To offer
contributions towards this end [in support of the activities of the Spiritual
Assembly] is one of the pressing requirements of the Cause of God, is deemed
highly essential, and is of fundamental importance. Next to the payment of the
Huqúq it is the obligation of every Bahá'í.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 27 February 1923, translated from the Persian; Compilation
of Compilations, vol. I,
Huququ’llah)3/31/16
3/30/16
March 30
As one of the co-executors
of the Divine Plan, your community’s [Canada] mandate is not, of course,
limited to Canada. It is worldwide, and this global perspective must frame both
your deliberations and your endeavors. Be confident that, as you turn your
hearts and minds to the challenge facing you, you will be surrounded by our
ardent prayers at the Holy Threshold that Bahá’u’lláh will empower you to
realize your highest aspirations.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 20 July 2000
addressed to the Friends Gathered at the Youth Conference in Vancouver, 20-24
July 2000)
3/29/16
March 29
As for the question
regarding marriage under the Law of God: first thou must choose one who is
pleasing to thee, and then the matter is subject to the consent of father and
mother. Before thou makest thy choice, they have no right to interfere.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the
Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
3/28/16
March 28
The world of
politics is like the world of man; he is seed at first, and then passes by
degrees to the condition of embryo and fetus, acquiring a bone structure, being
clothed with flesh, taking on his own special form, until at last he reaches
the plane where he can befittingly fulfill the words: “the most excellent of
Makers.” Just as this is a requirement
of creation and is based on the universal Wisdom, the political world in the
same way cannot instantaneously evolve from the nadir of defectiveness to the
zenith of rightness and perfection. Rather, qualified individuals must strive
by day and by night, using all those means which will conduce to progress,
until the government and the people develop along every line from day to day
and even from moment to moment.
- ’Abdu’l-Baha (‘The Secret of Divine
Civilization’)
3/27/16
March 27
… [the]
divinely-purposed delay in the revelation of the basic laws of God for this
age, and the subsequent gradual implementation of their provisions, illustrate
the principle of progressive revelation which applies… even within the ministry
of each Prophet.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated April
1973)
3/26/16
March 26
Inasmuch as the
Order of Bahá’u’lláh is an integral part of the divine Revelation that He, as a
Manifestation of God, has given us, one could say that this Order is
essentially theocratic, but inasmuch as it is entirely devoid of any kind of
clergy or priesthood, it is not at all a “theocracy” in the sense in which the
term is generally used and understood.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 18 July 2000 written on behalf of the Universal
House of Justice to an individual believer)
3/25/16
March 25
In the Tablets of
the Divine Plan,… which may be designated as the Charter of the Plan with which
He was to entrust them in the evening of His life, He, in a language still more
graphic and in terms more definite than those used by either the Báb or
Bahá'u'lláh, revealed the high distinction and the glorious work which America,
and particularly the United States and Canada, was to achieve in both the
Formative and Golden Ages of the Bahá'í Dispensation.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a
letter dated June 15, 1946; ‘Messages to America’)
3/24/16
March 24
When… the people of
Bahá undertake to marry, the union must be a true relationship, a spiritual
coming together as well as a physical one, so that throughout every phase of
life, and in all the worlds of God, their union will endure; for this real
oneness is a gleaming out of the love of God.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of
‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
3/23/16
March 23
The American
believers, if they wish to carry out, in the spirit and the letter, the parting
wishes of their beloved Master, must intensify their teaching work a
thousandfold and extend its ramifications beyond the confines of their native
land and as far as the most distant outposts of their far-flung Faith. The
Tablets of the Divine Plan invest your Assembly with unique and grave
responsibilities, and confer upon it privileges which your sister Assemblies
might well envy and admire. The present opportunity is unutterably precious. It
may not recur again. Undaunted by the perils and the uncertainties of the
present hour, the American believers must press on and prosecute in its
entirety the task which now confronts them. I pray for their success from the
depths of my heart.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated July 28, 1936; ‘Messages
to America’)
3/22/16
March 22
It has been promised
and recorded in all the Sacred Books and Scriptures that in this Day of God His
divine and spiritual sovereignty will be established, the world will be
renewed, a fresh spirit will be breathed into the body of creation, the divine
springtime will be ushered in, the clouds of mercy will rain down, the Sun of
Truth will shine forth, the life-giving breezes will blow: The world of
humanity will be arrayed in a new garment; the face of the earth will become
even as the highest paradise; humanity will be educated; war, dissension,
