August 30

The heart of a Bahá’i cannot but be distressed when contemplating the wretched conditions of the world which affect so many of its peoples. The challenges now facing humanity reflect the disintegrative process at play in a world that has yet to respond meaningfully to the healing message of Bahá’u’llah. In a letter dated 8 December 1935 written on his behalf to an individual believer, Shoghi Effendi stated: "The universal crisis affecting mankind is... essentially spiritual in its causes." More recently, the House of Justice has observed: "The Bahá’i community encourages and supports the manifold efforts being made by people of goodwill to better the condition of humankind and promote unity and harmony among the peoples and nations of the earth. However, the believers should never, for even one moment, lose sight of the fact that the crisis now engulfing every part of the planet is essentially spiritual." If the crisis afflicting humanity is spiritual can there be any question that its solution must also be spiritual? As the House of Justice has highlighted in its Ridván 2015 message to the Bahá’is of the world, "ultimately, it is systematic, determined, and selfless action undertaken within the wide embrace of the Plan’s framework that is the most constructive response of every concerned believer to the multiplying ills of a disordered society." In such a context the friends can gradually address the problems that face them and their surrounding communities. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 26 February 2021 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; US Baha’i National Administrative website)

August 28

The Guardian has never heard of any ruling by which a believer who does not attend three consecutive 19 Day Feasts can be deprived of his voting rights. He does not consider that such action is justifiable at all. The whole question is whether a person considers himself a Bahá’í or not, and is willing to adhere to the principles of the Faith and accept the authority of the Guardian and the Administration,—whether that individual is able, or always in a condition psychologically to attend Feasts and Bahá’í meetings is an entirely different subject. If a person makes it quite clear that they do not wish to be considered an active member of the Bahá’í Community and be affiliated with it and exert their voting right, then their name should be removed from the voting list; but if a person considers himself or herself a Bahá’í, and for various reasons is not able to be active in the affairs of the Community, then they should certainly not be removed from our voting list, least of all at present, when the number of the Bahá’í Community is so small. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 2 March 1951, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to NSA of Germany and Austria; ‘The Light of Divine Guidance’, vol. 1)

August 26

As mentioned in our letter to you dated . . . 2020, the House of Justice has advised the friends in your country that, in the process of learning how to respond to the challenge of racial prejudice, it is not possible for them to “effect the transformation envisioned by Bahá’u’lláh merely by adopting the perspectives, practices, concepts, criticisms, and language of contemporary society.” Instead, their approach “will be distinguished by maintaining a humble posture of learning, weighing alternatives in the light of His teachings, consulting to harmonize differing views and shape collective action, and marching forward with unbreakable unity in serried lines.” 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 29 July 2021 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; US Baha’i National Administrative website)

August 24

You should never look at your own limitations, much less allow them to deter you from promoting the Message. For the believers, whether capable or not, whether poor or rich, and whether influential or obscure, are after all but mere channels through which God carries His message to mankind. They are instruments, whereby He communicates His will to His people. The friends, therefore, must cease looking at their own deficiencies in a way that would kill in them the spirit of initiative and of service. They should have confidence in the divine assistance promised to them by Bahá'u'lláh, and kill in them the spirit of initiative and of service. They should have confidence in the divine assistance promised to them by Bahá'u'lláh, and strengthened and revived by such an assurance they should continue to toil till the very end of their life. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 18 March 1934 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, The Power of Divine Assistance)

August 22

You will no doubt be familiar with the guidance provided by the Universal House of Justice in its Ridván 2010 message concerning “certain fundamental concepts” that pertain to instances of social action pursued by Bahá’ís, which would include social and economic development projects.  Among these are the principles that “while social action may involve the provision of goods and services in some form, its primary concern must be to build capacity within a given population to participate in creating a better world” and that “social change is not a project that one group of people carries out for the benefit of another.”  Indeed, such endeavours are best initiated from within the communities they are intended to benefit, and great care must be exercised so as to ensure that the resources available from outside the community do not define the nature of the projects undertaken.  In places around the world where the process of growth is advancing well, the enhanced capabilities fostered within individuals by the training institute process are naturally giving rise to sustainable programmes of social action at the grassroots, as it is the members of a given community who are in the best position to understand their social reality, assess their needs, and trace their own path of progress.  For this reason, Bahá’ís are discouraged from designing and implementing development projects in countries other than their own. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 22 October 2012 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, online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

