Acknowledging that
the matter of ascertaining the qualification of a true believer is a delicate
and complex question, Shoghi Effendi, the appointee of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as Guardian
of the Cause and authorized interpreter of its teachings, set down for
Spiritual Assemblies the principal factors that must be taken into
consideration before deciding whether a person may be regarded as a true
believer or not: “Full recognition of the station of the Forerunner, the Author,
and the True Exemplar of the Bahá’í Cause, as set forth in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
Testament; unreserved acceptance of, and submission to, whatsoever has been
revealed by their Pen; loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of our
Beloved’s sacred Will; and close association with the spirit as well as the
form of the present day Bahá’í administration throughout the world.…”
- The
Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 4 April 2001 addressed to all
National Spiritual Assemblies)
