Spiritual Food for Thought - from the Writings of Shoghi Effendi and Universal House of Justice: August 2018

August 31

It is clear from a study of the Text that infallibility is an essential attribute of the Manifestation of God. Bahá’u’lláh wrote:

“. . . the Most Great Infallibility is confined to the One Whose station is immeasurably exalted beyond ordinances or prohibitions and is sanctified from errors and omissions. . . . Were He to pronounce right to be wrong or denial to be belief, He speaketh the truth as bidden by God. This is a station wherein sins or trespasses neither exist nor are mentioned.(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pp. 108, 109)

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 26 November 1986 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)

August 30

Bahá'ís should obviously be encouraged to preserve their inherited cultural identities, as long as the activities involved do not contravene the principles of the Faith. The perpetuation of such cultural characteristics is an expression of unity in diversity. Although most of these festive celebrations have no doubt stemmed from religious rituals in bygone ages, the believers should not be deterred from participating in those in which, over the course of time, the religious meaning has given way to purely culturally oriented practices. For example, Naw-Rúz itself was originally a Zoroastrian religious festival, but gradually its Zoroastrian connotation has almost been forgotten. Iranians, even after their conversion to Islam, have been observing it as a national festival. Now Naw-Rúz has become a Bahá'í Holy Day and is being observed throughout the world, but, in addition to the Bahá'í observance, many Iranian Bahá'ís continue to carry out their past cultural traditions in connection with this Feast. Similarly, there are a number of national customs in every part of the world which have cultural rather than religious connotations.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 26 May 1982, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Cultural Diversity in the Age of Maturity)

August 29

It must be borne in mind that accounts of past events as recorded by historians of the East do not always agree with the accounts set down by chroniclers in other parts of the world. Perhaps in the future studies will be undertaken to ascertain the facts scientifically, if this is at all possible.

August 28

Individual interpretations based on a person's understanding of the teachings constitute the fruit of man's rational power and may well contribute to a more complete understanding of the Faith. Such views, however, lack authority. The believers are, therefore, free to accept or disregard them. Further, the manner in which an individual presents his interpretation is important. For example, he must at no time deny or contend with the authoritative interpretation, but rather offer his idea as a contribution to knowledge, making it clear that his views are merely his own.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 9 March 1987 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001’)

August 27

The interpretations of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Guardian are divinely guided statements of what the Word of God means and as such these interpretations are binding on the friends. However, the existence of authoritative interpretations in no way precludes the individual from engaging in his own study of the teachings and thereby arriving at his own interpretation or understanding. Indeed, Bahá’u’lláh invites the believers to "immerse" themselves in the "ocean" of His "words," that they "may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths."

August 26

Regarding your Bahá’í friend who does not fully understand the infallibility of the Manifestation of God: You should influence that person to study the matter more deeply, and to realize that the whole theory of Divine Revelation rests on the infallibility of the Prophet, be He Christ, Muhammad, Bahá’u’lláh, or one of the others. If They are not infallible, then They are not divine, and thus lose that essential link with God which, we believe, is the bond that educates men and causes all human progress.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 11 January 1942 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, quoted by the Universal House of Justice in a letter dated 26 November 1986 to a National Spiritual assembly; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)

August 25

Allegiance to the Faith cannot be partial and half-hearted. Either we should accept the Cause without any qualification whatever, or cease calling ourselves Baha’is. The new believers should be made to realize that it is not sufficient for them to accept some aspects of the teachings and reject those which cannot suit their mentality in order to become fully recognized and active followers of the Faith. In this way all sorts of misunderstandings will vanish and the organic unity of the Cause will be preserved.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated June 12, 1933, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; Baha’i News, no. 80, January 1934)

August 24

The House of Justice understands the problems of individuals and families who have come into the community and who require loving support through their transition to a new way of life, new Holy Days, and ways of celebrating the events of the new Dispensation.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 6 November 1986 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001’)

August 23

…among the members of the Bahá’í community the celebrations of former religious dispensations should be abandoned. However, Bahá’ís are encouraged to "consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship," and there is no harm in Bahá’ís sharing Christmas with Christian relatives or friends. Indeed, families may contain both Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, and the participation by Bahá’ís at celebrations of Christmas or of other religious observances, should not be made into a source of conflict but rather be used as an opportunity for demonstrating the honor due to other religions and also as an incentive for developing the celebration of Bahá’í Holy Days and anniversaries.

