In the Arabic Bayán the Báb called upon His followers to
gather together once every nineteen days to show hospitality and fellowship.
Bahá’u’lláh here [in the Kitab-i-Aqdas] confirms this and notes the unifying
role of such occasions.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi after Him have gradually
unfolded the institutional significance of this injunction. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
emphasized the importance of the spiritual and devotional character of these
gatherings. Shoghi Effendi, besides further elaborating the devotional and
social aspects of the Feast, has developed the administrative element of such
gatherings and, in systematically instituting the Feast, has provided for a
period of consultation on the affairs of the Bahá’í community, including the
sharing of news and messages.
- The Universal House of Justice (The Notes
section of the Kitab-i-Aqdas)
