October 30

Today, as never before, the magnet which attracts the blessings from on high is teaching the Faith of God. The Hosts of Heaven are poised between heaven and earth, just waiting, and patiently, for the Bahá'í to step forth, with pure devotion and consecration, to teach the Cause of God, so they may rush to his aid and assistance. It is the Guardian's prayer that the Friends may treble their efforts, as the time is short -- alas, the workers too few. Let those who wish to achieve immortality step forth and raise the Divine Call. They will be astonished at the spiritual victories they will gain. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 28 March 1953 written to an individual believer on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, The Power of Divine Assistance)

October 28

He was particularly pleased to see that members of your Assembly have been out travelling and contacting the friends in an effort to deepen their understanding of the workings of the administration and also their knowledge of the Faith in general. He feels that particularly at present in Latin America this intimate, loving and friendly approach will do more to further the work than anything else. Indeed, he would go so far as to advise your Assembly to avoid deluging the friends with circulars and unnecessary bulletins. You must always bear in mind the genuine difference between the peoples of the south and the peoples of the north; to use the same techniques as those adopted in the United States would be disastrous because the mentality and background of life are quite different. Much as the friends need administration, it must be brought to them in a palatable form, otherwise they will not be able to assimilate it and instead of consolidating the work you will find some of the believers become estranged from it. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 30 June 1952 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, National Spiritual Assembly)

October 26

To presume to judge among the Messengers of God, exalting one above the other, would be to give in to the delusion that the Eternal and All-Embracing is subject to the vagaries of human preference. “It is clear and evident to thee”, are Bahá’u’lláh’s precise words, “that all the Prophets are the Temples of the Cause of God, Who have appeared clothed in divers attire. If thou wilt observe with discriminating eyes, thou wilt behold Them all abiding in the same tabernacle, soaring in the same heaven, seated upon the same throne, uttering the same speech, and proclaiming the same Faith.” To imagine, further, that the nature of these unique Figures can be—or needs to be—encompassed within theories borrowed from physical experience is equally presumptuous. What is meant by “knowledge of God”, Bahá’u’lláh explains, is knowledge of the Manifestations Who reveal His will and attributes, and it is here that the soul comes into intimate association with a Creator Who is otherwise beyond both language and apprehension: “I bear witness”, is Bahá’u’lláh’s assertion about the station of the Manifestation of God, “…that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shone forth.…” 

(From “One Common Faith”, a document commissioned by and prepared under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice)

October 24

The Báb’s captivity in a remote corner of Ádhirbáyján, immortalized by the proceedings of the Conference of Badasht, and distinguished by such notable developments as the public declaration of His mission, the formulation of the laws of His Dispensation and the establishment of His Covenant, was to acquire added significance through the dire convulsions that sprang from the acts of both His adversaries and His disciples. The commotions that ensued, as the years of that captivity drew to a close, and that culminated in His own martyrdom, called forth a degree of heroism on the part of His followers and a fierceness of hostility on the part of His enemies which had never been witnessed during the first three years of His ministry. Indeed, this brief but most turbulent period [1848-1850] may be rightly regarded as the bloodiest and most dramatic of the Heroic Age of the Bahá’í Era. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

October 22

O friends of the Beloved! Consider the recent events [in Mázindarán, Iran]. Observe how in response to this manifest injustice, which can evoke rage and rebelliousness in a person, not a trace of vengefulness is to be found in those pure hearts, those souls who have ever been immersed in the ocean of such tribulations. Rather, their attempts to obtain justice are through recourse to the law, and their appeals are made to those in authority. The Bahá’ís seek justice and long for fairness and equity, but never pursue retaliation and revenge. Their hearts are filled with pain, but wholly free of hatred and rancour. They are anxious, but their kindness and love are boundless.  They have straitened means, but magnanimous characters and lofty aims. They are driven out of their homes, but are a shelter and refuge to others. They are caught in the snares of the malicious, but their spirits soar aloft. They are wronged, but are the well-wishers of those that wrong them. They raise their children not to engage in violence and conflict, but to show forth kindness and forgiveness, so that they may not harm an ant, much less a man. Those wronged ones console their burning hearts through faith in the Ancient Beauty and through the counsels of Him Who, by the hand of His own power, reared and nurtured their spiritual forebears in those regions. He forbade conflict and contention and taught them in words such as these: “The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity.” 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 23 August 2022 to the Baha’is in Iran; authorized translation from Persian)

October 20

What is common to all who are devoted to one or another of the world’s religious systems is the conviction that it is through the Divine Revelation that the soul comes in touch with the world of God, and that it is this relationship which gives real meaning to life. Some of the most important passages in Bahá’u’lláh’s writings are those which discuss at length the nature and role of those who are the channels of this Revelation, the Messengers or “Manifestations of God.” A recurrent analogy found in these passages is that of the physical sun. While the latter shares certain characteristics of the other bodies in the solar system, it differs from them in that it is, in itself, the source of the system’s light. The planets and moons reflect light whereas the sun emits it as an attribute inseparable from its nature. The system revolves around this focal point, each of its members influenced not only by its particular composition, but by its relationship to the source of the system’s light.

In the same way, Bahá’u’lláh asserts, the human personality which the Manifestation of God shares with the rest of the race is differentiated from others in a way that fits it to serve as the channel or vehicle for the Revelation of God. 

