New compilation: The Story of the Báb - Birth to Revelation

 

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The Kitáb-i-Íqán: a broad outline by the beloved Guardian

Within a compass of two hundred pages it [the Kitáb-i-Íqán]

• proclaims unequivocally the existence and oneness of a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty;
• asserts the relativity of religious truth and the continuity of Divine Revelation;
• affirms the unity of the Prophets, the universality of their Message, the identity of their fundamental teachings, the sanctity of their scriptures, and the twofold character of their stations;
• denounces the blindness and perversity of the divines and doctors of every age;
• cites and elucidates the allegorical passages of the New Testament, the abstruse verses of the Qur’án, and the cryptic Muhammadan traditions which have bred those age-long misunderstandings, doubts and animosities that have sundered and kept apart the followers of the world’s leading religious systems;
• enumerates the essential prerequisites for the attainment by every true seeker of the object of his quest;
• demonstrates the validity, the sublimity and significance of the Báb’s Revelation;
• acclaims the heroism and detachment of His disciples;
• foreshadows, and prophesies the world-wide triumph of the Revelation promised to the people of the Bayán;
• upholds the purity and innocence of the Virgin Mary;
• glorifies the Imáms of the Faith of Muhammad;
• celebrates the martyrdom, and lauds the spiritual sovereignty, of the Imám Husayn;
• unfolds the meaning of such symbolic terms as “Return,” “Resurrection,” “Seal of the Prophets” and “Day of Judgment”;
• adumbrates and distinguishes between the three stages of Divine Revelation;
• and expatiates, in glowing terms, upon the glories and wonders of the “City of God,” renewed, at fixed intervals, by the dispensation of Providence, for the guidance, the benefit and salvation of all mankind.

Well may it be claimed that of all the books revealed by the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation, this Book alone, by sweeping away the age-long barriers that have so insurmountably separated the great religions of the world, has laid down a broad and unassailable foundation for the complete and permanent reconciliation of their followers. 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)

“The fundamental principle enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh”

The fundamental principle enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh ... is

• that religious truth is not absolute but relative,
• that Divine Revelation is a continuous and progressive process,
• that all the great religions of the world are divine in origin,
• that their basic principles are in complete harmony,
• that their aims and purposes are one and the same,
• that their teachings are but facets of one truth,
• that their functions are complementary,
• that they differ only in the nonessential aspects of their doctrines, and
• that their missions represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society.... 

- Shoghi Effendi (Preface to ‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

A prescription for action by ‘Abdu’l-Baha

Therefore, O ye friends of God! Show ye forth an earnest endeavor and display ye a resolute effort, so that ye may become assisted in the adoration of the Ancient Beauty and the Manifest Light;

• to be the cause of spreading the light of the Sun of Truth;
• to infuse into the dead, antiquated body of the world a new spirit;
• to cast in the fields of the hearts pure seeds;
• to arise in the service of the Cause;
• to speak with eloquent tongues;
• to become candles of guidance in the assemblage of the world;
• to become shining stars in the horizon of the existent being;
• to become merciful birds in the rose-garden of oneness;
• to sing the melodies of realities and significances;
• to spend every breath of your lives in the most great Cause; and
• to devote the period of your existence to the service of this conspicuous Light;

so that in the end ye may be freed from loss and failure and attain to the inexhaustible treasury of the Kingdom. 

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

Events in the world “are but aspects of a greater Plan, one and indivisible, whose Source is God, whose author is Bahá’u’lláh, the theater of whose operations is the entire planet”

Such simultaneous processes of rise and of fall, of integration and of disintegration, of order and chaos, with their continuous and reciprocal reactions on each other, are but aspects of a greater Plan, one and indivisible, whose Source is God, whose author is Bahá’u’lláh, the theater of whose operations is the entire planet, and whose ultimate objectives are the unity of the human race and the peace of all mankind.

Reflections such as these should steel the resolve of the entire Bahá’í community, should dissipate their forebodings, and arouse them to rededicate themselves to every single provision of that Divine Charter whose outline has been delineated for them by the pen of ‘Abdu’l Bahá. 

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

Baghdád 1856-1863: ”hundreds of thousands of verses, mostly written by His [Bahá’u’lláh] own hand, were obliterated and cast into the river.”

