February 27

In 'The Bahá'í World', Vol. XV, p. 691 we read: “Bahá'u'lláh designated those days as the 'Ayyam-i-Ha and ordained that they should immediately precede the month of 'Ala, which is the month of fasting. He enjoined upon His followers to devote these days to feasting, rejoicing, and charity.” 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, January 18, 1982; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

February 25

Known as the Ayyam-i-Há (the Days of Há), the Intercalary Days have the distinction of being associated with "the letter Há". The abjad numerical value of this Arabic letter is five, which corresponds to the potential number of intercalary days. The letter "Ha" has been given several spiritual meanings in the Holy Writings, among which is as a symbol of the Essence of God.

Bahá'u'lláh enjoined upon His followers to devote these days to feasting, rejoicing and charity. In a letter written on Shoghi Effendi's behalf it is explained that "the intercalary days are specially set aside for hospitality, the giving of gifts, etc.". 

- The Universal House of Justice  (The ‘Notes’ section of the Kitab-i-Aqdas)

February 23

Bahá’u’lláh states that a man may employ a maiden for domestic service. This was not permissible under Shí’ih Muslim practice unless the employer entered into a marriage contract with her. Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes that the “service” referred to in this verse is solely “such as is performed by any other class of servants, be they young or old, in exchange for wages” (Q and A 30). An employer has no sexual rights over his maid. She is “free to choose a husband at whatever time she pleaseth”, for the purchase of women is forbidden (Q and A 30). 

- The Universal House of Justice  (The 'Notes' section of the Kitab-i-Aqdas)

February 21

Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them [Baha’i youth] scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Baha'i activity or social service. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 8 May 1985 addressed to the Baha'i youth of the world; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

February 19

The Baha'i work for the reconstruction of human society can… be seen to comprise three streams: the most fundamental is the spreading of the Word of God, the winning of the allegiance of ever-greater numbers of men and women to the Cause of Baha'u'llah and the establishment of the Baha'i Administrative Order; concurrent with this is the contribution to human advancement and to the progress of the Baha'i community made by individual Baha'is in the pursuit of their daily work; and then there are the projects and institutions for human advancement launched and operated by Baha'i Spiritual Assemblies as their resources grow and the range of their activities expands. It is for the Universal House of Justice to direct the energies of the believers in these various channels and to make known what activities are timely and have priority. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 21 August 1977 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

February 17

…there is nothing in the authoritative Bahá’í Writings to indicate that the Lesser Peace would be established before the end of the twentieth century. However, there are clear statements affirming that the unity of nations would be, in the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “securely established” during the twentieth century.

… the evolution of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh is an organic process proceeding in accordance with the Divine Will and animated by a spiritual reality. In response to a question, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote: “The kingdom of peace, salvation, uprightness, and reconciliation is founded in the invisible world, and it will by degrees become manifest and apparent through the power of the Word of God!” As a result of consecrated human endeavor over decades, and indeed centuries, this spiritual reality is gradually expressed in physical form. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 19 April 2001, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World center)

February 15

Mankind’s response to the Message of Bahá’u’lláh has been dangerously, one might say disastrously, slow. From the earliest days it has been brought to the notice of leaders and scholars, but few of these, very few, have rallied to its support. The most profound and most widespread response has been from the middle classes and indeed from the poor, the unlettered, the deprived and the suffering. But, as the Guardian’s secretary wrote on his behalf on 20 June 1942,

“That is perhaps what is most glorious about our present activities all over the world, that we, a band not large in numbers, not possessing financial backing or the prestige of great names, should, in the name of our beloved Faith, be forging ahead at such a pace, and demonstrating to future and present generations that it is the God-given qualities of our religion that are raising it up and not the transient support of worldly fame and power. All that will come later, when it has been made clear beyond the shadow of a doubt that what raised aloft the banner of Bahá’u’lláh was the love, sacrifice, and devotion of His humble followers and the change that His teachings wrought in their hearts and lives.” 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 21 August 1977, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

February 13

The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Baha'i youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Baha'u'llah's stupendous Revelation. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 8 May 1985 addressed to the Baha'i youth of the world; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

