I bear witness, O friends! that the favor is complete, the argument
fulfilled, the proof manifest, and the evidence established. Let it now be
seen what your endeavors in the path of detachment will reveal. In this
wise hath the divine favor been fully vouchsafed unto you and unto them
that are in heaven and on earth. All praise to God, the Lord of all
worlds.--BAHA'U'LLAH, The Hidden Words.
Progress of the Cause
Unfortunately it is impossible, within the space at our disposal, to
describe in detail the progress of the Baha'i Faith throughout the world.
Many chapters might be devoted to this fascinating subject, and many
thrilling stories related about the pioneers and martyrs of the Cause, but
a very brief summary must surface.
In Persia the early believers in this revelation met with the utmost
opposition, persecution and cruelty at the hands of their fellow
countrymen, but they faced all calamities and ordeals with sublime
heroism, firmness and patience. Their baptism was in their own blood, for
many thousands of them perished as martyrs; while thousands more were
beaten, imprisoned, stripped of their possessions, driven from their homes
or otherwise ill-treated. For sixty years or more anyone in Persia who
dared to own allegiance to the Bab or Baha'u'llah did so at the risk of
his property, his freedom and even his life. Yet this determined and
ferocious opposition could not more check the progress of the Movement
than a cloud of dust could keep the sun from rising.
From one end of Persia(42) to the other Baha'is are now to be found in
almost every city and town, and even amongst the nomad tribes. In some
villages the whole population is Baha'i and in other places a large
proportion of the inhabitants are believers. Recruited from many and
diverse sects, which were bitterly hostile to each other, they now form a
great fellowship of friends who acknowledge brotherhood, not only with
each other, but with all men everywhere, who are working for the
unification and upliftment of humanity, for the removal of all prejudices
and conflict, and for the establishment of the Kingdom of God in the
world.
What miracle could be greater than this? Only one, and that the
accomplishment throughout the entire world of the task to which these men
have set themselves. And signs are not lacking that this greater miracle,
too, is in progress. The Faith is showing an astonishing vitality, and is
spreading, like leaven, through the lump of humanity, transforming people
and society as its spreads.(43)
The relatively small number of Baha'is may still seem insignificant in
comparison with the followers of the ancient religions, but they are
confident that a divine Power has blessed them with the high privilege of
serving a new order into which will throng the multitudes of East and West
at no distant day.
While, therefore, it remains true that the Holy Spirit has reflected from
pure hearts in all countries still unconscious of the Source, and the
growth of the Faith can be witnessed in the many efforts outside the
Baha'i community to promote one or another of Baha'u'llah's teachings,
nevertheless the lack of any enduring foundation in the old order is
convincing proof that the ideals of the Kingdom can only become fruitful
within the framework of the Baha'i community.
Prophethood of Bab and Baha'u'llah
The more we study the lives and teachings of the Bab and Baha'u'llah, the
more impossible does it seem to find any explanation of Their greatness,
except that of Divine Inspiration. They were reared in an atmosphere of
fanaticism and bigotry. They had only the most elementary education. They
had no contact with Western culture. They had no political or financial
power to back Them. They asked nothing from men, and receive little but
injustice and oppression. The great ones of earth ignored or opposed Them.
They were scourged and tortured, imprisoned and subjected to direst
calamities in the fulfillment of Their mission. They were alone against
the world, having no help but that of God, yet already Their triumph is
manifest and magnificent.
The grandeur and sublimity of Their ideals, the nobility and
self-sacrifice of Their lives; Their dauntless courage and conviction,
Their amazing wisdom and knowledge, Their grasp of the needs of both
Eastern and Western peoples, the comprehensiveness and adequacy of Their
teachings, Their power to inspire wholehearted devotion and enthusiasm in
Their followers, the penetration and potency of Their influence, the
progress of the Movement They founded--surely these constitute proofs of
Prophethood as convincing as any which the history of religion can show.
A Glorious Prospect
The Baha'i glad tidings disclose a vision of the Bounty of God and of the
future progress of humanity, which is surely the greatest and most
glorious Revelation ever given to mankind, the development and fulfillment
of all previous Revelations. Its purpose is nothing less than the
regeneration of mankind and the creation of "new heavens and a new earth."
It is the same task to which Christ and all the Prophets have devoted
Their lives, and between these great teachers there is no rivalry. It is
not by this Manifestation or by that, but by all together, that the task
will be accomplished.
As 'Abdu'l-Baha says:--
It is not necessary to lower Abraham to raise Jesus. It is not
necessary to lower Jesus to proclaim Baha'u'llah. We must welcome
the Truth of God wherever we behold it. The essence of the
question is that all these great Messengers came to raise the
Divine Standard of Perfections. All of them shine as orbs in the
same heaven of the Divine Will. All of them give Light to the
world.
The task is God's, and God calls not only the Prophets but all mankind to
be His co-workers in this creative process. If we refuse His invitation,
we shall not hinder the work from going on, for what God wills shall
surely come to pass. If we fail to play our part He can raise up other
instruments to perform His purpose; but we shall miss the real aim and
object of our own lives. At-one-ment with God--becoming His lovers, His
servants, the willing channels and mediums of His Creative Power, so that
we are conscious of no life within us but His Divine and abundant
life--that, according to the Baha'i teaching, is the ineffable and glorious
consummation of human existence.
Humanity, however, is sound at heart, for it is made "in the image and
likeness of God," and when at last it sees the truth, it will not persist
in the paths of folly. Baha'u'llah assures us that erelong the call of God
will be generally accepted, and mankind as a whole will turn to
righteousness and obedience. "All sorrow will then be turned into joy, and
all disease into health," and the kingdoms of this world shall become "the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and
ever" (Rev. xi, 15). Not only those on earth, but all in the heavens and
on the earth, shall become one in God and rejoice eternally in Him.
Renewal of Religion
The state of the world today surely affords ample evidence that, with rare
exceptions, people of all religions need to be reawakened to the real
meaning of their religion; and that reawakening is an important part of
the work of Baha'u'llah. He comes to make Christians better Christians, to
make Muslims real Muslims, to make all men true to the spirit that
inspired their Prophets. He also fulfills the promise made by all these
Prophets, of a more glorious Manifestation which was to appear in the
"Fullness of Time" to crown and consummate Their labors. He gives a fuller
unfolding of spiritual truths than His predecessors, and reveals the Will
of God with regard to all the problems of individual and social life that
confront us in the world today. He gives a universal teaching which
affords a firm foundation on which a new and better civilization can be
built up, a teaching adapted to the needs of the world in the new era
which is now commencing.
