June 30

'Abdu'l-Baha has pointed out that "Among the miracles which distinguish this sacred dispensation is this, that women have evinced a greater boldness than men when enlisted in the ranks of the Faith." Shoghi Effendi has further stated that this "boldness" must, in the course of time, "be more convincingly demonstrated, and win for the beloved Cause victories more stirring than any it has as yet achieved." 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated  25 May 1975; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986)

May 28

“The Bayán,” the Báb in that Book, referring to the Promised One, affirms, “is, from beginning to end, the repository of all of His attributes, and the treasury of both His fire and His light.” “If thou attainest unto His Revelation,” He, in another connection declares, “and obeyest Him, thou wilt have revealed the fruit of the Bayán; if not, thou art unworthy of mention before God.” “O people of the Bayán!” He, in that same Book, thus warns the entire company of His followers, “act not as the people of the Qur’án have acted, for if ye do so, the fruits of your night will come to naught.” “Suffer not the Bayán,” is His emphatic injunction, “and all that hath been revealed therein to withhold you from that Essence of Being and Lord of the visible and invisible.” “Beware, beware,” is His significant warning addressed to Váḥid, “lest in the days of His Revelation the Váḥid of the Bayán (eighteen Letters of the Living and the Báb) shut thee out as by a veil from Him, inasmuch as this Váḥid is but a creature in His sight.” And again: “O congregation of the Bayán, and all who are therein! Recognize ye the limits imposed upon you, for such a One as the Point of the Bayán Himself hath believed in Him Whom God shall make manifest before all things were created. Therein, verily, do I glory before all who are in the kingdom of heaven and earth.”

“In the year nine,” He, referring to the date of the advent of the promised Revelation, has explicitly written, “ye shall attain unto all good.” “In the year nine, ye will attain unto the presence of God.” And again: “After Ḥín (68) a Cause shall be given unto you which ye shall come to know.” “Ere nine will have elapsed from the inception of this Cause,” He more particularly has stated, “the realities of the created things will not be made manifest. All that thou hast as yet seen is but the stage from the moist germ until We clothed it with flesh. Be patient, until thou beholdest a new creation. Say: ‘Blessed, therefore, be God, the most excellent of Makers!’” “Wait thou,” is His statement to ‘Azím, “until nine will have elapsed from the time of the Bayán. Then exclaim: ‘Blessed, therefore, be God, the most excellent of Makers!’” “Be attentive,” He, referring in a remarkable passage to the year nineteen, has admonished, “from the inception of the Revelation till the number of Váḥid (19).” “The Lord of the Day of Reckoning,” He, even more explicitly, has stated, “will be manifested at the end of Váḥid (19) and the beginning of eighty (1280 A.H.).” “Were He to appear this very moment,” He, in His eagerness to insure that the proximity of the promised Revelation should not withhold men from the Promised One, has revealed, “I would be the first to adore Him, and the first to bow down before Him.”

- Shoghi Effendi  (God Passes By)

June 26

…four great festivals of the Bahá’í year. The two designated by Bahá’u’lláh as “the two Most Great Festivals” are, first, the Festival of Ridván, which commemorates Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration of His Prophetic Mission in the Garden of Ridván in Baghdád during twelve days in April/May 1863 and is referred to by Him as “the King of Festivals” and, second, the Báb’s Declaration, which occurred in May 1844 in Shíráz. The first, ninth and twelfth days of the Festival of Ridván are Holy Days, as is the day of the Declaration of the Báb.

The “two other Festivals” are the anniversaries of the births of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb. In the Muslim lunar calendar these fall on consecutive days, the birth of Bahá’u’lláh on the second day of the month of Muharram 1233 A.H. (12 November 1817), and the birth of the Báb on the first day of the same month 1235 A.H. (20 October 1819), respectively. They are thus referred to as the “Twin Birthdays” and Bahá’u’lláh states that these two days are accounted as one in the sight of God. He states that, should they fall within the month of fasting, the command to fast shall not apply on those days. 

