New compilation: Passages about Bahá’u’lláh from Bahá’í Writings & Literature – vol. 1

Pdf downloadable

Prepared by: Baha’i Multimedia Resources

Bahá’u’lláh defines the characteristics of “the true servant of God”

“He is the true servant of God,” He, in another passage has written, “who, in this day, were he to pass through cities of silver and gold, would not deign to look upon them, and whose heart would remain pure and undefiled from whatever things can be seen in this world, be they its goods or its treasures. I swear by the Sun of Truth! The breath of such a man is endowed with potency, and his words with attraction.” 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

Occasions when during prayer and meditation one’s heart becomes touched by the memory of a departed soul

Someone present asked how it was that in prayer and meditation the heart often turns with instinctive appeal to some friend who has passed into the next life.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered:

“It is a law of God’s creation that the weak should lean upon the strong. Those to whom you turn may be the mediators of God’s power to you, even as when on earth. But it is the One Holy Spirit that strengthens all men.”

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘’Abdu’l-Baha in London’)

Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga

Ways of teaching the Faith - 2009: “two developments are occurring in all parts of the globe”: (1) “the practice of discussing the principles and precepts of the Faith in a general way”; (2) “the habit of conversing with friends and acquaintances on matters of spiritual import”

2009

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

Your email letter of 14 February 2009, in which you describe some concerns felt by members of your community regarding different ways of teaching the Faith, has been received by the Universal House of Justice. We have been asked to convey the following.

In your letter, you raise various questions relating to teaching, with reference to different opinions held by members of the Bahá’í community. As mentioned in the 2008 Ridván message, the friends everywhere are learning how best to apply a range of approaches and methods in sharing Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, in keeping with the receptivity of their listeners. In this context, the House of Justice has been pleased to see that two developments are occurring in all parts of the globe, irrespective of the nature of the society in question.

First, the practice of discussing the principles and precepts of the Faith in a general way, which has resulted in a great many admirers of the Cause but few enrolments, is being complemented by an increasingly direct approach to sharing Bahá’u’lláh’s Message. More often than not, the friends have found the presentation of the Faith outlined in Book 6 of the Ruhi Institute most useful in this respect. It is clear, however, that those making such a presentation need to avoid the trap of reducing it merely to a series of points of information that are enumerated for the listener. Results worldwide leave little doubt that the heart of the listener is touched when the teacher understands the logic underlying the presentation and is prepared to offer it in its fullness. That so many believers who have been taught the Faith in this way have, through study of the courses of the institute, become active supporters of the Cause in their communities stands as ample testimony to the validity of the method. This development represents an important milestone, indeed, in the progress of the Faith.

The “station occupied by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the significance of His position in this holy Dispensation”

The only known color photograph
of Abdu’l-Bahá

An attempt I strongly feel should now be made to clarify our minds regarding the station occupied by ‘Abdu’l Bahá and the significance of His position in this holy Dispensation. It would be indeed difficult for us, who stand so close to such a tremendous figure and are drawn by the mysterious power of so magnetic a personality, to obtain a clear and exact understanding of the role and character of One Who, not only in the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh but in the entire field of religious history, fulfills a unique function. Though moving in a sphere of His own and holding a rank radically different from that of the Author and the Forerunner of the Bahá’í Revelation, He, by virtue of the station ordained for Him through the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, forms together with them what may be termed the Three Central Figures of a Faith that stands unapproached in the world’s spiritual history. He towers, in conjunction with them, above the destinies of this infant Faith of God from a level to which no individual or body ministering to its needs after Him, and for no less a period than a full thousand years, can ever hope to rise. To degrade His lofty rank by identifying His station with or by regarding it as roughly equivalent to, the position of those on whom the mantle of His authority has fallen would be an act of impiety as grave as the no less heretical belief that inclines to exalt Him to a state of absolute equality with either the central Figure or Forerunner of our Faith. For wide as is the gulf that separates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from Him Who is the Source of an independent Revelation, it can never be regarded as commensurate with the greater distance that stands between Him Who is the Center of the Covenant and His ministers who are to carry on His work, whatever be their name, their rank, their functions or their future achievements. Let those who have known ‘Abdu’l Bahá, who through their contact with His magnetic personality have come to cherish for Him so fervent an admiration, reflect, in the light of this statement, on the greatness of One Who is so far above Him in station. 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah; included in ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)

Teaching and Training Institutes – background and the evolving process as of 1995

During the Nine Year Plan, [1964-1973] the Universal House of Justice called upon National Spiritual Assemblies in countries where large-scale expansion was taking place to establish teaching institutes to meet the deepening needs of the thousands who were entering the Faith. At that time, the emphasis was on acquiring a physical facility to which group after group of newly enrolled believers would be invited to attend deepening courses. Over the years, in conjunction with these institutes, and often independent of them, a number of courses—referred to, for example, as weekend institutes, five-day institutes, and nine-day institutes—were developed for the purpose of helping the friends gain an understanding of the fundamental verities of the Faith and arise to serve it. These efforts have contributed significantly to the enriching of the spiritual life of the believers and will undoubtedly continue in the future.

With the growth in the number of enrollments, it has become apparent that such occasional courses of instruction and the informal activities of community life, though important, are not sufficient as a means of human resource development, for they have resulted in only a relatively small band of active supporters of the Cause. These believers, no matter how dedicated, no matter how willing to make sacrifices, cannot attend to the needs of hundreds, much less thousands, of fledgling local communities. Systematic attention has to be given by Bahá’í institutions to training a significant number of believers and assisting them in serving the Cause according to their God-given talents and capacities.

The development of human resources on a large scale requires that the establishment of institutes be viewed in a new light. In many regions, it has become imperative to create institutes as organizational structures dedicated to systematic training. The purpose of such training is to endow ever-growing contingents of believers with the spiritual insights, the knowledge, and the skills needed to carry out the many tasks of accelerated expansion and consolidation, including the teaching and deepening of a large number of people—adults, youth and children. This purpose can best be achieved through well-organized, formal programs consisting of courses that follow appropriately designed curricula.