Need for New Revelation
The unification of the world of humanity, the welding together of the
world's different religions, the reconciliation of Religion and Science,
the establishment of Universal Peace, of International Arbitration of an
International House of Justice, of an International Language, the
Emancipation of Women, Universal Education, the abolition not only of
Chattel Slavery, but of Industrial Slavery, the Organization of Humanity
as a single whole, with due regard to the rights and liberties of each
individual--these are problems of gigantic magnitude and stupendous
difficulty in relation to which Christians, Muhammadans and adherents of
other religions have held and still hold the most diverse and often
violently opposed views, but Baha'u'llah has revealed clearly defined
principles, the general adoption of which would obviously make the world a
paradise. Truth Is for All
Many are quite ready to admit that the Baha'i teachings would be a
splendid thing for Persia and for the East, but imagine that for the
nations of the West they are unnecessary or unsuitable. To one who
mentioned such a view, 'Abdu'l-Baha replied:--
As to the meaning of the Cause of Baha'u'llah, whatever has to do
with the universal good is divine, and whatever is divine is for
the universal good. If it be true, it is for all; if not, it is
for no one; therefore a divine cause of universal good cannot be
limited to either the East or the West, for the radiance of the
Sun of Truth illumines both the East and the West, and it makes
its heat felt in the South and in the North--there is no difference
between one Pole and another. At the time of the Manifestation of
Christ, the Romans and Greeks thought His Cause was especially for
the Jews. They thought they had a perfect civilization and nothing
to learn from Christ's teachings, and by this false supposition
many were deprived of His Grace. Likewise know that the principles
of Christianity and the Commandments of Baha'u'llah are identical
and their paths are the same. Every day there is progress; there
was a time when this divine institution (of progressive
revelation) was in embryo, then newborn, then a child, then an
intellectual youth; but today it is resplendent with beauty and
shining with the greatest brilliancy.
Happy is he who penetrates the mystery and takes his place in the
world of the illumined ones.
The Last Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha
With the passing of its beloved leader, 'Abdu'l-Baha, the Baha'i Faith
entered on a new phase of its history. This new phase represents a higher
state in the existence of the same spiritual organism, a more mature and
consequently a more responsible expression of the faith felt by its
members. 'Abdu'l-Baha had devoted His superhuman energy and unique
capacity to the task of spreading His love for Baha'u'llah throughout the
East and West. He had lighted the candle of faith in countless souls. He
had trained and guided them in the attributes of the personal spiritual
life. In view of the momentous importance of the Last Will and Testament
of 'Abdu'l-Baha, the gravity of the issues it raises and the profound
wisdom underlying its provisions, we give a few extracts which vividly
portray the spirit and leading principles which animated and guided
'Abdu'l-Baha and are transmitted as a rich heritage to His faithful
followers:--
O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensation, conflict
and contention are in no wise permitted. Every aggressor deprives
himself of God's grace. It is incumbent upon everyone to show the
utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straight forwardness and
sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds of the world,
be they friends or strangers. So intense must be the spirit of
love and loving kindness, that the stranger may find himself a
friend, the enemy a true brother, no difference whatsoever
existing between them. For universality is of God and all
limitations earthly. ...
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 Baha, 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 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.
O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon you to be
submissive to all monarchs that are just and to show your fidelity
to every righteous king. Serve ye the sovereigns of the world with
utmost truthfulness and loyalty. Show obedience unto them and be
their well-wishers. Without their leave and permission do not
meddle with political affairs, for disloyalty to the just
sovereign is disloyalty to God Himself.
This is my counsel and the commandment of God unto you. Well is it
with them that act accordingly.
Lord! Thou seest all things weeping over me and my kindred
rejoicing in my woes. By Thy Glory, O my God! Even amongst mine
enemies, some have lamented my troubles and my distress, and of
the envious ones a number have shed tears because of my cares, my
exile and my afflictions. They did this because they found naught
in me but affection and care and witnessed naught but kindliness
and mercy. As they saw me swept into the flood of tribulation and
adversity and exposed even as a target to the arrows of fate,
their hearts were moved with compassion--"The Lord is our witness;
naught have we seen from him but faithfulness, generosity and
extreme compassion." The Covenant-breakers, foreboders of evil,
however, waxed fiercer in their rancor, rejoiced as I fell a
victim to the most grievous ordeal, bestirred themselves against
me and made merry over the heartrending happenings around me.
I call upon Thee, O Lord my God! with my tongue and with all my
heart, not to require them for their cruelty and their
wrong-doings, their craft and their mischief, for they are foolish
and ignoble and know not what they do. They discern not good from
evil, neither do they distinguish right from wrong, nor justice
from injustice. They follow their own desires and walk in the
footsteps of the most imperfect and foolish amongst them. O my
Lord! Have mercy upon them, shield them from all afflictions in
these troubled times and grant that all trials and hardships may
be the lot of this Thy servant that hath fallen into this darksome
pit. Single me out for every woe and make me a sacrifice for all
Thy loved ones. O Lord, Most High! May my soul, my life, my being,
my spirit, my all be offered up for them. O God, my God! Lowly,
suppliant and fallen upon my face, I beseech Thee with all the
ardor of my invocation to pardon whosoever hath hurt me, forgive
him that hath conspired against me and offended me, and wash away
the misdeeds of them that have wrought injustice upon me.
Vouchsafe unto them Thy goodly gifts, give them joy, relieve them
from sorrow, grant them peace and prosperity, give them Thy bliss
and pour upon them Thy bounty.
Thou art the Powerful, the Gracious, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting!
The disciples of Christ forgot themselves and all earthy things,
forsook all their cares and belongings, purged themselves of self
and passion and with absolute detachment scattered far and wide
and engaged in calling the peoples of the world to the Divine
Guidance, till at last they made the world another world,
illumined the surface of the earth and even to their last hour
proved self-sacrificing in the pathway of that Beloved One of God.
Finally in various lands they suffered glorious martyrdom. Let
them that are men of action follow in their footsteps!
O God, my God! I call Thee, Thy Prophets and Thy Messengers, Thy
Saints and Thy Holy Ones, to witness that I have declared
conclusively Thy Proofs unto Thy loved ones and set forth clearly
all things unto them, that they may watch over Thy Faith, guard
Thy Straight Path and protect Thy Resplendent Law. Thou art,
verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!
With 'Abdu'l-Baha's passing, the time had come to establish the
administrative order which has been termed the pattern and nucleus of the
world order which it is the special mission of the religion of Baha'u'llah
to establish. The Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha consequently marks a
turning point in Baha'i history, dividing the era of immaturity and
irresponsibility from that era in which the Baha'is themselves are
destined to fulfill their spirituality by enlarging its scope from the
realm of personal experience to that of social unity and cooperation. The
three principal elements in the administrative plan left by 'Abdu'l-Baha
are:--
1. "The Guardian of the Cause of God," 2. "The Hands of the Cause of God,"
and 3. "The Houses of Justice, Local, National and International."(44)
The Guardian of the Cause of God
'Abdu'l-Baha appointed His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, to the
responsible position of "Guardian of the Cause" (Valiyy-i-Amru'llah).
