It must be also clearly understood by every believer that the institution
of Guardianship does not under any circumstances abrogate, or even in the
slightest degree detract from, the powers granted to the Universal House
of Justice by Baha'u'llah in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and repeatedly and
solemnly confirmed by 'Abdu'l-Baha in His Will. It does not constitute in
any manner a contradiction to the Will and Writings of Baha'u'llah, nor
does it nullify any of His revealed instructions. It enhances the prestige
of that exalted assembly, stabilizes its supreme position, safeguards its
unity, assures the continuity of its labors, without presuming in the
slightest to infringe upon the inviolability of its clearly-defined sphere
of jurisdiction. We stand indeed too close to so monumental a document to
claim for ourselves a complete understanding of all its implications, or
to presume to have grasped the manifold mysteries it undoubtedly contains.
Only future generations can comprehend the value and the significance
attached to this Divine Masterpiece, which the hand of the Master-builder
of the world has designed for the unification and the triumph of the
world-wide Faith of Baha'u'llah. Only those who come after us will be in a
position to realize the value of the surprisingly strong emphasis that has
been placed on the institution of the House of Justice and of the
Guardianship. They only will appreciate the significance of the vigorous
language employed by 'Abdu'l-Baha with reference to the band of
Covenant-breakers that has opposed Him in His days. To them alone will be
revealed the suitability of the institutions initiated by 'Abdu'l-Baha to
the character of the future society which is to emerge out of the chaos
and confusion of the present age. In this connection, I cannot but feel
amused at the preposterous and fantastic idea that Muhammad-'Ali, the
prime mover and the focal center of unyielding hostility to the person of
'Abdu'l-Baha, should have freely associated himself with the members of
the family of 'Abdu'l-Baha in the forging of a will which in the words of
the writer herself, is but a "recital of the plottings" in which for
thirty years Muhammad-'Ali has been busily engaged. To such a hopeless
victim of confused ideas, I feel I can best reply by a genuine expression
of compassion and pity, mingled with my hopes for her deliverance from so
profound a delusion. It was in view of the aforesaid observations, that I
have, after the unfortunate and unavoidable delay occasioned by my ill
health and absence from the Holy Land during the Master's passing,
hesitated to resort to the indiscriminate circulation of the Will,
realizing full well that it was primarily directed to the recognized
believers, and only indirectly concerned the larger body of the friends
and sympathizers of the Cause.