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

June 24

Bahá’u’lláh affirms that in drawing up his will “a person hath full jurisdiction over his property”, since God has permitted the individual “to deal with that which He hath bestowed upon him in whatever manner he may desire”. Provisions are set out in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas for the distribution of inheritance in the case of intestacy.

…the Greatest Name of God can take various forms, all based on the word “Bahá”. The Bahá’ís in the East have implemented this injunction of the Aqdas by heading their wills with such phrases as “O Thou Glory of the All-Glorious”, “In the name of God, the All-Glorious” or “He is the All-Glorious” and the like. 

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

June 22

The Bahá’í teachings on sexual morality centre on marriage and the family as the bedrock of the whole structure of human society and are designed to protect and strengthen that divine institution. Bahá’í law thus restricts permissible sexual intercourse to that between a man and the woman to whom he is married.

In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi it is stated:

“No matter how devoted and fine the love may be between people of the same sex, to let it find expression in sexual acts is wrong. To say that it is ideal is no excuse. Immorality of every sort is really forbidden by Bahá’u’lláh, and homosexual relationships He looks upon as such, besides being against nature. To be afflicted this way is a great burden to a conscientious soul. But through the advice and help of doctors, through a strong and determined effort, and through prayer, a soul can overcome this handicap.” 

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

June 20

[While aboard the ship to America] An American came to see the Master in the late afternoon and spoke to Him about his travels around the world. ‘Abdu'l-Bahá told him,

“You have traveled in this world; I hope you will now traverse the world of the Kingdom and become a wayfarer in the realms of the spirit.” 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Quoted by Mírzá Mahmúd, ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s chronicler during His travels to the West; published in ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

June 18

… It is useful to note that the marital relationship is one that requires in many instances a profound adjustment in behaviour on the part of each partner.  Because the intimacy of the relationship exposes the best and the worst in their characters, both partners are engaged in a balancing act, so to speak. Some couples are able to achieve at the outset and to maintain a high degree of harmony throughout their marriage. Many others find they must struggle for some time to attain such harmony. While it is true that the personal rights of each party to a marriage must be upheld by the other, the relationship of one to the other, it must be borne in mind, is not based solely on a legalistic premise. Love is its very foundation. This being the case, a purely litigious reaction to the misdeeds of a partner is not appropriate. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 2 January 1996 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Family Life’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, revised March 2008)

June 16

Regarding your question concerning the Secretary of the N.S.A.: There cannot be any permanently elected Secretary who would year after year hold office, as this would be contrary to the principles of the administration; however, the Guardian feels that the N.S.A. should supply the Secretary with a paid helper in order to enable him to carry on his duties properly and at the same time pursue his own profession, if that is necessary for him. In other words the Secretary of the N.S.A. can have a full-time secretary under him if the work requires it. 

- Shoghio Effendi  (From a message dated 28 January, 1943, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Dawn of a New Day’)

June 14

The placing of the burial stone on the dead has no other significance than to emphasize our profound conviction that our souls come from our Creator and to Him they return, and in Him we believe and trust. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a message dated July 27, 1942, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Dawn of a New Day’)

June 12

The House of Justice is pleased to learn of the success you are achieving in your profession.  It advises you to view this professional activity within the context of service to the Faith and the promotion of the proclamation and teaching work.  Your musical achievements will enable you to reach a wide range of people and ultimately to proclaim the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to them through the expression of its values in your music.  You can also make valuable friendships for the Faith among the influential people you will meet as your business continues to develop.  These considerations might well guide you in the decision now before you concerning the area in which you should reside.  Bahá’í artists who achieve eminence and renown in their chosen field, and who remain dedicated to the promotion of the Faith, can be of unique assistance to the Cause at the present time when public curiosity about the Bahá’í teachings is gradually being aroused.