Shoghi Effendi is the eldest son of Diya'iyyih _Kh_anum, the eldest
daughter of 'Abdu'l-Baha. His father, Mirza Hadi, is a relative of the Bab
(although not a direct descendant, as the Bab's only child died in
infancy). Shoghi Effendi was twenty-five years of age, and was studying at
Balliol College, Oxford, at the time of his grandfather's passing. The
announcement of his appointment is made in 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will as
follows:--
O my loving friends! After the passing away of this wronged one,
it is incumbent upon the A_gh_san (Branches), the Afnan (Twigs) of
the Sacred Lote-Tree, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God and
the loved ones of the Abha Beauty to turn unto Shoghi Effendi--the
youthful branch branched from the two hallowed and sacred
Lote-Trees and the fruit grown from the union of the two offshoots
of the Tree of Holiness,--as he is the sign of God, the chosen
branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, he unto whom all the
A_gh_san, the Afnan, the Hands of the Cause of God and His loved
ones must turn. He is the expounder of the words of God and after
him will succeed the first-born of his lineal descendants.
The sacred and youthful branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God
as well as the Universal House of Justice, to be universally
elected and established, are both under the care and protection of
the Abha Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of His
Holiness, the Exalted One (may my life be offered up for them
both). Whatsoever they decide is of God....
O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the Guardian of the
Cause of God to appoint in his own lifetime him that shall become
his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing.
He that is appointed must manifest in himself detachment from all
worldly things, must be the essence of purity, must show in
himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learning. Thus,
should the first-born of the Guardian of the Cause of God not
manifest in himself the truth of the words:--"The child is the
secret essence of its sire," that is, should he not inherit of the
spiritual within him (the Guardian of the Cause of God) and his
glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must
he (the Guardian of the Cause of God) choose another branch to
succeed him.
The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number
nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important
services of the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God. The
election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by
majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God and
these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their
assent to the choice of the one whom the Guardian of the Cause of
God hath chosen as his successor. This assent must be given in
such wise as the assenting and dissenting voices may not be
distinguished (i.e., secret ballot).
Hands of the Cause of God
During His own lifetime Baha'u'llah appointed a few tried and trusted
friends to assist in directing and promoting the work of the Movement, and
gave them the title of Ayadiyi-Amru'llah (lit. "Hands of the Cause of
God"). 'Abdu'l-Baha makes provision in His Will for the establishment of a
permanent body of workers to serve the Cause and help the Guardian of the
Cause. He writes:--
O friends! The Hands of the Cause of God must be nominated and
appointed by the Guardian of the Cause of God....
The obligations of the Hands of the Cause of God are to diffuse
the Divine Fragrances, to edify the souls of men, to promote
learning, to improve the character of all men and to be, at all
times and under all conditions, sanctified and detached from
earthly things. They must manifest the fear of God in their
conduct, their manners, their deeds and their words.
This body of the Hands of the Cause of God is under the direction
of the Guardian of the Cause of God. He must continually urge them
to strive and endeavor to the utmost of their ability to diffuse
the sweet savors of God, and to guide all the peoples of the
world, for it is the light of Divine Guidance that causeth all the
universe to be illumined.(45)
The Administrative Order(46)
It has been the general characteristic of religion that organization marks
the interruption of the true spiritual influence and serves to prevent the
original impulse from being carried into the world. The organization has
invariably become a substitute for religion rather than a method or an
instrument used to give the religion effect. The separation of peoples
into different traditions unbridged by any peaceful or constructive
intercourse has made this inevitable. Up to the present time, in fact, no
Founder of a revealed religion has explicitly laid down the principles
that should guide the administrative machinery of the Faith He has
established.
In the Baha'i Cause, the principles of world administration were expressed
by Baha'u'llah, and these principles were developed in the writings of
'Abdu'l-Baha, more especially in His Will and Testament.
The purpose of this organization is to make possible a true and lasting
unity among peoples of different races, classes, interests, characters,
and inherited creeds. A close and sympathetic study of this aspect of the
Baha'i Cause will show that the purpose and method of Baha'i
administration is so perfectly adapted to the fundamental spirit of the
Revelation that it bears to it the same relationship as body to soul. In
character, the principles of Baha'i administration represent the science
of cooperation; in application, they provide for a new and higher type of
morality worldwide in scope....
A Baha'i community differs from other voluntary gatherings in that its
foundation is so deeply laid and broadly extended that it can include any
sincere soul. Whereas other associations are exclusive, in effect if not
in intention, and from method if not from ideal, Baha'i association is
inclusive, shutting the gates of fellowship to no sincere soul. In every
gathering there is latent or developed some basis of selection. In
religion this basis is a creed limited by the historical nature of its
origin; in politics this is party or platform; in economics this is a
mutual misfortune or mutual power; in the arts and sciences this basis
consists of special training or activity or interest. In all these
matters, the more exclusive the basis of selection, the stronger the
movement--a condition diametrically opposed to that existing in the Baha'i
Cause. Hence the Cause, for all its spirit of growth and progress,
develops slowly as regards the numbers of its active adherents. For people
are accustomed to exclusiveness and division in all affairs. The important
sanctions have ever been warrants and justifications of division. To enter
the Baha'i Movement is to leave these sanctions behind--an experience which
at first invariably exposes one to new trials and sufferings, as the human
ego revolts against the supreme sanction of universal love. The scientific
must associate with the simple and unlearned, the rich with the poor, the
white with the colored, the mystic with the literalist, the Christian with
the Jew, the Muslim with the Parsee: and on terms removing the advantage
of long established presumptions and privileges.
But for this difficult experience there are glorious compensations. Let us
remember that art grows sterile as it turns away from the common humanity,
that philosophy likewise loses its vision when developed in solitude, and
that politics and religion never succeed apart from the general needs of
mankind. Human nature is not yet known, for we have all lived in a state
of mental, moral, emotional or social defense, and the psychology of
defense is the psychology of inhibition. But the love of God removes fear;
the removal of fear establishes the latent power, and association with
others in spiritual love brings these powers into vital, positive
expression. A Baha'i community is a gathering where this process can take
place in this age, slowly at first, as the new impetus gathers force, more
rapidly as the members become conscious of the powers unfolding the flower
of unity among men....
The responsibility for and supervision of local Baha'i affairs is vested
in a body known as the Spiritual Assembly. This body (limited to nine
members) is elected annually on April 21st, the first day of Ridvan (the
Festival commemorating the Declaration of Baha'u'llah) by the adult
declared believers of the community, the voting list being drawn up by the
outgoing Spiritual Assembly. Concerning the character and functions of
this body, 'Abdu'l-Baha has written as follows:--
It is incumbent upon every one [every believer] not to take any
step [of Baha'i activity] without consulting the Spiritual
Assembly, and they must assuredly obey with heart and soul its
bidding and be submissive unto it, that things may be properly
ordered and well arranged. Otherwise every person will act
independently and after his own judgment, will follow his own
desire, and do harm to the Cause.
The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are
purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else
save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and
lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in
difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they
be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the
unseen Kingdom of Baha shall be vouchsafed to them. In this day,
assemblies of consultation are of the greatest importance and a
vital necessity. Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory.
The members thereof must take counsel together in such wise that
no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be
attained when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his
own opinion and must on no account feel hurt for not until matters
are fully discussed can the right way be revealed. The shining
spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing
opinions. If after discussion, a decision be carried unanimously
well and good; but if, the Lord forbid, differences of opinion
should arise, a majority of voices must prevail....
