October 31

As you are well aware, not only should Baha'is refrain from work on the nine Holy days, but the shops and establishments owned by Baha'is should also be closed on these Days. If government regulations do not require the station to be on the air on a mandatory daily basis, Radio Baha'i should not engage in regular broadcasts on the nine Holy Days. However, to aid the Baha’i Community in its observance of any one of these Days, the [radio] station may offer at a particular time a special program suited to such observance. Those wishing to be involved in the production and airing of the program would be rendering a special service. 

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Chile, dated 06/07/86)

October 30

While it is true that a National Assembly has jurisdiction over all Baha'¡ affairs within its national boundaries, with obligation to monitor budgets and finances in order to safeguard the fiscal integrity of its institutions, it is usually not practical for the Assembly itself to seek; to administer either the operations or the finances of an institution such as a school or a radio station. Indeed, National Assembly administration is likely to slow down the functioning of its subsidiaries, and therefore, a level of autonomy is desirable for such institutions, in this case the radio station. 

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Liberia, dated 24 July, 1988)

October 29

When an Assembly appoints a committee to carry out any of its operations, it should leave that committee free to act, albeit monitoring its work and giving direction as to policy. If the Assembly intervenes unduly in the work of its committees, they may function poorly or fail entirely. 

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia, dated 23, November 1983)

October 28

The divergence between the ways of the world and of the Cause of God becomes ever wider. And yet the two must come together. The Bahá'í community must demonstrate in ever- increasing measure its ability to redeem the disorderliness, the lack of cohesion, the permissiveness, the godlessness of modern society; the laws, the religious obligations, the observances of Bahá'í life, Bahá'í moral principles and standards of dignity, decency and reverence, must become deeply implanted in Bahá'í consciousness and increasingly inform and characterize this community. 

(The Universal House of Justice, from a letter dated Ridvan 1972; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

October 27

We have your letter...asking about a Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Bahá on the subject of embracing. We have seen no such Tablet, but we have seen reference to a pilgrim's note and the comment of the beloved Guardian on it.

The pilgrim's note reports the Master as saying: 'Women and men must not embrace each other when not married, or not about to be married. They must not kiss each other... If they wish to greet each other, or comfort each other, they may take each other by the hand.' In a letter to an individual written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi it is said: 'The Master's words to... which you quoted, can certainly be taken as the true spirit of the teachings on the subject of sex. We must strive to achieve this exalted standard.'  

(The Universal House of Justice, from a letter dated February 10, 1974 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States,; Bahá'í National Review, June, 1979; partially cited in 'Lights of Guidance')

October 26

…the basic concept taught by Bahá'u'lláh is that the kind of sexuality purposed by God is the love between a man and a woman, and that its primary (but not its only) purpose is the bringing of children into this world and providing them with a loving and protective environment in which they can be reared to know and love God. 

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, included in a Memorandum from the Research department of the Universal House of Justice, dated May 3, 1994)

October 25

Although the reality of God's continuous relationship with His creation and His intervention in human life and history are the very essence of the teachings of the Founders of the revealed religions, dogmatic materialism today insists that even the nature of religion itself can be adequately understood only through the use of an academic methodology designed to ignore the truths that make religion what it is. 

(From a letter dated 7 April 1999 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies)

October 24

In one of the earliest Tablets addressed by Him [‘Abdu’l-Baha] to the American believers these equally significant words have been penned: “If ye be truly united, if ye agree to promote that which is the essential purpose, and to show forth an all-unifying love, I swear by Him Who causeth the seed to split and the breeze to waft, so great a light will shine forth from your faces as to reach the highest heavens, the fame of your glory will be noised abroad, the evidences of your preeminence will spread throughout all regions, your power will penetrate the realities of all things, your aims and purposes will exert their influence upon the great and mighty nations, your spirits will encompass the whole world of being, and ye will discover yourselves to be kings in the dominions of the Kingdom, and attired with the glorious crowns of the invisible Realm, and become the marshals of the army of peace, and princes of the forces of light, and stars shining from the horizon of perfection, and brilliant lamps shedding their radiance upon men.” 

(Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated June 5, 1947; ‘Citadel of Faith’)

October 23

Enumerating the obligations incumbent upon the members of consulting councils, the Beloved reveals the following:—“The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and absolute unity be non-existent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that assembly be brought to naught.” 

(Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated March 5, 1922; ‘Baha’i Administration’)

October 22

It is not surprising that individual Bahá'ís hold and express different and sometimes defective understandings of the Teachings; this is but an evidence of the magnitude of the change that this Revelation is to effect in human consciousness. As believers with various insights into the Teachings converse -- with patience, tolerance and open and unbiased minds -- a deepening of comprehension should take place. The strident insistence on individual views, however, can lead to contention, which is detrimental not only to the spirit of Bahá'í association and collaboration but to the search for truth itself. 

