May 30

To feel sympathy for all those who suffer as a result of a particular conflict is, of course, entirely natural. Indeed, the heart of a Bahá’í cannot but be distressed when contemplating the suffering of so many people in the world who are caught up in human conflicts. In response to such instances, you are, of course, free to seek ways to provide support and succour to those who are so afflicted, if opportunities present themselves, or to address the matter at the level of principle, such as the promotion of peace. However, Bahá’ís are the well-wishers of all peoples and nations. You should therefore take care that the actions you consider do not amount to taking sides in the political struggles and conflicts among peoples. Bahá’ís must scrupulously avoid such taking of sides, which, however well-intentioned, often tends to exacerbate the divide and prolong the suffering rather than provide a sound resolution. If specific questions arise in this regard, you can turn to your National Spiritual Assembly. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 20 December 2023 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; Compilation: Guidance Regarding Conflict in the Middle East and Bahá’í Non-Involvement in Political Affairs, February 21, 2024; Baha’is of US National website)

May 28

To Him [Bahá’u’lláh] Jesus Christ had referred as the “Prince of this world,” as the “Comforter” Who will “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment,” as the “Spirit of Truth” Who “will guide you into all truth,” Who “shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak,” as the “Lord of the Vineyard,” and as the “Son of Man” Who “shall come in the glory of His Father” “in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,” with “all the holy angels” about Him, and “all nations” gathered before His throne. To Him the Author of the Apocalypse had alluded as the “Glory of God,” as “Alpha and Omega,” “the Beginning and the End,” “the First and the Last.” Identifying His Revelation with the “third woe,” he, moreover, had extolled His Law as “a new heaven and a new earth,” as the “Tabernacle of God,” as the “Holy City,” as the “New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” To His Day Jesus Christ Himself had referred as “the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory.” To the hour of His advent St. Paul had alluded as the hour of the “last trump,” the “trump of God,” whilst St. Peter had spoken of it as the “Day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.” His Day he, furthermore, had described as “the times of refreshing,” “the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy Prophets since the world began.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

May 26

…to limit the duration of the journey to one hour’s time, irrespective of the means of transport that are chosen to carry the body to the burial site. Bahá’u’lláh affirms that the sooner the burial takes place, “the more fitting and acceptable will it be” (Q and A 16).

The place of death may be taken to encompass the city or town in which the person passes away, and therefore the one hour’s journey may be calculated from the city limits to the place of burial. The spirit of Bahá’u’lláh’s law is for the deceased to be buried near where he or she dies. 

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

May 24

Dear friends! Alas, a thousand times alas, that a Revelation so incomparably great, so infinitely precious, so mightily potent, so manifestly innocent, should have received, at the hands of a generation so blind and so perverse, so infamous a treatment! “O My servants!” Bahá’u’lláh Himself testifies, “The one true God is My witness! This most great, this fathomless and surging ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life vein! Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake of this imperishable favor, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

May 22

In the Bayán, the Báb specified that the body of the deceased should be wrapped in five sheets of silk or cotton. Bahá’u’lláh confirmed this provision and added the stipulation that for “those whose means are limited a single sheet of either fabric will suffice”.

When asked whether the “five sheets” mentioned in the law referred to “five full-length shrouds” or “five cloths which were hitherto customarily used”, Bahá’u’lláh responded that the intention is the “use of five cloths” (Q and A 56).

Concerning the way in which the body should be wrapped, there is nothing in the Bahá’í Writings to define how the wrapping of the body is to be done, either when “five cloths” are used or only “a single sheet”. At present, the Bahá’ís are free to use their judgement in the matter. 

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

May 20

Consultation, so central to all aspects of Bahá’í life, is a fundamental principle of the Faith. Its application is not confined to the work of Bahá’í institutions. Families and individuals are also enjoined to employ it in all matters. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 18 March 2009 addressed to the Believers in the Cradle of the Faith; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

May 18

In general, the tendency to take sides and fight about issues is at the heart of the intractable problems afflicting humanity at this time. Therefore, to wade into such disputes by taking one side or another ultimately exacerbates, rather than resolves, the problem; the challenge, instead, is to find a way to rise above the specific conflict and unite people in the search for just and lasting solutions.

The Palestinian issue is a political one and should be solved at the political level. Bahá’ís have no advice to give and do not believe that political declarations by them will resolve the fundamental issues involved. The attitude of the Bahá’í community is succinctly stated by Shoghi Effendi in a letter dated 14 July 1947 to the chairman of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, which may be found on pages 287–288 of Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s The Priceless Pearl (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1969, 2017 printing). This position, quoted below, is in keeping with the general principle of non-involvement in politics.

The Bahá’í Faith is entirely non-political and we neither take sides in the present tragic dispute going on over the future of the Holy Land and its peoples nor have we any statement to make or advice to give as to what the nature of the political future of this country should be. Our aim is the establishment of universal peace in this world and our desire to see justice prevail in every domain of human society, including the domain of politics. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 24 June 2021 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; Compilation: Guidance Regarding Conflict in the Middle East and Bahá’í Non-Involvement in Political Affairs, February 21, 2024; Baha’is of US National website)

May 16

“Hasten, O my God!” He [‘Abdu’l-Baha] cried, at a time when adversity had sore beset Him, “the days of my ascension unto Thee, and of my coming before Thee, and of my entry into Thy presence, that I may be delivered from the darkness of the cruelty inflicted by them upon me, and may enter the luminous atmosphere of Thy nearness, O my Lord, the All-Glorious, and may rest under the shadow of Thy most great mercy.” “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá [O Thou the Glory of Glories]!” He wrote in a Tablet revealed during the last week of His life, “I have renounced the world and the people thereof, and am heartbroken and sorely afflicted because of the unfaithful. In the cage of this world I flutter even as a frightened bird, and yearn every day to take my flight unto Thy Kingdom. Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá! Make me to drink of the cup of sacrifice, and set me free. Relieve me from these woes and trials, from these afflictions and troubles.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

May 14

The Báb forbade His followers to ask questions of Him Whom God will make manifest (Bahá’u’lláh), unless their questions were submitted in writing and pertained to subjects worthy of His lofty station. See Selections from the Writings of the Báb.