The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the
members of the assembly. They must be wholly free from
estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity of God, for
they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars
of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the
flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and absolute
unity be non-existent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that
assembly be brought to naught. The second condition:--They must
when coming together turn their faces to the Kingdom on High and
ask aid from the Realm of Glory.... Discussions must all be
confined to spiritual matters that pertain to the training of
souls, the instruction of children, the relief of the poor, the
help of the feeble throughout all classes in the world, kindness
to all peoples, the diffusion of the fragrances of God and the
exaltation of His Holy Word. Should they endeavor to fulfill these
conditions the Grace of the Holy Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto
them, and that assembly shall become the center of the Divine
blessings, the hosts of Divine confirmation shall come to their
aid, and they shall day by day receive a new effusion of Spirit.
Expounding this subject, Shoghi Effendi writes:--
... nothing whatever should be given to the public by any
individual among the friends, unless fully considered and approved
by the Spiritual Assembly in his locality; and if this (as is
undoubtedly the case) is a matter that pertains to the general
interest of the Cause in that land, then it is incumbent upon the
Spiritual Assembly to submit it to the consideration and approval
of the national body representing all the various local
assemblies. Not only with regard to publication, but all matters
without any exception whatsoever, regarding the interests of the
Cause in that locality, individually or collectively, should be
referred exclusively to the Spiritual Assembly in that locality,
which shall decide upon it, unless it be a matter of national
interest, in which case it shall be referred to the national
[Baha'i] body. With this national body also will rest the decision
whether a given question is of local or national interest. (By
national affairs is not meant matters that are political in their
character, for the friends of God the world over are strictly
forbidden to meddle with political affairs in any way whatsoever,
but rather things that affect the spiritual activities of the body
of the friends in that land.)
Full harmony, however, as well as cooperation among the various
local assemblies and the members themselves, and particularly
between each assembly and the national body, is of the utmost
importance, for upon it depends the unity of the Cause of God, the
solidarity of the friends, the full, speedy and efficient working
of the spiritual activities of His loved ones....
The various Assemblies, local and national, constitute today the
bedrock upon the strength of which the Universal House [of
Justice] is in future to be firmly established and raised. Not
until these function vigorously and harmoniously can the hope for
the termination of this period of transition be realized....
... bear in mind that the keynote of the Cause of God is not
dictatorial authority but humble fellowship, not arbitrary power,
but the spirit of frank and loving consultation. Nothing short of
the spirit of a true Baha'i can hope to reconcile the principles
of mercy and justice, of freedom and submission, of the sanctity
of the right of the individual and of self-surrender, of
vigilance, discretion and prudence on the one hand, and
fellowship, candor and courage on the other.
The local Spiritual Assemblies of a country are linked together and
co-ordinating through another elected body of nine members, the National
Spiritual Assembly. This body comes into being by means of an annual
election held by elected delegates representing the local Baha'i
communities.... The National Convention in which the delegates are gather
together is composed of an elective body based upon the principle of
proportional representation.... These National Conventions are preferably
held during the period of Ridvan, the twelve days beginning April 21st
which commemorate the Declaration made by Baha'u'llah in the Garden of
Ridvan near Ba_gh_dad. The recognition of delegates is vested in the
outgoing National Spiritual Assembly.
A National Convention is an occasion for deepening one's understanding of
Baha'i activities and of sharing reports of national and local activities
for the period of the elapsed year.... The function of a Baha'i delegate
is limited to the duration of the National Convention and participation in
the election of the new National Spiritual Assembly. While gathered
together, the delegates are a consultative and advisory body whose
recommendations are to be carefully considered by the members of the
elected National Spiritual Assembly....
The relation of the National Spiritual Assembly to the local Spiritual
Assemblies and to the body of the believers in the country is thus defined
in the letters of the Guardian of the Cause:
Regarding the establishment of "National Assemblies," it is of
vital importance that in every country, where the conditions are
favorable and the number of the friends has grown and reached a
considerable size ... that a "National Spiritual Assembly" be
immediately established, representative of the friends throughout
that country.
Its immediate purpose is to stimulate, unify and coordinate by
frequent personal consultations, the manifold activities of the
friends as well as the local Assemblies; and by keeping in close
and constant touch with the Holy Land, initiate measures, and
direct in general the affairs of the Cause in that country.
It serves also another purpose, no less essential than the first,
as in the course of time it shall evolve into the National House
of Justice (referred to in 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will as the "secondary
House of Justice"), which according to the explicit text of the
Testament will have, in conjunction with the other National
Assemblies throughout the Baha'i world, to elect directly the
members of the International House of Justice, that Supreme
Council that will guide, organize and unify the affairs of the
Movement throughout the world....
This National Spiritual Assembly, which, pending the establishment
of the Universal House of Justice, will have to be re-elected once
a year, obviously assumes grave responsibilities, for it has to
exercise full authority over all the local Assemblies in its
province, and will have to direct the activities of the friends,
guard vigilantly the Cause of God, and control and supervise the
affairs of the Movement in general.
Vital issues, affecting the interests of the Cause in that country
such as the matter of translation and publication, the
Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar, the Teaching Work, and other similar
matters that stand distinct from strictly local affairs, must be
under the full jurisdiction of the National Assembly.
It will have to refer each of these questions, even as the local
Assemblies, to a special Committee, to be elected by the members
of the National Spiritual Assembly, from among all the friends in
that country, which will bear to it the same relation as the local
committees bear to their respective local Assemblies.
With it, too, rests the decision whether a certain point at issue
is strictly local in its nature, and should be reserved for the
consideration and decision of the local Assembly, or whether it
should fall under its own province and be regarded as a matter
which ought to receive its special attention....
... it is bounden duty, in the interest of the Cause we all love
and serve, of the members of the incoming National Assembly, once
elected by the delegates at Convention time, to seek and have the
utmost regard, individually as well as collectively, for the
advice, the considered opinion and the true sentiments of the
assembled delegates. Banishing every vestige of secrecy, of undue
reticence, of dictatorial aloofness, from their midst, they should
radiantly and abundantly unfold to the eyes of the delegates, by
whom they are elected, their plans, their hopes, and their cares.
They should familiarize the delegates with the various matters
that will have to be considered in the current year, and calmly
and conscientiously study and weigh the opinions and judgments of
the delegates. The newly elected National Assembly, during the few
days when the Convention is in session and after the dispersal of
the delegates, should seek ways and means to cultivate
understanding, facilitate and maintain the exchange of views,
deepen confidence, and vindicate by every tangible evidence their
one desire to serve and advance the common weal....
The National Spiritual Assembly, however, in view of the
unavoidable limitations imposed upon the convening of frequent and
long-standing sessions of the Convention, will have to retain in
its hands the final decision on all matters that affect the
interests of the Cause ... such as the right to decide whether any
local Assembly is functioning in accordance with the principles
laid down for the conduct and the advancement of the Cause....