(From a letter dated 8 February 1998 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

October 21

. . . the need for Baha'i youth to become more deeply imbued with the Teachings of their Faith in order to combat the corrosive influences which surround them in their daily contacts…  

(The Universal House of Justice, from a letter dated April 15, 1965; U.S. National Baha’i Review No. 3, March 1968)

October 20

…the Báb’s holy dust. So precious is this dust that the very earth surrounding the edifice enshrining this dust has been extolled by the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, in one of His Tablets in which He named the five doors belonging to the six chambers which He originally erected after five of the believers associated with the construction of the Shrine, as being endowed with such potency as to have inspired Him in bestowing these names, whilst the tomb itself housing this dust He acclaimed as the spot round which the Concourse on high circle in adoration. 

(Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated March 29, 1951; ‘Citadel of Faith’)

October 19

…the anniversaries of the births of Bahá'u'lláh and the Bab. In the Muslim lunar calendar these fall on consecutive days, the birth of Bahá'u'lláh on the second day of the month of Muharram 1233 A.H. (12 November 1817), and the birth of the Bab on the first day of the same month 1235 A.H. (20 October 1819), respectively. They are thus referred to as the "Twin Birthdays" and Bahá'u'lláh states that these two days are accounted as one in the sight of God (Q and A 2). He states that, should they fall within the month of fasting, the command to fast shall not apply on those days (Q and A 36).  

(The ‘Notes’ section of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)

October 18

In one of the most remarkable Tablets revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, passages of which have already been quoted on previous occasions, written in the evening of His life, soon after the termination of the first World War, He anticipates, in succinct and ominous sentences, the successive ebullitions which must afflict humanity, and whose full force the American nation must, if her destiny is to be accomplished, inevitably experience. “The ills from which the world now suffers,” He wrote, “will multiply; the gloom which envelops it will deepen. The Balkans will remain discontented. Its restlessness will increase. The vanquished powers will continue to agitate. They will resort to every measure that may rekindle the flame of war. Movements, newly born and world-wide in their range, will exert their utmost effort for the advancement of their designs. The Movement of the Left will acquire great importance. Its influence will spread.”

The agitation in the Balkan Peninsula; the feverish activity in which Germany and Italy played a disastrous role, culminating in the outbreak of the second World War; the rise of the Fascist and Nazi movements, which spread their ramifications to distant parts of the globe; the spread of communism which, as a result of the victory of Soviet Russia in that same war, has been greatly accelerated—all these happenings, some unequivocally, others in veiled language, have been forecast in this Tablet, the full force of whose implications are as yet undisclosed, and which, we may well anticipate, the American nation, as yet insufficiently schooled by adversity, must sooner or later experience. 

(Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated June 5, 1947; ‘Citadel of Faith’)

October 17

The Guardian was delighted to hear of your youth group. The children who are trained in the world-embracing teachings of Baha’u’llah cannot but grow up to be a truly a new race of men. He hopes these young people will prepare themselves for the great task which will face them in the future, that of helping to rebuild the world with the aid and inspiration of the Baha'i teachings.  

(From a letter dated December 25, 1941, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Baha’is of Hobart, Tasmania; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. 1, Excellence in All Things )

October 16

Regarding ...'s question about the areas of the Guardian's infallibility, we note that the letters written on his behalf on the subject of homosexuality represent his interpretation of the revealed Word on the subject, and are authoritative. They do not, for example, stray into the realm of science, a field in which, as the Guardian himself points out, he is not infallible, by speculating on the possible biological or psychological cause of a predisposition to homosexual tendencies. They do reflect the Guardian's interpretation based on an infallible understanding of the entire Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, and form a coherent and consistent whole with the entire body of Bahá'í Sacred Literature and authoritative texts. 

(Memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, dated May 3, 1994)

October 15

You indicate that some friends wonder whether the Guardian's statement characterizing racial prejudice as “the most vital and challenging issue confronting the Bahá’í community at the present stage of its evolution” still applies to the racial situation in the United States, since it was written so long ago. The House of Justice has determined that it is not productive to approach the issue in this manner, as it gives rise to an implicit and false dichotomy that, either what the Guardian said is no longer important, or it is so important that it must be addressed before or apart from all other concerns. Yet, the situation is infinitely more complex. The American nation is much more diverse than in 1938, and the friends cannot be concerned only with relations between black and white, essential as they are. The expressions of racial prejudice have transmuted into forms that are multifaceted, less blatant and more intricate, and thus more intractable. So too, the American Bahá’í community has evolved significantly and is no longer at the same stage of its development; it faces a wider range of challenges but also possesses greater capabilities. The House of Justice stated that the principles Shoghi Effendi brought to the attention of the American believers more than seventy years ago are relevant today, and they will continue to be relevant to future generations. It is obvious, however, that the “long and thorny road, beset with pitfalls” upon which the friends must tread, will take them through an ever-changing landscape that requires that they adapt their approaches to varying circumstances. 