“one of the greatest divine wisdoms regarding the appearance of the holy Manifestations”

The divine friends must be attracted to and enamored of each other and ever be ready and willing to sacrifice their own lives for each other. Should one soul from amongst the believers meet another, it must be as though a thirsty one with parched lips has reached to the fountain of the water of life, or a lover has met his true beloved. For one of the greatest divine wisdoms regarding the appearance of the holy Manifestations is this: The souls may come to know each other and become intimate with each other; the power of the love of God may make all of them the waves of one sea, the flowers of one rose garden, and the stars of one heaven. This is the wisdom for the appearance of the holy Manifestations! When the most great bestowal reveals itself in the hearts of the believers, the world of nature will be transformed, the darkness of the contingent being will vanish, and heavenly illumination will be obtained. Then the whole world will become the Paradise of Abhá, every one of the believers of God will become a blessed tree, producing wonderful fruits. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of the Divine Plan’)

To “become distinguished in all the virtues of the human world”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá urges the friends to “become distinguished in all the virtues of the human world—

• for faithfulness and sincerity,
• for justice and fidelity,
• for firmness and steadfastness,
• for philanthropic deeds and service to the human world,
• for love toward every human being,
• for unity and accord with all people,
• for removing prejudices and promoting international peace.”

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dared 23 December 2008, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 2001-2022’)

The “salient features of a code of ethical conduct” that Bahá’u’lláh’s “indefatigable pen” revealed in “books, treatises and epistles” “to broaden the outlook and transform the character” of the Bábí community in Baghdad prior to His Declaration at Ridván

The House of Baha'u'llah in Baghdad
after restoration in early 1930s

The ascendancy achieved by Bahá’u’lláh was nowhere better demonstrated than in His ability to broaden the outlook and transform the character of the community to which He belonged. Though Himself nominally a Bábí, though the provisions of the Bayán were still regarded as binding and inviolable, He was able to inculcate a standard which, while not incompatible with its tenets, was ethically superior to the loftiest principles which the Bábí Dispensation had established.

• The salutary and fundamental truths advocated by the Báb, that had either been obscured, neglected or misrepresented, were moreover elucidated by Bahá’u’lláh, reaffirmed and instilled afresh into the corporate life of the community, and into the souls of the individuals who comprised it.
• The dissociation of the Bábí Faith from every form of political activity and from all secret associations and factions;
• the emphasis placed on the principle of non-violence;
• the necessity of strict obedience to established authority;
• the ban imposed on all forms of sedition, on back-biting, retaliation, and dispute;
• the stress laid on
• godliness,
• kindliness,
• humility and piety,
• on honesty and truthfulness,
• chastity and fidelity,
• on justice, toleration, sociability, amity and concord,
• on the acquisition of arts and sciences,
• on self-sacrifice and detachment,
• on patience, steadfastness and resignation to the will of God—

all these constitute the salient features of a code of ethical conduct to which the books, treatises and epistles, revealed during those years, by the indefatigable pen of Bahá’u’lláh, unmistakably bear witness. 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)

The Master defines “the attributes of the sincere” and “the truthful”

Wherefore, O my loving friends! Consort with all the peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, good-will and friendliness; that all the world of being may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Bahá, that ignorance, enmity, hate and rancor may vanish from the world and the darkness of estrangement amidst the peoples and kindreds of the world may give way to the Light of Unity. Should other peoples and nations be unfaithful to you show your fidelity unto them, should they be unjust toward you show justice towards them, should they keep aloof from you attract them to yourself, should they show their enmity be friendly towards them, should they poison your lives sweeten their souls, should they inflict a wound upon you be a salve to their sores. Such are the attributes of the sincere! Such are the attributes of the truthful. 

- ‘Abdu'l-Bahá ('The Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá') 

“The darkness of this gloomy night shall pass away. Again the Sun of Reality will dawn from the horizon of the hearts.” – words attributed to ‘Abdu’l-Baha

The darkness of this gloomy night shall pass away. Again the Sun of Reality will dawn from the horizon of the hearts. Have patience—wait, but do not sit idle; work while you are waiting; smile while you are wearied with monotony; be firm while everything around you is being shaken; be joyous while the ugly face of despair grins at you; speak aloud while the malevolent forces of the nether world try to crush your mind; be valiant and courageous while men all around you are cringing with fear and cowardice. Do not yield to the overwhelming power of tyranny and despotism. Serve the cause of democracy and freedom. Continue your journey to the end. The bright day is coming. The nucleus of the new race is forming. The harbinger of the new ideals of international justice is appearing. The trees of hope will become verdant; the copper of scorn and derision will be transmuted into the gold of honor and praise; the arid desert of ignorance will be transformed into the luxuriant garden of knowledge, the threatening clouds shall be dispelled and the stars of faith and charity will again twinkle in the clear heaven of human consciousness. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of 'Abdu'l-Baha recorded by Ahmad Sohrab, one of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá's secretaries and translators from 1912 to 1919; received by Alfred E. Lunt in a letter from the Holy Land; Star of the West, volume 9, no. 13, November 4, 1918)

National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Central and East Africa 1962-1963

(The Baha'i World 1954-1963)

Introducing a new site: Baha'i Holy Days: - Readings, Poems, Music, Photos, and Historical Information

A start of a gradual process of posting sample references concerning such precious days from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as well as from the letters of Shoghi Effendi, and the House of Justice. The references will be brief, intended to be of assistance for possible inclusion in commemorating such anniversaries. Additional media from other sources  - history, poems, music, videos, excerpts from talks, etc. - may also be included as appropriate. New resources will be posted about 10 days before each anniversary.

“’the society building power’ of the Faith”

“the work of not only this generation, but of many generations to come”

Bahá’u’lláh States that “the purpose for which mortal men have, from utter nothingness, stepped into the realm of being, is that they may work for the betterment of the world and live together in concord and harmony.” He has revealed teachings that make this possible. Building a society that consciously pursues this collective purpose is the work of not only this generation, but of many generations to come, and Bahá’u’lláh’s followers welcome all who labour alongside them in this undertaking.

• It means learning how to raise up vibrant, outward-looking communities;
• it means those communities learning how to bring about spiritual and material progress;
• it means learning how to contribute to the discourses that influence the direction of that progress.
• These areas of endeavour are, naturally, familiar ones. Seen from one perspective, they are quite distinct, each having its own characteristics and imperatives.
• Yet they all represent ways of awakening the energies latent in the human soul and channelling them towards the betterment of society.
• Together, they are means of releasing what the Guardian described as “the society building power” of the Faith.
• This inherent power possessed by the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh is visible even in the fledgling efforts of a Bahá’í community learning to serve humanity and promote the Word of God.