August 22

At the very core of the aims of the Faith are the establishment of justice and unity in the world, the removal of prejudice and enmity from among all people, the awakening of compassion and understanding in the hearts of all men and women, and the raising of all souls to a new level of spirituality and behavior through the vitalizing influence of divine Revelation. The course set forth by Baha'u'llah for the attainment of these aims is the double task of simultaneously building an ideal society and perfecting the behavior of individuals. For this dual and reciprocal transformation He has not only revealed laws, principles and truths attuned to the needs of this age, but has established the very nucleus and pattern of those institutions which are to evolve into the structure of the divinely purposed world society.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 2 July 1996 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

August 21

…the Lawḥ-i-Sulṭán [was] despatched to him [Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh] from Akká… constituting Bahá’u’lláh’s lengthiest Epistle to any single sovereign…

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Promised Day Is Come)

August 20

The believers, and particularly those who have not had sufficient experience in teaching, should be very careful in the way they present the teachings of the Cause. Sincerity, devotion and faith are not the sole conditions of successful teaching. Tactfulness, extreme caution and wisdom are equally important. We should not be in a hurry when we announce the message to the public and we should be careful to present the teachings in their entirety and not to alter them for the sake of others.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated June 12, 1933, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; Baha’i News, no. 80, January 1934)

August 19

The historian of the future, viewing more widely and in fuller perspective the momentous happenings of the Apostolic and Formative Ages of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, will no doubt be able to evaluate accurately and to describe in a circumstantial manner the causes, the implications and the effects of these Divine Messages [to the Kings during the Ministries of the Báb and Baha’u’llah] which, in their scope and effectiveness, have certainly no parallel in the religious annals of mankind.

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

August 18

…the two thousand and more verses that have streamed from the pen of Bahá’u’lláh and, to a lesser extent, from that of the Báb, addressed to individual monarchs in Europe and Asia…

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

August 17

…the Qayyúm-i-Asmá, His [The Báb’s] celebrated commentary on the Súrih of Joseph, revealed in the first year of His Mission, and characterized by Bahá’u’lláh as “the first, the greatest, and mightiest of all books” in the Bábí Dispensation…

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

August 16

It is a time for rejoicing. The Sun of Baha'u'llah is mounting the heavens, bringing into ever clearer light the contrast between the gloom, the despair, the frustrations and bewilderment of the world, and the radiance, confidence, joy and certitude of His lovers. Lift up your hearts. The Day of God is here.

- The Universal House of Justice (Ridvan message message, 1983)

August 15

He [Baha’u’llah] does not ask us to follow Him blindly; as He says in one of His Tablets, God had endowed man with a mind to operate as a torchlight and guide him to truth. Read His words, consider His teachings, and measure their value in the light of contemporary problems and the truth will surely be revealed to you. Read books such as the Iqan, Some Answered Questions, Nabil’s Narrative, and you will appreciate the truth of His mission, as well as the true spirit He creates in whosoever follows His ways.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated February 26, 1933, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; Baha’i News, no. 80, January 1934)

August 14

Those who come to recognize Bahá’u’lláh as “the representative and mouthpiece of God” in this day will naturally strive to obey, out of love for His Beauty, the laws and exhortations He has brought. It would be a profound contradiction, however, for someone to profess the intention to be a Bahá’í yet consciously reject, disregard, or contend with aspects of belief or practice ordained by Him. It would only be reasonable in such instances for a person to resolve any fundamental contradiction for himself or herself before deciding whether to make the commitment to join the Bahá’í community. An example of this would be someone who holds a political post and shows interest in the Cause. Another would be someone whose professional life is prominently associated with the manufacture or distribution of alcohol.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 5 June 2018 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

August 13

…the Bab’s photograph which appeared in Nicola’s book “Siyyid Ali Muhammad dit le Bab” many years ago is not authentic, although it presents great similarity to the original drawings of the Bab’s portrait.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated March 21, 1934., written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to NSA of the United States and Canada; Baha’i News, no. 83, May 1934)

August 12

In regard to the activities of Ahmad Sohrab, Shoghi Effendi has already stated that such attacks, however perfidious, do not justify the friends replying or taking any direct action against them. The attitude of the N.S.A. should be to ignore them entirely. For any undue emphasis on attacks made upon the Cause by Ahmad and his supporters would make them feel that they constitute a real challenge to the Cause and a menace to its institutions. Should these attacks continue and acquire a serious importance the Guardian will surely advise the N.S.A. to take definite and decisive action.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated March 21, 1934., written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to NSA of the United States and Canada; Baha’i News, no. 83, May 1934)

August 11

Concerning the best method of presenting the Master’s Will to the newcomers, Shoghi Effendi is of the opinion that the N.S.A. should first make some suitable extracts from the Testament, and to send these to all the local Assemblies for their use, so that there may be full unity in circulating the provisions of the Will among the new believers. The problem of choosing such excerpts is left entirely to the discretion of the N.S.A. The main thing, as it appears to the Guardian, is that the full station of the Bab, Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha be clearly explained, and that the origin, nature and working of the Administrative Order of the Faith be clearly stated. The full implications of such a recognition are evidently beyond the comprehension of any new believer. Such a knowledge can be acquired gradually, and only when the essentials of the Faith have been clearly recognized and adequately understood.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated March 21, 1934., written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to NSA of the United States and Canada; Baha’i News, no. 83, May 1934)

August 10

…both the spirit and the form are essential to the safe and speedy development of the Administration. To maintain full balance between them is the main and unique responsibility of the administrators of the Cause.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated December 10, 1933, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to NSA of the United States and Canada; Baha’i News, no. 81, February 1934)

August 9

The mission of the Founder of their Faith, they [Baha’is] conceive it to be, to proclaim that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is continuous and progressive, that the Founders of all past religions, though differing in the non-essential aspects of their teachings, "abide in the same Tabernacle, soar in the same heaven, are seated upon the same throne, utter the same speech and proclaim the same Faith".

