June 19

Regarding Mirza Abu'l-Fadl's statement in his book The Bahá'í Proofs to the effect that the great religions of the world, excluding the Dispensations of the Báb and Bahá'u'll'áh, are seven in number: what the author meant by that statement is that there are only seven great religions of which there is some existing trace or record, and not that only seven religions have so far appeared in the world. These seven religions mentioned by Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl are the following: Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islám, and the religion of the Sabaeans, which was originally monotheistic, and became gradually corrupted, and to which Abraham's forefathers are believed to have belonged. (From a letter dated 9 July 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; Memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice dated 6 August 1996)