And though the world society foreshadowed in His Revelation is of course far distant, communities that are earnestly learning to apply His teachings to their social reality abound. How immensely blessed are those souls who, alive to the greatness of this Day and the significance of their actions, strive for the emergence of a society shaped by the divine teachings. 

- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 31 December, 2021; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

Happening as of 2021: “places within a cluster where the society-building power of the Faith is at its most visible”

One’s growth and development in the world of the womb is a metaphoric reminder of the acquisition of virtues to be gained in this life for the next: - ‘Abdu’l-Baha explains

Although a human being acquireth the faculties of sight, hearing, smell, and other human powers, feelings, and perfections in the world of the womb, in that world the means and capacity do not exist for these gifts to be manifested. Indeed, it is in no wise possible for sight or hearing to become evident in the womb. But when the child passeth from the narrow confines of the mother’s womb into this vast and bright world, its eyes will see, its ears will hear, its tongue will speak, and its perfections will become apparent and manifest. It will then know of a certainty—nay, clearly witness—that all these gifts were acquired and obtained in the dark world of the womb, but that world lacked the capacity to disclose these secrets. Indeed, the unborn child itself was utterly unaware of these gifts. Even if Gabriel had descended upon it and informed it that it had been favoured with such grace and bounty in that dark and confined place, the child would have rejected and denied it. Now, in like manner, with regard to the bounties, blessings, gifts, and favours that have been bestowed upon holy souls in this world and the perfections which they have acquired, this world doth not possess the capacity to disclose them. But when those souls pass to the other worlds of God, that supreme bounty will be unveiled and that great mercy will reveal its beauty. Likewise, if a fetus is deprived of these gifts, its deprivation becometh apparent and manifest after its birth. Similarly, the deprivation and deficiencies of wayward souls will also become clear and evident after they have passed away from this world. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

What humanity will witness during the Formative and Golden Ages of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh

 During this Formative Age of the Faith, and in the course of present and succeeding epochs,

• the last and crowning stage in the erection of the framework of the Administrative Order of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh -- the election of the Universal House of Justice -- will have been completed,
• the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Mother-Book of His Revelation, will have been codified and its laws promulgated,
• the Lesser Peace will have been established,
• the unity of mankind will have been achieved and its maturity attained,
• the Plan conceived by 'Abdu'l-Bahá will have been executed,
• the emancipation of the Faith from the fetters of religious orthodoxy will have been effected, and its independent religious status will have been universally recognized,

whilst in the course of the Golden Age, destined to consummate the Dispensation itself,

• the banner of the Most Great Peace, promised by its Author, will have been unfurled,
• the World Bahá'í Commonwealth will have emerged in the plenitude of its power and splendor,
• and the birth and efflorescence of a world civilization, the child of that Peace, will have conferred its inestimable blessings upon all mankind. 

- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 5 June 1947’, ‘Citadel of Faith: Messages to America 1947-1957’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, The Significance of the Formative Age of Our Faith)

1995: Release of The Prosperity of Humankind

23 January 1995

To the National spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá ís throughout the world

Dear Friends,

As the twentieth century rapidly approaches its end, there is a marked acceleration in the efforts of governments and peoples to reach common understandings on issues affecting the future of humankind. The 1992 Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, the forthcoming March 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, to be followed in September by the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, are conspicuous indications of this acceleration. These events are as capstones to the myriad activities taking place in different parts of the world involving a wide range of nongovernmental organizations and networks in an urgent search for values, ideas and practical measures that can advance prospects for the peaceful development of all peoples. In this endeavor can be discerned the gathering momentum of an emerging unity of thought in world undertakings, the realization of which our sacred scriptures describe as one of the lights of unity that will illumine the path to peace. The Bahá’ís around the world are, of course, heartened by such hopeful trends and will continue increasingly to lend moral and practical support to them as opportunities allow.

In view of the intensive attention being given to the issues of social and economic development since the Earth Summit in Brazil, we requested the Bahá’í International Community’s Office of Public Information to prepare a statement on the concept of global prosperity in the context of the Bahá'í Teachings. This statement is now ready for distribution. We are therefore very pleased to send each of you herewith a copy of The Prosperity of Humankind and to commend it to your use as you pursue activities that enable you to interact with governments, organizations, and people everywhere.

Our confident hope is that the statement will assist you to foster understanding of this important topic among the members of your communities and thus vitalize their contribution to the constructive social processes at work throughout the planet.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice

(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001’)

2002: Emergence of a New Culture

The culture now emerging is one in which groups of Bahá'u'lláh's followers explore together the truths in His Teachings, freely open their study circles, devotional gatherings and children's classes to their friends and neighbours, and invest their efforts confidently in plans of action designed at the level of the cluster, that makes growth a manageable goal. The enthusiasm with which Bahá'í communities in most parts of the world are responding to this challenge, and the results their efforts are beginning to garner have been a source of great joy to the House of Justice.

…Where Bahá'í communities are unable to free themselves from an orientation to Bahá'í life that has long outlived whatever value it once possessed, the teaching work will lack both the systematic character it requires, and the spirit that must animate all effective service to the Cause. To mistakenly identify Bahá'í community life with the mode of religious activity that characterizes the general society--in which the believer is a member of a congregation, leadership comes from an individual or individuals presumed to be qualified for the purpose, and personal participation is fitted into a schedule dominated by concerns of a very different nature--can only have the effect of marginalizing the Faith and robbing the community of the spiritual vitality available to it.

As you are certainly aware, the Four Year Plan, the Twelve Month Plan and the current Five Year Plan have been designed as progressive steps in achieving this change of Bahá'í culture. 

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 22 August 2002, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; Messages from the Universal House of Justice 2001-2022)

Introducing a site: Messages from the Universal House of Justice to Individual Believers in Response to Questions

138 messages with descriptive headings have been posted as of 17 March 2026.

See a list of descriptive headings for 51 of those messages between 1966 to 1988.

Additional lists and more messages will continue to be added to the site.

