations such as the new "One Country" site, now provides
individuals interested in learning about the Bahá'í Faith with a large and
ever-expanding body of authentic material on the Faith, attractively presented
and illustrated. Sites maintained by Covenant-breaker groups will have a
diminishing impact in the context of the information deluge on the Internet and
against the background of the authorized Bahá'í source now accessible.
The greatest protection to the Cause will, of course, be through ongoing
deepening of the Bahá'í community in the Covenant and the history and teachings
of the Faith. To facilitate this, you may wish to bring attention to the
availability of the Sacred Text on the Web site "The Bahá'í World"
and on the Bahá'í World Centre FTP server. (From a letter dated 4 June 1997
written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual
Assembly; compilation ‘Electronic
Communication with Covenant-breakers’, prepared by the Research Department of
the Universal House of Justice)
December 19
Let not, however, the invincible army of Bahá'u'lláh, who in
the West, and at one of its potential storm-centres is to fight, in His name
and for His sake, one of its fiercest and most glorious battles, be afraid of
any criticism that might be directed against it. Let it not be deterred by any
condemnation with which the tongue of the slanderer may seek to debase its
motives. Let it not recoil before the threatening advance of the forces of
fanaticism, of orthodoxy, of corruption, and of prejudice that may be leagued
against it. The voice of criticism is a voice that indirectly reinforces the
proclamation of its Cause. Unpopularity but serves to throw into greater relief
the contrast between it and its adversaries, while ostracism is itself the
magnetic power that must eventually win over to its camp the most vociferous
and inveterate amongst its foes.... (Shoghi Effendi, From a letter dated 25
December 1938 to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, published in
"The Advent of Divine Justice"; The Compilation of Compilations, vol.
II, Opposition)
December 18
Marriage is, in the "Aqdas", set forth as a most
sacred and binding tie, and the Bahá'ís should realize that divorce is viewed
as a last resort, to be avoided at all costs if possible and not to be lightly
granted. (In a letter written on
behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 17 October 1944 to an individual believer; The
Compilation of Compilations vol. I, Divorce)
December 17
Although the secretaries of the Guardian convey his thoughts
and instructions and these messages are authoritative, their words are in no
sense the same as his, their style certainly not the same, and their authority
less, for they use their own terms and not his exact words in conveying his
messages. (From a letter dated 25 February 1951 written on behalf of Shoghi
Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Unfolding Destiny’)
December 16
To the races and tribes inhabiting these territories
throughout the vast African Continent ‘Abdu’l-Bahá when His life was in
imminent danger, specifically referred in a Tablet, addressed by Him to the
cousin of the Báb and chief builder of the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
of the Bahá’í world, in which He predicts, in moving terms, the awakening of
the peoples of that dark continent and the ultimate triumph of His Father’s
Faith among its backward peoples as well as among the great masses inhabiting
China and India. (Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated 15 June 1950 to an
individual believer; ‘Unfolding Destiny’)
December 15
There is nothing in our teachings about Freud and his
method. Psychiatric treatment in general is no doubt an important contribution
to medicine, but we must believe it is still a growing rather than a perfected
science. As Bahá’u’lláh has urged us to avail ourselves of the help of good
physicians Bahá’ís are certainly not only free to turn to psychiatry for
assistance but should, when available, do so. This does not mean psychiatrists
are always wise or always right, it means we are free to avail ourselves of the
best medicine has to offer us. (From a letter dated 15 June 1950 written on
behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Unfolding Destiny’)
December 14
The responsibilities of the members of the Spiritual Assemblies
that are engaged in teaching the Cause of God in Eastern lands have been clearly
laid down in the holy Texts…
They further impress upon them the virtue of trustworthiness
and godliness, of purity of motive, kindliness of heart, and detachment from
the fetters of this material world … They urge them to make detailed inquiry
into the various branches of contemporary learning – arts and sciences alike –
and to concentrate their attention on serving the general interests of the
people; to deepen themselves by attentive study of the sacred Texts, and to
apply the divine guidance they contain to the circumstances, needs and
conditions of society today; to refrain from entering into the tangled affairs
of political parties and to have neither concern for, nor involvement in, the
controversies of politicians, the wranglings of theologians or any of the
ailing social theories current amongst men.
They finally exhort them to be sincerely obedient, in both
thought and word, to the laws duly enacted by the government of the realm, and
to distance themselves from the methods, concepts and ill-grounded arguments of
extreme traditionalists and modernists alike; to accord honour, veneration and
respect to – and endorse the efforts of – exponents of the arts and sciences,
and to esteem and revere those who are possessed of extensive knowledge and
scholarly erudition; to uphold the right of freedom of conscience; and to
abstain from criticizing and disparaging the manners, customs and beliefs of
other individuals, peoples and nations. (From a letter dated 30 January 1926 written by Shoghi
Effendi to the Spiritual Assemblies in Iran, translated from the Persian) The
Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Scholarship)
December 13
The
process of disintegration must inexorably continue, and its corrosive influence
must penetrate deeper and deeper into the very core of a crumbling age. Much
suffering will still be required ere the contending nations, creeds, classes
and races of mankind are fused in the crucible of universal affliction, and are
forged by the fires of a fierce ordeal into one organic commonwealth, one vast,
unified, and harmoniously functioning system, Adversities unimaginably
appalling, undreamed of crises and upheavals, war, famine, and pestilence,
might well combine to engrave in the soul of an unheeding generation those
truths and principles which it has disdained to recognize and follow. A
paralysis more painful than any it has yet experienced must creep over and
further afflict the fabric of a broken society ere it can be rebuilt and
regenerated. (Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated 11 March 1936 to the Bahá'ís
of the West, published in ‘The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters’)
December 12
Humanity is submerged in materialism; occupied in everything
save the mention of God; speaking of everything save the heavenly kingdom ;
hearing everything save the call of God. As far as knowledge of things divine
is concerned, it is as though some of the people were interred in the earth,
going more and more into the blind darkness, completely buried from the
knowledge of things above.
I hope the few gathered here will make a great effort,
working day and night, that some result may be accomplished. Perhaps Europe may
become weary of the dull materiality of the world and seek refreshment in a
share of the heavenly glory. Europe has made extra-ordinary material progress,
but if the qualities partake of the dust, what lasting result can accrue? The
ideal to strive for is that which is in the supreme horizon – that is eternal!
The underground is for worms and moles. That which is a cause for joy is a nest
on the highest branch. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, “‘Abdu'l-Bahá on Divine Philosophy”;
compilation ‘Europe’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal
House of Justice, published in Baha'i
Studies Review, 1.1, Association for Baha'i Studies of English-Speaking
Europe, 1991)
December 11
While
there should be no mention of personalities in connection with Bahá'í
elections, it is quite appropriate for believers to discuss the requirements
and qualifications for membership in the institution to be elected. Shoghi
Effendi offers clear guidance on this point: "I feel that reference to
personalities before the election would give rise to misunderstanding and differences.