Bahá’u’lláh removes this prohibition of the Báb. He invites the believers to ask such questions as they “need to ask”, and He cautions them to refrain from posing “idle questions” of the kind which preoccupied “the men of former times”. 

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

May 12

We are indeed living in an age which, if we would correctly appraise it, should be regarded as one which is witnessing a dual phenomenon. The first signalizes the death pangs of an order, effete and godless, that has stubbornly refused, despite the signs and portents of a century-old Revelation, to attune its processes to the precepts and ideals which that Heaven-sent Faith proffered it. The second proclaims the birth pangs of an Order, divine and redemptive, that will inevitably supplant the former, and within Whose administrative structure an embryonic civilization, incomparable and world-embracing, is imperceptibly maturing. The one is being rolled up, and is crashing in oppression, bloodshed, and ruin. The other opens up vistas of a justice, a unity, a peace, a culture, such as no age has ever seen. The former has spent its force, demonstrated its falsity and barrenness, lost irretrievably its opportunity, and is hurrying to its doom. The latter, virile and unconquerable, is plucking asunder its chains, and is vindicating its title to be the one refuge within which a sore-tried humanity, purged from its dross, can attain its destiny. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

May 10

Reflect for a moment on the religions of the past, how in every age the Cause of God has withstood the storms of enmity and opposition that have raged against it, no matter how severe. Consider, as well, how every attempt in this Dispensation to suppress the development of the Faith has spurred its further progress and released untold potentialities in its avowed supporters. Divine Will has ever been thus, for the appearance of spring is conditioned upon the bitter winds of winter. ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá has stated: “The weeping of the cloud giveth rise to the smile of the rose, and the crash of thunder maketh way for the warbling of the nightingale. The intensity of the cold bringeth on the beauty of the bloom and the chilling rain adorneth the garden with blossoms of every hue.” 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 18 March 2009 addressed to the Believers in the Cradle of the Faith; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

May 8

Acceptance of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings implies a commitment on the part of the individual to strive for one’s own spiritual development, to participate in the construction of a vibrant community, and to contribute to the common good. The collective undertakings of the Bahá’í community include the management of affairs related to personal status; the conduct of the Nineteen Day Feast and other Bahá’í gatherings; the education of children, youth and adults in spiritual and social matters, as well as in the arts and sciences; and the creation of an environment among its members that encourages mutual support in the pursuit of such activities and in service to the wider society. Freedom to acquire knowledge of the arts and sciences and to act on one’s beliefs within the parameters of obedience to civil law, the dictates of wisdom, and respect for prevailing social conditions is the prerogative of every human being. Any action that restricts this liberty represents a transgression not only of fundamental human rights and all international conventions that define and uphold these rights but also of Islamic standards of justice. In the light of such principles, to require individuals to sign a statement indicating that they will refrain from practices essential to their Faith constitutes a clear violation of freedom of conscience. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 26 March 2009 addressed to the Believers in the Cradle of the Faith; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

May 6

... the believers must inevitably distinguish between those dimensions of public issues that are in keeping with the Bahá’í teachings, which they can actively support, and those that are not, which they would neither promote nor necessarily oppose. Of course, the friends can express the sympathy and compassion they must surely feel for those who are affected by the conflict and should not hesitate to give their support to humanitarian endeavours which are aimed at the alleviation of suffering. Moreover, in sharing insights from the teachings, the friends can stand as a beacon of hope and strength 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. In attempting to determine what lines of action may be suitable in these situations, believers are advised to turn to their National Spiritual Assemblies.

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 3 January 2021 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; Compilation: Guidance Regarding Conflict in the Middle East and Bahá’í Non-Involvement in Political Affairs, February 21, 2024; Baha’is of US National website)

May 4

The friends must never mistake the Bahá’í administration for an end in itself. It is merely the instrument of the spirit of the Faith. This Cause is a Cause which God has revealed to humanity as a whole. It is designed to benefit the entire human race, and the only way it can do this is to re-form the community life of mankind, as well as seeking to regenerate the individual. The Bahá’í Administration is only the first shaping of what in future will come to be the social life and laws of community living. As yet the believers are only just beginning to grasp and practise it properly. So we must have patience if at times it seems a little self-conscious and rigid in its workings. It is because we are learning something very difficult but very wonderful—how to live together as a community of Bahá’ís, according to the glorious teachings. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 14 October 1941 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to two believers; compilation: ‘The Local Spiritual Assembly, 2017 revised edition; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

May 2

Regarding your question about the need for greater unity among the friends, there is no doubt that this is so, and the Guardian feels that one of the chief instruments for promoting it is to teach the Bahá'ís themselves, in classes and through precepts, that love of God, and consequently of men, is the essential foundation of every religion, our own included. A greater degree of love will produce a greater unity, because it enables people to bear with each other, to be patient and forgiving. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 7 July 1944 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, quoted in "Bahá'í News", Feb 1945; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Living the Life)