strife, and contention will vanish; truthfulness, uprightness, peace, and
godliness will prevail; love, concord, and union will encompass the world; and
God will rule forevermore—that is, a spiritual and everlasting sovereignty will
be established. Such is the Day of God.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table talks in
Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised
translation by the Baha’i World Centre)
3/21/16
March 21
This is a happy and
joyous season. The fields and meadows are adorned with blossoms, and the air is
fragrant with their perfume. In the northern hemisphere, nature stirs with new
life, arrayed in spectacular beauty. The world of existence is rejuvenated, and
all created things are in a state of motion and change. This is particularly
true of the blessed land of Iran—the very envy of paradise—extolled by the
beloved Master as a land that “fostereth love”, whose “heavenly meadows teem
with sweet herbs and flowers”.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a message
dated 21 March 2010 addressed to the Believers in the Cradle of the Faith)
3/20/16
March 20
The pure-hearted
people of Iran, following a tradition stretching back several thousand years,
observe as a national festival this day [Naw-Ruz] that marks the commencement
of spring. They put aside all grievances from the preceding year and focus
their thoughts on loving fellowship. Bahá’ís across the globe, of every nation
and ethnicity, likewise celebrate with great jubilation the festival of
Naw-Rúz, as explicitly ordained in the Most Holy Book, and regard it as an
opportunity to foster friendship and unity among the peoples of the world.
- The
Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 21 March 2010 addressed to the
Believers in the Cradle of the Faith)
3/19/16
March 19
In their homes, ... in the daily contact of business
transactions, ... the community of the followers of Bahá'u'lláh should satisfy
themselves that in the eyes of the world at large and in the sight of their
vigilant Master they are the living witnesses of those truths which He fondly
cherished and tirelessly championed to the very end of His days....
- Shoghi
Effendi (From a letter dated 12 April 1927 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States
and Canada, published in "Bahá'í Administration: Selected Messages
1922-1932") The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá'í Virtue)
3/18/16
March 18
Therefore I say that
man must travel in the way of God. Day by day he must endeavor to become
better, his belief must increase and become firmer, his good qualities and his
turning to God must be greater, the fire of his love must flame more brightly;
then day by day he will make progress, for to stop advancing is the means of
going back. The bird when he flies soars ever higher and higher, for as soon as
he stops flying he will come down. Every day, in the morning when arising you
should compare today with yesterday and see in what condition you are. If you
see your belief is stronger and your heart more occupied with God and your love
increased and your freedom from the world greater then thank God and ask for
the increase of these qualities. You must begin to pray and repent for all that
you have done which is wrong and you must implore and ask for help and assistance
that you may become better than yesterday so that you may continue to make
progress.
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá ("Star of the West", vol. 8, no. 6, 24
June 1917; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. 1, Excellence in All Things)
3/17/16
March 17
I desire distinction for you. The Bahá’ís must be
distinguished from others of humanity. But this distinction must not depend
upon wealth—that they should become more affluent than other people. I do not
desire for you financial distinction. It is not an ordinary distinction I
desire; not scientific, commercial, industrial distinction. For you I desire
spiritual distinction—that is, you must become eminent and distinguished in
morals. In the love of God you must become distinguished from all else. You
must become distinguished for loving humanity, for unity and accord, for love
and justice. In brief, you must become distinguished in all the virtues of the
human world—for faithfulness and sincerity, for justice and fidelity, for
firmness and steadfastness, for philanthropic deeds and service to the human
world, for love toward every human being, for unity and accord with all people,
for removing prejudices and promoting international peace. Finally, you must
become distinguished for heavenly illumination and for acquiring the bestowals
of God. I desire this distinction for you. This must be the point of
distinction among you.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, 15 June, 1912, New York; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace:
Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and
Canada in 1912’)
3/16/16
March 16
Utilize every means
to make this School a garden of the All-Merciful, from which the lights of
learning will cast their beams, and wherein the children, whether Bahá'í or
other, will be educated to such a degree as to become God's gifts to man, and
the pride of the human race. Let them make the greatest progress in the
shortest span of time, let them open wide their eyes and uncover the inner
realities of all things, become proficient in every art and skill, and learn to
comprehend the secrets of all things even as they are — this faculty being one
of the clearly evident effects of servitude to the Holy Threshold.
