The amazing station of a “just king”

A just king enjoyeth nearer access unto God than anyone. Unto this testifieth He Who speaketh in His Most Great Prison. 

- Bahá’u’lláh (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

Concerning the law of the ninety-five day period of engagement before marriage

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.

Striving to create an environment in the community that would allow “cultivation of those attributes that are to distinguish a Bahá’í life" – responsibilities of individuals and institutions

…a community that serves increasingly as an environment conducive to the cultivation of those attributes that are to distinguish a Bahá’í life—

• an environment in which a spirit of unity animates one and all;
• in which the ties of fellowship bind them;
• in which mistakes are treated with tolerance and fear of failure is diminished;
• in which criticism of others is avoided and backbiting and gossip give way to mutual support and encouragement;
• in which young and old work shoulder to shoulder, studying the Creative Word together and accompanying one another in their efforts to serve;
• in which children are reared through an educational process that strives to sharpen their spiritual faculties and imbue them with the spirit of the Faith;
• in which young people are helped to detect the false messages spread by society, recognize its fruitless preoccupations, and resist its pressures, directing their energies instead towards its betterment.

The institutions of the Faith, for their part,

• strive to ensure that such an environment is fostered.
• They do not pry into the personal lives of individuals.
• Nor are they vindictive and judgemental, eager to punish those who fall short of the Bahá’í standard. Except in extreme cases of blatant and flagrant disregard for the law that could potentially harm the Cause and may require them to administer sanctions,
• their attention is focused on encouragement, assistance, counsel, and education.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 19 April 2013; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 2001-2022’)

New Compilation: Ninety-five passages from the Baha'i Writings and literature on a variety of subjects

 

More pdf downloadable compilations

Activities supported by the Baha’i International Fund

The Bahá’í International Fund provides assistance to Bahá’í communities in those countries where the believers lack the means to exploit adequately the opportunities for the expansion of the Faith and for the diffusion of its spirit. As the Cause of God moves irresistibly forward in every sphere of its manifold activities, propelled by the mysterious spiritual forces which are advancing humanity through a turbulent age of transition, the calls made on it can only increase. The Fund will be required to support the development of human resources, an indispensable element of the rapidly advancing process of entry by troops. With the emergence of new opportunities to increase the influence of the Faith on the affairs of humanity, the necessary means must be provided to expand the work of the Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations, the representation of the Faith at international conferences of non-governmental organizations, and the number of social and economic development projects scattered over the surface of the planet.

The work at the World Center, which is carried out with the support of the Bahá’í International Fund, includes the preservation and classification of the Sacred Texts, and the administrative functions performed here to meet the needs of a worldwide community expanding in both the magnitude and scope of its activities. An important aspect of this work is that of restoring and maintaining the Holy Places, providing facilities for pilgrims and an increasing number of visitors, and caring for the gardens which beautify the environs of the Holy Shrines. With the expansion of high-density urban development in the Holy Land, it is essential that properties be acquired close to the Shrines and other Holy Places, to protect them from disturbance; the favorable conditions now developing for such property acquisitions may not recur until the far distant future, and a substantial proportion of the resources of the Fund will be required for this purpose in the years immediately ahead. 

- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 4 February 1997, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice  to National Spiritual Assemblies; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001’)

“the temple of the world hath been fashioned after the image and likeness of the human body”

As preordained by the Fountain-head of Creation, the temple of the world hath been fashioned after the image and likeness of the human body. In fact each mirroreth forth the image of the other, wert thou but to observe with discerning eyes. By this is meant that even as the human body in this world, which is outwardly composed of different limbs and organs, is in reality a closely integrated, coherent entity, similarly the structure of the physical world is like unto a single being whose limbs and members are inseparably linked together.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; ‘The Compilation of Compilations, vol. 1’)

City of Baghdád and its pivotal role in Bahá’u’llah’s Revelation

Baghdad circa 1930s

In that city, described in Islamic traditions as “Ẓahru’l-Kúfih,” designated for centuries as the “Abode of Peace,” and immortalized by Bahá’u’lláh as the “City of God,” He, except for His two year retirement to the mountains of Kurdistán and His occasional visits to Najaf, Karbilá and Káẓimayn, continued to reside until His banishment to Constantinople.

• To that city the Qur’án had alluded as the “Abode of Peace” to which God Himself “calleth.”
• To it, in that same Book, further allusion had been made in the verse “For them is a Dwelling of Peace with their Lord … on the Day whereon God shall gather them all together.”
• From it radiated, wave after wave, a power, a radiance and a glory which insensibly reanimated a languishing Faith, sorely-stricken, sinking into obscurity, threatened with oblivion.
• From it were diffused, day and night, and with ever-increasing energy, the first emanations of a Revelation which, in its scope, its copiousness, its driving force and the volume and variety of its literature, was destined to excel that of the Báb Himself.
• Above its horizon burst forth the rays of the Sun of Truth, Whose rising glory had for ten long years been overshadowed by the inky clouds of a consuming hatred, an ineradicable jealousy, an unrelenting malice.
• In it the Tabernacle of the promised “Lord of Hosts” was first erected, and the foundations of the long-awaited Kingdom of the “Father” unassailably established.
• Out of it went forth the earliest tidings of the Message of Salvation which, as prophesied by Daniel, was to mark, after the lapse of “a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (1280 A.H.), the end of “the abomination that maketh desolate.”

1995: The first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’is of Sicily, with Hand of the Cause of God Dr. ‘Ali-Muhammad Varqá

 

(The Baha'i World 1995-1996)

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')