Concerning the matter of drawing up the voting list to be used at the
annual local Baha'i elections, the responsibility for this is placed upon
each local Spiritual Assembly, and as a guidance in the matter the
Guardian has written the following:
... to state very briefly and as adequately as present
circumstances permit the principal factors that must be taken into
consideration before deciding whether a person may be regarded as
a true believer or not. Full recognition of the station of the
Forerunner, the Author, and the True Exemplar of the Baha'i Cause,
as set forth in 'Abdu'l-Baha's Testament; unreserved acceptance
of, and submission to, whatsoever has been revealed by their Pen;
loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of our Beloved's
sacred Will; and close association with the spirit as well as the
form of the present day Baha'i administration throughout the
world--these I conceive to be the fundamental and primary
considerations that must be fairly, discreetly and thoughtfully
ascertained before reaching such a vital decision.
'Abdu'l-Baha's instructions provide for the further development of Baha'i
organization....:
And now, concerning the House of Justice which God hath ordained
as the source of all good and freed from all error, it must be
elected by universal suffrage, that is, by the believers. Its
members must be manifestations of the fear of God and daysprings
of knowledge and understanding, must be steadfast in God's faith
and the well-wishers of all mankind. By this House is meant the
Universal House of Justice, that is, in all countries a secondary
House of Justice must be instituted, and these secondary Houses of
Justice must elect the members of the Universal one.(47) Unto this
body all things must be referred. It enacted all ordinances and
regulations that are not to be found in the explicit Holy Text. By
this body all the difficult problems are to be resolved and the
Guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and the
distinguished member for life of that body. Should he not attend
in person its deliberations, he must appoint one to represent
him.... This House of Justice enacteth the laws and the government
enforceth them. The legislative body must reinforce the executive,
the executive must aid and assist the legislative body so that
through the close union and harmony of these two forces, the
foundation of fairness and justice may become firm and strong,
that all the regions of the world may become even as Paradise
itself....
... Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn and all that is
not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal
House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by
a majority doth carry, that is verily the Truth and the Purpose of
God Himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that
love discord, hath shown forth malice and turned away from the
Lord of the Covenant.
Even at the present time, the Baha'is in all parts of the world maintain
an intimate and cordial association by means of regular correspondence and
individual visits. This contact of members of different races,
nationalities and religious traditions is concrete proof that the burden
of prejudice and the historical factors of division can be entirely
overcome through the spirit of oneness established by Baha'u'llah.
The World Order of Baha'u'llah
The larger implications of this order are explained by Shoghi Effendi in
successive communications addressed to the Baha'i community since
February, 1929:--
I cannot refrain from appealing to them who stand identified with
the Faith to disregard the prevailing notions and the fleeting
fashions of the day, and to realize as never before that the
exploded theories and the tottering institutions of present-day
civilization must needs appear in sharp contrast with those
God-given institutions which are destined to arise upon their
ruin....
For Baha'u'llah ... has not only imbued mankind with a new and
regenerating Spirit. He has not merely enunciated certain
universal principles, or propounded a particular philosophy,
however potent, sound and universal these may be. In addition to
these He, as well as 'Abdu'l-Baha after Him, has, unlike the
Dispensations of the past, clearly and specifically laid down a
set of Laws, established definite institutions, and provided for
the essentials of a Divine Economy. These are destined to be a
pattern for future society, a supreme instrument for the
establishment of the Most Great Peace, and the one agency for the
unification of the world, and the proclamation of the reign of
righteousness and justice upon the earth....
Unlike the Dispensation of Christ, unlike the Dispensation of
Muhammad, unlike all the Dispensations of the past, the apostles
of Baha'u'llah in every land, wherever they labor and toil, have
before them in clear, in unequivocal and emphatic language, all
the laws, the regulations, the principles, the institutions, the
guidance, they require for the prosecution and consummation of
their task.... Therein lies the distinguishing feature of the
Baha'i Revelation. Therein lies the strength of the unity of the
Faith, of the validity of a Revelation that claims not to destroy
or belittle previous Revelations, but to connect, unify, and
fulfill them....
Feeble though our Faith may now appear in the eyes of men, who
either denounce it as an offshoot of Islam, or contemptuously
ignore it as one more of those obscure sects that abound in the
West, this priceless gem of Divine Revelation, now still in its
embryonic state, shall evolve within the shell of His law, and
shall forge ahead, undivided and unimpaired, till it embraces the
whole of mankind. Only those who have already recognized the
supreme station of Baha'u'llah, only those whose hearts have been
touched by His love, and have become familiar with the potency of
His spirit, can adequately appreciate the value of this Divine
Economy--His inestimable gift to mankind.--March 21, 1930.
It is towards this goal--the goal of a new World Order, Divine in
origin, all-embracing in scope, equitable in principle,
challenging in its features--that a harassed humanity must
strive....
How pathetic indeed are the efforts of those leaders of human
institutions who, in utter disregard of the spirit of the age, are
striving to adjust national processes, suited to the ancient days
of self-contained nations, to an age which must either achieve the
unity of the world, as adumbrated by Baha'u'llah, or perish. At so
critical an hour in the history of civilization it behooves the
leaders of all the nations of the world, great and small, whether
in the East or in the West, whether victors or vanquished, to give
heed to the clarion call of Baha'u'llah and, thoroughly imbued
with a sense of world solidarity, the sine quaa non of loyalty to
His Cause, arise manfully to carry out in its entirety the one
remedial scheme He, the Divine Physician, has prescribed for an
ailing humanity. Let them discard, one for all, every preconceived
idea, every national prejudice, and give heed to the sublime
counsel of 'Abdu'l-Baha, the authorized Expounder of His
teachings. You can best serve your country, was 'Abdu'l-Baha's
rejoinder(48) to a high official in the service of the federal
government of the United States of America, who had questioned Him
as to the best manner in which he could promote the interests of
his government and people, if you strive, in your capacity as a
citizen of the world, to assist in the eventual application of the
principles of federalism underlying the government of your own
country to the relationships now existing between the peoples and
nations of the world....
Some form of a world Super-State must needs be evolved, in whose
favor all the nations of the world will have willingly ceded every
claim to make war, certain rights to impose taxation and all
rights to maintain armaments, except for purposes of maintaining
internal order within their respective dominions. Such a state
will have to include within its orbit an International Executive
adequate to enforce supreme and unchallengeable authority on every
recalcitrant member of the commonwealth; a World Parliament whose
members shall be elected by the people in their respective
countries and whose election shall be confirmed by their
respective governments; and a Supreme Tribunal whose judgment will
have a binding effect even in such cases where the parties
concerned did not voluntarily agree to submit their case to its
consideration. A world community in which all economic barriers
will have been permanently demolished and the interdependence of
Capital and Labor definitely recognized; in which the clamor of
religious fanaticism and strife will have been forever stilled; in
which the flame of racial animosity will have been finally
extinguished; in which a single code of international law--the
product of the considered judgment of the world's federated
representatives--shall have as its sanction the instant and
coercive intervention of the combined forces of the federated
units; and finally a world community in which the fury of a
capricious and militant nationalism will have been transmuted into
an abiding consciousness of world citizenship--such indeed,
appears, in its broadest outline, the Order anticipated by
Baha'u'llah, an Order that shall come to be regarded as the
fairest fruit of a slowly maturing age....