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá (From a Tablet-translated from the Persian; The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. 1, Excellence in All Things)
3/15/16
March 15
The paying of the
Huqúq is a spiritual obligation; the friends must not be obliged by the
assemblies to pay it, but they should be encouraged to fulfil this spiritual
obligation laid upon them in the Aqdas.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 12 October 1946 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of India;
The Compilation of Compilations, vol. 1, Huququ’llah)
3/14/16
March 14
You brought up the question of showing forth honesty and
trustworthiness when engaged in the service of the state. These are qualities
that must distinguish all the activities of the friends, and the acquisition of
which is a religious duty incumbent on every believer. That some of the leaders
whom they serve may be unappreciative of their efforts, or fail correctly to
value their services, should give no cause for surprise. The reason for such
conduct is the remoteness of such men from the True Source of justice, equity
and fair-mindedness. We should keep our vision centred on God, not on the
doings of His creatures. Every spotless action, every sincere intent of ours
will win the commendation of the True One, will be exalted and magnified by
Him, and requited with a bounteous recompense.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 8 March
1948 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi - translated from the Persian; The
Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá'í Virtue)
3/13/16
March 13
During the
thirty-six years of his Guardianship, Shoghi Effendi fixed the pattern and laid
the foundations of the Administrative Order of Baha'u'llah, set in motion the
implementation of the Divine Plan of 'Abdu'l-Baha for the spread of the Faith
throughout the world, and, as these twin processes of administrative
consolidation and widespread expansion progressed, started to apply and
enforce, gradually and according to the progress of the Cause, those laws of
the Kitab-i-Aqdas that in his estimation it was timely and practicable to apply
and which were not in direct conflict with the civil law. At his instance the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Egypt prepared a codification of
the Baha'i laws of personal status relative to marriage, divorce and
inheritance.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated April 1973)
3/12/16
March 12
The permanence and
stability achieved by any association, group or nation is a result of -- and
dependent upon -- the soundness and worth of the principles upon which it bases
the running of its affairs and the direction of its activities. The guiding
principles of the Bahá'ís are: honesty, love, charity and trustworthiness; the
setting of the common good above private interest; and the practice of
godliness, virtue and moderation. Ultimately, then, their preservation and
happiness are assured. Whatever misfortunes they may encounter, wrought by the
wiles of the schemer and ill-wisher, shall all pass away like waves, and
hardship shall be succeeded by joy.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 18 December 1925 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to a National Spiritual Assembly - translated from the Persian; The Compilation
of Compilations, vol. I, Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá'í Virtue)
3/11/16
March 11
As to a chaste and
holy life it should be regarded as no less essential a factor that must
contribute its proper share to the strengthening and vitalization of the Bahá'í
community, upon which must in turn depend the success of any Bahá'í plan or
enterprise.... All of them, be they men or women, must, at this threatening
hour when the lights of religion are fading out, and its restraints are one by
one being abolished, pause to examine themselves, scrutinize their conduct, and
with characteristic resolution arise to purge the life of their community of
every trace of moral laxity that might stain the name, or impair the integrity,
of so holy and precious a Faith.
- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Advent of Divine
Justice’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, A Chase and Holy Life)
3/10/16
March 10
A worldwide community
is refining its ability to read its immediate reality, analyse its
possibilities, and apply judiciously the methods and instruments of the Five
Year Plan. As anticipated, experience is most rapidly accumulating in clusters
where the frontiers of learning are being consciously advanced. In such places,
the means for enabling an ever-rising number of individuals to strengthen their
capacity for service are well understood.