August 20

…the Guardian would like to point out to your Assembly that, although it is sometimes necessary to take away the voting rights of a believer for purposes of discipline, that this prerogative of the National Assembly should be used only in extreme cases. It is very bad for the believers to have the feeling that their Assembly will deal too harshly with them, and the net result can only be that a feeling of fear or alienation or resentment may grow up in their hearts towards the body that they should look to as being, not only their elected representatives, but their helper,—one might almost say their father—and the one to whom they can confidently take their problem, and whose wishes and decrees they will respect and obey unhesitatingly. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 2 March 1951, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to NSA of Germany and Austria; ‘The Light of Divine Guidance’, vol. 1)

August 18

At the outset, it is important to distinguish between partisan political activity and the discourse and action intended to bring about constructive social change. While the former is proscribed, the latter is enjoined; indeed, a central purpose of the Bahá’í community is social transformation. In society at large, often in an attempt to resolve a social problem, a political change is engendered without a concurrent effort to transform people’s understanding of the applicable underlying principles. In some instances, this can give rise to counter political action by others to eventually undo that change. However, Bahá’ís recognize that the root causes of the many ills afflicting society in this age of transition are spiritual and moral, and it is this understanding that shapes their approach to working for social transformation. Thus, the believers are engaged in initiatives across the globe which seek to bring about meaningful and enduring change on both a social and individual level—change that is guided by a shared understanding of the exigencies of this period in human history and the means for addressing them. Of course, individual Bahá’ís are, in principle, free to participate in those efforts and activities, such as peaceful rallies, that uphold constructive aims in order to support a specific movement intended to effect some immediate social change. However, should such activities gradually become diverted from their original purpose and assume a partisan character or degenerate into violence, they must of course be avoided. As part of their participation in these efforts, Bahá’ís also endeavor to share insights from the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh with others in order to elevate the conversation surrounding the search for solutions. You may wish to turn to your National Spiritual Assembly with a view to learning about the range of activities under way in your country. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 26 February 2021 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; (US Baha’i National Administrative website)

August 16

Sadly, at the current time, instead of a united effort to resolve the remaining challenges pertaining to racial prejudice in America, the matter all too often takes the form of political or contentious debate—whose aim is contest and the effort to defeat opposing views. In this perspective, thoughtful ideas that may provide insights useful to effecting lasting social change are distorted and exaggerated to emphasize divisions and make constructive exchange of views impossible. This has occurred with certain concepts and with ideas of particular thinkers, making it difficult to evaluate any merit they may contain without being drawn into a polarizing debate. Bahá’u’lláh has counselled His followers “not to view with too critical an eye the sayings and writings of men. Let them rather approach such sayings and writings in a spirit of open mindedness and loving sympathy.” Therefore, the friends are advised to avoid two extremes: either uncritically accepting every theory put forward, or dismissing entirely every theory because it falls short of the Bahá’í teachings or has flaws within it. Rather, it would be more helpful for the believers to consider such ideas as contributions to a public consultation that seeks to identify solutions to the problem of racial prejudice. Insights could then be drawn by the friends which they find to be compatible with the teachings to enhance their own efforts. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 29 July 2021, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; US Baha’i National Administrative website)

August 14

The Guardian does not think that in the case you mention, it is right to ask this old man to resign from his Masonic Lodge. Generally speaking, the friends should not enter secret societies. It is certainly much better for the believers to dissociate themselves from such organizations; but as I said, it would seem unnecessary, in this particular case, to ask a very old man to break this connection at the end of his life. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 2 March 1951, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to NSA of Germany and Austria; ‘The Light of Divine Guidance’, vol. 1)

August 12

To whom else could these significant words of Muhammad, the Apostle of God, quoted by Quddús while addressing his companions in the Fort of Shaykh Tabarsí, apply if not to those heroes of God who, with their life-blood, ushered in the Promised Day? “O how I long to behold the countenance of My brethren, my brethren who will appear at the end of the world! Blessed are We, blessed are they; greater is their blessedness than ours.” Who else could be meant by this tradition, called Hadíth-i-Jábir, recorded in the Káfí, and authenticated by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, which, in indubitable language, sets forth the signs of the appearance of the promised Qá’im? “His saints shall be abased in His time, and their heads shall be exchanged as presents, even as the heads of the Turk and the Daylamite are exchanged as presents; they shall be slain and burned, and shall be afraid, fearful and dismayed; the earth shall be dyed with their blood, and lamentation and wailing shall prevail amongst their women; these are My saints indeed.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

