March 10

There is no “grace” in the Bahá’í teachings; the Guardian doubts if the words are those of the Báb, they may be, but, unless he saw the source in the original, he could not be sure. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a message dated 30 July 1956 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Messages to Canada’)

March 8

In … responding to a believer who sought a deeper understanding on the reference to the father being regarded as head of the family, a letter written on behalf of the House of Justice stated:

As you point out in your letter, the Universal House of Justice has stated that, by inference from a number of responsibilities placed upon him, the father can be regarded as the “head” of the family. However, this term does not have the same meaning as that used generally. Rather, a new meaning should be sought in the light of the principle of the equality between men and women, and of statements of the Universal House of Justice that neither husband nor wife should ever unjustly dominate the other. The House of Justice has stated previously, in response to a question from a believer, that use of the term “head” “does not confer superiority upon the husband, nor does it give him special rights to undermine the rights of the other members of the family”. It has also stated that if agreement cannot be reached following loving consultation, “there are times … when a wife should defer to her husband, and times when a husband should defer to his wife, but neither should ever unjustly dominate the other”; this is in marked contrast to the conventional usage of the term “head” with which is associated, frequently, the unfettered right of making decisions when agreement cannot be reached between husband and wife. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 15 July 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, March 2008)

March 6

Shoghi Effendi wrote his last general letter to the western friends because he felt that the public should be made to understand the attitude the Bahá’í Faith maintains towards the prevailing economic and political problems. We should let the world know what the real aim of Bahá’u’lláh was. Up to the present Unity of Mankind was only of an academic importance. Now it is becoming more and more a subject for international statesmen to think of. It is coming to the field of practical politics. It is therefore a wonderful chance for us to come to the front and expound the teaching which is the goal and aim of the social precepts of Bahá’u’lláh. Shoghi Effendi hopes that the friends will re-echo this call to an organic unity of mankind until it forms part of the conscious faith of every living man in the world. Great judgement should be however practised lest we be misunderstood and our Faith be classed among radical movements. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 28 January 1932 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada; 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)

March 4

… religion and science are the two indispensable knowledge systems through which the potentialities of consciousness develop. Far from being in conflict with one another, these fundamental modes of the mind’s exploration of reality are mutually dependent and have been most productive in those rare but happy periods of history when their complementary nature has been recognized and they have been able to work together. The insights and skills generated by scientific advance will have always to look to the guidance of spiritual and moral commitment to ensure their appropriate application; religious convictions, no matter how cherished they may be, must submit, willingly and gratefully, to impartial testing by scientific methods. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated April 2002 to the World’s Religious Leaders; compilation: ‘Social Action’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020) 

March 2

No less serious is the stress and strain imposed on the fabric of American society through the fundamental and persistent neglect, by the governed and governors alike, of the supreme, the inescapable and urgent duty—so repeatedly and graphically represented and stressed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His arraignment of the basic weaknesses in the social fabric of the nation—of remedying, while there is yet time, through a revolutionary change in the concept and attitude of the average white American toward his Negro fellow citizen, a situation which, if allowed to drift, will, in the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, cause the streets of American cities to run with blood, aggravating thereby the havoc which the fearful weapons of destruction, raining from the air, and amassed by a ruthless, a vigilant, a powerful and inveterate enemy, will wreak upon those same cities. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a message dated July 28, 1954; ‘Citadel of Faith’)

February 28

… science and religion are two complementary systems of knowledge and practice by which human beings come to understand the world around them and through which civilization advances; … religion without science soon degenerates into superstition and fanaticism, while science without religion becomes the tool of crude materialism; … true prosperity, the fruit of a dynamic coherence between the material and spiritual requirements of life, will recede further and further out of reach as long as consumerism continues to act as opium to the human soul….

