April 24

As you know, the activities of the Bahá’í world in the coming years are focused on one central aim, namely, the creation of the necessary conditions for the release of that great and heavenly society-building power that is latent within the reality and essence of the Cause of God. Such a lofty goal is, of course, founded upon the significant advances achieved and the heightened capacities developed in recent years by treading the path of learning and systematic action that have led to the progress and development of the individual, the community, and the institutions and the evolution of the relationships among them throughout the world. These developments have also led to the emergence of a new and deeper understanding of the high aims of the Faith for the spiritual and social advancement of the world of humanity. It comes as no surprise then that the inauguration of this new stage took place in the presence and with the active participation of a vast number of the friends and acquaintances of the community and well-wishers yearning for spiritual, moral, and social transformation, who gathered at over ten thousand conferences in numerous places across the world and responded as never before to the lofty goals of this new Plan. The Bahá’í community had never in its history experienced such a degree of collaboration with the rest of society and of commonality in goals and views in the path of service. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (Naw-Ruz 2023 message to the Baha’is in Iran)

April 22

A glance at the writings of the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation will reveal the important and significant fact that He [Baha’u’llah] Who addressed collectively an immortal message to all the kings of the earth, Who revealed a Tablet to each of the outstanding crowned heads of Europe and Asia, Who issued His call to the sacerdotal leaders of Islám, both Sunní and Shí’ih, Who did not exclude from His purview the Jews and the Zoroastrians, has, apart from His numerous and repeated exhortations and warnings to the entire Christian world, directed particular messages, some general, others precise and challenging, to the heads, as well as to the rank and file, of the ecclesiastical orders of Christendom—its pope, its kings, its patriarchs, its archbishops, its bishops, its priests, and its monks. 

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

April 20

Through that solemn act [Baha’u’llah’s Declaration] the “delay,” of no less than a decade, divinely interposed between the birth of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation in the Síyáh-Chál and its announcement to the Báb’s disciples, was at long last terminated. The “set time of concealment,” during which as He Himself has borne witness, the “signs and tokens of a divinely-appointed Revelation” were being showered upon Him, was fulfilled. The “myriad veils of light,” within which His glory had been wrapped, were, at that historic hour, partially lifted, vouchsafing to mankind “an infinitesimal glimmer” of the effulgence of His “peerless, His most sacred and exalted Countenance.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

April 18

There is a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which states that the year of waiting is waived in the case of an unfaithful wife. This aspect of the Bahá’í law of divorce, however, will need elucidation and supplementary legislation by the Universal House of Justice. Therefore, at the present time, in divorce cases such as the one you cited, the husband must still observe the year of waiting, which involves payment of the wife’s expenses during this period. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated June 17, 1987, to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation: Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies by United States NSA, revised 2022)

The provisions of the Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá regarding exemption from the year of waiting because of infidelity applies to both husband and wife. In a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer dated 28 April 1974, which is also included in the newly released compilation on the subject of women the following is stated:

It is apparent from the Guardian’s writings that where Bahá’u’lláh has expressed a law as between a man and a woman it applies, mutatis mutandis, between a woman and a man unless the context should make this impossible.

This aspect of the Bahá’í law of divorce, however, will need elucidation and supplementary legislation by the House of Justice. Therefore, at the present time, the year of waiting must be observed when adultery on the part of either party is proven. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter from the Universal House of Justice, dated February 11, 1986, to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation: Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies by United States NSA, revised 2022)

April 16

The world outlook is so dark and over-clouded that the believers must labour day and night to give the people the message of Bahá’u’lláh, and instill in them some hope for the future. We can see more and more of the predictions of the beloved Master being fulfilled, as humanity persists in its waywardness and spiritual blindness. There is no other remedy except this Cause. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 20 October 1948 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; ‘The Light of Divine Guidance, vol. 1’)

April 14

The couple must realize that the year of patience cannot begin to run unless and until they are living apart, and it is for them to decide between them which will leave the home. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated December 2, 1965, to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation: Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies by United States NSA, revised 2022)

April 12

While there are many complexities surrounding the biological issues pertaining to sex and the social issues pertaining to gender, the Bahá’í writings affirm the generally held perspective that there are two sexes, male and female. This, of course, is not in conformity with some recent social theories that divide gender into multiple types. The House of Justice has acknowledged that there may be instances—involving largely biological rather than essentially social factors—where procedures to change sex, or to establish a single sex, would be warranted and that such a matter is a medical question on which advice from experts can be sought. Of course, the Bahá’í community does not seek to impose its values on others and does not pass judgement on others on the basis of its own moral standards. 

