January 31

In its Ridván 2008 message, the House of Justice observed that, as the work of expansion and consolidation progresses, Bahá’ís will be drawn further and further into the life of the society around them. The nature of this encounter will necessarily be organic, gradual, and guided by the learning process in which the believers everywhere are already engaged. Moreover, it is hoped that the Bahá’í community’s increasing involvement with society will occur naturally in every cluster around the world. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 16 June 2009 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Social Action’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020)

January 29

The Guardian has also read with deep interest all the enclosed papers. He is firmly convinced that through perseverance and concerted action the cause of Peace will eventually triumph over all the dark forces which threaten the welfare and progress of the world today. But such purely human attempts are undoubtedly ineffective unless inspired and guided by the power of faith. Without the assistance of God, as given through the message of Bahá’u’lláh, peace can never be safely and adequately established. To disregard the Bahá’í solution for world peace is to build on foundations of sand. To accept and apply it is to make peace not a mere dream, or an ideal, but a living reality. This is the point which the Guardian wishes you to develop, to emphasize again and again, and to support by convincing arguments.  The Bahá’í peace programme is, indeed, not only one way of attaining that goal. It is not even relatively the best. It is, in the last resort, the sole effective instrument for the establishment of the reign of peace in this world. This attitude does not involve any total repudiation of other solutions offered by various philanthropists. It merely shows their inadequacy compared to the Divine Plan for the unification of the world. We cannot escape the truth that nothing mundane can in the last resort be enduring, unless supported and sustained through the power of God. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 25 September 1933 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Peace’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, Revised September 1990; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

January 27

With regard to the harmony of science and religion, the Writings of the Central Figures and the commentaries of the Guardian make abundantly clear that the task of humanity, including the Bahá’í community that serves as the “leaven” within it, is to create a global civilization which embodies both the spiritual and material dimensions of existence. The nature and scope of such a civilization are still beyond anything the present generation can conceive. The prosecution of this vast enterprise will depend on a progressive interaction between the truths and principles of religion and the discoveries and insights of scientific inquiry.  This entails living with ambiguities as a natural and inescapable feature of the process of exploring reality. It also requires us not to limit science to any particular school of thought or methodological approach postulated in the course of its development. The challenge facing Bahá’í thinkers is to provide responsible leadership in this endeavour, since it is they who have both the priceless insights of the Revelation and the advantages conferred by scientific investigation. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 19 May 1995 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Social Action’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020)

January 25

The different nations of the world will never attain peace except after recognizing the significance of the teachings and whole-heartedly upholding them for through those precepts all international problems will be solved and every man will secure the spiritual environment in which his soul can evolve and produce its highest fruits.

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 15 January 1933 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Peace’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, Revised September 1990; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

January 23

The world is in great turmoil, and what is most pathetic is that it has learned to keep away from God, Who alone can save it and alleviate its sufferings.  It is our duty, we who have been trusted with the task of applying the divine remedy given by Bahá’u’lláh, to concentrate our attention upon the consummation of this task, and not rest until the peace foretold by the Prophets of God is permanently established....

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 9 December 1931 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of Tokyo; compilation: ‘Peace’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, Revised September 1990; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

January 21

This last world war together with the treaty of peace and its consequences have taught humanity that unless national, religious and political prejudices be abolished, unless universal brotherhood be established, unless spiritual civilization be given an equal footing with material civilization and thereby change the standard of individual, national and international morality, the world is doomed to failure and society to utter destruction. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written circa 1924 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Social Action’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020) 

January 19

Regarding your question of applying the sanction of suspension of voting rights to people who marry without the consent of parents, this should be done from now on. The law of the Aqdas is explicit and not open to any ambiguity at all. As long as the parents are alive, the consent must be obtained; it is not conditioned on their relationship to their children. If the whereabouts of the parents is not known legally, in other words, if they are legally dead, then it is not necessary for the children to obtain their consent, obviously. It is not a question of the child not knowing the present whereabouts of its parents, it is a question of a legal thing—if the parents are alive, they must be asked. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 10 June 1956 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Messages to Canada’)

January 17

As you know, the attention of the Bahá’í world has been, and will continue to be for at least the next fifteen years, focused on advancing the process of entry by troops. It is expected that, as this process gathers momentum at the local level, one of the natural consequences will be the emergence of a vibrant Bahá’í community life characterized by a desire to apply the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh to the needs of society. Effective social action will result, then, as capacity at the grassroots of the community increases and collective consciousness is raised. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 6 September 2006 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Social Action’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020)

January 15

Fundamentally, a great share of the Bahá’í community’s efforts has been directed at addressing the root cause of religious prejudice—ignorance. “The perpetuation of ignorance”, the House of Justice has stated, “is a most grievous form of oppression; it reinforces the many walls of prejudice that stand as barriers to the realization of the oneness of humankind…. Access to knowledge is the right of every human being, and participation in its generation, application and diffusion a responsibility that all must shoulder in the great enterprise of building a prosperous world civilization—each individual according to his or her talents and abilities.” This orientation has particularly manifested itself in the Bahá’í community’s focus on education, which has been a central concern since the inception of the Faith; in its efforts to foster in individuals a growing consciousness and capacity to recognize prejudice and to counter it; in its practice of using consultative processes in all its affairs; and in its commitment to and upholding of the dual knowledge systems of science and religion as being necessary for the advancement of civilization.  Moreover, the development of the life of the mind and independent investigation of reality, which are highly prized in the Bahá’í writings, serve to equip individuals to distinguish truth from falsehood, which is so essential if prejudices, superstitious beliefs, and outworn traditions that impede unity are to be eliminated. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá offers the assurance in this respect that “once every soul inquireth into truth, society will be freed from the darkness of continually repeating the past.” 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 27 December 2017 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Social Action’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020)