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 2 March 2013 to the Bahá’ís of Iran; compilation: ‘Social Action’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020) 

February 26

For Bahá’u’lláh explicitly reveals in His Book of Laws that the very purpose of marriage is the procreation of children who, when grown up, will be able to know God and to recognize and observe His Commandments and Laws as revealed through His Messengers. Marriage is thus, according to the Bahá’í Teachings, primarily a social and moral act. It has a purpose which transcends the immediate personal needs and interests of the parents. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 14 October 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)

February 24

In regard to your question concerning the nature and character of Bahá’í marriage:  As you have rightly stated, such a marriage is conditioned upon the full approval of all four parents. Also your statement to the effect that the principle of the oneness of mankind prevents any true Bahá’í from regarding race itself as a bar to union is in complete accord with the Teachings of the Faith on this point. For both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá never disapproved of the idea of interracial marriage, nor discouraged it. The Bahá’í Teachings, indeed, by their very nature transcend all limitations imposed by race, and as such cannot and should never be identified with any particular school of racial philosophy. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 27 January 1935 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation: ‘Family Life’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, March 2008)

February 22

We should try not to introduce any set patterns into our teaching methods; however, if this form of group meditation produces unity and a deeper understanding of the teachings, he sees no reason why it should be not used at least in the beginning of a teaching class—providing the people want to, like it, and fully understand it has nothing to do with the teachings of the Faith, but is a method which sometimes proves helpful. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a message dated 30 July 1956 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; ‘Messages to Canada’)

February 20

As the place from which spiritual forces are to radiate, the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is the focal point for dependencies to be raised up for the well-being of humanity and is the expression of a common will and eagerness to serve. These dependencies—centres of education and scientific learning as well as cultural and humanitarian endeavour—embody the ideals of social and spiritual progress to be achieved through the application of knowledge, and demonstrate how, when religion and science are in harmony, they elevate the station of the human being and lead to the flourishing of civilization. As your lives amply demonstrate, worship, though essential to the inner life of the human being and vital to spiritual development, must also lead to deeds that give outward expression to that inner transformation.  This concept of worship—inseparable from service—is promulgated by the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 18 December 2014 to the Bahá’ís in Iran; compilation: ‘Social Action’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020) 

February 18

He feels that to distribute Bahá’í pamphlets from door to door, as prepared by [a Local Spiritual Assembly], is undignified and might create a bad impression of the Faith. No doubt, it is the eagerness and devotion of the friends there that led them to make this proposal, but he does not think the best interests of the Cause are served by such a method. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a message dated 20 October 1956 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to NSA of Canada; ‘Messages to Canada’)

February 16

Above all, the utmost endeavour should be exerted by your Assembly [NSA of Canada] to familiarize the newly enrolled believers with the fundamental and spiritual verities of the Faith, and with the origins, the aims and purposes, as well as the processes of a divinely appointed Administrative Order, to acquaint them more fully with the history of the Faith, to instil in them a deeper understanding of the Covenants of both Bahá’u’lláh and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to enrich their spiritual life, to rouse them to a greater effort and a closer participation in both the teaching of the Faith and the administration of its activities, and to inspire them to make the necessary sacrifices for the furtherance of its vital interests. For as the body of the avowed supporters of the Faith is enlarged, and the basis of the structure of its Administrative Order is broadened, and the fame of the rising community spreads far and wide, a parallel progress must be achieved, if the fruits already garnered are to endure, in the spiritual quickening of its members and the deepening of their inner life. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Post script to a message dated 26 June 1956 to National Spiritual Assembly of Canada; ‘Messages to Canada’)

February 14

During the devotional part of the Nineteen Day Feast any part of the writings of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh and the Master can be read, also from the Bible and Qur'an, as these are all sacred scriptures. This part of the meeting need not be confined to prayers, though prayers can and should be read during it. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 18 October 1948 to an individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Nineteen Day Feast)