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated June 1933 to the High Commissioner for Palestine; compilation: ‘Science and Technology’, compiled by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and attached to a Memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, dated 13-August 1997)

August 8

In philanthropic enterprises and acts of charity, in promotion of the general welfare and furtherance of the public good including that of every group without any exceptions whatever, let the beloved of God attract the favourable attention of all, and lead all the rest.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated January 1929 to the believers in the East, translated from Persian; compilation: ‘Science and Technology’, compiled by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and attached to a Memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, dated 13-August 1997)

August 7

Just as in the past the Prophets have been persecuted and their Mission was ridiculed, so has the message of Baha’u’llah been scoffed at as a mere impractical idealism. From His earliest youth He was put in chains, expatriated and persecuted. But what do we observe in this day? less than forty years after His death, the principles He advocated are the only solution for practical politics, the spiritual truths He voiced are the crying needs of man and the very thing he requires for his moral and spiritual development.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated February 26, 1933, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; Baha’i News, no. 80, January 1934)

August 6

Among the signs of moral downfall in the declining social order are the high incidence of violence within the family, the increase in degrading and cruel treatment of spouses and children, and the spread of sexual abuse. It is essential that the members of the community of the Greatest Name take the utmost care not to be drawn into acceptance of such practices because of their prevalence. They must be ever mindful of their obligation to exemplify a new way of life distinguished by its respect for the dignity and rights of all people, by its exalted moral tone, and by its freedom from oppression and from all forms of abuse.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 24 January 1993 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

August 5

All the spiritual and social movements existing in the world, and undoubtedly there are many of them, have some spark of the divine truth. Their very existence shows that they have something to offer to man and fulfil some purpose. But what the world needs, at such a critical moment in its history, is not a mere palliative. It needs a movement that goes deep into its social and spiritual illness and brings about a complete, fundamental change -- a change that will include in its scope both the social and spiritual reform of man. But such a movement cannot be inaugurated save by a messenger of God, revealed by Him for that very object. In similar critical moments that have punctuated the history of man in the past, a Zoroaster, a Moses, a Christ and a Muhammad appeared, and in this day, the Baha’is declare, Baha’u’llah has been revealed.

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated February 26, 1933, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; Baha’i News, no. 80, January 1934)

August 4

It is impossible to imagine how different the history of the past century and a half would have been had any of the leading arbiters of world affairs addressed by Bahá’u’lláh spared time for reflection on a conception of reality supported by the moral credentials of its Author, moral credentials of the kind they professed to hold in the highest regard. What is unmistakable to a Bahá’í is that, despite such failure, the transformations announced in Bahá’u’lláh’s message are resistlessly accomplishing themselves. Through shared discoveries and shared travails, peoples of diverse cultures are brought face to face with the common humanity lying just beneath the surface of imagined differences of identity. Whether stubbornly opposed in some societies or welcomed elsewhere as a release from meaningless and suffocating limitations, the sense that the earth’s inhabitants are indeed “the leaves of one tree” is slowly becoming the standard by which humanity’s collective efforts are now judged.

(From “One Common Faith”, a document commissioned by and prepared under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice, 2005)

August 3

As regards the meaning of the Baha’i Covenant: The Guardian considers the existence of two forms of Covenant both of which are explicitly mentioned in the literature of the Cause. First is the Covenant that every prophet makes with humanity or, more definitely, with His people that they will accept and follow the coming Manifestation who will be the reappearance of His reality. The second form of Covenant is such as the one Baha’u’llah made with His people that they should accept the Master. This is merely to establish and strengthen the succession of the series of Lights that appear after every Manifestation. Under the same category falls the Covenant the Master made with the Baha’is that they should accept His administration after Him. …

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated October 21, 1932, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; Baha’i News, no. 80, January 1934)

August 2

…no vote cast, or office undertaken, by a Baha’i should necessarily constitute acceptance, by the voter or office holder, of the entire program of any political party. No Baha’i can be regarded as either a Republican or Democrat, as such. He is above all else, the supporter of the principles enunciated by Baha’u’llah, with which, I am firmly convinced, the program of no political party is completely harmonious.

- Shoghi Effendi (Postscript to a letter dated 26 January 26 1933 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the NSA of United States and Canada; Baha’i News, no. 80, January 1934)

August 1

In reply to your email of 23 October 2002 to the Universal House of Justice, we have been asked to convey the following. It is not possible, given all of the instructions and exhortations addressed to the believers by Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi, that the House of Justice would ever advise communities that are free to pursue teaching plans that it was not timely to talk about such efforts and enrol new Baha'is. Nor could it, contrary to Baha’u’llah's explicit command, allow any other activity in the Baha'i community to diminish the responsibility of individuals to teach the Cause. Precisely the opposite is true. A major object of the recent emphasis on establishing training institutes is to increase the capacity of individuals to teach the Cause effectively. Study circles, which are local extensions of an institute, are intended to serve this purpose.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 31 October 2002, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)