Bahá’u’lláh prohibits confession to, and seeking absolution
of one’s sins from, a human being. Instead one should beg forgiveness from God.
In the Tablet of Bishárát, He states that “such confession before people results
in one’s humiliation and abasement”, and He affirms that God “wisheth not the
humiliation of His servants”.
Shoghi Effendi sets the prohibition into context. His
secretary has written on his behalf that we “...are forbidden to
confess to any person, as do the Catholics to their priests, our sins and
shortcomings, or to do so in public, as some religious sects do. However, if we
spontaneously desire to acknowledge we have been wrong in something, or that we
have some fault of character, and ask another person’s forgiveness or pardon,
we are quite free to do so.”
The Universal House of Justice has also clarified that
Bahá’u’lláh’s prohibition concerning the confession of sins does not prevent an
individual from admitting transgressions in the course of consultations held
under the aegis of Bahá’í institutions. Likewise, it does not preclude the
possibility of seeking advice from a close friend or of a professional
counsellor regarding such matters.
- The Universal House of Justice (‘The Notes
section of the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