February 12

The Greater Covenant into which, as affirmed in His [the Báb’s] writings, God had, from time immemorial, entered, through the Prophets of all ages, with the whole of mankind, regarding the newborn Revelation, had already been fulfilled. It had now to be supplemented by a Lesser Covenant which He felt bound to make with the entire body of His followers concerning the One Whose advent He characterized as the fruit and ultimate purpose of His Dispensation. Such a Covenant had invariably been the feature of every previous religion. It had existed, under various forms, with varying degrees of emphasis, had always been couched in veiled language, and had been alluded to in cryptic prophecies, in abstruse allegories, in unauthenticated traditions, and in the fragmentary and obscure passages of the sacred Scriptures. In the Bábí Dispensation, however, it was destined to be established in clear and unequivocal language, though not embodied in a separate document. Unlike the Prophets gone before Him, Whose Covenants were shrouded in mystery, unlike Bahá’u’lláh, Whose clearly defined Covenant was incorporated in a specially written Testament, and designated by Him as “the Book of My Covenant,” the Báb chose to intersperse His Book of Laws, the Persian Bayán, with unnumbered passages, some designedly obscure, mostly indubitably clear and conclusive, in which He fixes the date of the promised Revelation, extols its virtues, asserts its pre-eminent character, assigns to it unlimited powers and prerogatives, and tears down every barrier that might be an obstacle to its recognition. “He, verily,” Bahá’u’lláh, referring to the Báb in His Kitáb-i-Badí‘, has stated, “hath not fallen short of His duty to exhort the people of the Bayán and to deliver unto them His Message. In no age or dispensation hath any Manifestation made mention, in such detail and in such explicit language, of the Manifestation destined to succeed Him.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

February 10

Regarding the question you asked him about the Bahá'í sacred writings: These should be regarded as the writings of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and only these should be read during the purely devotional part of the Feast. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 11 May 1948 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Nineteen Day Feast)

February 8

The present social and economic problems that are facing the British people are surely occupying their whole attention, but they should also operate as a reminder and draw them closer to spiritual matters. The people have to be made conscious of the fact that without a complete change in our outlook and a total reform of the guiding principles of our life, such as the Cause advocates, our social and economic problems cannot be solved nor our conditions ameliorated. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 7 November 1931 written 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)

February 6

Ever since the emergence of this progressive, youthful and dynamic community, [Canada] as an independent entity, and particularly since the inception of the Ten Year Plan, it has demonstrated, on several occasions, those qualities which alone can provide the guarantee of success in carrying out, as a worthy ally of her sister community in the Great Republic of the West, the sacred and historic Mission assigned to it by the Author of the Tablets of the Divine Plan. The staunchness of the faith of its members, their unyielding resolve, their ceaseless efforts, their willingness to sacrifice, their exemplary loyalty, their steadfast courage, have, time and again, been strikingly displayed, and served to fortify the hopes which I have always cherished for their future destiny. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Post script to a message dated 26 June 1956 to National Spiritual Assembly of Canada; ‘Messages to Canada’)

February 4

A successor or vicegerent the Báb never named, an interpreter of His teachings He refrained from appointing. So transparently clear were His references to the Promised One, so brief was to be the duration of His own Dispensation, that neither the one nor the other was deemed necessary. All He did was, according to the testimony of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá in “A Traveller’s Narrative,” to nominate, on the advice of Bahá’u’lláh and of another disciple, Mírzá Yahyá, who would act solely as a figurehead pending the manifestation of the Promised One, thus enabling Bahá’u’lláh to promote, in relative security, the Cause so dear to His heart. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

February 2

The worldwide Bahá’í community, as an organic whole, transcends divisions prevalent in society today, such as “North” and “South”, “developed” and “underdeveloped”. Social and economic development efforts are undertaken by Bahá’ís, irrespective of the degree of material prosperity achieved by their nations, as they strive to apply the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh to the gradual process of building a new civilization. Every follower of Bahá’u’lláh is a member of this worldwide community and can rightfully offer to contribute to a specific endeavor in any country. As the friends gain experience in social and economic development, and as they advance in their studies of various branches of learning or in their professional fields, individuals arise in every continent who have expertise in some aspect of development work and who wish to offer their services to projects at home or abroad. If their energies are not channelled effectively, and they are not given a realistic picture of Bahá’í development efforts, these friends will later become frustrated when they realize that the capacity of Bahá’í projects overseas to utilize their talents and services is limited.

For this reason, it is important that conferences, seminars and promotional materials not reinforce an image of “development projects” as understood by society at large. Bahá’í efforts in this field generally take the form of grassroots initiatives carried out by small groups of believers in the towns and villages where they reside. As these initiatives are nurtured, some grow into more substantial programs with permanent administrative structures. Yet very few can be compared with the kind of complex projects promoted and funded by government agencies and large nongovernmental organizations. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a memorandum dated 11 March 1997 to the Office of Social and Economic Development; compilation: ‘Social Action’, Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020)