What the friends should do is to get thoroughly acquainted with one another, to
exchange views, to mix freely and discuss among themselves the requirements and
qualifications for such a membership without reference or application, however
indirect, to particular individuals." Among the "necessary
qualities" specified by the Guardian are those "of unquestioned
loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability
and mature experience". With a heightened awareness of the functions to be
performed by the elected body, the believer can properly assess those for whom
a vote should be cast. From among the pool of those whom the elector believes
to be qualified to serve, selection should be made with due consideration given
to such other factors as age distribution, diversity, and gender. The elector
should make his choice after careful thought over an extended period before the
actual election. (The Universal House of Justice, Message to the Baha’is
of the World, 25 March 2007)
December 10
You should rest assured that your strict adherence to the
laws and observances enjoined by Bahá'u'lláh is the one power that can
effectively guide and enable you to overcome the tests and trials of your life,
and help you to continually grow and develop spiritually.
The Guardian particularly appreciates the fact that you have
been faithfully observing Bahá'u'lláh's injunction regarding the recital of the
daily obligatory prayers, and have thereby set such a high example before your
Bahá'í fellow-youth. These daily prayers have been endowed with a special
potency which only those who regularly recite them can adequately appreciate.
The friends should therefore endeavour to make daily use of these prayers,
whatever the peculiar circumstances and conditions of their life. (From a letter
dated 23 February 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to two believers;
The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II, The Importance of Prayer, Meditation
and the Devotional Attitude)
December 9
A superficial culture, unsupported by a cultivated morality,
is as "a confused medley of dreams," and external lustre without
inner perfection is "like a vapour in the desert which the thirsty dreameth to be water." For results which would
win the good pleasure of God and secure the peace and well-being of man, could
never be fully achieved in a merely external civilization. ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Secret of Divine Civilization’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Social and Economic
Development)
December 8
…it is an especial blessing that from among the descendants
of Abraham should have come all the Prophets of the children of Israel. This is
a blessing that God has granted to this descent: to Moses from His father and
mother, to Christ from His mother's line; also to Muhammad and the Báb, and to
all the Prophets and the Holy Manifestations of Israel. The Blessed Beauty is
also a lineal descendant of Abraham, for Abraham had other sons besides Ishmael
and Isaac who in those days migrated to the lands of Persia and Afghanistan,
and the Blessed Beauty is one of their descendants. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, table talks
in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I,
Family Life)
December 7
While it is quite true that individual artists such as Mark
Tobey and others have undoubtedly been inspired and influenced by their love
for the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, it is far too early in the Bahá'í
Dispensation to talk about the influence of the Faith on the arts in general.
Indeed the beloved Guardian himself has pointed out that there is, as yet, no
such thing as Bahá'í art although there is no doubt from statements in the
writings that a wonderful efflorescence of new and beautiful arts may be
anticipated in the future. (17 January 1973, by the Universal House of Justice
to a National Spiritual Assembly; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III,
The Importance of Arts in Promoting the Faith)
December 6
The questions you ask in your letter about individual
guidance have two aspects, one might say. It is good that people should turn to
God and beseech His aid in solving their problems and guiding their acts,
indeed every day of their lives, if they feel the desire to do so. But they
cannot possibly impose what they feel to be their guidance on anyone else, let
alone on Assemblies or Committees, as Bahá'u'lláh has expressly laid down the
law of consultation and never indicated that anything else superseded it. (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi
Effendi, 25 January 1943 to an individual believer; The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. I, Consultation)
December 5
The primary
reason for anyone becoming a Baha'i must of course be because he has come to
believe the doctrines, the teachings and the Order of Baha'u'llah are the
correct thing for this stage in the world's evolution. The Baha'is themselves
as a body have one great advantage; they are sincerely convinced Baha'u'llah is
right; they have a plan, and they are trying to follow it. But to pretend they
are perfect, that the Baha'is of the future will not be a hundred times more
mature, better balanced, more exemplary in their conduct, would be foolish. (From a letter dated July 5, 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to
an individual believer; compilation:
Lights of Guidance)
December 4
Life is not easy for the young people of this generation.
They enter life with a heart full of hope, but find before themselves nothing
but failures, and see in the future nothing but darkness. What they need is the
light manifested by Bahá'u'lláh, for that brightens their soul and stimulates
their vigour in facing difficulties. (From a letter dated 12 March 1933 written
on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. II, Youth)
December 3
The severe laws and injunctions revealed by the Báb can be
properly appreciated and understood only when interpreted in the light of His
own statements regarding the nature, purpose and character of His own
Dispensation. As these statements clearly reveal, the Bábí Dispensation was
essentially in the nature of a religious and indeed social revolution, and its
duration had therefore to be short, but full of tragic events, of sweeping and
drastic reforms. Those drastic measures enforced by the Báb and His followers
were taken with the view of undermining the very foundations of Shí’ih
orthodoxy, and thus paving the way for the coming of Bahá’u’lláh. To assert the
independence of the new Dispensation, and to prepare also the ground for the
approaching Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb had therefore to reveal very
severe laws, even though most of them were never enforced. But the mere fact
that He revealed them was in itself a proof of the independent character of His
Dispensation and was sufficient to create such widespread agitation, and excite
such opposition on the part of the clergy that led them to cause His eventual
martyrdom. (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi quoted in the
‘Notes’ section of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, prepared by the Research Department of
the Universal House of Justice)
December 2
In a Tablet commenting on the presently-binding Obligatory
Prayers, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá indicates that “in every word and movement of the
Obligatory Prayer there are allusions, mysteries and a wisdom that man is
unable to comprehend, and letters and scrolls cannot contain”.
Shoghi Effendi explains that the few simple directions given
by Bahá’u’lláh for the recital of certain prayers not only have a spiritual
significance but that they also help the individual “to fully concentrate when
praying and meditating”. (The ‘Notes’ section of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, prepared by
the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
December 1
He was very sorry to hear that you are contemplating
separation from your husband. As you no doubt know, Bahá'u'lláh considers the
marriage bond very sacred; and only under very exceptional and unbearable
circumstances is divorce advisable for Bahá'ís.
