...it is incumbent upon the girls of this glorious era to be
fully versed in the various branches of knowledge, in sciences and the arts and
all the wonders of this pre-eminent time, that they may then educate their
children and train them from their earliest days in the ways of perfection. 
...it is incumbent upon the father and mother to train their
children both in good conduct and the study of books; study, that is, to the
degree required, so that no child, whether girl or boy, will remain illiterate....
... [absolute chastity] is mainly and directly concerned
with the Bahá'í youth, who can contribute so decisively to the virility, the
purity, and the driving force of the life of the Bahá'í community, and upon
whom must depend the future orientation of its destiny, and the complete
unfoldment of the potentialities with which God has endowed it....
Bahá’u’lláh states that the essential “requisite” for
reciting “the verses of God” is the “eagerness and love” of the believers to
“read the Word of God” (Q and A 68). With regard to the definition of “verses of God”,
Bahá’u’lláh states that it refers to “all that hath been sent down from the
Heaven of Divine Utterance”. Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written to one of the
believers in the East, has clarified that the term “verses of God” does not
include the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; he has likewise indicated that this term
does not apply to his own writings.
There are many organizations that have devoted themselves to
protesting against human rights violations, and in many instances individual
Bahá’ís are among those supporting such organizations. Given the relatively
small size of the Bahá’í community throughout the world, and the fact that in a
great many places the Bahá’ís are themselves not yet fully knowledgeable of the
Teachings, it is not possible at this stage for them to assail all the evils
afflicting humanity, but must, of necessity, take the time to internalize the
principles of the Faith and expand its numbers to a degree that it can
influence a profound change in the behavior of world society.
Observe how many penal institutions, houses of detention and
places of torture are made ready to receive the sons of men, the purpose being
to prevent them, by punitive measures, from committing terrible crimes --
whereas this very torment and punishment only increaseth depravity, and by such
means the desired aim cannot be properly achieved.
…man needs an educator, and this educator must be
unquestionably and indubitably perfect in all respects and distinguished above
all men. Otherwise, if he should be like the rest of humanity, he could not be
their educator, more particularly because he must be at the same time their
material and human as well as their spiritual educator…
Baha’is view government as a system for maintaining the
welfare and orderly progress of human society, and obedience to the laws of the
land is a distinguishing feature of their beliefs.
The Guardian has urged, over and over again, the paramount
necessity for Bahá'í Youth to exemplify the Teachings, most particularly the
moral aspect of them. If they are not distinguished for their high conduct they
cannot expect other young people to take the Cause very seriously.
…how can the Bahá’í community devote its limited time to
protesting the myriad cases of human rights abuses in the world when it knows
full well that the basic solution to all problems facing society depends on the
extent to which the Bahá’í Faith and its Teachings are spread throughout the
world? It is not that the Bahá’ís are unconcerned about human rights
violations, but rather, that priority must be given to establishing the means
through which problems deeply seated in the disunity of the human race can be
resolved. Only the Cause of God can do this.
High aims and pure motives, however laudable in themselves,
will surely not suffice if unsupported by measures that are practicable and
methods that are sound. Wealth of sentiment, abundance of good will and effort,
will prove of little avail if we should fail to exercise discrimination and
restraint and neglect to direct their flow along the most profitable channels.
The unfettered freedom of the individual should be tempered with mutual
consultation and sacrifice, and the spirit of initiative and enterprise should
be reinforced by a deeper realization of the supreme necessity for concerted
action and a fuller devotion to the common weal.
Let us acknowledge at the outset the magnitude of the ruin
that the human race has brought upon itself during the period of history under
review. [20th Century] The loss of life alone has been beyond counting. The
disintegration of basic institutions of social order, the violation—indeed, the
abandonment—of standards of decency, the betrayal of the life of the mind
through surrender to ideologies as squalid as they have been empty, the
invention and deployment of monstrous weapons of mass annihilation, the
bankrupting of entire nations and the reduction of masses of human beings to
hopeless poverty, the reckless destruction of the environment of the
planet—such are only the more obvious in a catalogue of horrors unknown to even
the darkest of ages past. Merely to mention them is to call to mind the Divine
warnings expressed in Bahá’u’lláh’s words of a century ago: “O heedless ones!