What happens when “the light of religion is quenched in men’s hearts and the divinely appointed Robe, designed to adorn the human temple, is deliberately discarded”

 No wonder, therefore, that when, as a result of human perversity, the light of religion is quenched in men’s hearts, and the divinely appointed Robe, designed to adorn the human temple, is deliberately discarded,

• a deplorable decline in the fortunes of humanity immediately sets in,
• bringing in its wake all the evils which a wayward soul is capable of revealing.
• The perversion of human nature,
• the degradation of human conduct,
• the corruption and dissolution of human institutions, reveal themselves, under such circumstances, in their worst and most revolting aspects.
• Human character is debased,
• confidence is shaken,
• the nerves of discipline are relaxed,
• the voice of human conscience is stilled,
• the sense of decency and shame is obscured,
• conceptions of duty, of solidarity, of reciprocity and loyalty are distorted, and
• the very feeling of peacefulness, of joy and of hope is gradually extinguished. 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Unfoldment of World Civilization’)

Development and Role of Local Spiritual Assembly During the Nine Year Plan - Guidance from the Universal House of Justice

A compilation of excerpts from messages dated December 31,2025, December 30, 2021, and December 28, 2010

pdf downloadable

‘Abdu’l-Baha lived in deed and truth the kind of life that Jesus of Nazareth led and bade His followers to lead

To live today in deed and truth the kind of life that Jesus of Nazareth led and bade His followers lead; to love God wholeheartedly, and for God’s sake to love all mankind, even one’s slanderers and enemies; to give consistently good for evil, blessings for curses, kindness for cruelty and, through a career darkened along its entire length by tragic misrepresentation and persecution, to preserve one’s courage, one’s sweetness and calm faith in God - to do all this and yet to play the man in a world of men, sharing at home and in business the common life of humanity, administering when occasion arose affairs large and small and handling complex situations with foresight and firmness — to live in such a manner throughout a long and arduous life, and when, in the fullness of time, death came, to leave to multitudes of mourners a sense of desolation and to be remembered and loved by them all as the servant of God - to how many men is such an achievement given as it has been given in this age of ours to ‘Abdu’l-Baha? 

- George Townshend (Hand of the Cause of God [Sometime Cannon of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland]; World Order magazine, October 1936)

The correct way of reciting the Prayer for the Dead

The correct way of reciting the Prayer for the Dead is as follows:

Alláh-u-Abhá (once)

We all, verily, worship God (19 times)

Alláh-u-Abhá (once)

We all, verily, bow down before God (19 times)

Alláh-u-Abhá (once)

We all, verily, are devoted unto God (19 times)

Alláh-u-Abhá (once)

We all, verily, give praise unto God (19 times)

Alláh-u-Abhá (once)

We all, verily, yield thanks unto God (19 times)

Alláh-u-Abhá (once)

We all, verily, are patient in God (19 times)

When the Kitáb-i-Aqdas was being translated it was noted that the English translation of the instructions which form part of the Prayer for the Dead could be understood in more than one way. Therefore, when Note 11 was formulated it was expressed in a way that was intended to clarify the ambiguity, namely: “the repetition of the greeting ‘Alláh-u-Abhá‘ (God is the All Glorious) six times, each followed by nineteen repetitions of one of the six specifically revealed verses.”

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 13 September 1993, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to Maison d’Éditions Bahá’íes; Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)

Private initiatives by believers “dedicated to social and economic development”: - are they "Bahá’í" or not?

...As a national community grows, the activities undertaken by its members also increase in number and diversity. Some of these activities will be initiated and administered by the Bahá’í institutions. Others will fall in the realm of private initiative. When an initiative is in the form of a private business venture undertaken by an individual or group, the institutions of the Faith have little reason to interfere with their daily affairs. Only if difficulties arise among the friends involved in such an enterprise, if their activities could damage the good name of the Faith, or if they misrepresent their relationship to the Faith, would a Local or National Spiritual Assembly intervene. Bahá’í institutions, of course, applaud any effort by these private ventures to apply the Teachings to their operations and to use their position in society to further the interests of the Faith. Spiritual Assemblies would do well to offer them guidance, as requested or as circumstances require, and to help them develop their potential for the advancement of the Cause.

Bahá’u’lláh identifies the conditions of “these days”

We exhort mankind in these days

• when the countenance of Justice is soiled with dust,
• when the flames of unbelief are burning high and the robe of wisdom rent asunder,
• when tranquillity and faithfulness have ebbed away and trials and tribulations have waxed severe,
• when covenants are broken and ties are severed,
• when no man knoweth how to discern light and darkness or to distinguish guidance from error.

- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)

Humanity’s maturation process and the gradual manifestation of the power latent in the Word of God in each dispensation

In one of the most characteristic passages He [Bahá'u'lláh] Himself has revealed, He testifies in a language that none can mistake to the truth of this distinguishing principle of Bahá’í belief: “It hath been decreed by Us that the Word of God and all the potentialities thereof shall be manifested unto men in strict conformity with such conditions as have been foreordained by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise… Should the Word be allowed to release suddenly all the energies latent within it, no man could sustain the weight of so mighty a revelation…

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Unfoldment of World Civilization’, included in ‘The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh)

Pioneers: - virtues to be cognizant of and strive for

 Let some, at this very moment, gird up the loins of their endeavor, flee their native towns, cities, and states, forsake their country, and, “putting their whole trust in God as the best provision for their journey,” set their faces, and direct their steps towards those distant climes, those virgin fields, those unsurrendered cities, and bend their energies to capture the citadels of men’s hearts—hearts, which, as Bahá’u’lláh has written, “the hosts of Revelation and of utterance can subdue.” Let them not tarry until such time as their fellow-laborers will have passed the first stage in their campaign of teaching, but let them rather, from this very hour, arise to usher in the opening phase of what will come to be regarded as one of the most glorious chapters in the international history of their Faith.