The Guardian does not tell you that you must not divorce
your husband; but he does urge you to consider prayerfully, not only because
you are a believer and anxious to obey the laws of God, but also for the sake
of the happiness of your children, whether it is not possible for you to rise
above the limitations you have felt in your marriage hitherto, and make a go of
it together. We often feel that our happiness lies in a certain direction; and
yet, if we have to pay too heavy a price for it in the end we may discover that
we have not really purchased either freedom or happiness, but just some new
situation of frustration and disillusion. (From a letter dated 5 April 1951
written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The Compilation
of Compilations, vol. I, Preserving Baha’i Marriages)
November 30
We stand too close to so colossal a Revelation to expect in
this, the first century of its era, to arrive at a just estimate of its
towering grandeur, its infinite possibilities, its transcendent beauty. Small
though our present numbers may be, however limited our capacities, or
circumscribed our influence, we, into whose hands so pure, so tender, so
precious a heritage has been entrusted, should at all times strive, with
unrelaxing vigilance, to abstain from any thoughts, words, or deeds, that might
tend to dim its brilliance, or injure its growth. How tremendous our
responsibility; how delicate and laborious our task! (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt
from a letter dated March 21, 1932, ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)
November 29
...He sincerely hopes that as the Cause grows and talented
persons come under its banner, they will begin to produce in art the divine
spirit that animates their soul. Every religion has brought with it some form
of art - let us see what wonders this Cause is going to bring along. Such a
glorious spirit should also give vent to a glorious art. The Temple with all
its beauty is only the first ray of an early dawn; even more wondrous things
are to be achieved in the future. (From a letter dated 11 December 1931 written
on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation ‘Arts and Architecture,’ prepared by the Research
Department of the Universal House of Justice)
November 28
All praise and thanksgiving be unto the Blessed Beauty, for calling into
action the armies of His Abha Kingdom, and sending forth to us His
never-interrupted aid, dependable as the rising stars.... (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Selections
from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II,
The Power of Divine Assistance)
November 27
As to opium, it is foul and accursed. God protect us from
the punishment He inflicteth on the user. According to the explicit Text of the
Most Holy Book, it is forbidden, and its use is utterly condemned. Reason
showeth that smoking opium is a kind of insanity, and experience attesteth that
the user is completely cut off from the human kingdom. May God protect all
against the perpetration of an act so hideous as this, an act which layeth in
ruins the very foundation of what it is to be human, and which causeth the user
to be dispossessed for ever and ever. For opium fasteneth on the soul, so that
the user's conscience dieth, his mind is blotted away, his perceptions are
eroded. It turneth the living into the dead. It quencheth the natural heat. No
greater harm can be conceived than that which opium inflicteth. Fortunate are
they who never even speak the name of it; then think how wretched is the user. (‘Abdu’l-Baha,
‘Selection from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá’; The Compilation of Compilations,
vol. I, A Chase and Holy Life)
November 26
To direct and canalize these forces let loose by this
Heaven-sent process, and to insure their harmonious and continuous operation
after His ascension, an instrument divinely ordained, invested with
indisputable authority, organically linked with the Author of the Revelation
Himself, was clearly indispensable. That instrument Bahá'u'lláh had expressly
provided through the institution of the Covenant, an institution which he had
firmly established prior to His ascension. This same Covenant He had anticipated
in His Kitáb-i-Aqdas, had alluded to it as He bade His last farewell to the
members of His family, who had been summoned to His bed-side, in the days
immediately preceding His ascension, and had incorporated it in a special
document which He designated as "the Book of My Covenant," and which
He entrusted, during His last illness, to His eldest son 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Written
entirely in His own hand ... this unique and epoch- making Document, designated
by Bahá'u'lláh as His "Most Great Tablet," and alluded to by Him as
the "Crimson Book" in His "Epistle to the Son of the Wolf,"
can find no parallel in the Scriptures of any previous Dispensation, not
excluding that of the Báb Himself. For nowhere in the books pertaining to any
of the world's religious systems, not even among the writings of the Author of
the Bábi Revelation, do we find any single document establishing a Covenant
endowed with an authority comparable to the Covenant which Bahá'u'lláh had
Himself instituted. (Shoghi Effendi, ‘God
Passes By’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, The Covenant)
November 25
It was in the course of these epoch-making journeys and
before large and representative audiences, at times exceeding a thousand
people, that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá expounded, with brilliant simplicity, with
persuasiveness and force, and for the first time in His ministry, those basic
and distinguishing principles of His Father’s Faith, which together with the
laws and ordinances revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas constitute the bed-rock of
God’s latest Revelation to mankind. The independent search after truth,
unfettered by superstition or tradition; the oneness of the entire human race,
the pivotal principle and fundamental doctrine of the Faith; the basic unity of
all religions; the condemnation of all forms of prejudice, whether religious,
racial, class or national; the harmony which must exist between religion and
science; the equality of men and women, the two wings on which the bird of
human kind is able to soar; the introduction of compulsory education; the
adoption of a universal auxiliary language; the abolition of the extremes of
wealth and poverty; the institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of
disputes between nations; the exaltation of work, performed in the spirit of
service, to the rank of worship; the glorification of
justice as the ruling principle in human society, and of religion as a bulwark
for the protection of all peoples and nations; and the establishment of a
permanent and universal peace as the supreme goal of all mankind—these stand
out as the essential elements of that Divine polity which He proclaimed to
leaders of public thought as well as to the masses at large in the course of
these missionary journeys. The exposition of these vitalizing truths of the
Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, which He characterized as the “spirit of the age,” He
supplemented with grave and reiterated warnings of an impending conflagration
which, if the statesmen of the world should fail to avert, would set ablaze the
entire continent of Europe. (Shoghi Effendi, ‘God Passes By’)
November 24
Regarding your questions concerning the condition of the
soul during illness. The passages in the "Gleanings" make it quite
clear that physical ailments, no matter how severe, cannot bring any change in
the inherent condition of the soul, As Baha'u'llah says: 'The spirit is
permanent and steadfast in its station'. The veil or hindrance that interposes
between soul and body during physical disease is sickness itself. Sickness
reveals a lack of balance in human organism, an absence of equilibrium in the
forces essential for the normal functioning of the human body." (From a letter written on
behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 8, 1936;
compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)
November 23
…the Baha'i Faith upholds the freedom of conscience which
permits a person to follow his chosen religion: no one may be compelled to
become a Baha'i, or to remain a Baha'i if he conscientiously wishes to leave
the Faith. As to the thoughts of the Baha'is themselves -- that is those who
have chosen to follow the religion of Baha'u'llah -- the institutions do not
busy themselves with what individual believers think unless those thoughts
become expressed in actions which are inimical to the basic principles and
vital interests of the Faith. (From a letter dated 8 February 1998 written on
behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)
November 22
In your last question, concerning cases when those needed
for consultation are not available and a person is uncertain on the course to be
followed in an important matter, you ask whether it is permissible for him to
resort to the practice of "istikhárih" [1]
using the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. The Guardian has stated that in such cases what is
necessary and essential is for the person to turn his heart wholly to God and
to beseech aid from the Source of Grace and inspiration and nothing else. If it
is possible to postpone the decision it would be preferable and more proper to
do so, until the means for consultation are made available. (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi
Effendi, 23 April 1941 to an individual believer — translated from the Persian;
The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Consultation)
[1] This is a process of divination, such as is done through
bibliomancy, when a Holy Book is opened at random and guidance is sought for
one's problem by reading passages of the Book on the opened page.