Though the wonders of My mercy have encompassed all created things, both
visible and invisible, and though the revelations of My grace and bounty have
permeated every atom of the universe, yet the rod with which I can chastise the
wicked is grievous, and the fierceness of Mine anger against them terrible.”
Now is the time, as all human endeavours to repair the old
order only result in deeper and deeper confusion, to proclaim constantly and
openly the claims of the Faith and the redemptive power of Bahá'u'lláh.
…the friends must observe the specific times for the
remembrance of God, meditation, devotion and prayer, as it is highly unlikely,
nay impossible, for any enterprise to prosper and develop when deprived of
divine bestowals and confirmation.
Where Bahá'í communities are unable to free themselves from
an orientation to Bahá'í life that has long outlived whatever value it once
possessed, the teaching work will lack both the systematic character it
requires, and the spirit that must animate all effective service to the Cause.
To mistakenly identify Bahá'í community life with the mode of religious
activity that characterizes the general society--in which the believer is a
member of a congregation, leadership comes from an individual or individuals
presumed to be qualified for the purpose, and personal participation is fitted
into a schedule dominated by concerns of a very different nature--can only have
the effect of marginalizing the Faith and robbing the community of the
spiritual vitality available to it.
Before long these dark clouds of contention, negligence,
fanaticism, and rebellion shall disperse, the day of victory shall dawn above
the horizon, and a new age shall illumine the world. 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.
…social inequality is the inevitable outcome of the natural
inequality of men. Human beings are different in ability and should, therefore,
be different in their social and economic standing. Extremes of wealth and
poverty should, however, be totally abolished. Those whose brains have
contributed to the creation and improvement of the means of production must be
fairly rewarded, though these means may be owned and controlled by others.
As you know very well, the method of Bahá'í elections is at
complete variance with the methods and practices of elections in political
systems. The beloved Guardian has pointed out to us that should we follow the
method of the politicians in our Bahá'í elections, misunderstandings and
differences will arise, chaos and confusion will ensue, mischief will abound
and the confirmations of God will be cut off from that Bahá'í community. In
view of these grave warnings, the utmost care must always be exercised so that
the purity and spiritual character of Bahá'í elections are maintained and
preserved.
When one sees some inexperienced or immature Bahá'ís indulge
in electioneering, either openly or secretly, far from being tempted to imitate
them, one should resolutely arise and through proper administrative channels
and procedures assist in eradicating such tendencies and cleansing the Bahá'í
community from such evil influences.
It is perfectly in order for Bahá'í institutions to present
the Bahá'í view or recommendations on any subject of vital interest to the
Faith which is under the consideration of a government, if the governmental
authority itself invites such a submission, or if it is open to receive recommendations.
The Bahá'í Assemblies should, however, refrain from bringing pressure to bear
on the authorities in such matters, either separately or in concert with
others. The Bahá'ís will submit their views, if permissible, expressing them as
cogently and forcefully as the occasion warrants, but will not go beyond this
to the stage of pressing the authorities to adopt these views. Moreover, when
considering whether or not it is wise to make such a submission on any
particular matter, the Bahá'í Assembly concerned must take care that it will
not diffuse the energies of the Community or divert its resources by making
submissions unless the interests of Faith demand it. Likewise the Assembly must
ensure that it does not, by any minute and detailed analysis of a situation,
"needlessly alienate or estrange any government or people", or
involve the Faith in "the base clamourings and contentions of warring
sects, factions and nations."
Children are the most precious treasure a community can
possess, for in them are the promise and guarantee of the future. They bear the
seeds of the character of future society which is largely shaped by what the
adults constituting the community do or fail to do with respect to children.