- The Universal House of justice  (From a letter dated 15 November 2018 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

April 10

Shoghi Effendi has been very deeply grieved to learn of … resignation from both the N.S.A. and the Sydney Local Assembly, and of his request to leave altogether the Cause. He wishes me, however, to assure your Assembly not to feel discouraged at this truly sad happening, but to confidently strive to bring him back into the community. Should he persistently refuse to return, the best thing would be to leave him to himself, and to pray for him that Bahá’u’lláh may, in His infinite mercy and love, open again his eyes, and lead him out of the state of spiritual lethargy into which he has so sadly fallen. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 4 February 1937 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the NSA of Australia and New Zealand; “Messages to the Antipodes’)

April 8

The pattern of spiritual and social life taking shape in clusters that involves study circles, children’s classes, junior youth groups, devotional meetings, home visits, teaching efforts, and reflection meetings, as well as Holy Day observances, Nineteen Day Feasts, and other gatherings, provides abundant opportunities for engagement, experience, consultation, and learning that will lead to change in personal and collective understanding and action. Issues of prejudice of race, class, and color will inevitably arise as the friends reach out to diverse populations, especially in the closely knit context of neighborhoods. There, every activity can take a form most suited to the culture and interests of the population, so that new believers can be quickened and confirmed in a nurturing and familiar environment, until they are able to offer their share to the resolution of the challenges faced by a growing Bahá’í community. For this is not a process that some carry out on behalf of others who are passive recipients—the mere extension of a congregation and invitation to paternalism—but one in which an ever-increasing number of souls recognize and take responsibility for the transformation of humanity set in motion by Bahá’u’lláh. In an environment of love and trust born of common belief, practice, and mission, individuals of different races will have the intimate connection of heart and mind upon which mutual understanding and change depend. As a result of their training and deepening, a growing number of believers will draw insights from the Writings to sensitively and effectively address issues of racial prejudice that arise within their personal lives and families, among community members, and in social settings and the workplace. As programs of growth advance and the scope and intensity of activities grow, the friends will be drawn into participation in conversations and, in time, initiatives for social action at the grassroots where issues pertaining to freedom from prejudice naturally emerge, whether directly or indirectly. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 10 April 2011 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)

April 6

Teaching the Cause is undoubtedly the most meritorious of all deeds, and the friends are doubly blessed when they combine teaching with pioneering.  Attending to the needs of the family is also of paramount spiritual importance, and it is not permissible to ignore the development of the family so as to serve the Faith in a particular way.  Teaching the Faith and meeting the needs of the family must both be regarded as high on the scale of service to God, but the particular circumstances of a family determine the degree to which each must be dealt with.  It is inevitable that the children of pioneers are called upon to share the sacrifices of their parents when they move to a foreign field, just as the children of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá shared Their sacrifices.  But it should not be forgotten that the children also partake of the spiritual blessings and rewards of pioneering. 

- The Universal House of justice  (From a letter dated 8 February 1990 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)

April 4

The Universal House of Justice has received your letter mailed 19 February 1982 in which you express your ardent desire to fulfil your responsibilities as a mother to guide your children aright and enable them to become firm supporters of the Cause of the Blessed Beauty. We are asked to convey to you the following points….

The House of Justice shares your concern that children from homes of devoted Bahá’í parents have left the Faith. Unfortunately there have been cases where parents have served the Cause to the detriment of the children and the family unit….

There are many hints in the writings concerning the guidance which parents should give their children. Perhaps you have studied A Compilation on Bahá’í Education….

This compilation contains many references to the importance of family unity. If children are raised in homes where the family is happy and united, where thoughts and actions are directed to spiritual matters and the progress of the Cause, there is every reason to believe that the children will acquire heavenly qualities and become defenders of His Faith.

It is hoped that the above will offer assistance and reassurance and enable you to approach the duties of motherhood with joy and confidence. In parenthood, as in so many fields of endeavour, we can but do our best, aware that we shall inevitably fall short of the perfect standards towards which we strive, but confident that God will support those who labour in the path of His Faith, will answer our prayers and will make good our deficiencies. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 29 March 1982 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)   

April 2

If the condition of the health of your parents is such that your presence is really needed, then you should not leave them. If, however, there is some other relative who could care for them, then you could help with the work in … and aid the friends in establishing the Faith on a solid foundation there. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 28 October 1955 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)  

March 31

... of course the Bahá’ís can and should meditate upon the significances of the writings, and endeavour to grasp their meaning to the uttermost. There can be no possible objection to this. However, certain things are, by their very nature, a mystery to us, at least in our present stage of development. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 14 January 1942 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)

March 29

‘Abdu’l-Bahá once said: “The worshipper must pray with a detached spirit, unconditional surrender of the will, concentrated attention and spiritual fervour….  Automatic, formal prayers which do not touch the core of the heart are of no avail.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 19 October 1925 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)

March 27

In Iran the officially recognized religious minorities are the adherents of the Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian Faiths, although the Baha'is outnumber them all.  The enemies of the Cause in Iran consider the Baha'is as heretical, a 'sect," "cult," or similar group. This is because the Muslims, unlike Baha'is who believe in progressive and continuous divine revelation, believe that no prophet will appear after Muhammad. Therefore, whenever Baha'is are referred to as a sect or group, the friends should try to remove this misunderstanding and proclaim the independent nature of the Faith to the non-Baha'i public.

The Baha'is are also accused of being against Islam, whereas it is easy to explain to the public that we believe that all religions of the past, including Islam, are divine in origin and are revered and respected by the followers of Baha'u'llah. Indeed, the Author of this Revelation Himself states this fact time and time again in His Writings. 

- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 26 February 1979 written on behalf of the Universal House of justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

March 25

“... the Teachings of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha do not present a definite and detailed educational system, but simply offer certain basic principles and set forth a number of teaching ideals that should guide future Baha'i educationalists in their efforts to formulate an adequate teaching curriculum which would be in full harmony with the spirit of the Baha'i Teachings, and would thus meet the requirements and needs of the modern age.

“These basic principles are available in the sacred Writings of the Cause, and should be carefully studied, and gradually incorporated in various college and university programmes. But the task of formulating a system of education which would be officially recognized by the Cause, and enforced as such throughout the Baha'i world, is one which the present-day generation of believers cannot obviously undertake, and which has to be gradually accomplished by Baha'i scholars and educationalists of the future.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer on 7 June 1939; quoted by the Universal House of Justice in a letter dated 31 August 1976; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, ‘1963-1986’)

March 23

A small community, whose members are united by their shared beliefs, characterized by their high ideals, proficient in managing their affairs and tending to their needs, and perhaps engaged in several humanitarian projects—a community such as this, prospering but at a comfortable distance from the reality experienced by the masses of humanity, can never hope to serve as a pattern for restructuring the whole of society.  That the worldwide Bahá’í community has managed to avert the dangers of complacency is a source of abiding joy to us.  Indeed, the community has well in hand its expansion and consolidation.  Yet, to administer the affairs of teeming numbers in villages and cities around the globe—to raise aloft the standard of Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order for all to see—is still a distant goal.

Therein, then, lies the challenge that must be faced by those in the forefront of the learning process which will continue to advance over the course of the next Plan.  Wherever an intensive programme of growth is established, let the friends spare no effort to increase the level of participation.  Let them strain every nerve to ensure that the system which they have so laboriously erected does not close in on itself but progressively expands to embrace more and more people….  And let them not forget the lessons of the past which left no doubt that a relatively small band of active supporters of the Cause, no matter how resourceful, no matter how consecrated, cannot attend to the needs of communities comprising hundreds, much less thousands, of men, women and children. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 28 December 2010 to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors; 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)

March 21

No detailed elaboration has been found in the Writings of the points covered in the statement by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which you quoted in your letter; the statement must be perceived in the total context of the Tablet from which it was excerpted. It gives emphasis to the requisites for the training of the young from their earliest years to enable them to meet the challenges of adult life and to contribute towards maintaining the norms of a balanced, progressive society; and it underscores the serious consequences that may be normally expected if due attention is not given to such requisites.  In a society wholly regulated by the laws and ordinances brought by Bahá’u’lláh it will be easier to appreciate the framework in which these requisites will produce their maximum effect.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s statement, it should be noted, refers to attempts made by others.  It does not refer to the individual’s own efforts to learn and refine his own character.  Fortunately, there exist the repeated promises in our sacred writings of the dispensations of God’s mercy which are accessible to errant souls, and we have proof from the lives of the heroes of the Faith, as well as from those of ordinary people, of the power of one’s faith in God to change behaviour.  As you know, a principal purpose for the coming of the Manifestation is to transform the character of individuals and, through them, the character of society as a whole.  Thus He lays down laws and ordinances which enable such a broad change to occur; the ideal end is achieved gradually through individual struggle, trial and error, and, above all, steadfast faith in God. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 4 June 1984 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)

[1] The statement of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is as follows: “It is extremely difficult to teach the individual and refine his character once puberty is passed.”  See Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, paragraph 111.7

March 19

As noted in the Ridván message, social change is not a project that one group of people carries out for the benefit of another. The scope and complexity of social action, the message explains, must be commensurate with the human resources available in a village or neighbourhood to carry it forward. This implies that efforts best begin on a modest scale and grow organically as capacity within the population develops—essentially capacity to apply with increasing effectiveness elements of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, together with the contents and methods of science, to social reality. In this light, the House of Justice has made clear in many of its recent messages that, at the present stage in the development of the Faith, building capacity to address the material needs of a local community should not be considered in isolation from a process already set in motion to address its spiritual needs. This process, of course, gathers momentum as devotional meetings, children’s classes, junior youth groups and study circles are established in a region.  It is directed by the institutions and agencies of the Faith and depends heavily on the exercise of initiative by a growing number of individuals in the region concerned for the well-being of their communities. It is such individuals—men and women, young and old—who, thus empowered, begin to make and implement decisions about their spiritual and material progress, increasing still further their collective capacity as they do so. Depending on the circumstances in the region, the endeavours of a non-profit development organization, operating in keeping with the principles of the Faith, may well help to facilitate this now more complex process of empowerment unfolding in the region.  Such an organization, which itself emerges organically and grows in strength over time, functions under the moral guidance of the institutions in the country. Those most intimately involved with the organization by necessity submit themselves to the discipline needed to ensure that their efforts constantly serve to contribute to the empowerment of a population, requiring them to work close to the grassroots, alongside the people themselves; to share in their struggles; and to recognize that economic benefits will be few. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 18 April 2010 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)