The three daily Obligatory Prayers are
to be recited individually, not in congregation.
- The Universal House of
Justice (The ‘Notes’ section of ‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
7/31/15
7/30/15
July 30
Congregational prayer in the sense of formal obligatory
prayer which is to be recited in accordance with a prescribed ritual as, for
example, is the custom in Islám where Friday prayer in the mosque is led by an
imám, has been annulled in the Bahá’í Dispensation. The Prayer for the Dead is
the only congregational prayer prescribed by Bahá’í law. It is to be recited by
one of those present while the remainder of the party stands in silence; the
reader has no special status. The congregation is not
required to face the Qiblih.
- The Universal House of Justice (‘Notes’
section of ‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
7/29/15
July 29
Some say that human existence is among those things that
have appeared in the world of being and that are due to the exigencies of
nature. Were this true, man would be the branch and nature the root. But is it
possible that there could exist a will, a consciousness, and certain
perfections in the branch which are absent in the root?
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table
talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014
revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)
7/28/15
July 28
When you consider nature itself… you see that it has neither
awareness nor will. For instance, the nature of fire is to burn; it burns
without consciousness or will. The nature of water is to flow; it flows without
consciousness or will. The nature of the sun is to shed light; it shines
without consciousness or will. The nature of vapour is to rise; it rises
without consciousness or will. It is therefore evident that the natural movements
of all created things are compelled, and that nothing moves of its own will
save animals and, in particular, man.
Man is
able to resist and oppose nature inasmuch as he discovers the natures of things
and, by virtue of this discovery, has mastery over nature itself. Indeed, all
the crafts that man has devised proceed from this discovery. For example, he
has invented the telegraph, which connects the East and the West. It is
therefore evident that man rules over nature.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table talks
in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014
revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)
7/27/15
July 27
“The
Book of God is wide open, and His Word is summoning mankind unto Him.” In such
exhilarating terms does the Supreme Pen describe the advent of the day of union
and ingathering. Bahá’u’lláh continues: “Incline your ears, O friends of God,
to the voice of Him Whom the world hath wronged, and hold fast unto whatsoever
will exalt His Cause.” He further exhorts His followers: “With the utmost
friendliness and in a spirit of perfect fellowship take ye counsel together,
and dedicate the precious days of your lives to the betterment of the world and
the promotion of the Cause of Him Who is the Ancient and Sovereign Lord of
all.”
- The Universal House of Justice (Ridvan 2013 message)
7/26/15
July 26
It can be helpful to consider that, on occasion, a believer
may discover that a personal understanding differs to some degree from the
teachings. How can it be otherwise, when our conceptions are forged in a social
milieu that Bahá’u’lláh has come to radically transform? “An exact and thorough
comprehension of so vast a system, so sublime a revelation, so sacred a trust,”
Shoghi Effendi reminds us, “is for obvious reasons beyond the reach and ken of
our finite minds.” A sensible approach is simply to recognize that the human
mind is both finite and fallible and that acquiring spiritual insight and
greater understanding is a gradual and ever-unfolding process that requires
time, continued study, reflection on action, and consultation with others. This
perspective is quite different, however, from contending with or attempting to
change explicit provisions of the Faith. Humility is required, rather than an
insistence that one’s personal views at any given time are correct.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a
letter dated 22 April 2013 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)
7/25/15
July 25
We are called upon by our beloved Master in His Will and
Testament not only to adopt it [Bahá'u'lláh's new world order] unreservedly,
but to unveil its merit to all the world. To attempt to estimate its full
value, and grasp its exact significance after so short a time since its
inception would be premature and presumptuous on our part. We must trust to
time, and the guidance of God's Universal House of Justice, to obtain a clearer
and fuller understanding of its provisions and implications. ...
- Shoghi
Effendi (From a letter dated 23 February 1924, published in ‘Bahá'í
Administration’)
7/24/15
July 24
Instruction in the schools must begin with instruction in
religion. Following religious training, and the binding of the child's heart to
the love of God, proceed with his education in the other branches of knowledge.
- ’Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet, The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Baha’i
Education)
7/23/15
July 23
It should not be surprising to find that certain aspects of the
Teachings of the Faith may not conform to one’s personal understanding. “Weigh
not the Book of God with such standards and sciences as are current amongst
you, for the Book itself is the unerring Balance established amongst men,”
Bahá’u’lláh states. “In this most perfect Balance whatsoever the peoples and
kindreds of the earth possess must be weighed, while the measure of its weight
should be tested according to its own standard, did ye but know it.” As you
persevere in your efforts to resolve your concerns, you are encouraged to focus
your attention principally on the proofs of the authority of Bahá’u’lláh. This
process will be facilitated through prayer, study of the Writings,
participation in Bahá’í community life, and identification of preconceived
ideas which are derived from the standards and theories of current society. As
the years go by and humanity’s understanding of the spiritual nature of the
human being grows and develops, its view of many of the issues that are a cause
of much uncertainty and contention today can be expected to change.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 22 December 2009 written on behalf of
the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)
7/22/15
July 22
There is a profound difference between the interpretations
of the Guardian and the elucidations of the House of Justice in exercise of its
function to "deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference,
questions that are obscure and matters that are not expressly recorded in the
Book." The Guardian reveals what the Scripture means; his interpretation
is a statement of truth which cannot be varied. Upon the Universal House of
Justice, in the words of the Guardian, "has been conferred the exclusive
right of legislating on matters not expressly revealed in the Bahá'í
writings." Its pronouncements, which are susceptible of amendment or
abrogation by the House of Justice itself, serve to supplement and apply the
Law of God. Although not invested with the function of interpretation, the
House of Justice is in a position to do everything necessary to establish the
World Order of Bahá'u'lláh on this earth. Unity of doctrine is maintained by
the existence of the authentic texts of Scripture and the voluminous
interpretations of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi together with the absolute
prohibition against anyone propounding "authoritative" or "inspired"
interpretations or usurping the function of Guardian. Unity of administration
is assured by the authority of the Universal House of Justice.