• Let them, at the very outset, “teach their own selves, that their speech may attract the hearts of their hearers.”
• Let them regard the triumph of their Faith as their “supreme objective.”
• Let them not “consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle” that carries the measure of grace that God poureth forth in this age.
• Let them “disencumber themselves of all attachment to this world and the vanities thereof,” and, with that spirit of detachment which ‘Abdu’l Bahá exemplified and wished them to emulate, bring these diversified peoples and countries to the remembrance of God and His supreme Manifestation.
• Let His love be a “storehouse of treasure for their souls,” on the day when “every pillar shall tremble, when the very skins of men shall creep, when all eyes shall stare up with terror.”
• Let their “souls be aglow with the flame of the undying Fire that burneth in the midmost heart of the world, in such wise that the waters of the universe shall be powerless to cool down its ardor.”
• Let them be “unrestrained as the wind” which “neither the sight of desolation nor the evidences of prosperity can either pain or please.”
• Let them “unloose their tongues and proclaim unceasingly His Cause.”
• Let them “proclaim that which the Most Great Spirit will inspire them to utter in the service of the Cause of their Lord.”
• Let them “beware lest they contend with anyone, nay strive to make him aware of the truth with kindly manner and most convincing exhortation.”
• Let them “wholly for the sake of God proclaim His Message, and with that same spirit accept whatever response their words may evoke in their hearers.”
• Let them not, for one moment, forget that the “Faithful Spirit shall strengthen them through its power,” and that “a company of His chosen angels shall go forth with them, as bidden by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise.”
• Let them ever bear in mind “how great is the blessedness that awaiteth them that have attained the honor of serving the Almighty,” and remember that “such a service is indeed the prince of all goodly deeds, and the ornament of every goodly act.”

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

Tablet of Visitation for Mullá Husayn and Quddús – revealed by Bahá’u’lláh

Tablet of visitation for the first to arrive and the last to attain,[1] may the souls of all on earth be offered up for them both.

In the name of Him Who is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful!

The peace that hath shone forth from the Dayspring of the Will of God, the Lord of all being, and the light that hath dawned above the horizon of His supreme mercy and His resplendent signs rest upon you, O ye who are the hands of His power in the kingdom of creation and the manifestations of His grandeur between earth and heaven!

Ye are they who were awakened by the gentle winds of the dawn of Revelation and were enraptured by the voice of Him Who spoke on Sinai. Ye are they who inhaled the fragrance of the All-Merciful when it wafted from the realm of divine knowledge. By your guidance the thirsty hastened to the onrushing waters of everlasting life and the sinner to the vivifying river of forgiveness and mercy. Ye are the signs of God and His straight Path amongst His creation. Through you all faces turned to the Most Exalted Horizon and every poor one sought the Wellspring of wealth.

At your suffering all things lamented, and every atom cried out between earth and heaven, and Adam forsook the Most Exalted Paradise and chose for Himself a place upon the dust. Ye are the dawning-places of power amidst the people and the daysprings of might amongst the righteous. Through you the springtime of inner meaning appeared in the world of utterance and the All-Merciful shed His effulgent splendour upon all created things.

The “forces of disintegration that are an inseparable feature of an age in transition”: - Responsibilities of “family, and the community as a whole”

Cultivating a new pattern of family life also counters the forces of disintegration that are an inseparable feature of an age in transition. 

• These forces assailing society have particularly affected the family, sundering its ties, and taking a heavy toll on its members, especially on children.
• They can expose family members to some of the most destructive social pathologies:
• an absence of love and care,
• neglect of the things of the spirit,
• dehumanization,
• poverty,
• insecurity, and
• violence.
• Individuals are tempted to surrender to a life of material distractions or personal gratification, thereby becoming mere objects to be manipulated by those who seek to impose their designs on society.
• Contrasting ideologies and identities, incompatible with the ideals of the oneness of humanity and a peaceful world, vie for the allegiance of the masses and contend for superiority with one another.
• Some of these movements plant seeds of prejudice and fanaticism which ultimately yield estrangement, conflict, and contention among the peoples of the world.
• Others may seem to conform to some aspect of the Teachings, only to subtly lead the friends away from Bahá’u’lláh’s straight path.
• The forces associated with the process of disintegration affect different populations in different ways.

The family, and the community as a whole, will need to 

• learn to examine existing circumstances, 
• grasp the nature and impact of such forces, and, 
• with full reliance on divine assistance, develop preventive and remedial measures in order to weather the tumultuous storms of a perilous age.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 19 March 2025 to the Bahá’ís of the World; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

“the Bahá’í Writings illuminate all areas of human endeavor and all academic disciplines”

…statements in the Bahá’í Writings which disclose the relationship between the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh and the knowledge which is acquired as a result of scholarly endeavors. Bahá’u’lláh asserts that:

“Unveiled and unconcealed, this Wronged One hath, at all times, proclaimed before the face of all the peoples of the world that which will serve as the key for unlocking the doors of sciences, of arts, of knowledge, of well-being, of prosperity and wealth. . . .”

It is evident that the Bahá’í Writings illuminate all areas of human endeavor and all academic disciplines. Those who have been privileged to recognize the station of Bahá’u’lláh have the bounty of access to a Revelation which casts light upon all aspects of thought and inquiry, and are enjoined to use the understanding which they obtain from their immersion in the Holy Writings to advance the interests of the Faith.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 19 October 1993, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001’)

Next Manifestation of God: “not definite that it will be 1000 years; it may be 2000, or 10,000 or 20,000 years”

…during the cycle of the Blessed Perfection —May My life be a sacrifice to His believers—all are beneath His shadow. He is the Unique and Peerless One till the next Manifestation. It is, however, not definite that it will be 1000 years; it may be 2000, or 10,000 or 20,000 years; but it is definite that for the coming 1000 years there will appear no Manifestation; for 1000 years there shall arise no Sun. All the appearances will be beneath the shade of the Most Great Appearance; they will be as stars of guidance. All of them shall gather around this Fountain of Life; all of them will become illumined with the rays of this Sun; all of them will receive a share and a portion from this great Sea; all of them will become vivified with this soul imparting breeze and all of them will be under the down-pour of this rain. The aim is this: His Holiness the Báb gave the Glad-tidings concerning the Appearance of the Manifestation of God, and His Holiness, the Blessed Perfection, was the “Promised One” of all the nations and religions. The Báb was the “Morning Star,” heralding the glorious Dawn of the Sun of Reality. Now all of us are under Its shadow and receive the refulgent Bestowals from It. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by Ahmad Sohrab, one of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá's secretaries and translators from 1912 to 1919; Star of the West, volume 5, no. 6, June 24, 1914)

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‘Abdu’l-Baha’s interpretation of a believer’s dream

The dream:

"A young girl became evident to me as belonging with the family, but I could not make out who she was. She spoke of a horse that my son had had long ago, but I did not understand what she meant. After a time it became known that she was my daughter, and I felt grieved to think that I had not been conscious of her presence in all the past years. She seemed not hurt, but surprised that we did not under- stand her. Just as I was waking, I realized that she was our little baby who had passed away over twenty-one years ago, when nine months old." (end of dream.)