They are a trust no community can neglect with impunity. An all-embracing love
of children, the manner of treating them, the quality of the attention shown
them, the spirit of adult behavior toward them— these are all among the vital
aspects of the requisite attitude. Love demands discipline, the courage to
accustom children to hardship, not to indulge their whims or leave them
entirely to their own devices. An atmosphere needs to be maintained in which
children feel that they belong to the community and share in its purpose. They
must lovingly but insistently be guided to live up to Bahá’í standards, to
study and teach the Cause in ways that are suited to their circumstances.
By the statement "the economic solution is divine in
nature" is meant that religion alone can, in the last resort, bring in
man's nature such a fundamental change as to enable him to adjust the economic
relationships of society. It is only in this way that man can control the
economic forces that threaten to disrupt the foundations of his existence, and
thus assert his mastery over the forces of nature.
It is also quite permissible for a National Spiritual
Assembly to debar an individual believer from serving on a Local Spiritual
Assembly without removing his or her voting rights and they may also debar a
believer from attending the consultative part of a Nineteen Day Feast. You may
also debar a believer from voting in elections without imposing all the other
administrative sanctions involved in administrative expulsion.
We note from reading your minutes that the enthusiasm of
some of the new believers is being tested by the reading of long, wordy letters
at Nineteen Day Feasts, and we think that something should be done about this.
While it is important that the believers be informed about important messages
from the Holy Land and other important items, it is true that the reading of
messages at Nineteen Day Feasts can become a very boring and trying experience
particularly for new believers not acquainted with many aspects of Bahá'í
administration. We think you should consider other ways and means by which
believers could be informed of vital and necessary information, such as through
bulletins, institutes and other meetings.
We have your letter of October 12, 1971 concerning the date
for the holding of the Nineteen Day Feast. It is preferable that Nineteen Day
Feasts be held on the first day of the Bahá'í month, but if it should be
difficult to do so, it is permissible to hold it on a succeeding day of the
Bahá'í month. The matter is left to the discretion of the Local Spiritual
Assembly.
It seems likely that Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet to the Pope [Pius
IX] was never delivered to him. We do not know the method used to transmit it
to him, and can only guess that Church dignitaries would not have attached
sufficient importance to it to deliver It. ...it would be wonderful if it were
actually found in the Vatican archives. The original was written in Arabic. In
1868 Bahá'u'lláh arrived in 'Akka, and the Tablet was supposedly sent from
there about that period. Unfortunately this is the closest we can come at present
to an accurate date.
European Bahá'í youth in particular face tremendous and
challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in
which the governments of the European nations have rallied to the defense of
the persecuted Bahá'ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this
continent? And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by
the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá'u'lláh than the youth? Now is an
opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active
support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The
key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of
the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the
problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways
that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your
behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness,
courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity, and spirituality set forth in the
Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and
all-conquering power of Bahá'u'lláh, which will enable you to overcome every
temptation and surmount every obstacle.
The Hands of the Cause, of Bahá'u'lláh's days, will be known
to the friends by name when the history of the Cause in Persia and the Near
East is written and available.
With reference to your question regarding the three daily
obligatory prayers: the Bahá'í worshipper is not required to recite them all
each day, but has to choose one, and should also strictly conform to any
instructions revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in connection with its recital, such as
the raising of hands, various genuflexions, etc. Those who for some reason or
other, especially when physically unable to observe these regulations owing to
illness or some bodily defect, cannot conform to these instructions, should
preferably choose the short prayer, which is exceedingly simple.
As to the use of charts generally for demonstrating spiritual
truths, the beloved Guardian pointed out the limitation of charts and diagrams
in expressing spiritual realities and even, in certain cases, discouraged their
use.
The twentieth century, the most turbulent in the history of
the human race, has reached its end. Dismayed by the deepening moral and social
chaos that marked its course, the generality of the world’s peoples are eager
to leave behind them the memories of the suffering that these decades brought
with them. No matter how frail the foundations of confidence in the future may
seem, no matter how great the dangers looming on the horizon, humanity appears
desperate to believe that, through some fortuitous conjunction of
circumstances, it will nevertheless be possible to bend the conditions of human
life into conformity with prevailing human desires.