November 21
Education of the individual Baha'i in the Divine law is one
of the duties of Spiritual Assemblies. In a letter to a National Assembly on 1 March
1951, Shoghi Effendi wrote:
The deepening and enrichment of the spiritual life of the
individual believer, his increasing comprehension of the essential verities
underlying this Faith, his training in its administrative processes, his
understanding of the fundamentals of the Covenants established by its Author
and the authorized Interpreter of its teachings, should be made the supreme
objectives of the national representatives responsible for the edification, the
progress and consolidation of these communities.
Such is the duty resting on the elected institutions of the
Faith for the promotion of the spiritual, moral and ethical lives of the
individual believers. (From a letter dated 8 February 1998 written on behalf of
the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)
November 20
Regarding the questions you asked: self has really two
meanings, or is used in two senses, in the Baha'i writings; one is self, the
identity of the individual created by God. This is the self mentioned in such
passages as 'he hath known God who hath known himself etc.' The other self is
the ego, the dark, animalistic heritage each one of us has, the lower nature
that can develop into a monster of selfishness, brutality, lust and so on. It
is this self we must struggle against, or this side of our natures, in order to
strengthen and free the spirit within us and help it to attain perfection.
Self-sacrifice means to subordinate this lower nature and
its desires to the more godly and noble side of
ourselves. Ultimately, in its
highest sense, self sacrifice means to give our will and our all to God to do
with as He pleases. Then He purifies and glorifies our true
self until it becomes a shining
and wonderful reality. (From a letter
written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, December 10, 1947;
compilation: Lights of Guidance)
November 19
Shoghi Effendi, in various statements, celebrated the
remarkable achievements and potential glories of that specially blessed
community, but was moved to issue, in "The Advent of Divine Justice",
a profound warning which is essential to a proper understanding of the relation
of that Baha'i community to the nation from which it has sprung. "The
glowing tributes", he solemnly wrote, "so repeatedly and deservedly
paid to the capacity, the spirit, the conduct, and the high rank, of the
American believers, both individually and as an organic community, must, under
no circumstances, be confounded with the characteristics and nature of the
people from which God has raised them up. A sharp distinction between that
community and that people must be made, and resolutely and fearlessly upheld,
if we wish to give due recognition to the transmuting power of the Faith of
Baha'u'llah, in its impact on the lives and standards of those who have chosen
to enlist under His banner. Otherwise, the supreme and distinguishing function
of His Revelation, which is none other than the calling into being of a new
race of men, will remain wholly unrecognized and completely obscured." It
is the far-reaching, transformative implications of this distinction which we
especially invite you to contemplate. (The Universal House of
Justice, letter dated 29 December 1988, addressed to the ‘Followers of
Baha'u'llah in the United States of America’)
November 18
The Faith is as yet in its infancy. Despite its emergence
from obscurity, even now the vast majority of the human race remains ignorant
of its existence; moreover, the vast majority of its adherents are relatively
new Baha'is. The change implied by this new stage in its evolution is that
whereas heretofore this tender plant was protected in its obscurity from the
attention of external elements, it has now become exposed. This exposure
invites close observation, and that observation will eventually lead to opposition
in various quarters. So far from adopting a carefree attitude, the community
must be conscious of the necessity to present a correct view of itself and an
accurate understanding of its purpose to a largely skeptical public. A greater
effort, a greater care must now be exercised to ensure its protection against
the malice of the ignorant and the unwisdom of its friends. (The Universal
House of Justice, letter dated 29 December 1988, addressed to the ‘Followers of
Baha'u'llah in the United States of America’)
November 17
Concerning the different translations of the words. It is
surely the original text that should never be changed. The translations will
continue to vary as more & better
translations are made. Shoghi Effendi does not consider even his own translations
as final, how much more translations made in the early days of the Cause in the
West when no competent translators existed. (From a letter dated 14 August 1930
written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Shoghi Effendi,
Messages to the Antipodes’)
November 16
As you are aware, it is not the practice of Baha'i
institutions or individuals to take positions on the political decisions of
governments. One of the greatest obstacles to progress is the tendency of
Baha'is to be drawn into the general attitudes and disputes that surround them.
The central importance of the principle of avoidance of politics and
controversial matters is that Baha'is should not allow themselves to be
involved in the disputes of the many conflicting elements of the society around
them.
The aim of the Baha'is is to reconcile viewpoints, to heal
divisions, and to bring about tolerance and mutual respect among men, and this
aim is undermined if we allow ourselves to be swept along by the ephemeral
passions of others. This does not mean that Baha'is cannot collaborate with any
non-Baha’i movement; it does mean that good
judgment is required to distinguish those activities and associations which are
beneficial and constructive from those which are divisive. (From a letter dated
12 January 2003 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual believer)
November 15
The more we search for ourselves, the less likely we are to
find ourselves; and the more we search for God, and to serve our fellow-men,
the more profoundly will we become acquainted with ourselves, and the more
inwardly assured. This is one of the great spiritual laws of life. (From a letter
written
on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 18,
1954; Lights of Guidance)
November 14
…contributions to the local and national Funds are of a
purely voluntary character; that no coercion or solicitation of funds is to be
tolerated in the Cause; that general appeals addressed to the communities as a
body should be the only form in which the financial requirements of the Faith
are to be met…(Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated February 27, 1929,
‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)
November 13
…the projects of social and economic development now to be
undertaken are a natural stage of the growth of the Bahá'í community and are
needed by the community itself, although they will, of course, benefit a much
wider segment of society. The Bahá'í world is in no position, financially or
from the point of view of manpower, to launch undertakings for the economic and
social development of populations in areas where there are but few believers.
The greatest need of all peoples is for the Faith itself, so that they may know
the destiny towards which they as individuals and as members of society must
strive, and will learn from the teachings those virtues and methods which will
enable them to work together in harmony, forbearance and trustworthiness. (From a letter dated 8
May 1984, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National
Spiritual Assembly; compilation ‘Agriculture and Rural Life’, prepared by the
Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
November 12
In the name He bore He combined those of the Imám Husayn,
the most illustrious of the successors of the Apostle of God—the brightest
“star” shining in the “crown” mentioned in the Revelation of St. John—and of
the Imám ‘Alí, the Commander of the Faithful, the second of the two “witnesses”
extolled in that same Book. He was formally designated Bahá’u’lláh, an
appellation specifically recorded in the Persian Bayán, signifying at once the
glory, the light and the splendor of God, and was styled the “Lord of Lords,”
the “Most Great Name,” the “Ancient Beauty,” the “Pen of the Most High,” the
“Hidden Name,” the “Preserved Treasure,” “He Whom God will make manifest,” the
“Most Great Light,” the “All-Highest Horizon,” the “Most Great Ocean,” the
“Supreme Heaven,” the “Pre-Existent Root,” the “Self-Subsistent,” the “Day-Star
of the Universe,” the “Great Announcement,” the “Speaker on Sinai,” the “Sifter
of Men,” the “Wronged One of the World,” the “Desire of the Nations,” the “Lord
of the Covenant,” the “Tree beyond which there is no passing.” He derived His
descent, on the one hand, from Abraham (the Father of the Faithful) through his
wife Katurah, and on the other from Zoroaster, as well as from Yazdigird, the
last king of the Sásáníyán dynasty. He was moreover a descendant of Jesse, and
belonged, through His father, Mírzá Abbás, better known as Mírzá Buzurg—a
nobleman closely associated with the ministerial circles of the Court of Fath-‘Alí
Sháh—to one of the most ancient and renowned families of Mázindarán.