Let there be no misgivings as to the animating purpose of the
world-wide Law of Baha'u'llah. Far from aiming at the subversion
of the existing foundations of society, it seeks to broaden its
basis, to remold its institutions in a manner consonant with the
needs of an ever-changing world. It can conflict with no
legitimate allegiances, nor can it undermine essential loyalties.
Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame of a sane and
intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor to abolish the system
of national autonomy so essential if the evils of excessive
centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does it
attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical origins, of
climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and
habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world. It
calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration than any that
has animated the human race....
The call of Baha'u'llah is primarily directed against all forms of
provincialism, all insularities and prejudices.... For legal
standards, political and economic theories are solely designed to
safeguard the interests of humanity as a whole, and not humanity
to be crucified for the preservation of the integrity of any
particular law or doctrine....
The principle of the Oneness of Mankind--the pivot round which all
the teachings of Baha'u'llah revolve--is no mere outburst of
ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope....
Its implications are deeper, its claims greater than any which the
Prophets of old were allowed to advance. Its message is applicable
not only to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the
nature of those essential relationships that must bind all the
states and nations as members of one human family....
It represents the consummation of human evolution....
That the forces of a world catastrophe can alone precipitate such
a new phase of human thought is, alas, becoming increasingly
apparent....
Nothing but a fiery ordeal, out of which humanity will emerge,
chastened and prepared, can succeed in implanting that sense of
responsibility which the leaders of a newborn age must arise to
shoulder....
Has not 'Abdu'l-Baha Himself asserted in unequivocal language that
"another war, fiercer than the last, will assuredly break
out"?--November 28, 1931.
This Administrative Order ... will, as its component parts, its
organic institutions, begin to function with efficiency and vigor,
assert its claim and demonstrate its capacity to be regarded not
only as the nucleus but the very pattern of the New World Order
destined to embrace in the fullness of time the whole of
mankind....
Alone of all the Revelations gone before it this Faith has ...
succeeded in raising a structure which the bewildered followers of
bankrupt and broken creeds might well approach and critically
examine, and seek, ere it is too late, the invulnerable security
of its world-embracing shelter....
To what else if not the power and majesty which this
Administrative Order--the rudiments of the future all-enfolding
Baha'i Commonwealth--is destined to manifest, can these utterances
of Baha'u'llah allude: "The world's equilibrium hath been upset
through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World
Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been revolutionized through the
agency of this unique, this wondrous System--the like of which
mortal eyes have never witnessed." ...
The Baha'i Commonwealth of the future of which this vast
Administrative Order is the sole framework, is, both in theory and
practice, not only unique in the entire history of political
institutions, but can find no parallel in the annals of any of the
world's recognized religious systems. No form of democratic
government; no system of autocracy or of dictatorship, whether
monarchical or republican; no intermediary scheme of a purely
aristocratic order; nor even any of the recognized types of
theocracy, whether it be the Hebrew Commonwealth, or the various
Christian ecclesiastical organizations, or the Imamate or the
Caliphate in Islam--none of these can be identified or be said to
conform with the Administrative Order which the master-hand of its
perfect Architect has fashioned....
Let no one, while this System is still in its infancy, misconceive
its character, belittle its significance or misrepresent its
purpose. The bedrock on which this Administrative Order is founded
is God's immutable Purpose for mankind in this day. The Source
from which it derives its inspiration is no one less than
Baha'u'llah Himself.... The central, the underlying aim which
animates it is the establishment of the New World Order as
adumbrated by Baha'u'llah. The methods it employs, the standard it
inculcates, incline it to neither East nor West, neither Jew nor
Gentile, neither rich nor poor, neither white nor colored. Its
watchword is the unification of the human race; its standard the
"Most Great Peace." ... February 8, 1934.
The contrast between the accumulating evidences of steady
consolidation that accompany the rise of the Administrative Order
of the Faith of God, and the forces of disintegration which batter
at the fabric of a travailing society, is as clear as it is
arresting. Both within and outside the Baha'i world the signs and
tokens which, in a mysterious manner, are heralding the birth of
that World Order, the establishment of which must signalize the
Golden Age of the Cause of God, are growing and multiplying day by
day....
"Soon," Baha'u'llah's own words proclaim it, "will the present day
Order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead." ...
The Revelation of Baha'u'llah ... should ... be regarded as
signalizing through its advent the coming of age of the entire
human race. It should be viewed not merely as yet another
spiritual revival in the ever-changing fortunes of mankind, not
only as a further stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor
even as the culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic
cycles, but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the
stupendous evolution of man's collective life on this planet. The
emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world
citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture ...
should ... be regarded, as far as this planetary life is
concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of human
society, though man, as an individual, will, nay must indeed as a
result of such a consummation, continue indefinitely to progress
and develop. ...
The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Baha'u'llah, implies
the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations,
races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and
in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal
freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are
definitely and completely safeguarded. This commonwealth must, as
far as we can visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose
members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately
control the entire resources of all the component nations, and
will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life,
satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and
peoples. A world executive, backed by an international Force, will
carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by,
this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of
the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will ajudicate and
deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes
that may arise between the various elements constituting this
universal system. A mechanism of world intercommunication will be
devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national
hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvelous
swiftness and perfect regularity. A world metropolis will act as
the nerve center of a world civilization, the focus towards which
the unifying forces of life will converge and from which its
energizing influences will radiate. A world language will either
be invented or chosen from among the existing languages and will
be taught in the schools of all the federated nations as an
auxiliary to their mother tongue. A world script, a world
literature, a uniform and universal system of currency, of weights
and measures, will simplify and facilitate intercourse and
understanding among the nations and races of mankind. In such a
world society, science and religion, the two most potent forces in
human life, will be reconciled, will coeoperate, and will
harmoniously develop. The press will, under such a system, while
giving full scope to the expression of the diversified views and
convictions of mankind, cease to be mischievously manipulated by
vested interests, whether private or public, and will be liberated
from the influence of contending governments and peoples. The
economic resources of the world will be organized, its sources of
raw materials will be tapped and fully utilized, its markets will
be coeordinated and developed, and the distribution of its products
will be equitably regulated.
National rivalries, hatred, and intrigues will cease, and racial
animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity,
understanding and coeoperation. The causes of religious strife will
be permanently removed, economic barriers and restrictions will be
completely abolished, and the inordinate distinction between
classes will be obliterated. Destitution on the one hand, and
gross accumulation of ownership on the other, will disappear. The
enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or
political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the
range of human inventions and technical development, to the
increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of
disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising
of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and
refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused
and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of
human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can
stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the
entire human race.
A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising
unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources,
blending and embodying the ideals of both the East and the West,
liberated from the curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the
exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface
of the planet, a system in which Force is made the servant of
Justice, whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of
one God and by its allegiance to one common Revelation--such is the
goal towards which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of
life, is moving....