As to those verses which He either dictated or wrote Himself, their number was no less remarkable than either the wealth of material they contained, or the diversity of subjects to which they referred. A vast, and indeed the greater, proportion of these writings were, alas, lost irretrievably to posterity. No less an authority than Mírzá Áqá Ján, Bahá’u’lláh’s amanuensis, affirms, as reported by Nabíl, that by the express order of Bahá’u’lláh, hundreds of thousands of verses, mostly written by His own hand, were obliterated and cast into the river. “Finding me reluctant to execute His orders,” Mírzá Áqá Ján has related to Nabíl, “Bahá’u’lláh would reassure me saying: ‘None is to be found at this time worthy to hear these melodies.’ … Not once, or twice, but innumerable times, was I commanded to repeat this act.” 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)

Baghdád 1856-1858: The “unrecorded verses…in a single day and night” = “the equivalent of the Qur’án!”

So prolific was this period, that during the first two years after His [Bahá’u’lláh’s] return from His retirement, according to the testimony of Nabíl, who was at that time living in Baghdád, the unrecorded verses that streamed from His lips averaged, in a single day and night, the equivalent of the Qur’án! 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)

Baghdád 1856-1863: The “scope and volume of Bahá’u’lláh’s writings, after His return from Sulaymáníyyih”

The enormous expansion in the scope and volume of Bahá’u’lláh’s writings, after His return from Sulaymáníyyih, is yet another distinguishing feature of the period under review. The verses that streamed during those years from His pen, described as “a copious rain” by Himself, whether in the form of

• epistles,
• exhortations,
• commentaries,
• apologies,
• dissertations,
• prophecies,
• prayers, odes or specific Tablets, contributed,
• to a marked degree, to the reformation and progressive unfoldment of the Bábí community,
• to the broadening of its outlook,
• to the expansion of its activities and
• to the enlightenment of the minds of its members.

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)

Contributions of the Baha’i Faith towards “the universal principle of the equality of men and women”

...the equality of men and women is...a universal spiritual truth—a statement about human nature—that was promulgated by Bahá’u’lláh nearly one hundred and fifty years ago in His native Iran. That women should enjoy equal rights with men is a requirement of justice. It is a principle consonant with the highest standard of purity and sanctity, whose application strengthens family life and is essential to the regeneration and progress of any nation. Indeed, peace in the world and the advancement of civilization depend on its realization. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has explained:

“The world of humanity has two wings—one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the world of women becomes equal to the world of men in the acquisition of virtues and perfections, can success and prosperity be attained as they ought to be.” 

…Táhirih, that peerless heroine of Iranian history, courageously advocated the emancipation of women in 1848, at a time when efforts to improve the status of women were only beginning to gather momentum in a few parts of the world. From that time on, you [the Baha’is in Iran] have raised generation after generation of your children—both boys and girls—to value this fundamental tenet of the Faith and to express it in every facet of their lives. In 1911, nearly a century ago, you founded the Tarbíyat School for Girls in Tihrán, which provided girls of all backgrounds with an opportunity for education, encouraging, in this way, progressive thinking and making an indelible mark on society. For half a century now, Bahá’í women in Iran have worked shoulder to shoulder with men in administering the affairs of the community at the local, regional and national levels. And long ago you succeeded in eliminating in your community illiteracy among women under the age of forty. 

1997: The Functions of Regional Baha’i Councils

The functions of a Regional Baha’i Council and the degree of authority conferred upon it are within the discretion of a National Spiritual Assembly. However, they should not be limited to those of a national or regional committee for, in such a case, there would be no justification for bringing into being a Regional Baha’i Council rather than appointing a national or regional committee. The functions and responsibilities generally envisaged for a Regional Bahá'í Council are as follows:

• To carry out the policies of the National Spiritual Assembly and to supervise, on behalf of the National Assembly, the smooth and efficient execution of the plans and projects for its region.
• To keep the National Spiritual Assembly regularly informed of the Council’s activities and of the conditions of the Faith throughout the region. Regional Bahá’í Councils are allowed to develop their own strategies and programs, and to carry out their day-to-day work without having to obtain further approval from the National Spiritual Assembly. However, through their frequent reports and the minutes of their meetings, the National Assembly is kept informed of their activities and maintains its overall supervision of the affairs of the Cause in all parts of the country.
• To take initiative in the promotion of the Faith in the region and to carry out its decisions within the range of authority vested in it by the National Assembly. The National Assembly allows the Council a wide latitude for autonomous action, intervening in its work only in matters which the Assembly regards as being of major importance. The main task of a Regional Bahá’í Council is to devise and execute expansion and consolidation plans in close collaboration with the Local Spiritual Assemblies and the believers within its area of jurisdiction. Its goal is to create strong Local Spiritual Assemblies which will be the focal centers of Bahá’í activity, will exercise their vitally important role in the development of the Faith and will demonstrate their ability to regulate the affairs of their local communities.
• To deal with both teaching and administrative matters within the region including the appointment of committees for issues within its terms of reference, such as external affairs and the translation, publication and distribution of Baha’i literature.

The “devotional character” of the community: - Increasing our awareness of its broad role and significance

House of Worship- Papua New Guinea

…in the enhancement of the devotional character of the community through regular gatherings for worship

- The Universal House of Justice (Ridvan 2016 message)

*******

Responding to the inmost longing of every heart to commune with its Maker, they carry out

• acts of collective worship in diverse settings,
• uniting with others in prayer,
• awakening spiritual susceptibilities, and
• shaping a pattern of life distinguished for its devotional character.

- The Universal House of Justice (Ridvan 2008 message)

*******

...the Local Assembly to begin...to consult as a body on…how the devotional character of the village is being enhanced through the efforts of individuals who have completed the first institute course;…

- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated December 2010)

“One of the signs of the maturity of the world”: - “no one will accept to bear the weight of kingship”

Indeed, He even goes further, and states in His Tablet addressed to Shaykh Salmán: “One of the signs of the maturity of the world is that no one will accept to bear the weight of kingship. Kingship will remain with none willing to bear alone its weight. That day will be the day whereon wisdom will be manifested among mankind. Only in order to proclaim the Cause of God and spread abroad His Faith will anyone be willing to bear this grievous weight. Well is it with him who, for love of God and His Cause, and for the sake of God and for the purpose of proclaiming His Faith, will expose himself unto this great danger, and will accept this toil and trouble.” 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

“Badí’ (Unique) language”: During the early years in Baghdád, on one occasion, Bahá’u’lláh chanted in the “language used by the denizens of one of the worlds of God”

Mirza Áqá Ján [Bahá’u’ll’áh’s amanuensis] related to Nabil that, one day in Kázimayn, when both he and Aqá Muhammad-Hasan-i-Isfahání [a merchant] were in the presence of Bahá’u’lláh, in the house of Hájí ‘Abdu'l-Majid-i-Shirázi, He asked the host whether he wished to hear the Badí’ (Unique) language, which, He said, was the language used by the denizens of one of the worlds of God. He then proceeded to chant in that language. Mirzá Áqá Ján said that hearing this language had a wonderful effect on the listener. 

One day, Mirzá Áqá Ján related, Bahá'u'lláh said to Haji ‘Abdu’l-Majid: ‘Haji, you have heard the Badí’ language, and witnessed God's supremacy over His worlds. Render thanks for this bounty and appreciate its worth.’” "

- Hand of the Cause Hasan Balyuzi (‘Bahá’u’lláh King of Glory’)

The amazing way in which “most of those who surrounded Bahá’u’lláh” in Baghdád decided to help each other to maintain strict spiritual discipline

“Most of those who surrounded Bahá’u’lláh,” wrote Nabíl, describing the spirit that animated the reformed Bábí community in Baghdád, “exercised such care in sanctifying and purifying their souls, that they would suffer no word to cross their lips that might not conform to the will of God, nor would they take a single step that might be contrary to His good-pleasure.” “Each one,” he relates, “had entered into a pact with one of his fellow-disciples, in which they agreed to admonish one another, and, if necessary, chastise one another with a number of blows on the soles of the feet, proportioning the number of strokes to the gravity of the offense against the lofty standards they had sworn to observe.” Describing the fervor of their zeal, he states that “not until the offender had suffered the punishment he had solicited, would he consent to either eat or drink.” 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)

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') 

“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’)