February 11

You write that the people who you are trying to reach are not well educated and thus not able to comprehend the language of the Writings. It is not the prerogative of anyone to judge what another individual is capable of understanding from the Word of God. Consider, for instance, that throughout the world millions of Christians, from all walks of life, have for generations derived spiritual sustenance from the King James Bible. The publication of the Bible in simplified English is a relatively recent development and coincides with a period in which Christian organizations have lost much of their historical vitality; it also coincides with the lamentable decline in the standard of English usage in the United States and other English-speaking countries. An even more potent example relates to Islám, many generations of the adherents of which, literate or illiterate, have memorized all or large portions of their Holy Book, the Qur’án; it would be unthinkable to such believers to be presented with the proposition of simplifying the language of Muhammad’s Revelation. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 12 August 1998 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

February 9

Banning nuclear weapons, prohibiting the use of poison gases, or outlawing germ warfare will not remove the root causes of war. However important such practical measures obviously are as elements of the peace process, they are in themselves too superficial to exert enduring influence. Peoples are ingenious enough to invent yet other forms of warfare, and to use food, raw materials, finance, industrial power, ideology, and terrorism to subvert one another in an endless quest for supremacy and dominion. Nor can the present massive dislocation in the affairs of humanity be resolved through the settlement of specific conflicts or disagreements among nations. A genuine universal framework must be adopted. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (‘The Promise of World Peace’, 1985)

February 7

The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh constitutes, indeed, the stage of maturity in the development of mankind. His appearance has released such spiritual forces which will continue to animate, for many long years to come, the world in its development. Whatever progress may be achieved in later ages—after the unification of the whole human race is achieved—will be but improvements in the machinery of the world. For the machinery itself has been already created by Bahá’u’lláh. The task of continually improving and perfecting this machinery is one which later Prophets will be called upon to achieve. They will thus move and work within the orbit of the Bahá’í Cycle. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated August 1936 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; quoted in a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer dated 6 January 1998; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

February 5

…although Bahá’ís believe that the Teachings and Order of Bahá’u’lláh are the solution to the current problems of mankind, they abstain completely from ever attempting to put them into effect through political action. Only if people voluntarily accept them and submit themselves freely to this Order will it be implemented in the world. Bahá’ís should never attempt to impose their belief on anyone. Bahá’u’lláh has given certain teachings which Bahá’ís believe to be true; they offer these teachings to the rest of mankind. Whosoever accepts them is a Bahá’í, but everyone is free to reject them. No one is ever compelled to become a Bahá’í, nor is anyone compelled to remain a Bahá’í. If one has accepted the Bahá’í Faith and later concludes that one has made a mistake, one is free to withdraw, and no stigma is attached to such an action. In all such things Bahá’ís uphold Bahá’u’lláh’s principle of independent investigation of truth. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 1 May 1991, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to two individual believers; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

February 3

Electioneering is a practice foreign to the spirit of Bahá’í administration. However, it is necessary to distinguish between electioneering and those activities which should be entirely natural and normal in Bahá’í communities. Bahá’ís travel and teach the Faith, they go pioneering, they represent the Faith in relation to non-Bahá’í agencies, they serve in positions of responsibility. There is no reason why such services should be carried on anonymously. Bahá’í voters have to acquire the maturity to estimate the character and true capacities of their fellow-believers, to be able to distinguish between a person who is self-sacrificingly serving the Cause with all due modesty, and one whose activities are carried out with the primary purpose of bringing himself or herself to the attention of the friends.

Bahá’ís, nevertheless, are subject to all the pressures and standards of the prevalent culture of the society in which they live, and can only too easily be unconsciously influenced in their behavior by the accepted norms of that culture. One of our challenging tasks as Bahá’ís, however, is to establish, through our personal conduct and through the pattern of life in our communities and institutions, those cultural standards which Bahá’u’lláh wishes us to uphold. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 18 August 1996, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

February 1

The true goal for an individual to seek is to become so filled with the spirit that it radiates through him at all times. Dedication and consecration are necessary. As one applies himself, gradually what is hard at first becomes a habit, and then it becomes a simple matter to carry on with good deeds and good service.

You should not become discouraged in any way, but you should each day endeavour to become more centred in the Faith; and as you become more centred, you will find it becomes a part of your life, and thus there will be no difficulty because of outside distractions. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 30 June 1954, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Messages to Canada’)