The whole of mankind is groaning, is dying to be led to unity, and
to terminate its age-long martyrdom. And yet it stubbornly refuses
to embrace the light and acknowledge the sovereign authority of
the one Power that can extricate it from its entanglements, and
avert the woeful calamity that threatens to engulf it....
Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage
which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe,
of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted and
fully established. World unity is the goal towards which a
harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to an end.
The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a
climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish,
recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and
establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this
fundamental principle of its life.--March 11, 1936.
[The above letters have been published in one volume entitled The
World Order of Baha'u'llah.]
Epilogue
Under the inspired guidance of Shoghi Effendi the Baha'i Cause grew
steadily in size and in the establishment of its Administrative Order, so
that by 1951 there were eleven functioning National Spiritual Assemblies.
At that point the Guardian turned to the development of the institutions
of the Faith at its international level, appointing the International
Baha'i Council, the forerunner of the Universal House of Justice, and,
shortly thereafter, the first contingent of the Hands of the Cause of God.
Hitherto Shoghi Effendi has raised certain eminent Baha'is to the rank of
Hands of the Cause posthumously, one of them being Dr. John E. Esslemont,
but it was only in 1951 that he adjudged the time ripe to begin the full
development of this important institution. In rapid succession between
1951 and 1957 he appointed thirty-two Hands and extended the range of
their activities, instituting in each continent Auxiliary Boards
consisting of believers and appointed by the Hands to be their deputies,
assistants and advisors. Twenty-seven of these Hands were living at the
time of his passing.
Through a series of letters, some addressed to Baha'is throughout the
world, and others to those in specific countries, the Guardian deepened
their understanding of the teachings, built up the administrative
institutions of the Faith, trained the believers in their correct and
effective use, and in 1937 launched the American Baha'i Community on its
implementation of the Divine Plan for the diffusion of Baha'u'llah's
Message. This Divine Plan had been revealed by 'Abdu'l-Baha in a number of
Tablets written during the years of the First World War and constitutes
the charter for the propagation of the Faith.
Within the framework of this charter a number of teaching plans were
carried out, first in the Western Hemisphere, then also in Europe, Asia,
Australasia and Africa until in 1953 the Guardian called for a
"decade-long, world-embracing, spiritual crusade" to carry the Faith to
all the remaining independent states and principal dependencies of the
world.
In 1957, as the midway point of the crusade approached, the Guardian,
exhausted by thirty-six years of unremitting labor, died while on a visit
to London.
As Shoghi Effendi had no heir, the work of the Faith after November 1957
was coordinated and directed by the twenty-seven Hands of the Cause until
the victorious completion of the crusade in April 1963, at which time the
first Universal House of Justice was elected by the members of fifty-six
National Spiritual Assemblies convened at the Baha'i World Center in Haifa
by the Hands of the Cause.
Immediately following this historic election, Baha'is from all parts of
the globe gathered in London at the first World Congress of the Faith to
celebrate the Centenary of the Declaration of Baha'u'llah and to rejoice
in the worldwide spread of His Faith.
The supreme institution of the Faith today is the Universal House of
Justice, created by Baha'u'llah in His Most Holy Book, invested with
authority to legislate on all matters not covered in the Baha'i Writings,
and assured divine guidance in the Sacred Text itself. 'Abdu'l-Baha, in
His Will and testament, lays down the method of election of the Universal
House of Justice, define sits station and duties more clearly, and asserts
that it is under the direct guidance of the Bab and Baha'u'llah and is the
body to which all must turn.
The unique and distinguishing feature of the Baha'i Faith is the Covenant
of Baha'u'llah, the bedrock upon which the Faith raises all its structures
and bases its development. Its uniqueness is that for the first time in
religious history the Manifestation of God, in clear and unambiguous
language, provides for the authorized interpretation of His Word, and
ensures the continuity of the divinely appointed authority which flows
from the Source of the Faith.
Interpretation of Scripture has always in earlier religions been a most
fertile source of schism. Baha'u'llah, in the Book of His Covenant, vested
in His eldest son, 'Abdu'l-Baha, full powers for the interpretation of His
Writings and for the direction of His Cause. 'Abdu'l-Baha, in His Will and
Testament, appointed His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the
Faith and sole interpreter of the Writings. There is no priesthood within
the Faith and no individual may claim special station or guidance;
authority is vested in institutions created within the Baha'i Scriptures.
By virtue of these unique provisions, the Faith of Baha'u'llah has been
preserved from schism, from the depredations of unauthorized leadership,
and above all from the infiltration of man-made doctrines and theories,
which in the past have shattered the unity of religions. Pure and
inviolate, the revealed Word of Baha'u'llah, with its authorized
interpretation, remains throughout the Dispensation the uncorrupted and
incorruptible source of spiritual life to men.
In 1968 the Universal House of Justice took action to provide for the
future carrying out of the specific functions of protection and
propagation vested in the Hands of the Cause, by the establishment of
Continental Board of Counsellors. Each Board consists of a number of
Counsellors appointed by the Universal House of Justice, and they work in
close collaboration with the Hands of the Cause of God. The appointment
and direction of Auxiliary Boards is now the duty of the Boards of
Counsellors, and the activities of the Hands, of whom fourteen are still
living, have been extended to be worldwide. In June 1973 the Universal
House of Justice established in the Holy Land an International Teaching
Centre and assigned it the activities of the Continental Board of
Counsellors and as liaison between them and the Universal House of
Justice.
The Guardian had written of future global teaching plans to be carried out
under the direction of the Universal House of Justice, and the first of
these, a Nine Year Plan, was launched in 1964. This was followed by a Five
Year Plan terminating at Ridvan 1979. At the present time, 1979, the
Baha'i Faith has been established in 172 independent states. There are
Baha'is living in over 103,000 localities throughout the world; Baha'i
literature has been translated into over 650 languages; the sixth and
seventh Baha'i Temples are being built in India and Samoa; land for 123
other Temples has been acquired; there are 125 National Spiritual
Assemblies and 25,500 Local Spiritual Assemblies. Baha'is are now
energetically pursuing a Seven Year Plan designed to further expand and
consolidate the growth of the Faith throughout the world.
Most encouraging of all has been the response of the masses in such places
as Africa, India, Southeast Asia and Latin America, where large numbers of
the indigenous peoples have begun to enter the Cause, bringing about a new
stage in the development of the administrative and social activities of
the worldwide Baha'i community.
FOOTNOTES
1 Written shortly after the First World War.
2 There are now the incomparable translations by Shoghi Effendi from
the Persian and Arabic, of the Writings of Baha'u'llah and
'Abdu'l-Baha. These, together with his own considerable writings
covering the history of the Faith, the statements and implications
of its fundamental verities and the unfoldment of its Administrative
Order, make the modern inquirer's task infinitely easier than in Dr.
Esslemont's time.
3 The "a" pronounced as in _Sh_ah.
4 One of the two great factions--_Sh_i'ih and Sunni--into which Islam
fell soon after the death of Muhammad, was the first legitimate
successor of the Prophet, and that only his descendants are the
rightful caliphs.
