The principle of confidentiality – Elucidation by the Universal House of Justice

2 August 1982 

To a National Spiritual Assembly

Dear Baha'i friends,

The Universal House of Justice has received your letter of 17 June 1982 and has instructed us to send you the following reply.

The House of Justice is very sorry to learn that the problems which you instance have become a threat to the unity of your Assembly, and it hopes and prays that this difficulty will quickly be overcome. It feels that there are a number of distinct but related principles which are involved in the situations you describe, and that the issues will become clearer if they are considered separately.

Every institution in the Faith has certain matters which it considers should be kept confidential, and any member who is privy to such confidential information is obliged to preserve the confidentiality within the institution where he learned it.  Such matters, however, are but a small portion of the business of any Baha'i institution. Most subjects dealt with are of common interest and can be discussed openly with anyone. Where no confidentiality is involved the institutions must strive to avoid the stifling atmosphere of secrecy; on the other hand, every believer must know that he can confide a personal problem to an institution of the Faith, with the assurance that knowledge of the matter will remain confidential.

Members of Assemblies, whether they are assistants or not, are obviously in a position to receive confidential information as individuals from several sources. It is an important principle of the Faith that one must not promise what one is not going to fulfil. Therefore, if a Baha'i accepts confidential information either by virtue of his profession (e.g., as a doctor, a lawyer, etc.), or by permitting another person to confide in him, he is in duty bound to preserve that confidentiality.

“laws which pertain to obligatory prayer, fasting and recitation of the Greatest Name ninety-five times a day”: - “made universally applicable”

28 December 1999

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Beloved Friends,

In the course of the Four Year Plan, we have been reviewing those laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas which are not yet universally applied, in order to determine which of them it would be timely to implement now.

In every land we see a growing thirst for spiritual life and moral clarity. There is recognition of the ineffectiveness of plans and programs for human betterment which are not rooted in lives of spiritual awareness and ethical virtue. Who should be better equipped to satisfy this longing than those who are already inspired by the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and aided by His Power?

We have determined, therefore, that it is imperative for all the believers to deepen their awareness of the blessings conferred by the laws which directly foster the devotional life of the individual and, thus, of the community. The essentials of these laws are known to all Bahá’ís, but acquiring greater insight into their significance must include carrying out all the divinely revealed aspects of their observance. These are the laws which pertain to obligatory prayer, fasting and recitation of the Greatest Name ninety-five times a day.

Bahá’u’lláh asserts: "One who performeth neither good deeds nor acts of worship is like unto a tree which beareth no fruit, and an action which leaveth no trace. Whosoever experienceth the holy ecstasy of worship will refuse to barter such an act or any praise of God for all that existeth in the world. Fasting and obligatory prayer are as two wings to man's life. Blessed be the one who soareth with their aid in the heaven of the love of God, the Lord of all worlds."

Responsibilities of Local Spiritual Assemblies with respect to: - Marriages, Births, and Burials

Local Spiritual Assemblies, which are embryonic Local Houses of Justice, should develop as rallying centres of the community. They must concern themselves not only with teaching the Faith, with the development of the Baha'i way of life and with the proper organization of the Baha'i activities of their communities, but also with those crucial events which profoundly affect the life of all human beings:  birth, marriage, and death. When a Baha'i couple has a child it is a matter of joy to the whole local community as well as to the couple, and each Local Spiritual Assembly should be encouraged to keep a register of such births, issuing a birth certificate to the parents. Such a practice will foster the consolidation of the community and of the Assembly itself. Even if only one of the parents is a Baha'i, the Assembly could register the birth of the child, and upon application of the Baha'i parent, issue the certificate.

The carrying out of the Baha'i marriage laws, as given to the friends throughout the world, is a vital obligation of every believer who wishes to marry, and it is an important duty of every Local Spiritual Assembly to ensure that these laws are known to, and obeyed by, the believers within their jurisdiction, whether or not the Baha'i marriage ceremony is recognized by civil law. Each Assembly, therefore, must conscientiously carry out its responsibilities in connection with the holding of Baha'i marriage ceremonies, the recording of Baha'i marriages in a register kept for this purpose, and the issuing of Baha'i marriage certificates.

“Baha'i family life”: “members should feel responsible for making the collective life of the family a spiritual reality…” – how to “achieve this purpose”

Another aspect of Baha'i life emphasized in the provisions of the Seven Year Plan is the development of the Baha'i family life. If the believer is the only one of his family who has embraced the Faith, it is his duty to endeavour to lead as many other family members as possible to the light of divine guidance. As soon as a Baha'i family unit emerges, the members should feel responsible for making the collective life of the family a spiritual reality, animated by divine love and inspired by the ennobling principles of the Faith. To achieve this purpose, the reading of the Sacred Writings and prayers should ideally become a daily family activity. As far as the teaching work is concerned, just as individuals are called upon to adopt teaching goals, the family itself could adopt its own goals. In this way the friends could make of their families strong healthy units, bright candles for the diffusion of the light of the Kingdom, and powerful centres to attract the heavenly confirmations. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 17 April 1981 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

The Symbology of "Nine"

“…We must avoid giving the impression of being all tied up with peculiar religious theories; on the other hand, the nine sides of the Temple, and the nine-pointed star require an explanation, and he feels the best one is this:

"Nine is the highest digit, hence symbolizes comprehensiveness, culmination; also, the reason it is used in the Temple's form is because nine has the exact numerical value of 'Bahá’ (in the numerology connected with the Arabic alphabet) and 'Bahá' is the name of the Revealer of our Faith, Bahá'u'lláh. The nine-pointed star is not a part of the teachings of our Faith, but only used as an emblem representing 'nine.' In telling people of the nine religions of the world, that is existing religions, we should not give this as the reason the Temple has nine sides. This may have been an idea of the architect, and a very pleasing idea which can be mentioned in passing, but the Temple has nine sides because of the association of nine with perfection, unity and 'Baha.'

"The Guardian feels that with intellectuals and students of religion the question of exactly which are the nine existing religions is controversial, and it would be better to avoid it. He does not want the friends to be rigid in these matters, but use their judgment and tact; sometimes one statement is exactly the right thing for one type of mind and the wrong thing for another.

"Strictly speaking the five-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb and explained by Him. But the Guardian does not feel it is wise or necessary to complicate our explanations of the Temple by adding this…" 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, to an American believer; Baha’i News Supplement, no. 50, April 1962)