- The Universal House of Justice (Ridvan 2013)
3/9/16
March 9
As to a chaste and
holy life it should be regarded as no less essential a factor that must
contribute its proper share to the strengthening and vitalization of the Bahá'í
community, upon which must in turn depend the success of any Bahá'í plan or
enterprise.... All of them, be they men or women, must, at this threatening
hour when the lights of religion are fading out, and its restraints are one by
one being abolished, pause to examine themselves, scrutinize their conduct, and
with characteristic resolution arise to purge the life of their community of
every trace of moral laxity that might stain the name, or impair the integrity,
of so holy and precious a Faith.
- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Advent of Divine
Justice’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, A Chase and Holy Life)
3/8/16
March 8
In any group,
however loving the consultation, there are nevertheless points on which, from
time to time, agreement cannot be reached. In a Spiritual Assembly this dilemma
is resolved by a majority vote. There can, however, be no majority where only
two parties are involved, as in the case of a husband and wife. There are,
therefore, times when a wife should defer to her husband, and times when a
husband should defer to his wife, but neither should ever unjustly dominate the
other. In short, the relationship between husband and wife should be as held
forth in the prayer revealed by 'Abdu'l-Baha which is often read at Baha'i
weddings: "Verily, they are married in obedience to Thy command. Cause
them to become the signs of harmony and unity until the end of time."
- The Universal Hosues of Justice (From a letter date 28 December 1980 written on behalf of the Universal House
of Justice to NSA of New Zealand)
3/7/16
March 7
As to your question
regarding the Fast: if there is any doubt in the mind of a person as to whether
it will really be bad for that person's health to keep it, the best doctor's
advice should be obtained. But generally speaking most people can keep it, anywhere
in the world, with no detriment to their health. It is very good for the health
and, once one forms the habit, each year it becomes easier to keep, unless one
is rundown. No one is obliged to keep it if it really harms them.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a
letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, April 14,
1947; compilation: Lights of Guidance)
3/6/16
March 6
Keeping the Fast is
enjoined upon all Bahá'ís, regardless of nationality; it has a very salutary
effect both physically and spiritually, and the friends should realize
Bahá'u'lláh never would have instituted it if it were detrimental to the
health.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual
believer, May 21, 1946; compilation: Lights of Guidance)
3/5/16
March 5
The fasting period,
which lasts nineteen days starting as a rule from the second of March every
year and ending on the twentieth of the same month, involves complete
abstention from food and drink from sunrise till sunset. It essentially a
period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the
believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and
to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its
significance and purpose are, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is
symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desired.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a
letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly
of the United States, January 10, 1936; compilation: Lights of Guidance)
3/4/16
March 4
Fasting
is the cause of the elevation of one's spiritual station.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet, compilation ‘The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting’,
prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice; The American
Baha’i September 2000)
3/3/16
March 3
…obligatory prayer and fasting produce awareness and
awakening in man, and are conducive to his protection and preservation from
tests.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet, compilation: ‘The Importance of Obligatory
Prayer and Fasting’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House
of Justice; The American Baha’i September 2000)
3/2/16
March 2
The nineteen-day
fast is a duty to be observed by all. All should abstain from eating and
drinking from sunrise to sunset. This fast is conducive to the spiritual
development of the individual. The Greatest Name should be read every day.
- ‘Abdu'l-Baha (Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha vol. 1)
3/1/16
March 1
A letter which was
signed by you in general was received. Its content was of the utmost beauty,
sweetness, eloquence and perfection. While reading it the utmost happiness was
produced. It spoke of fasting during the month of the Fast. Happy is your
condition for you have executed the divine command; and have arisen to fast in
these blessed days. For this physical fasting is a symbol of the spiritual
fasting, that is, abstaining from all carnal desires, becoming characterized
with the attributes of the spiritual ones, attracted to the heavenly fragrances
and enkindled with the fire of the love of God.
- ‘Abdu'l-Baha (Tablets of
Abdu'l-Baha vol. 1)
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