(From a letter dated April 10, 2011 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

October 14

Embosomed in these lovely and verdant surroundings stands in all its exquisite beauty the mausoleum of the Báb, the shell designed to preserve and adorn the original structure raised by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the tomb of the Martyr-Herald of our Faith. Within this shell is enshrined that Pearl of Great Price, the holy of holies, those chambers which constitute the tomb itself, and which were constructed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Within the heart of this holy of holies is the tabernacle, the vault wherein reposes the most holy casket. Within this vault rests the alabaster sarcophagus in which is deposited that inestimable jewel, the Báb’s holy dust. So precious is this dust that the very earth surrounding the edifice enshrining this dust has been extolled by the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, in one of His Tablets in which He named the five doors belonging to the six chambers which He originally erected after five of the believers associated with the construction of the Shrine, as being endowed with such potency as to have inspired Him in bestowing these names, whilst the tomb itself housing this dust He acclaimed as the spot round which the Concourse on high circle in adoration. 

(Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated March 29, 1951; ‘Citadel of Faith’)

October 13

For, just as in the realm of the spirit, the reality of the Báb has been hailed by the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation as “The Point round Whom the realities of the Prophets and Messengers revolve,” so, on this visible plane, His sacred remains constitute the heart and center of what may be regarded as nine concentric circles, paralleling thereby, and adding further emphasis to the central position accorded by the Founder of our Faith to One “from Whom God hath caused to proceed the knowledge of all that was and shall be,” “the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things.” 

(Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated March 29, 1951; ‘Citadel of Faith’)

October 12

These Baha’i children are of such great importance to the future. They will live in times, and have to meet problems, which never faced their elders. And the Cause alone can equip them to properly serve the needs of a future, war-weary, disillusioned, unhappy humanity. So their task will be very great and a very responsible one, and too much care cannot be devoted to their upbringing and preparation. 

(From a letter dated January 11, 1942, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. 1, Baha’i Education)

October 11

Bahá'ís believe that the love of God is evident in all His laws, no matter how severe some of them may appear to be, because He is revealing to us the purpose and true pattern for which we are created. 

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, included in a Memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, dated May 3, 1994)

October 10

In an environment of love and trust born of common belief, practice, and mission, individuals of different races will have the intimate connection of heart and mind upon which mutual understanding and change depend. As a result of their training and deepening, a growing number of believers will draw insights from the Writings to sensitively and effectively address issues of racial prejudice that arise within their personal lives and families, among community members, and in social settings and the workplace. As programs of growth advance and the scope and intensity of activities grow, the friends will be drawn into participation in conversations and, in time, initiatives for social action at the grassroots where issues pertaining to freedom from prejudice naturally emerge, whether directly or indirectly. . . . 

(From a letter dated April 10, 2011 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

October 9

Wherever there is a Bahá'í family, those concerned should by all means do all they can to preserve it, because divorce is strongly condemned in the Teachings, whereas harmony, unity and love are held up as the highest ideals in human relationships. This must always apply to the Bahá'ís, whether they are serving in the pioneering field or not. 

(From a letter dated 9 November 1956 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a National Spiritual Assembly; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Preserving Baha’i Marriages)

October 8

… the laws and ordinances of this Dispensation Bahá'u'lláh has specifically characterized as "the breath of life unto all created things", as "the mightiest stronghold", as the "fruits" of His "Tree", as "the highest means for the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples", as "the lamps of His wisdom and loving providence", as "the sweet-smelling savour of his garment", as the "keys" of His "mercy" to His creatures. "This book" (The Kitab-i-Aqdas), He Himself testifies, "is a heaven which we have adorned with the stars of Our commandments and prohibitions." 

(Shoghi Effendi, extracted from God Passes By and published in The Kitab-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book; included in a Memorandum by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice dated May 3, 1994)

October 7

It is my earnest hope and prayer that now at this decisive hour of the Cause of God the friends may with clear vision and redoubled energy endeavor to deepen still further the essential truths of the Cause in their own lives, and then extend the sphere of their activity, endeavoring at all times to infuse the regenerating Spirit of Baha'u'llah into the divers communities, creeds and classes that are represented in that most cosmopolitan city [New York] of the American continent. 

(Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter to the Baha’is of New York, dated February 3, 1923; Star of the West, Vol. 14, April 1923)

October 6

Our departed Master, whose Call first awakened that city [New York], who later visited it and with his own hands watered its soil, and who to his last hour bestowed his tenderest care upon it, is now, as ever before, watching from his Station on High the progress of the work which he has entrusted to you, his beloved children, ready to bless, guide and strengthen you in your efforts to achieve success for his Cause. 

(Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter to the Baha’is of New York, dated February 3, 1923; Star of the West, Vol. 14, April 1923)

October 5

The universal Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh if declared and propounded with wisdom and judgement, determination, selflessness and sincerity, and above all if exemplified in our lives and dealings with our fellow men, cannot fail to inspire and stimulate the mind of the enlightened seeker and win the admiration and allegiance of all mankind.

Ours then is the duty and privilege to bring to the attention of this distressed and war weary world this Message of Eternal Salvation and help to establish the Era of Peace and Brotherhood as purposed and foretold by Bahá'u'lláh. 

(Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated January 9, 1923 to the Baha’is of India and Burmah; Dawn of a New Day, p.1) To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

October 4

Let us, with a pure heart, with humility and earnestness, turn afresh to His counsels and exhortations, and seek from that Source of Celestial Potency all the guidance, the spirit, the power which we shall need for the fulfillment of our mission in this life.

Behold, the station to which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is now calling His loved ones from the Realm of Glory:—

“It behooveth the loved ones of God to be enamored of one another and to sacrifice themselves for their fellow-workers in the Cause. They should yearn towards one another even as the sore athirst yearneth for the Water of Life, and the lover burneth to meet his heart’s desire.”

Such is the sublime, the glorious position He wishes us, and all the peoples and kindreds on earth, to attain in this world; how much more to achieve unity and common understanding among ourselves, and then arise to herald with one voice the coming of the Kingdom and the salvation of mankind. 

(Excerpt from a letter written by Shoghi Effendi, dated March 12, 1923, to the Baha’is; 'Baha’i Administration') 

October 3

...we cannot be sure how much or how little of the four Gospels are accurate and include the words of Christ and His undiluted teachings, all we can be sure of, as Bahá'ís, is that what has been quoted by Bahá'u'lláh and the Master must be absolutely authentic. As many times passages in the Gospel of St. John are quoted we may assume that it is his Gospel and much of it accurate. 

(From a letter dated 23 January 1944 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation on ‘The Bible: Extracts on the Old and New Testaments’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice )

October 2

Erelong the wicked-doers in that land will arise to heap denunciations upon the true believers, and vent their spite upon the company of the faithful. Each day they will inflict a galling wound, each hour a stunning blow. Rebuking the friends for the love they bear Bahá'u'lláh and ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, they will consider justified their denunciations, their scorn and malice, and spare no effort to do the friends whatever injury it lieth within their power to inflict. Such conduct is at one with the modes and practices of the people aforetime: in bygone centuries, in the days of the appearance of the holy Manifestations, the people acted in just this manner; and now, in these days, it is inevitable that they will repeat such actions, nay, act with greater perversity than before... Hence it is certain that thou wilt be afflicted with adversities, tests and injuries for the sake of the Blessed Beauty; yet these afflictions shall be the purest bounties and bestowals, and a token of thy acceptance at the Divine Threshold. 

(‘Abdu'l-Bahá, from a Tablet — translated from the Persian; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. 1, Crisis and Victory)

October 1

The pattern of spiritual and social life taking shape in clusters that involves study circles, children's classes, junior youth groups, devotional meetings, home visits, teaching efforts, and reflection meetings, as well as Holy Day observances, Nineteen Day Feasts, and other gatherings, provides abundant opportunities for engagement, experience, consultation, and learning that will lead to change in personal and collective understanding and action. Issues of prejudice of race, class, and color will inevitably arise as the friends reach out to diverse populations, especially in the closely knit context of neighborhoods. There, every activity can take a form most suited to the culture and interests of the population, so that new believers can be quickened and confirmed in a nurturing and familiar environment, until they are able to offer their share to the resolution of the challenges faced by a growing Bahá’í community. For this is not a process that some carry out on behalf of others who are passive recipients—the mere extension of a congregation and invitation to paternalism—but one in which an ever-increasing number of souls recognize and take responsibility for the transformation of humanity set in motion by Bahá'u'lláh. 

(From a letter dated April 10, 2011 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)