Mrs.--- added: "She was my idol, and because I loved her so much, I tried hard to put her out of my thought, and the dream made me feel that we should not do this.”

‘Abdu’l-Baha interpreted it thus:

"That child is your trust within the charge of God. She was a child when she went, but you shall find her full grown in the Kingdom of God. You shall find her mature. You shall not find her there as a child. You shall find her perfect and mature.

"As to the horse once belonging to your son, of which she spoke: Horse in the dream means a wish. It shows that your daughter has fulfilled her wish and her desire, and that shows the loftiness of her station. The wish is one in which your son shared, but she attained to it. It is my hope, God willing, that, he, too, will attain to it."

1947: Hand of the Cause of God Amelia Collins - “The high rank you now occupy and which no Bahá'í since the Master's passing has ever held in his own lifetime…”

With a heart overflowing with profound gratitude I am now writing you these few lines to reaffirm the sentiments, expressed lately on several occasions and in a number of telegrams, of heartfelt and unqualified admiration for your magnificent services, rendered in circumstances so exceptional and difficult as to make them doubly meritorious in the sight of God. You have acquitted yourself of the task I felt prompted to impose upon you in a manner that deserves the praise of the Concourse on High. The high rank you now occupy and which no Bahá'í since the Master's passing has ever held in his own lifetime has been conferred solely in recognition of the manifold services you have already rendered, and is, by no means, intended to be a stimulus or encouragement in the path of service. Indeed the character of this latest and highly significant service you have rendered places you in the category of the Chosen Nine who, unlike the other Hands of the Cause, are to be associated directly and intimately with the cares and responsibilities of the Guardian of the Faith. I feel truly proud of you, am drawn closer to you, and admire more deeply than ever before the spirit that animates you. May the Beloved reward you, both in this world and the next, for your truly exemplary achievements.

- Shoghi Effendi (Appended to a letter dated 14 January 1947 written on his behalf to Mrs. Collins;  ‘The Bahá'í World", vol. XIII’)

“knowledge and sciences [that] will be brought into light” if a person enters “the universal university of the Kingdom”

Thou hast written that thou art a student in the progressive spiritual school. Happy is thy condition! If the various progressive schools join themselves to the universal university of the Kingdom, such knowledge and sciences will be brought into light that

• man will see that the potentialities of the “Open Tablet” of existence are infinite;
• will realize that all the created things are as letters and words;
• will be instructed in the lessons of the degrees of significances;
• will perceive the signs of oneness in the primordial atoms of the earth;
• will hear the voice of the Lord of the Kingdom;
• will behold the confirmations of the Holy Spirit and
• will find such ecstasy and joy that, being unable to contain himself in the vast area of existence, he will prepare himself for the journey toward the Kingdom and
• will hasten to the immensity of the Realm of Might.

As soon as a bird if fledged, it cannot keep itself on the ground; nay, rather it soareth up toward the Supreme Apex—except the birds whose feet are tied, whose wings are clipped and feathers broken and who are soiled with water and clay. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 3)

To “nurture communities that can manifest the fundamental principles of peace and the requirements of amity and oneness”

Praise be to God that the followers of the Greatest Name throughout the world are familiar with this task and have exerted the utmost effort at all times, in all places, and to the degree possible to discharge this critical responsibility and to learn, in collaboration with like-minded and sympathetic people, how to nurture communities that can manifest the fundamental principles of peace and the requirements of amity and oneness.

• Such communities keenly endeavour to give practical expression to the principle of the equality of women and men;
• they are committed to the centrality of justice and fairness;
• they strive to create harmony and unity, combined with diversity;
• they make consultation the axis for individual and collective decision-making, the remover of conflict, and the builder of agreement;
• they promote economic solidarity and mutual support among people;
• they teach children and junior youth freedom from both prejudice and rancour, and regard the youth as being at the vanguard of the advancement and transformation of society;
• they view spiritual and moral principles as the foundation of the exaltation of humanity and of every kind of progress.

And in this way, they spread a culture of peace and reconciliation.

- The Universal House of Justice (From Naw-Rúz 181[2024] message to the followers of the Greatest Name and the helpers of the Ancient Beauty in the sacred land of Iran; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

“Over the span of His life, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá laboured tirelessly in service to Bahá’u’lláh”

Over the span of His life, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá laboured tirelessly in service to Bahá’u’lláh, fulfilling, in its entirety, His Father’s sacred trust.

• He faithfully nurtured and protected the precious seed that had been planted.
• He sheltered the Cause in the cradle of its birth and, guiding its spread in the West, established there the cradle of its administration.
• He set firm the footsteps of the believers and raised up a cohort of champions and saints.
• With His own hands, He interred the holy remains of the Báb in the mausoleum He raised on Mount Carmel,
• devotedly tended the twin Holy Shrines, and
• laid the foundations of the Faith’s world administrative centre.
• He safeguarded the Faith from its avowed enemies, internal and external.
• He revealed the precious Charter for sharing Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings with all peoples across the globe,
• as well as the Charter that called into being and set in motion the processes of the Administrative Order.
• His life spanned the entire period of the Heroic Age inaugurated by the declaration of the Báb;
• His ascension ushered in a new Age whose features were as yet unknown to the believers.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 28 November 2023 addressed to the Bahá’ís of the World; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

Canada: “the future of Canada, whether from a material or a spiritual standpoint, is very great”

“The future of the Dominion of Canada,” He [‘Abdu’l-Bahá], in another Tablet of the Divine Plan, has asserted, “is very great, and the events connected with it infinitely glorious. The eye of God’s loving-kindness will be turned towards it, and it shall become the manifestation of the favors of the All-Glorious.” “Again I repeat,” He, in that same Tablet reaffirms His previous statement, “that the future of Canada, whether from a material or a spiritual standpoint, is very great.” 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

'Abdu’l-Baha’s counsel to Lua Getsinger: “Thou must be firm and unshakable in thy purpose, and never, never let any outward circumstances worry thee.”