(Shoghi Effendi, ‘God Passes By’)
November 11
It should be noted, in this connection, that in the third
Vahíd of this Book [the Bayán (Exposition)] there occurs a passage which, alike
in its explicit reference to the name of the Promised One, and in its
anticipation of the Order which, in a later age, was to be identified with His
Revelation, deserves to rank as one of the most significant statements recorded
in any of the Báb’s writings. “Well is it with him,” is His prophetic
announcement, “who fixeth his gaze upon the Order of Bahá’u’lláh, and rendereth
thanks unto his Lord. For He will assuredly be made manifest. God hath indeed
irrevocably ordained it in the Bayán.” It is with that self-same Order that the
Founder of the promised Revelation, twenty years
later—incorporating that same term in His Kitáb-i-Aqdas—identified the System
envisaged in that Book, affirming that “this most great Order” had deranged the
world’s equilibrium, and revolutionized mankind’s ordered life. It is the
features of that self-same Order which, at a later stage in the evolution of
the Faith, the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant and the appointed Interpreter
of His teachings, delineated through the provisions of His Will and Testament.
It is the structural basis of that self-same Order which, in the Formative Age of
that same Faith, the stewards of that same Covenant, the elected
representatives of the world-wide Bahá’í community, are now laboriously and
unitedly establishing. It is the superstructure of that self-same Order,
attaining its full stature through the emergence of the Bahá’í World
Commonwealth—the Kingdom of God on earth—which the Golden Age of that same
Dispensation must, in the fullness of time, ultimately witness. (Shoghi
Effendi, ‘God Passes By’)
November 10
… the administration of the Cause is to be conceived as an
instrument and not a substitute for the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, that it should be
regarded as a channel through which His promised blessings may flow, that it
should guard against such rigidity as would clog and fetter the liberating
forces released by His Revelation. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated
February 27, 1929, ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)
November 9
At Ridván 2002, we addressed an open letter to the world’s
religious leaders. Our action arose out of awareness that the disease of
sectarian hatreds, if not decisively checked, threatens harrowing consequences
that will leave few areas of the world unaffected. The letter acknowledged with
appreciation the achievements of the interfaith movement, to which Bahá’ís have
sought to contribute since an early point in the movement’s emergence.
Nevertheless, we felt we must be forthright in saying that, if the religious
crisis is to be addressed as seriously as is occurring with respect to other
prejudices afflicting humankind, organized religion must find within itself a
comparable courage to rise above fixed conceptions inherited from a distant
past.
Above
all, we expressed our conviction that the time has come when religious
leadership must face honestly and without further evasion the implications of
the truth that God is one and that, beyond all diversity of cultural expression
and human interpretation, religion is likewise one. It was intimations of this
truth that originally inspired the interfaith movement and that have sustained
it through the vicissitudes of the past one hundred years. Far from challenging
the validity of any of the great revealed faiths, the principle has the capacity
to ensure their continuing relevance. In order to exert its influence, however,
recognition of this reality must operate at the heart of religious discourse,
and it was with this in mind that we felt that our letter should be explicit in
articulating it. (The Universal House of Justice, Naw-Ruz 2005, preface to ‘One
Common Faith’, a document prepared under the supervision of the Universal House
of Justice)
November 8
The ages of its infancy and childhood are past, never again
to return, while the Great Age, the consummation of all ages, which must
signalize the coming of age of the entire human race, is yet to come. The
convulsions of this transitional and most turbulent period in the annals of
humanity are the essential prerequisites, and herald the inevitable approach,
of that Age of Ages, “the time of the end,” in which the folly and tumult of
strife that has, since the dawn of history, blackened the annals of mankind,
will have been finally transmuted into the wisdom and the tranquility of an
undisturbed, a universal, and lasting peace, in which the discord and
separation of the children of men will have given way to the worldwide
reconciliation, and the complete unification of the divers elements that
constitute human society. (Shoghi Effendi, ‘The Promised Day Is Come’)
November 7
… not only the right but also the
responsibility of each believer to explore truth for himself or herself are
fundamental to the Bahá'í teachings. This principle is an integral feature of
the coming of age of humankind, inseparable from the social transformation to
which Bahá'u'lláh is calling the peoples of the world. It is as relevant to
specifically scholarly activity as it is to the rest of spiritual and
intellectual life. Every human being is ultimately responsible to God for the
use which he or she makes of these possibilities; conscience is never to be
coerced, whether by other individuals or institutions. (From a letter
dated 8 February 1998 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to n
individual believer)
November 6
…any project started by the Cause should be designed to grow
soundly and steadily, and not to collapse from attrition. In other words,
external assistance and funds, Bahá'í and non-Bahá'í, may be used for capital
acquisitions, to make surveys, to initiate activities, to bring in expertise,
but the aim should be for each project to be able to continue and to develop on
the strength of local Bahá'í labour, funds and enthusiasm even if all external
aid should be cut off. (8 May 1984, written on behalf of the Universal House of
Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation ‘Agriculture and Rural
Life’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice )
November 5
If in this day a soul shall act according to the precepts
and the counsels of God, he will serve as a divine physician to mankind, and
like the trump of Israfil,[1] he will call the dead of this contingent world to
life; for the confirmations of the Abha Realm are never interrupted, and such a
virtuous soul hath, to befriend him, the unfailing help of the Company on high.
Thus shall a sorry gnat become an eagle in the fullness of his strength, and a
feeble sparrow change to a royal falcon in the heights of ancient glory. (‘Abdu’l-Baha,
‘Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá’; The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. II, The Power of Divine Assistance)
[1 Believed to be the angel appointed to sound the trumpet
on the Day of Resurrection to raise the dead at the bidding of the Lord.]