(From ‘Baha’u’llah’; A statement prepared by the Bahá'í International Community Office of Public Information, at the request of the Universal House of Justice and published in 1992)

October 18

Unbridled nationalism, as distinguished from a sane and legitimate patriotism, must give way to a wider loyalty, to the love of humanity as a whole. Bahá’u’lláh’s statement is: “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” The concept of world citizenship is a direct result of the contraction of the world into a single neighborhood through scientific advances and of the indisputable interdependence of nations. Love of all the world’s peoples does not exclude love of one’s country. The advantage of the part in a world society is best served by promoting the advantage of the whole. Current international activities in various fields which nurture mutual affection and a sense of solidarity among peoples need greatly to be increased. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated October 1985 addressed to the Peoples of the World; ‘The Promise of World Peace’)

October 16

The daily prayers are to be said each one for himself, aloud or silent makes no difference.  There is no congregational prayer except that for the dead.  We read healing and other prayers in our meetings, but the daily prayer is a personal obligation, so someone else reading it is not quite the same thing as saying it for yourself. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 31 January 1949 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Prayer and Devotional Life’ prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, February 2019)

October 14

A number of your questions pertain to the treatment of women, and are best considered in light of the principle of the equality of the sexes which is set forth in the Bahá’í Teachings. This principle is far more than the enunciation of admirable ideals; it has profound implications in all aspects of human relations and must be an integral element of Bahá’í domestic and community life. The application of this principle gives rise to changes in habits and practices which have prevailed for many centuries. An example of this is found in the response provided on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a question whether the traditional practice whereby the man proposes marriage to the woman is altered by the Bahá’í Teachings to permit the woman to issue a marriage proposal to the man; the response is, “The Guardian wishes to state that there is absolute equality between the two, and that no distinction or preference is permitted….” With the passage of time, during which Bahá’í men and women endeavour to apply more fully the principle of the equality of the sexes, will come a deeper understanding of the far-reaching ramifications of this vital principle. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has stated, “Until the reality of equality between man and woman is fully established and attained, the highest social development of mankind is not possible.” 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 24 January 1993 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)

October 12

Racism, one of the most baneful and persistent evils, is a major barrier to peace. Its practice perpetrates too outrageous a violation of the dignity of human beings to be countenanced under any pretext. Racism retards the unfoldment of the boundless potentialities of its victims, corrupts its perpetrators, and blights human progress. Recognition of the oneness of mankind, implemented by appropriate legal measures, must be universally upheld if this problem is to be overcome. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated October 1985 addressed to the Peoples of the World; ‘The Promise of World Peace’)

October 10

The inordinate disparity between rich and poor, a source of acute suffering, keeps the world in a state of instability, virtually on the brink of war. Few societies have dealt effectively with this situation. The solution calls for the combined application of spiritual, moral and practical approaches. A fresh look at the problem is required, entailing consultation with experts from a wide spectrum of disciplines, devoid of economic and ideological polemics, and involving the people directly affected in the decisions that must urgently be made. It is an issue that is bound up not only with the necessity for eliminating extremes of wealth and poverty but also with those spiritual verities the understanding of which can produce a new universal attitude. Fostering such an attitude is itself a major part of the solution. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated October 1985 addressed to the Peoples of the World; ‘The Promise of World Peace’)

October 8

In the strict legal sense there are no “grounds” for a Bahá’í divorce. No question of misbehavior of either party is involved and the only condition under which a Bahá’í divorce may be considered is the irreconcilable antipathy of the parties. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated May 24, 1972, to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation: ‘Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies: Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities’, May 2022 edition)

October 6

Regarding the practice of children prostrating themselves before parents and grandparents during the Chinese New Year, the following has been provided in response to a similar query posed to the House of Justice in the past:

You mention the custom of a son or a daughter-in-law or other relatives, when they meet their elders, bowing before them and sometimes touching their feet with a hand as a mark of respect. As you know, the reference in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh about bowing to and prostrating before others is in the context of His teaching that no person should abase and humiliate himself before another. However, those acts which in some cultures are considered to be merely polite are not prohibited by Bahá’u’lláh and in this context no special directive is to be given to the Indian Bahá’ís. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 1 April 1994 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; included in a letter dated 4 June 2019 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice)

October 4

He has noted with care what you had written him regarding the question of admittance of applicants into the Cause. This is certainly a matter which calls for the utmost tact, wisdom and consideration on the part of Bahá’í Assemblies. While, as he himself has repeatedly stressed, a uniform procedure should be adopted and followed whereby every applicant should be required to express his whole-hearted and unconditional acceptance of the essential verities of the Cause, great care should also be taken not to insist on matters of a secondary importance which the newcomer cannot, for obvious reasons, fully grasp and apprehend at the beginning. Once the applicant has been admitted in the Community with a clear understanding of the duties and responsibilities, and essential implications which such membership entails, there would be no difficulty for him in gradually adjusting his whole ideas according to the requirements set forth in the Teachings. The process of becoming a Bahá’í is necessarily slow and gradual. The essential is not that the beginner should have a full and detailed knowledge of the Cause, a thing which is obviously impossible in the vast majority of cases, but that he should, by an act of his own will, be willing to uphold and follow the truth and guidance set forth in the Teachings, and thus open his heart and mind to the reality of the Manifestation. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; ‘Directives from the Guardian’)

October 2

Concerning your question relative to the duration of the Bahá’í Dispensation. There is no contradiction between Bahá’u’lláh’s statement in the Íqán about the renewal of the City of God once every thousand years, and that of the Guardian in the Dispensation to the effect that the Bahá’í cycle will extend over a period of at least 500,000 years. The apparent contradiction is due to the confusion of the terms cycle and dispensation. For while the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh will last for at least one thousand years, His Cycle will extend still farther, to at least 500,000 years.

The Bahá’í cycle is, indeed, incomparable in its greatness. It includes not only the Prophets that will appear after Bahá’u’lláh, but all those who have preceded Him ever since Adam. These should, indeed, be viewed as constituting but preliminary stages leading gradually to the appearance of this supreme Manifestation of God. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; ‘Directives from the Guardian’)