Thou must be firm and unshakable in thy purpose, and never, never let any outward circumstances worry thee. I am sending thee to India to accomplish certain definite results. Thou must enter that country with a never-failing spirituality, a radiant faith an eternal enthusiasm, an inextinguishable fire, a solid conviction, in order that thou mayest achieve those services for which I am sending thee.

Let not thy heart be troubled. If thou goest away with this unchanging condition of invariability of inner state, thou shalt see the doors of confirmation open before thy face, thy life will be a crown of heavenly roses, and thou shalt find thyself in the highest station of triumph.

Strive day and night to attain to this exalted state. Look at me! Thou dost not know a thousandth part of the difficulties and seemingly unsurmountable passes that rise daily before my eyes. I do not heed them; I am walking in my chosen highway; I know the destination. Hundreds of storms and tempests may rage furiously around my head; hundreds of Titanics may sink to the bottom of the sea, the mad waves may rise to the roof of heaven; all these will not change my purpose, will not disturb me in the least; I will not look either to the right or to the left; I am looking ahead, far, far. Piercing through the impenetrable darkness of the night, the howling winds, the raging storms, I see the glorious Light beckoning me forward, forward. The balmy weather is coming, and the voyager shall land safely.

“trailblazing actions and... dazzling initiatives the followers of Bahá’u’lláh undertook for the sake of the development and progress of Iran”

Consider what trailblazing actions and what dazzling initiatives the followers of Bahá’u’lláh undertook for the sake of the development and progress of Iran and in the discharge of the commitment to the good of humanity that He nurtured in them. See what a range of educational, medical, industrial, and agricultural establishments and what material, spiritual, intellectual, and cultural advancements were brought about as a result of the profound faith that generation after generation of those followers placed in the truth that success and prosperity, spiritual salvation and the good pleasure of God are made possible through service, love, and goodwill towards one’s fellow beings. A few examples suffice to attest this truth.

• In some of the remotest corners of the country, more than a hundred years ago, the Bahá’ís of Iran established modern schools that they might impart knowledge to girls and boys and eradicate ignorance.
• By teaching literacy to adults, whether men or women, they swiftly eliminated illiteracy in their communities.
• Courageously and persistently, from the earliest days of the Cause, they have striven to promote the freedom of women and the equality of women and men and have endeavoured to ensure that this important principle—which is an inseparable aspect of Bahá’u’lláh’s fundamental principle of the oneness of humanity—is not only implemented in their personal and family lives, but is also institutionalized in their social and administrative affairs as well as in their educational programmes.
• They established hospitals and dispensaries, so that with the aid of modern medical science and new inventions they might contribute to the health and well-being of their fellow citizens and heal physical ailments too.
• They have exerted great effort to contribute to the development and prosperity of cities and villages, to further industry and agriculture, and to exalt and celebrate the arts and crafts of Iran.
• They have endeavoured to remove ethnic and religious prejudices and have taught their children the lesson of the oneness of humanity from their earliest years.
• They have raised the banner of truthfulness, honesty, and moral conduct in such manner that, throughout the history of this blessed Cause, even its sworn enemies have confessed to their honesty and truthfulness and been astonished and dumbfounded to see that they refuse to deny the truth for the sake of worldly benefit, material advantage, or the preservation of their lives and possessions.
• A hundred years ago they instituted the culture of freedom of choice and the election of representatives in every town and village in which they lived, and they have learned and practised consultation as a principle essential for the creation of harmony and unity together with variety and diversity.
• And above all, they have placed great value on education and have made every effort to ensure that, by means of educational programmes that train human character, the divine principles and teachings are translated into reality.

- The Universal House of Justice (From Naw-Ruz 2024 Message to the Baha’is in Iran; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

A prayer to ‘Abdu’l-Baha by Thornton Chase "the first American believer”: - Reveal Thyself to those who can bear the Knowledge!

This grain of human dust, stirred by the Breath of the Spirit, longs for Thy Presence, for the Life-giving touch of Thy Glorious Love. These captives of Love yearn for Thy Nearness! These ignorant ones seek Thy instruction. These isolated ones hope for the Unity of Thy Meeting. These helpless ones trust in Thine Attraction to awaken the hearts of their friends and relatives.

O my Beloved! What can we say but to praise Thee; to thank God for Thee, His Greatest Gift to man; to implore Thee to pray for His Mercy upon these impotent ones, His Strength for these powerless ones, His Guidance for those erring ones. His Guard to protect us from ourselves!

Teach us to serve. Guide us in the paths of Knowledge and Wisdom.

Unite us in mutual purpose and aim, and grant us the favor of Thy personal Presence and Voice.

(signed) Thornton Chase, August 9, 1912

San Francisco, California.

(Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 11, September 27, 1913)

“To comprehend the society-building power possessed by the Faith, one need look no further than the achievements of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His ministry and the transformative effects of the guidance that flowed unceasingly from His pen.”

'Abdu'l-Baha leaving Hotel Ansonia, New York City, 1912

A year of preparation and reflection, as well as of great exertion, has concluded, distinguished by the efforts of the friends worldwide to mark the centenary of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, including by sending representatives to participate in a special event honouring Him in the Holy Land. Through these efforts, the inspiration offered by the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has been felt by countless souls and not only Bahá’ís.

• His concern for every member of the human family,
• His teaching work,
• His promotion of undertakings for education and social well-being,
• His profound contributions to discourses in both the East and the West,
• His heartfelt encouragement of projects to construct Houses of Worship,
• His shaping of early forms of Bahá’í administration,
• His cultivation of varied aspects of community life—

all these complementary facets of His life were a reflection of His constant and complete dedication to serving God and serving humanity. Beyond being a towering figure of moral authority and surpassing spiritual insight, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was a pure channel through which the forces released by the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh could act upon the world. To comprehend the society-building power possessed by the Faith, one need look no further than the achievements of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His ministry and the transformative effects of the guidance that flowed unceasingly from His pen. So many of the marvellous advances made by the present-day Bahá’í community—which were surveyed in our message to you last Ridván—trace their origins to the actions, decisions, and directions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. 