November 4
The last twenty-three years of that same century [the first
century of the Faith] coincided with the first epoch of the second, the Iron
and Formative, Age of the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh—the first of a series of
epochs which must precede the inception of the last and Golden Age of that
Dispensation—a Dispensation which, as the Author of the Faith has Himself
categorically asserted, must extend over a period of no less than one thousand
years, and which will constitute the first stage in a series of Dispensations,
to be established by future Manifestations, all deriving their inspiration from
the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation, and destined to last, in their aggregate,
no less than five thousand centuries. (Shoghi Effendi, letter dated June 5,
1947; ‘Citadel of Faith’)
November 3
The Bahá’í Faith upholds the unity of God, recognizes the
unity of His Prophets, and inculcates the principle of the oneness and
wholeness of the entire human race. It proclaims the necessity and the
inevitability of the unification of mankind, asserts that it is gradually
approaching, and claims that nothing short of the transmuting spirit of God,
working through His chosen Mouthpiece in this day, can ultimately succeed in bringing it about. It, moreover, enjoins upon its followers
the primary duty of an unfettered search after truth, condemns all manner of prejudice
and superstition, declares the purpose of religion to be the promotion of amity
and concord, proclaims its essential harmony with science, and recognizes it as
the foremost agency for the pacification and the orderly progress of human
society.... (Shoghi Effendi, preface to ‘The Promised Day Is Come’)
November 2
Quddús, immortalized by Him as Ismu’lláhi’l-Ákhir
(the Last Name of God); on whom Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet of Kullu’t-Tá’am later
conferred the sublime appellation of Nuqtiy-i-Ukhrá (the Last Point);
whom He elevated, in another Tablet, to a rank second to none except that of
the Herald of His Revelation; whom He identifies, in still another Tablet, with
one of the “Messengers charged with imposture” mentioned in the Qur’án; whom
the Persian Bayán extolled as that fellow-pilgrim round whom mirrors to the
number of eight Vahíds revolve; on whose “detachment and the sincerity of whose
devotion to God’s will God prideth Himself amidst the Concourse on high;” whom
‘Abdu’l-Bahá designated as the “Moon of Guidance;” and whose appearance the
Revelation of St. John the Divine anticipated as one of the two “Witnesses”
into whom, ere the “second woe is past,” the “spirit of life from God” must
enter—such a man had, in the full bloom of his youth, suffered, in the
Sabzih-Maydán of Barfurúsh, a death which even Jesus Christ, as attested
by Bahá’u’lláh, had not faced in the hour of His greatest
agony. (Shoghi Effendi, ‘God Passes By’)
November 1
One might liken Bahá'u'lláh's teachings to a sphere; there
are points poles apart, and in between the thoughts and doctrines that unite
them. (From a letter dated 5 July 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; The
Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Issues Concerning Community Functioning)
October 31
Chastity implies both before and after marriage an
unsullied, chaste sex life. Before marriage absolutely chaste, after marriage
absolutely faithful to one's chosen companion. Faithful in all sexual acts,
faithful in word and in deed.
The world today is submerged, amongst other things, in an
over-exaggeration of the importance of physical love, and a dearth of spiritual
values. In as far as possible the believers should try to realize this and rise
above the level of their fellow-men who are, typical of all decadent periods in
history, placing so much over-emphasis on the purely physical side of mating.
Outside of their normal, legitimate married life they should seek to establish
bonds of comradeship and love which are eternal and founded on the spiritual
life of man, not on his physical life. This is one of the many fields in which
it is incumbent on the Bahá'ís to set the example and lead the way to a true
human standard of life, when the soul of man is exalted and his body but the
tool for his enlightened spirit. Needless to say this does not preclude the
living of a perfectly normal sex life in its legitimate channel of marriage. (From
a letter dated 28 September 1941 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual
believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, A Chase and Holy Life)
October 30
Nothing has been found in the Bahá'í Writings requiring the
friends to stand and face the Qiblih whenever the Tablets of Visitation are
recited. No issue should be made of this matter when a Holy Day observance is
being held. However, when one is actually in, or within the precincts of one of
the Holy Shrines, it is an act of simple reverence to stand and face that
Shrine when the Tablet of Visitation is recited. (From a letter dated 19 August
1992 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual
believer)
October 29
The infallibility of the Guardian is confined to matters
which are related strictly to the Cause and interpretation of the teachings; he
is not an infallible authority on other subjects, such as economics, science,
etc. When he feels that a certain thing is essential for the protection of the
Cause, even if it is something that affects a person personally, he must be
obeyed, but when he gives advice, such as that he gave you in a previous letter
about your future, it is not binding; you are free to follow it or not as you
please. (17 October 1944 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual,
included in a memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of
Justice, dated 13 October 1994)
October 28
While praying it would be better to turn one's thoughts to
the Manifestation as He continues, in the other world, to be our means of
contact with the Almighty. We can, however, pray directly to God Himself. (From
a letter dated 27 April 1937 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the
National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma; The Compilation of
Compilations, Vol. II, The Importance of Prayer, Meditation and the Devotional
Attitude)
October 27
Consolidation is as vital a part of the teaching work as
expansion. It is that aspect of teaching which assists the believers to deepen
their knowledge and understanding of the Teachings, and fans the flame of their
devotion to Baha'u'llah and His Cause, so that they will, of their own
volition, continue the process of their spiritual development, promote the
teaching work, and strengthen the functioning of their administrative
institutions. Proper consolidation is essential to the preservation of the
spiritual health of the community, to the protection of its interests, to the
upholding of its good name, and ultimately to the continuation of the work of
expansion itself. (17 April 1981, written on behalf of the Universal House of
Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies; Compilation ‘Entry By Troops’,
prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
October 26
The commemoration of Holy Days, including the development of
programs for these observances, is a matter left to the discretion of the
appropriate National and Local Spiritual Assemblies, which are entrusted with
the responsibility of ensuring that such observances are conducted in a manner
in keeping with the spirit of the divine teachings and ordinances. While it is
customary for the Tablets of Visitation to be recited at the conclusion of the
Holy Day programs held at the Bahá'í World Centre, as well as in countries of
the Middle East, this practice is not binding upon Bahá'í communities
elsewhere, nor has a specific time been fixed for the recitations to occur.
(From a letter dated 19 August 1992 written on behalf of the Universal House of
Justice to an individual believer)
October 25
To assist the National Spiritual Assemblies and all the
friends to understand, welcome, initiate and sustain this process, we are
enclosing a compilation entitled "Promoting Entry by Troops" and a
covering statement prepared by the Research Department. Whoever studies these
illuminating passages will perceive that entry by troops is not merely a stage
of the progress of the Cause destined to occur in its own good time, dependent
on the receptivity of the population as a whole -- it is a phenomenon which the
Baha'i communities, by their own activities, can prepare for and help to bring
about. It is also a process which, once started, can be sustained. By a wise
allocation of resources and the energetic pursuit of simultaneous plans of
expansion, deepening and consolidation, the process of entry by troops should
bring about a rapidly increasing supply of active believers, soundly based
local communities, and steadily evolving local and national Baha'i
institutions. (The Universal House of Justice, from a letter addressed to all
National Spiritual Assemblies dated 9, November 1993)
October 24
As for those who are engaged in government service, they
should perform their duties with the utmost fidelity, trustworthiness,
rectitude, uprightness, integrity and high-mindedness. Let them not tarnish
their good repute by pursuing personal interests, nor, for the sake of
transient worldly benefits, make themselves objects of public odium and
outcasts of the Threshold of Grandeur. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a Tablet; The
Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá'í Virtue)
October 23
Similarly, the Pen of the Centre of the Covenant has
repeatedly prophesied the intolerable calamities which must beset this wayward
humanity ere it heeds the life- giving Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
“Chaos and confusion are daily increasing in the world. They
will attain such intensity as to render the frame of mankind unable to bear
them. Then will men be awakened and become aware that religion is the
impregnable stronghold and the manifest light of the world, and its laws, exhortations
and teachings, the source of life on earth.”