January 13

He was very sorry to hear of the prolonged inharmony in the ... Bahá’í Community.... Some of the younger believers, from letters and reports received here, seem to lack a firm grounding on such matters as the Will and Testament and the deeper spiritual teachings of the Faith. Whenever the grasp of these fundamentals is weak, the friends are almost sure to pay undue attention to secondary procedures, to quibble over details, to lose themselves in personalities, and to founder in a sea of unnecessary inharmony. This has nothing to do with their devotion, their loyalty, their zeal, their eagerness to serve. It is merely a question of not having received, perhaps through lack of sufficient teachers to carry on the all-important work of deepening the friends in their own faith, a strong enough education in the Covenant before the duties and responsibilities of the Administrative Order were thrust upon them.

He has the greatest confidence in the abilities, and the loyalty and devotion of the Canadian friends. They have proved themselves over and over again, and distinguished their community through acts of great sacrifice, vision, courage and devotion. He hopes that, during the coming year, your Assembly will be able to send out more teachers, to assist the friends in grasping the fundamentals of the Faith, in uniting them, and stimulating their desire to do more in the teaching field. If the supply of teachers is limited in Canada—and the area to be covered is certainly vast! — perhaps your Sister Assembly in the United States can help through lending visiting teachers. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 10 June 1956 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Messages to Canada’)

January 11

As regards the question about a person who is mentally ill attending the Feasts, anybody who is well enough mentally to attend a Bahá’í Feast and understand what it is all about is certainly well enough to be a voting member. Only people who are very seriously deranged mentally and confined to institutions or under constant supervision should be deprived of their voting rights. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 10 June 1956 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Messages to Canada’)

January 9

The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh encompasses all units of human society; integrates the spiritual, administrative and social processes of life; and canalizes human expression in its varied forms towards the construction of a new civilization. The Nineteen Day Feast embraces all these aspects at the very base of society. Functioning in the village, the town, the city, it is an institution of which all the people of Bahá are members. It is intended to promote unity, ensure progress, and foster joy.

"If this feast be held in the proper fashion," ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states, "the friends will, once in nineteen days, find themselves spiritually restored, and endued with a power that is not of this world." To ensure this glorious outcome the concept of the Feast must be adequately understood by all the friends. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 27 August 1989; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001’)

January 7

As regards your savings: the Guardian would advise you to act with moderation, and while he would certainly approve of your desire to contribute generously to the Cause, he would urge you at the same time to take into consideration your duties and responsibilities towards your parents, who, as you state, are in need of your financial assistance. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 10 November 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Family Life’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, March 2008) 

January 5

Bahá’ís must be careful not to be swept up in a spiral of fear and darkness engendered by prevailing conditions but, rather, devote their energies to building up a new world and promoting an environment of serenity and courage. An avenue for thoughtful believers who, as well-wishers of humanity, desire to offer a different perspective on the changes affecting their societies is through participation in relevant discourses in the various social spaces in which they are involved. Of course, in so doing, it is important that the friends steer away from becoming entangled in the political dimensions of any particular issue and instead strive to uplift people’s vision by calling attention to the root causes of the issues at hand and the principles of the Faith that address them. In sharing insights from the Bahá’í teachings, the friends can indeed become a beacon of hope so that those who are experiencing the inevitable breakdown of the lamentably defective old world order can at the same time gain understanding and draw inspiration from the teachings for the building of a new world order. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 3 December 2020 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

January 3

The Bahá’í standard of sex morality is thus very high, but it is by no means unreasonably rigid. While free love is condemned, yet marriage is considered as a holy act which every human being should be encouraged, though not forced, to perform. The sex instinct, like all other human instincts, is not necessarily evil. It is a power which, if properly directed, can bring joy and satisfaction to the individual.  If misused or abused it brings of course incalculable harm not only to the individual but also to the society in which he lives. While the Bahá’ís condemn asceticism and all extreme forms of self-mortification they at the same time view with disfavour the current theories of sex ethics which cannot but bring ruin to human society. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 29 May 1935 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Family Life’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, March 2008)

January 1

A greater involvement in the life of society, individually and collectively, will be an inevitable outcome as the process of growth gathers momentum in advanced clusters. In Bahá’í communities with limited resources too much involvement in such efforts at an early stage may dissipate their energies and detract from the coherence of activities necessary for growth. Yet, in areas where the Faith has sufficiently consolidated itself, it is natural to expect that Bahá’ís would engage in social action, initially by finding ways to apply the Teachings to the problems afflicting their families, neighbors and the communities in which they live. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 11 September 2008 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Social Action’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020)