The Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of … U.S.A.
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
Your email letter dated 4 December 2011 seeking clarification of the law of engagement for the Persian believers in your community has been received by the Universal House of Justice, which has asked us to respond as follows.
To assist you in your efforts to educate the friends about the law of engagement, the following comments may be helpful. Bahá’u’lláh states in the “Questions and Answers” section of The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book, number 43, that “it is unlawful to announce a marriage earlier than ninety-five days before the wedding.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has provided further explanation:
“Following the agreement for marriage and its official public announcement, that is, when all the friends, relatives, and kindred have been informed that the two parties have been betrothed, the period of engagement must not exceed ninety-five days, during which marriage should take place, and the verses be recited, and the dowry paid. Although it is forbidden to exceed the ninety-five days as this is an act of disobedience to the Law of God, the marriage contract should not be revoked on this account.”
Thus, the period of ninety-five days begins when the couple have agreed to marry, the consent of the parents has been obtained, and the intent to marry has been officially announced, that is to say, made known to members of the families and friends of the couple.
While nothing specific has been found in the Writings regarding the reason for the limitation of the engagement period to ninety-five days, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has stated the following:
“Concerning the question of marriage and the stipulated period between the time of the engagement and the marriage, this is the decisive text of the Book of God and may not be interpreted. In the past, serious difficulties and problems arose when a long period of time elapsed between the engagement and the marriage. Now, according to the text of the Book, when marriage between the parties is arranged, i.e., when the parties become engaged, and it is certain that they will be married, not more than ninety-five days should elapse before the marriage takes place, during which period preparations for the dowry and other affairs may be made.” (Translated from a Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Persian; published in "Ganjiniy-i-hudud va ahkam", page 167, and in Bahá’í Marriage and Family Life (Thornhill: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1983), page 26, extract 82)
The ninety-five day period of engagement is binding only when both parties to the marriage, irrespective of where they reside, are Bahá’ís from Iran or neighboring lands in the Middle East, where many of the laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas have been applied from the time of the ministry of Shoghi Effendi. In cases where children born to such parents are brought up in the traditions of these countries, speak Persian or Arabic, and are thoroughly conversant with the laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, they will obviously feel an obligation, and should be assisted, to observe this law as circumstances permit. The circumstances of children of mixed descent will vary, and it is left to them to decide in light of their own situations whether to observe this law. When the law of engagement is binding on the couple, the National Spiritual Assembly of the country where the ceremony is to take place would be responsible for granting an extension, should the situation call for one.
The House of Justice does not wish to legislate further upon the details of the law of engagement at this time, and Local and National Assemblies should refrain from doing so as well. The intent of the law is clear: the period of engagement is not to be prolonged. The House of Justice is confident that the friends will make every effort to uphold the law and avoid delays for secondary reasons. Through consultation with family members and friends and with the loving guidance of Local and National Assemblies, solutions to such problems as the difficulty of finding a venue can be found.
Be assured of the prayers of the House of Justice in the Holy Shrines for the success of your efforts to assist the friends in fulfilling their spiritual obligations.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Department of the Secretariat
(US Baha’i National Administrative website)