Every discerning eye clearly sees that the early stages of
this chaos have daily manifestations affecting the structure of human society;
its destructive forces are uprooting time-honoured institutions which were
a haven and refuge for the inhabitants of the earth in bygone days and
centuries, and around which revolved all human affairs. The same destructive
forces are also deranging the political, economic, scientific, literary, and
moral equilibrium of the world and are destroying the fairest fruits of the
present civilization. Political machinations of those in authority have placed
the seal of obsolescence upon the root principles of the world's order. Greed
and passion, deceit, hypocrisy, tyranny, and pride are dominating features
afflicting human relations. Discoveries and inventions, which are the fruit of
scientific and technological advancements, have become the means and tools of
mass extermination and destruction and are in the hands of the ungodly. Even
music, art, and literature, which are to represent and inspire the noblest
sentiments and highest aspirations and should be a source of comfort and
tranquillity for troubled souls, have strayed from the straight path and are
now the mirrors of the soiled hearts of this confused, unprincipled, and
disordered age. Perversions such as these shall result in the ordeals which
have been prophesied by the Blessed Beauty in the following words: "...
the earth will be tormented by a fresh calamity every day and unprecedented
commotions will break out." "The day is approaching when its
[civilization's] flame will devour the cities." (The Universal House of
Justice from a letter dated 10 February 1980; Messaged from the Universal House
of Justice 1963-1986)
October 22
A Bahá'í recognizes that one aspect of his spiritual and
intellectual growth is to foster the development of his conscience in the light
of divine Revelation -- a Revelation which, in addition to providing a wealth
of spiritual and ethical principles, exhorts man "to free himself from
idle fancy and imitation, discern with the eye of oneness His glorious
handiwork, and look into all things with a searching eye". This process of
development, therefore, involves a clear-sighted examination of the conditions
of the world with both heart and mind. A Bahá'í will understand that an upright
life is based upon observance of certain principles which stem from Divine
Revelation and which he recognizes as essential for the well-being of both the
individual and society. In order to uphold such principles, he knows that, in
certain cases, the voluntary submission of the promptings of his own personal
conscience to the decision of the majority is a conscientious requirement, as
in wholeheartedly accepting the majority decision of an Assembly at the outcome
of consultation. (From a letter dated 8 February 1998 written on behalf of the
Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)
October 21
Commenting on the character and influence of those heroes
and martyrs whom the spirit of the Báb had so magically transformed Bahá’u’lláh
reveals the following: “If these companions be not the true strivers after God,
who else could be called by this name?... If these companions, with all their
marvelous testimonies and wondrous works, be false, who then is worthy to claim
for himself the truth?... Has the world since the days of Adam witnessed such
tumult, such violent commotion?... Methinks, patience was revealed only by
virtue of their fortitude, and faithfulness itself was begotten only by their
deeds.” (Shoghi Effendi, ‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’)
October 20
Where else if not in the Kitáb-i-Íqán can the student of the
Bábí Dispensation seek to find those affirmations that unmistakably attest the
power and spirit which no man, except he be a Manifestation of God, can
manifest? “Could such a thing,” exclaims Bahá’u’lláh, “be made manifest except
through the power of a Divine Revelation and the potency of God’s invincible
Will? By the righteousness of God! Were any one to entertain so great a
Revelation in his heart the thought of such a declaration would alone confound
him! Were the hearts of all men to be crowded into his heart, he would still
hesitate to venture upon so awful an enterprise.” “No eye,” He in another
passage affirms, “hath beheld so great an outpouring of bounty, nor hath any
ear heard of such a Revelation of loving-kindness... The Prophets ‘endowed with
constancy,’ whose loftiness and glory shine as the sun,
were each honored with a Book which all have seen, and the verses of which have
been duly ascertained. Whereas the verses which have rained from this Cloud of
divine mercy have been so abundant that none hath yet been able to estimate
their number... How can they belittle this Revelation? Hath any age witnessed
such momentous happenings?” (Shoghi Effendi, ‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’)
October 19
The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh encompasses all units of
human society; integrates the spiritual, administrative and social processes of
life; and canalizes human expression in its varied forms towards the
construction of a new civilization. The Nineteen Day Feast embraces all these
aspects at the very base of society. Functioning in the village, the town, the
city, it is an institution of which all the people of Bahá are members. It is
intended to promote unity, ensure progress, and foster joy. (The Universal
House of Justice, from a letter dated 27 August 1989)
October 18
At the very core of the aims of the Faith are the
establishment of justice and unity in the world, the removal of prejudice and
enmity from among all people, the awakening of compassion and understanding in
the hearts of all men and women, and the raising of all souls to a new level of
spirituality and behavior through the vitalizing influence of divine
Revelation. The course set forth by Bahá'u'lláh for the attainment of
these aims is the double task of simultaneously building an ideal society and
perfecting the behavior of individuals. For this dual and reciprocal transformation He has not only revealed
laws, principles and truths attuned to the needs of this age, but has established
the very nucleus and pattern of those institutions which are to evolve into the
structure of the divinely purposed world society. (From a letter dated
July 2, 1996 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual believer)
October 17
He (the Guardian) is enclosing extracts from Lord Curzon’s
“Persia and the Persian Question” giving a detailed and faithful description of
the state of Persia in the middle of the 19th century. He thinks that
references to the extracts ... will be of great value in showing to the reader
the contrast between the decadent state of the government and the people at
that time and the heroism and nobility of character displayed by the early
disciples of the Báb... (From a letter dated 30 November 1930 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Unfolding Destiny’)
October 16
In a letter written on behalf of the beloved Guardian to an
individual believer there appears the following statement:
"The nine religions to which you have referred include both the Bábi and Baha'i Dispensations, Baha'u'llah being the Ninth Prophet in the series. The other Prophets included are Zoroaster, Krishna, Moses, the Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, the Prophet of the Sabeans whose name is unrecorded, the Báb and Baha'u'llah."
"The nine religions to which you have referred include both the Bábi and Baha'i Dispensations, Baha'u'llah being the Ninth Prophet in the series. The other Prophets included are Zoroaster, Krishna, Moses, the Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, the Prophet of the Sabeans whose name is unrecorded, the Báb and Baha'u'llah."