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 30 June 1988 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to two individuals; compilation: ‘The Importance of the Arts in Promoting the Faith’, updated at the Baha’i World Center website)

June 10

Your poem dedicated to Nabíl deeply touched me.... I would also welcome any other poems from your gifted pen on any phase or episode recounted in Nabíl’s immortal narrative. You are rendering the Cause unique and notable services. Be happy and persevere in your high endeavours. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 6 August 1933, appended in the handwriting of Shoghi Effendi to a letter written on his behalf to an individual; compilation: ‘The Importance of the Arts in Promoting the Faith’, updated at the Baha’i World Center website) 

June 8

… though he has been made truly grieved to learn of the continued and malignant opposition which the enemies of the Cause in …, and particularly the clerical element, are directing against the believers in that centre. He wishes you, however, to urge the friends not to feel in the least disheartened or discouraged, but to pursue with renewed determination, unity and vigour their sacred task of spreading and establishing the Faith, confident in the glorious future awaiting them. The greater the number of persecutions, and the more intense they become in character, the deeper their faith should be in the unique mission entrusted to them by Bahá’u’lláh, and the greater their zeal to help in hastening its complete fulfilment.

This Cause, as every Divine Cause, cannot be effectively established unless it encounters and valiantly triumphs over the forces of opposition with which it is assailed. The history of the Faith is in itself a sufficient proof of that. Trials and persecutions have always been, and will continue to be, the lot of the chosen ones of God. But these they should consider as blessings in disguise, as through them their faith will be quickened, purified and strengthened. Bahá’u’lláh compares such afflictive trials to the oil which feeds the lamp of the Cause of God. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 24 June 1936 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Crisis and Victory’, Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, October 1987; updated 2021 at the Baha’i World center website)

June 6

The Universal House of Justice has received your letter of 3 December 1994 and has instructed us to state that there is no objection to your continuing to be a tutor of yoga, which is understood to consist of mostly physical exercises.

However, at the present stage of the development of the Faith, while it is still comparatively unknown, the Bahá’ís must take care not to confuse the public as to its true nature by associating it with activities and programmes which, even though they may be admirable in themselves, are not a part of Bahá’í Teachings. As you may be aware, there is no reference to yoga in the Bahá’í Writings nor are there any specific forms of meditation enjoined on Bahá’ís, as can be seen from the following extract from a letter written on behalf of the beloved Guardian, which bears on this point:

There are no set forms of meditation prescribed in the teachings, no plan, as such, for inner development. The friends are urged — nay enjoined — to pray, and they also should meditate, but the manner of doing the latter is left entirely to the individual. You are therefore urged to be vigilant in this regard by ensuring that you neither introduce yoga to your students as being in any way associated with the Bahá’í Teachings, nor do anything which might give them the erroneous impression that the Faith is a mystical Indian movement. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 21 February 1995 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; a compilation prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, January 1, 2015)

June 4

It is natural for the heart and spirit to take pleasure and enjoyment in all things that show forth symmetry, harmony, and perfection.  For instance:  a beautiful house, a well-designed garden, a symmetrical line, a graceful motion, a well written book, pleasing garments—in fact, all things that have in themselves grace or beauty are pleasing to the heart and spirit—therefore, it is most certain that a true voice causes deep pleasure. 

- Abdu'l-Baha (Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Baha to Mrs. Mary L. Lucas, as quoted in “A Brief Account of My Visit to Acca” [Chicago:  Bahá’í Publishing Society, 1905]; compilation: ‘The Importance of the Arts in Promoting the Faith’, updated at the Baha’i World Center website) 

June 2

Marriage problems are often very involved and subtle, and we Bahá’ís, being enlightened and progressive people, should not hesitate, if it seems necessary or desirable, to turn to science for help in such matters.  If you and your husband talked over your problems—together or separately—with a good physician you might find that you can cure your own husband, or at least try to do so.  It is a great pity that two believers, united in this glorious Cause, and blessed with a family, should not be able to live together really harmoniously, and he feels you should take constructive action and not allow the situation to get worse.  When the shadow of separation hangs over a husband and wife they should leave no stone unturned in their effort to avert its becoming a reality. 

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 5 July 1949 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Family Life’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, revised March 2008)