- The Universal House of Justice (Ridvan 2022 message; 'Messages from the Universal House of Justice 2001-2022')

Ṭáhirih (the Pure One): “the first woman suffrage martyr”

Thus ended the life of this great Bábí heroine, the first woman suffrage martyr, who, at her death, turning to the one in whose custody she had been placed, had boldly declared: “You can kill me as soon as you like, but you cannot stop the emancipation of women.” Her career was as dazzling as it was brief, as tragic as it was eventful. Unlike her fellow-disciples, whose exploits remained, for the most part unknown, and unsung by their contemporaries in foreign lands, the fame of this immortal woman was noised abroad, and traveling with remarkable swiftness as far as the capitals of Western Europe, aroused the enthusiastic admiration and evoked the ardent praise of men and women of divers nationalities, callings and cultures. Little wonder that ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá should have joined her name to those of Sarah, of Ásíyih, of the Virgin Mary and of Fáṭimih, who, in the course of successive Dispensations, have towered, by reason of their intrinsic merits and unique position, above the rank and file of their sex. “In eloquence,” ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá Himself has written, “she was the calamity of the age, and in ratiocination the trouble of the world.” He, moreover, has described her as “a brand afire with the love of God” and “a lamp aglow with the bounty of God.” 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)

“the human spirit”: its “existential rewards and punishments”, and its “ultimate rewards and punishments” – an explanation by ‘Abdu’l-Baha

Having established the existence of the human spirit, we must now establish its immortality.

In the heavenly Books, mention is made of the immortality of the spirit, which is the very foundation of the divine religions. For rewards and punishments are said to be of two kinds—one being existential rewards and punishments and the other, ultimate rewards and punishments. Existential paradise and hell are to be found in all the worlds of God, whether in this world or in the heavenly realms of the spirit, and to gain these rewards is to attain life eternal. That is why Christ said: Act in such a manner that you may find eternal life, be born of water and of the spirit, and thus enter into the Kingdom.[Cf. John 3:5]

Existential rewards consist in the virtues and perfections that adorn the human reality. For example, man was immersed in darkness and becomes luminous; he was ignorant and becomes informed; he was heedless and becomes aware; he was asleep and is awakened; he was dead and is quickened to life; he was blind and begins to see; he was deaf and begins to hear; he was earthly and becomes heavenly; he was material and becomes spiritual. Through these rewards he is reborn in spirit, is created anew, and becomes the manifestation of the verse in the Gospel that says that the Apostles “were born, not of blood, nor of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”[ Cf. John 1:13]—that is, they were delivered from the animal characteristics and qualities that are inherent to human nature, and acquired divine attributes, which are the outpouring grace of God. This is the true meaning of being born again. For such souls, there is no greater torment than to be veiled from God, and no worse punishment than selfish qualities, evil attributes, baseness of character, and engrossment in carnal desires. When these souls are delivered from the darkness of these vices through the light of faith, when they are illumined by the rays of the Sun of Truth and endowed with every human virtue, they reckon this as the greatest reward and regard it as the true paradise. In like manner, they consider spiritual punishment—that is, existential torment and chastisement—to consist in subjection to the world of nature; in being veiled from God; in ignorance and unawareness; in engrossment with covetous desires; in absorption in animal vices; in being marked by evil attributes, such as falsehood, tyranny, and iniquity; in attachment to worldly things; and in immersion in satanic fancies—all of which they reckon to be the greatest of torments and punishments.

“that mighty and heavenly power that brings about the betterment of the world, a power latent in the reality and essence of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh”

After a hundred years of endeavour—and of sacrifice, trial, and learning—all that the Bahá’ís of the world have attained, and which, in the past twenty-five years in particular, took a new form and acquired new systems and organization, has prepared them for the fulfilment of an exalted spiritual and moral mission. Its principal purpose is to release that mighty and heavenly power that brings about the betterment of the world, a power latent in the reality and essence of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, so that it may, day by day, become increasingly manifest and conduce to the building of society.

The release of this power, briefly stated, implies a profound inner and outer transformation. Its purpose is the appearance of a heavenly character, the emergence of conduct and manner befitting the station of a human being, and the manifestation of unity and harmony in the various strata of society.

This creative power

• promotes and brings about the spiritual, moral, and intellectual progress of peoples, so that they may concentrate on both material and spiritual education and may advance in knowledge and understanding;
• that the younger generation may become equipped, as rational and loyal citizens, with the requirements of service to humanity;
• that contending individuals, tribes, and peoples may become united;
• that thoughts and perspectives may harmonize around the axis of unity and oneness, in order that this foundational principle and other divine teachings may be manifested in practical ways in collective life;
• that through the strengthening of cooperation and goodwill, collaboration and solidarity, the pillars of society may be fortified and social cohesion may increase;
• that individuals may become as members of one family;
• that progressive and noble societies may emerge;
• that the culture of society may be affected by these developments, and both reflect and reinforce them;
• and that the three protagonists in this collective enterprise—the individual, the community, and the institutions—each in its own reality as well as in relation to one another, may make considerable advances. 

- House of Justice (From the Naw-Rúz 2022 Message to the Bahá’ís of Iran (Messages from the Universal House of Justice 2001-2022)

Features of a “consolidated” third milestone cluster

The third milestone is a measurement of a journey whose beginnings are well understood. Once it is passed, clusters where progress has been consolidated can be seen to share important features.

• The institute’s programmes are being supported by a relatively substantial and expanding pool of human resources.
• Effort is being made to enable more neighbourhoods and villages to sustain intense activity.
• There is a capacity to embrace large numbers and manage increasing complexity through both formal and informal arrangements.
• Crucially, in these clusters, consistent attention is being given to sustaining effective cycles, so that there is a regular pulse of study, consultation, action, and reflection through which the community enhances its capacity to grow and to contribute to the advancement of the society to which it belongs. These cycles include
• periods of particular intensity,
• an injection of energy that is propelling the engagement of the widest possible circle of friends.
• Community undertakings such as family festivals, junior youth camps, service projects, arts endeavours, and collective teaching initiatives are proceeding according to their own respective rhythms.
• Reflection spaces bring together many friends, and the use of such spaces is thoughtful and deliberate—there is awareness that the quality and utility of reflection is measured by the purposeful action arising from it.
• From these clusters, resources flow to surrounding clusters to help the friends there make accelerated progress.

- The Universal House of Justice (Message dated 31 December 2025 to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)