It can, therefore, be confidently stated that the teachings of the Faith name Krishna as a Manifestation of God. In light, however, of the other statements of the Guardian, in which he stresses the paucity of our information about the beginnings of Hinduism, we should be cautious not to assert the historical accuracy of specific stories related about Krishna. A similar case where allegorical statements and legends surround the figure of a known Manifestation of God is that of Adam. (From a letter dated 15 September 1983 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)
October 15
It should not be surmised that the events which have taken
place in all corners of the globe, including the sacred land of Iran, have
occurred as isolated incidents without any aim and purpose. According to the
words of our beloved Guardian, "The invisible hand is at work and the
convulsions taking place on earth are a prelude to the proclamation of the
Cause of God." This is but one of the mysterious forces of this supreme
Revelation which is causing the limbs of mankind to quake and those who are
drunk with pride and negligence to be thunderstruck and shaken. To the truth of
this testifies the sacred verse: "The world's equilibrium hath been upset
through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order,"
and the repeated warnings of the Pen of the Most High, such as:
“The world is encircled with calamities. Even if at times some good may be evident, it is inevitable that a great calamity followeth -- and yet no one on earth hath perceived its origin.” (The Universal House of Justice, from a letter dated 10 February 1980; Messaged from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986)
“The world is encircled with calamities. Even if at times some good may be evident, it is inevitable that a great calamity followeth -- and yet no one on earth hath perceived its origin.” (The Universal House of Justice, from a letter dated 10 February 1980; Messaged from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986)
October 14
...we feel that it will be helpful to you to know that songs
whose words are the primary Writings of the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh or `Abdu'l-Bahá
are all quite fitting for the devotional portion of the Feast. Indeed, the
Persian chants are such songs, out of a different tradition; they are a way of
giving music to the holy Word, and each person who chants does it in a way
which mirrors his feeling and expression of the Words he is uttering. As for
songs whose words are poetic and the composition of persons other than the
Figures of the Faith, these may be desirable but in their proper place....
Inasmuch as the spirit of our gatherings is so much affected by the tone and
quality of our worship, of our feeling and appreciation of the Word of God for
this day, we would hope that you would encourage the most beautiful possible
expression of the human spirits in your communities, through music among other
modes of feeling. (The Universal House of Justice, from a letter dated 22
February 1971 to a National Spiritual Assembly; The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. III, The Importance of Arts in Promoting the Faith)
October 13
As to your question concerning the advisability of
dramatizing Bahá'í historic episodes: the Guardian would certainly approve, and
even encourage that the friends should engage in such literary pursuits which,
no doubt, can be of immense teaching value. What he wishes the believers to
avoid is to dramatize the personages of the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá,
that is to say to treat them as dramatic figures, as characters appearing on
the stage. This, as already pointed out, he feels would be quite disrespectful.
The mere fact that they appear on the scene constitutes an act of discourtesy
which can in no way be reconciled with their highly exalted station. Their
message, or actual words, should be preferably reported and conveyed by their
disciples appearing on the stage. (From a letter dated 25 July 1936 written on
behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual; The Compilation of Compilations,
vol. III, The Importance of Arts in Promoting the Faith)
October 12
Not only in the character of the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh,
however stupendous be His claim, does the greatness of this Dispensation
reside. For among the distinguishing features of His Faith ranks, as a further
evidence of its uniqueness, the fundamental truth that in the person of its
Forerunner, the Báb, every follower of Bahá’u’lláh recognizes not merely an
inspired annunciator but a direct Manifestation of God. It is their firm belief
that, no matter how short the duration of His Dispensation, and however brief
the period of the operation of His laws, the Báb had been endowed with a
potency such as no founder of any of the past religions was, in the providence
of the Almighty, allowed to possess. That He was not merely the precursor of
the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, that He was more than a divinely-inspired
personage, that His was the station of an independent, self-sufficient
Manifestation of God, is abundantly demonstrated by Himself, is affirmed in
unmistakable terms by Bahá’u’lláh, and is finally attested by the Will and
Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. (Shoghi Effendi in a letter dated March 21, 1932; ‘The
World Order of Baha’u’llah’)
October 11
“The Báb,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, moreover, has written, “hath said:
‘Should a tiny ant desire, in this day, to be possessed of such power as to be
able to unravel the abstrusest and most bewildering passages of the Qur’án, its
wish will no doubt be fulfilled, inasmuch as the mystery of eternal might
vibrates within the innermost being of all created things.’ If so helpless a
creature can be endowed with so subtle a capacity, how much more efficacious
must be the power released through the liberal effusions of the grace of
Bahá’u’lláh!” (Shoghi Effendi, letter dated December 25, 1938; ‘The Advent of
Divine Justice’)
October 10
Viewing these periods of Bahá’í history as the constituents
of a single entity, we note the chain of events proclaiming successfully the
rise of a Forerunner, the Mission of One Whose advent that Forerunner had
promised, the establishment of a Covenant generated through the direct
authority of the Promised One Himself, and lastly the birth of a System which
is the child sprung from both the Author of the Covenant and its appointed
Center. We observe how the Báb, the Forerunner, announced the impending
inception of a divinely-conceived Order, how Bahá’u’lláh, the Promised One,
formulated its laws and ordinances, how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the appointed Center,
delineated its features, and how the present generation of their followers have
commenced to erect the framework of its institutions. We watch, through these
periods, the infant light of the Faith diffuse itself from its cradle, eastward
to India and the Far East, westward to the neighboring territories of ‘Iráq, of
Turkey, of Russia, and of Egypt, travel as far as the North American continent,
illuminate subsequently the major countries of Europe, envelop with its
radiance, at a later stage, the Antipodes, brighten the fringes of the Arctic,
and finally set aglow the Central and South American horizons. (Shoghi Effendi,
‘God Passes By’)
October 9
As regards your question concerning the membership of the
Universal House of Justice: there is a Tablet from 'Abdul-Baha in which He
definitely states that the membership of the Universal House is confined to
men, and that the wisdom of it will be fully revealed and appreciated in the
future. In the local as well as the national Houses of Justice, however, women
have the full right of membership. It is, therefore, only to the International
House that they cannot be elected. The Bahá'ís should accept this statement of
the Master in a spirit of deep faith, confident that there is a divine guidance
and wisdom behind it which will be gradually unfolded to the eyes of the world.
(From a letter dated 28 July 1936 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an
individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Women)
October 8
We have previously written and sent out a detailed letter
regarding the education of children in faith, certitude, learning and spiritual
knowledge, and their being taught to call upon the Heavenly Kingdom with
suppliant hearts. It is certain that ye will exert every effort toward this
end. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a Tablet, The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I,
Baha’i Education)
October 7
It is becoming evident that the world is not yet through
with its labour, the New Age not yet fully born, real Peace not yet right
around the corner. We must have no illusions about how much depends on us and
our success or failure. All humanity is disturbed and suffering and confused;
we cannot expect to not be disturbed and not to suffer—but we don’t have to be
confused. On the contrary, confidence and assurance, hope and optimism are our
prerogative. The successful carrying out of our various Plans is the greatest
sign we can give of our faith and inner assurance, and the best way we can help
our fellow-men out of their confusion and difficulties. (From a letter dated 9
April 1949, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer;
Unfolding Destiny)
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