- The Universal
House of Justice (From a message dated 9 March 1965; Messages from the
Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)
7/21/15
July 21
Devote ye particular attention to the school for girls, for
the greatness of this wondrous Age will be manifested as a result of progress
in the world of women. This is why ye observe that in every land the world of
women is on the march, and this is due to the impact of the Most Great
Manifestation, and the power of the teachings of God.
- ’Abdu’l-Baha (From a
Tablet, ‘The Compilation of Compilations’, vol. I, Baha’i Education)
7/20/15
July 20
O ye recipients of the favours of God! In this new and
wondrous Age, the unshakable foundation is the teaching of sciences and arts.
According to explicit Holy Texts, every child must be taught crafts and arts,
to the degree that is needful. Wherefore, in every city and village, schools
must be established and every child in that city or village is to engage in
study to the necessary degree.
It followeth that whatever soul shall offer his aid to bring this about will
assuredly be accepted at the Heavenly Threshold, and extolled by the Company on
High.
7/19/15
July 19
“A race of men,” is His [Bahá’u’lláh’s] written
promise, “incomparable in character, shall be raised up which, with the feet of
detachment, will tread under all who are in heaven and on earth, and will cast
the sleeve of holiness over all that hath been created from water and clay.”
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 25 December 1938, published as ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’; also
included in a compilation on ‘A
New Race of Men’ prepared by the Research
Department of the Universal House of Justice and attached to a letter dated 15
September 2013 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual believer)
7/18/15
July 18
Man’s identity or rather his individuality is never lost.
His reality as a person remains intact throughout the various stages of his
development. He does not pre-exist in any form before coming into this
world....
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 26
November 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer;
compilation ‘Reincarnation and the Nature and Progress of the
Soul’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
7/17/15
July 17
Evolution in the life of the individual starts with the
formation of the human embryo and passes through various stages, and even
continues after death in another form. The human spirit is capable of infinite
development.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 26
November 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer;
compilation ‘Reincarnation and the Nature and Progress of the
Soul’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
7/16/15
July 16
The Báb hath said that the people of Bahá must develop the
science of medicine to such a high degree that they will heal illnesses by
means of foods. The basic reason for this is that if, in some component
substance of the human body, an imbalance should occur, altering its correct,
relative proportion to the whole, this fact will inevitably result in the onset
of disease. If, for example, the starch component should be unduly augmented,
or the sugar component decreased, an illness will take control. It is the
function of a skilled physician to determine which constituent of his patient's
body hath suffered diminution, which hath been augmented. Once he hath
discovered this, he must prescribe a food containing the diminished element in
considerable amounts, to re-establish the body's essential equilibrium. The
patient, once his constitution is again in balance, will be rid of his disease.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
7/15/15
July 15
…the Laws revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in the Aqdas are, whenever
practicable and not in direct conflict with the Civil Law of the land,
absolutely binding on every believer or Bahá'í institution whether in the East
or in the West. Certain laws, such as fasting, obligatory prayers, the consent
of the parents before marriage, avoidance of alcoholic drinks, monogamy, should
be regarded by all believers as universally and vitally applicable at the
present time. Others have been formulated in anticipation of a state of society
destined to emerge from the chaotic conditions that prevail to-day. When the
Aqdas is published this matter will be further explained and elucidated. What
has not been formulated in the Aqdas, in addition to matters of detail and of
secondary importance arising out of the applications of the Laws already
formulated by Bahá'u'lláh, will have to be enacted by the Universal House of
Justice. This body can supplement but never invalidate or modify in the least
degree what has already been formulated by Bahá'u'lláh.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter written
on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United
States and Canada, August 1, 1935; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)
7/14/15
July 14
…this Administrative Order is fundamentally different from
anything that any Prophet has previously established, inasmuch as Bahá’u’lláh
has Himself revealed its principles, established its institutions, appointed
the person to interpret His Word and conferred the necessary authority on the
body designed to supplement and apply His legislative ordinances. Therein lies
the secret of its strength, its fundamental distinction, and the guarantee
against disintegration and schism. Nowhere in the sacred scriptures of any of
the world’s religious systems, nor even in the writings of the Inaugurator of
the Bábí Dispensation, do we find any provisions establishing a covenant or providing
for an administrative order that can compare in scope and authority with those
that lie at the very basis of the Bahá’í Dispensation.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a
message dated February 8, 1934;
‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)
7/13/15
July 13
It should be remembered,
however, that apart from the miracle associated with the Báb’s execution, He,
unlike the Founder of the Christian religion, is not only to be regarded as the
independent Author of a divinely revealed Dispensation, but must also be recognized
as the Herald of a new Era and the Inaugurator of a great universal prophetic
cycle. Nor should the important fact be overlooked that, whereas the chief
adversaries of Jesus Christ, in His lifetime, were the Jewish rabbis and their
associates, the forces arrayed against the Báb represented the combined civil
and ecclesiastical powers of Persia, which, from the moment of His declaration
to the hour of His death, persisted, unitedly and by every means at their
disposal, in conspiring against the upholders and in vilifying the tenets of
His Revelation.
- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)
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