5 First day of Muharram, 1235 A.H.
6 On this point a historian remarks: "The belief of many people in the
East, especially the believers in the Bab (now Baha'is) was this:
that the Bab received no education, but that the Mullas, in order to
lower him in the eyes of the people, declared that such knowledge
and wisdom as he possessed were accounted for by the education he
had received. After deep search into the truth of this matter we
have found evidence to show that in childhood for a short time he
used to go to the house of _Sh_ay_kh_ Muhammad (also known as Abid)
where he was taught to read and write in Persian. It was this to
which the Bab referred when he wrote in the book of Bayan: 'O
Muhammad, O my teacher! ...'
"The remarkable thing is this, however, that this _Sh_ay_kh_, who
was his teacher, became a devoted disciple of his own pupil, and the
uncle of the Bab who was like a father to him, whose name was Haji
Siyyid 'Ali, also became a devout believer and was martyred as a
Babi.
"The understanding of these mysteries is given to seekers after
truth, but we know this, that such education as the Bab received was
but elementary, and that whatever signs of unusual greatness and
knowledge appeared in him were innate and from God."
7 A Traveller's Narrative Written to Illustrate the Episode of the Bab
with an introduction by E. G. Browne, referred to subsequently as A
Traveller's Narrative (Episode of the Bab).
8 i.e. May 23, 1844 A.D.
9 The Imam of the _Sh_i'ihs is the divinely ordained successor of the
Prophet whom all the faithful must obey. Eleven persons successively
held the office of Imam, the first being 'Ali, the cousin and
son-in-law of the Prophet. The majority of the _Sh_i'ihs hold that
the twelfth Imam, called by them the Imam Mihdi, disappeared as a
child into an underground passage in 329 A.H., and that in the
fullness of time he will come forth, overthrow the infidels and
inaugurate an era of blessedness.
10 Friday, 28th _Sh_a'ban, 1266 A.H.
11 Pronounced with the accent on the second and fourth syllables, the
first syllable being almost mute and both l's distinctly sounded.
12 2nd of Muharram, 1233 A.H.
13 This was early in the year 1853, or nine years after the Bab's
Declaration, thus fulfilling certain prophecies of the Bab
concerning "the year nine."
14 Pronounced Rizwan.
15 Author of an early history of the Faith, The Dawn-Breakers, Nabil
was a participant in some of the scenes he describes and was
personally acquainted with many of the early believers.
16 The Aqdas, Kitab-i-Aqdas, The Book of Aqdas, and The Most Holy Book
all refer to the same book.
17 In order to bury two of those who died, Baha'u'llah gave His own
carpet to be sold for the expenses of their burial, but instead of
using this money for that purpose the soldiers appropriate it, and
thrust the bodies into a hole in the ground.
18 Jamal-i-Mubarak (lit. Blessed Beauty) was a title frequently applied
to Baha'u'llah by His followers and friends.
19 When asked whether Baha'u'llah had made a special study of Western
writings and founded His teachings in accordance with them
'Abdu'l-Baha said that the books of Baha'u'llah, written and printed
as long ago as the 1870's, contained the ideals now so familiar to
the West, although at that time these ideas had not been printed or
thought of in the West.
20 Thursday, 5th Jamadi I, 1260 A.H.
21 The tradition is quoted in a Tablet of Baha'u'llah; see Chapter 5 of
this book.
22 It is interesting to compare this story with that of the birth of
John the Baptist; see St. Luke's Gospel, Chapter I.
23 In 1969, 139 independent states and 173 significant territories and
islands. (See Epilogue)
24 On the subject of Intercessory Prayer, see Chapter 11.
25 See pp. 261-263 and 272-273 for further elucidations of the
Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice.
26 For further particulars see 'Abdu'l-Baha's published addresses,
especially those given in the United States of America.
27 A battle of the Italo-Turkish War which broke out on September 29,
1911.
28 It is of interest that Zamenhof's daughter, Lydia, became an active
Baha'i.
29 1868 to 1870.
30 The author wrote this passage in 1919-1920.
31 The same considerations apply to the United Nations Organization.
32 See also section on Treatment of Criminals, pp. 153-155.
33 This date coincides with the birth of 'Abdu'l-Baha.
34 (Pronounced Azkar).
35 In connection with the Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar it is interesting to
recall Tennyson's lines:--
I dreamed
That stone by stone I reared a sacred fane,
A temple, neither Pagod, Mosque nor Church,
But loftier, simpler, always open-doored
To every breath from heaven, and Truth and Peace
And Love and Justice came and dwelt therein."
Akbar's Dream, 1892
36 This first House of Worship was seriously damaged in an earthquake
in 1948 and had to be demolished some years later.
37 This Temple was completed in 1953. Since then other Baha'i Temples
have been constructed in Kampala, Uganda; Sydney, Australia;
Frankfurt, Germany; Panama City, Panama; and two more are being
built in India and Samoa. At the present time, 1979, sites for 123
others have been purchased. (See Epilogue)
38 The word "species" is used here to explain the distinction which has
always existed between men and animals, despite outward appearances.
It should not be read with its current specialized biological
meaning.
39 The Second World War further demonstrated the fulfillment of this
prophecy, culminating in the use of the atomic bomb.
40 This has been further evidenced by the Second World War.
41 It is of interest that the charter meeting of the United Nations
Organization was held in San Francisco.
42 Lord Curzon, in his book, Persia and the Persian Question, published
in 1892, the year of Baha'u'llah's death, writes:--
"The lowest estimate places the present number of Babis in Persia at
half a million. I am disposed to think, from conversations with
persons well qualified to judge, that the total is nearer one
million. They are to be found in every walk of life, from the
ministers and nobles of the Court to the scavenger or the groom, not
the least arena of their activity being the Mussulman priesthood
itself....
"If Babism continues to grow at its present rate of progression, a
time may conceivably come when it will oust Mohammedanism from the
field in Persia. This, I think, it would be unlikely to do, did it
appear upon the ground under the flag of a hostile faith. But since
its recruits are won from the best soldiers of the garrison whom it
is attacking, there is greater reason to believe that it may
ultimately prevail." (Vol. i, pp. 449-502).
43 The number of Baha'is is increasing every year and by 1979 the
number of localities throughout the world where Baha'is reside has
risen to over 103,000. (See Epilogue).
44 The Local and National Houses of Justice are at the present time
designated Local and National Assemblies, as previously indicated.
45 Of the Hands of the Cause appointed by Shoghi Effendi during his
thirty-six year ministry, twenty-seven were living at the time of
his passing. He also instituted, in 1954, Auxiliary Boards to be
appointed by the Hands and to be their deputies, assistants and
advisors.
46 This section on the Administrative Order is taken from the article
on The Present-Day Administration of the Baha'i Faith by Horace
Holley, published in 1933 in The Baha'i World, Volume V, p. 191 et
seq. Passages in this article quoting from Baha'i writings have been
replaced by newer translations where these are available.
47 The Universal House of Justice was elected for the first time in
April 1986 by the members of fifty-six National Spiritual
Assemblies.
48 In the year 1912.