August 10

Let no one suggest that the Bahá’í community stands completely apart and immune from the ills of society. Let no one imagine that it is possible to eliminate every vestige of the impact of racial prejudice on the Bahá’í community before fully engaging in the work of teaching and community building within the wider society. And while there is currently a priceless opportunity for African American believers to reach out to the African American population in the United States, let it not be presumed that in some way this opportunity is closed to Bahá’ís of other racial backgrounds. Rather, the friends should make every effort to reach out to all people, offer the healing remedy of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to everyone, and invite all to participate in the challenging, but rewarding, process of learning to translate what He has written into reality and action. For it is only through an ever-swelling mass of active workers, and their ever-growing capacity to expand the reach of their activities, that the process of creating the expression of race unity in more and more social spaces and of eliminating all forms of prejudice within them can unfold. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 28 January 2022, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; US Baha’i National Administrative website)

August 8

In regard to the various questions you have raised in your letters, the Guardian does not feel that we are justified in removing a Bahá’í from the voting list just because they resign from the Spiritual Assembly. Although it is considered a moral responsibility on the part of the believers to serve on Spiritual Assemblies if they are elected, if for some reason, they feel they must resign from that body—in other words for some really weighty reason—it certainly does not mean that they have lost their Bahá’í voting rights. The friends should be encouraged to shoulder the burdens of the administrative work—on the other hand, they cannot be forced to do so if they have any valid reason to support their refusal. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 2 March 1951, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to NSA of Germany and Austria; ‘The Light of Divine Guidance’, vol. 1)

August 6

The past winter and spring have been very difficult for our beloved Guardian, and this is why he has not been able to reply to you, (or to any other National Assembly), for so long. As you know, he has been carrying on the construction of the first stage, the arcade, of the Báb’s Shrine in anticipation of having it finished for the July 9 Centenary Celebrations of His Martyrdom. This necessitated a great deal of excavation of the solid rock behind the Shrine in order to enable the arcade to be built. The Guardian himself supervised this work in order to see it was done the most economical way and as quickly as possible; this took up a great deal of his time and energy.

At the beginning of April, just when he was planning to devote himself to the correspondence of the various N.S.A.’s, Mr. Maxwell, the architect of the Shrine, became very dangerously ill, and until the present time is in Hospital with special nurses day and night. His condition is now very much better, but the constant worry, and the problems arising daily, have hitherto prevented our Guardian and his secretary from answering any mail. He wishes you to know that these are the reasons you have not heard from him for so long. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 28 June 1950 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the NSA of Germany and Austria; ‘The Light of Divine Guidance’, vol. 1)

August 4

Regarding the issue of interpretations of the phrase “pupil of the eye”, ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s statements comparing Black people to the “pupil of the eye” repudiated the pernicious and completely untenable scientific and social assertions circulating at the time that promulgated the odious view that Black people were inferior to white people and, indeed, to all other races. Today, His statements about the pupil of the eye, part of the Bahá’í Sacred Texts, serve as a metaphor that invites the reader to reflect upon and discover a range of meanings from an image that contains profound spiritual import. It points to potentialities that have to find expression in acts of selfless service. Like any artistic or spiritual literary device, however, it must not be taken to extremes in one’s personal interpretation. A metaphor is not to be taken literally. As indicated by your thoughtful insights on the matter, a Bahá’í cannot attribute some meaning to such brief passages that would stand in contradiction to Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of the oneness of humanity. It would also be unproductive and even potentially harmful to extrapolate beyond the evident meaning of the metaphor or to interpolate the Text by assigning meanings that do not exist in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s specific statements or anywhere in the Bahá’í writings—for example, by imputing characteristics to white people or other races. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 28 January 2022, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; US Baha’i National Administrative website)

August 2

…Bahá’ís are engaged in cities and villages across the globe in establishing a pattern of life in which increasing numbers, irrespective of background, are invited to take part. This pattern, expressive of the dynamic coherence between the material and spiritual dimensions of life, includes classes for the spiritual education of children in which they also develop a deep appreciation for the fundamental unity of the various world religions; groups that assist young people to navigate a crucial stage of their lives and to withstand the corrosive forces that especially target them; circles of study wherein participants reflect on the spiritual nature of existence and build capacity for service to the community and society; gatherings for collective worship that strengthen the devotional character of the community; and, in time, a growing range of endeavours for social and economic development. This pattern of community life is giving rise to vibrant and purposeful new communities wherein relationships are founded on the oneness of mankind, universal participation, justice, and freedom from prejudice. All are welcome. The process which is unfolding seeks to foster collaboration and build capacity within every human group—with no regard to class or religious background, with no concern for ethnicity or race, and irrespective of gender or social status—to arise and contribute to the advancement of civilization. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 12 February 2018 written on its behalf to an individual believer; US Baha’i National Administrative website)