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Bahá’í
SACRED WRITINGS
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
he purpose underlying the revelation of every heavenly
Book, nay, Of every'divinely—revealed verse, is to endue all men With righteousness and understanding, so that peace and tranquillity may be firmly established amongst them. Whatsoever instilleth assurance into the hearts of men, whatsoever exalteth their station or promoteth their contentment, is acceptable in the sight of God. How lofty is the station which man, if he but choose to fulfill his high destiny, can attain! To What depths of degradation he can sink, depths Which the meanest of creatures have never reached! Seize, O friends, the chance which this Day offereth you, and deprive not yourselves of the liberal effusions of His grace. I beseech God that He may graciously enable every one of you to adorn himself, in this blessed Day, with the ornament of pure and holy deeds. He, verily, doeth whatsoever He Willeth.
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O ye that dwell on earth! The distinguishing feature that marketh the pre-eminent character of this Supreme Revelation consisteth in that We have, on the one hand, blotted out from the pages of God’s holy Book whatsoever hath been the cause of strife, of malice and mischief amongst the children of men, and have, on the other, laid down the essential prerequisites of concord, of understanding, of complete and enduring unity. Well is it With them that keep My statutes.
...The well—being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established. This unity can never be achieved so long as the counsels which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed are suffered to pass unheeded.
Through the power of the words He hath uttered the Whole of the human race can be illumined With the light of unity, and the remembrance of His Name is able to set on fire the hearts of all men, and burn away the veils that intervene between them and His glory. One righteous act is endowed With a potency that can so elevate the dust as to cause it to pass beyond the heaven of heavens. It can tear every bond asunder, and hath the power to restore the force that hath spent itself and vanished. . ..
The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one With another With the utmost love and harmony, With friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth beareth Me Witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words.
...The light of men is Justice. Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The puipose of justice is the appearance of unity among men. The ocean of divine Wisdom surgeth Within this exalted word, while the books of the world
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cannot contain its inner significance. . .. Appreciate ye the value of this utterance; it is a noble fruit that the Tree of the Pen of Glory hath yielded. Happy is the man that giveth ear unto it and observeth its precepts. Verily I say, whatever is sent down from the heaven of the Will of God is the means for the establishment of order in the world and the instrument for promoting unity and fellowship among its peoples.
...O well-beloved ones! The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. We cherish the hope that the light of justice may shine upon the world and sanctify it from tyranny. If the rulers and kings of the earth, the symbols of the power of God, exalted be His glory, arise and resolve to dedicate themselves to whatever will promote the highest interests of the whole of humanity, the reign of justice will assuredly be established amongst the children of men, and the effulgence of its light will envelop the whole earth.
This is the Day in which God’s most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. It behoveth them to cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be conducive to the exaltation of their stations, and to the promotion of their best interests. Happy are those whom the all-glorious Pen was moved to remember, and blessed are those men whose names, by Virtue of Our inscrutable decree, We have preferred to conceal.
Beseech ye the one true God to grant that all men may be graciously assisted to fulfil that which is acceptable in Our sight. Soon will the present—day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth, and is the Knower of things unseen.
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Writings and Utterances Of ‘Abdu ’l-Bahd
F or thousands of years the human race has been at war. It is enough. Now let mankind, for a time at least, consort in amity and peace. Enmity and hatred have ruled. Let the world, for a period, exercise love. For thousands of years the nations have denied each other, considering each other as infidel and inferior. It is sufficient. We must now realize that we are the servants of one God, that we turn to one beneficent Father, live under one divine law, seek one reality and have one desire. Thus may we live in the utmost friendship and love, and in return the favours and bounties of God shall surround us; the world of humanity will be reformed; mankind, enjoy a new life; eternal light will illumine, and heavenly moralities become manifest.
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 minoreth 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.
Were one to observe With an eye that discovereth the realities of all things, it would become clear that the greatest relationship that bindeth the world of being together lieth in the range of created things themselves, and that co-operation, mutual aid and reciprocity are essential characteristics in the unified body of the world of being, inasmuch as all created things are closely related together and each is influenced by the other or deriveth benefit therefrom, either directly or indirectly. . ..
...Hence it was stated that co-operation and reciprocity are essential properties which are inherent in the unified system of the world of existence, and without which the entire creation would be reduced to nothingness. . ..
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...when contemplating the human world thou beholdest this wondrous phenomenon shining resplendent from all sides with the utmost perfection, inasmuch as in this station acts of cooperation, mutual assistance and reciprocity are not confined to the body and to things that pertain to the material world, but for all conditions, whether physical or spiritual, such as those related to minds, thoughts, opinions, manners, customs, attitudes, understandings, feelings or other human susceptibilities. In all these thou shouldst find these binding relationships securely established. The more this interrelationship is strengthened and expanded, the more will human society advance in progress and prosperity. Indeed without these Vital ties it would be wholly impossible for the world of humanity to attain true felicity and success.
...In cycles gone by, though harmony was established, yet, owing to the absence of means, the unity of all mankind could not have been achieved. Continents remained widely divided, nay even among the peoples of one and the same continent association and interchange of thought were wellnigh impossible. Consequently intercourse, understanding and unity amongst all the peoples and kindreds of the earth were unattainable. In this day, however, means of communication have multiplied, and the five continents of the earth have Virtually merged into one. And for everyone it is now easy to travel to any land, to associate and exchange Views with its peoples, and to become familiar, through publications, with the conditions, the religious beliefs and the thoughts of all men. In like manner all the members of the human family, whether peoples or governments, cities or ' Villages, have become increasingly interdependent. For none is self—sufficiency any longer possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples and nations, and the bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture and education, are being strengthened every day. Hence the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of ' this wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this century—the century of light—hath been
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endowed with unique and unprecedented glory, power and illumination. Hence the miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually it will be seen how bright its candles Will burn in the assemblage of man.
Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world’s darkened horizon. The first candle is unity in the political realm, the early glimmerings of Which can now be discerned. The second candle is unity of thought in world undertakings, the consummation of Which Will ere long be witnessed. The third candle is unity in freedom Which will surely come to pass. The fourth candle is unity in religion Which is the corner-stone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power of God, Will be revealed in all its splendour. The fifth candle is the unity of nations—a unity which in this century will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland. The sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell on earth peoples and kindreds of- one race. The seventh candle is unity of language, i.e., the choice of a universal tongue in Which all peoples Will be instructed and converse. Each and every one of these Will inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization.
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[Page 39]FROM THE
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
he Universal House of Justice was ordained by Baha’u’llah,
in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, His book of laws, as the supreme legislative institution of His Faith. The duties With Which it has been charged are outlined in the following statement from its constitution:
To direct and canalize the forces released by His Revelation He [Bahá’u’lláh] instituted His Covenant, whose power has preserved the integrity of His Faith, maintained its unity and stimulated its world-Wide expansion throughout the successive ministries of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. It continues to fulfil its life-giVing purpose through the agency of the Universal House of Justice Whose fimdamental object, as one of the twin successors of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is to ensure the continuity of that divinely-appointed authority which flows from the Source of the Faith, to safeguard the unity of its followers, .and to maintain the integrity and flexibility of its teachings.1
1. The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1972), 3-4.
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From the writings of Baha’u’llah, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi; and from the communications of the Universal House of Justice, Bahá’ís gain not only their Vision of a world where justice and unity prevail, but they are also provided with guidance as to how to build that world. While the Universal House of Justice communicates primarily with the Bahá’í world community, a Wider public is acquainted with its statement on peace, written in 1985 on the eve of the United Nations International Year of Peace and addressed to the peoples of the world. Dissemination of this document formed the core of a global campaign undertaken by the Bahá’í community throughout the Year of Peace and beyond.
Letters and messages, whether addressed to individual believers, to Bahá’í communities, or to the generality of humankind, provide the major means by which the Universal House of Justice communicates its Vision and its directives to the world. While letters to individuals often respond to personal issues and queries on broader subjects, the circular letters of the. Universal House of Justice, addressed to all or selected National Spiritual Assemblies or collectively to the Bahá’ís of the world, cover especially important topics and may give guidance, analyze the situation of the world and of the community, or announce significant events. This section of The Bahá’í World features excerpts from a selection of major letters of the Universal House of Justice written between April 1993 and April 1994.
Riḍván Message 150 RE.
Each year during Riḍván, the twelve-day period between 21 April and 2 May commemorating Baha’u’llah’s public declaration of His mission in the Riḍván Garden near Baghdad in 1863, the Universal House of Justice addresses a major letter to the Bahá’ís of the world. The letter often serves as a review of significant events of the past year, setting them in the context of the Bahá’í Faith’s development around the globe as well as the general world condition. Often the letter also outlines the challenges and opportunities lying before the community in the year ahead. In its “Riḍván message” of 150 BE, or April 1993
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C.E., the Universal House of Justice begins by reviewing the events of the second Bahá’í Holy Year, from Riḍván 1992 to Riḍván 1993, noting particularly the activities connected with both the commemoration of the centenary of Baha’u’llah’s passing in the Holy Land in May and the World Congress, attended by over 27,000 Bahá’ís from around the world, in New York City in November 1992. “These,” it remarks, “were of a rare category of experience” which not only increased the recognition of the Bahá’í Faith by various agencies around the world but also led the community “to a deeper understanding of [its] relation to Baha’u’llah than hitherto obtained.” Elaborating this theme, the House of Justice continues:
The greater appreciation in ourselves of the universality of the community, of its embodiment of the first and over—arching principle of His Faith, has left a new and compelling impression upon our hearts; the effects of that awareness were strikingly demonstrated at the commemoration in the Holy Land last May and more broadly at the World Congress last November; as if to confirm our assurance in these desperately troubled times that the world of humanity is moving inexorably towards its as-yet elusive destiny of unity and peace.
Praising “the innumerable, imaginative efforts undertaken by the friends around the world, from remote Villages to great cities, in observance of these important anniversaries,” the House of Justice goes on to note “the unprecedented publicity accorded the purpose and activities of the Holy Year through the mass media in large and small countries, the notice given by legislative bodies and public officials to the centennial, the gestures of recognition and appreciation of the Faith by governmental agencies, [and] the involvement of representatives of the Bahá’í International Community in major global events.”2
Another event of great significance to the Bahá’ís, also noted in the letter, was the release in March 1993 of the first
2. See The Bahá’í World 1992-93 for a complete account of the events in which the Bahá’í world community took part during the Holy Year.
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authorized English edition of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, known also as the Most Holy Book, Baha’u’llah’s book of laws. This release, the Universal House of Justice states, carries implications not only for the Bahá’í community but for humanity as a whole, with the gradual enforcement of the laws contained in it.
Addressing the increasingly “confused and paradoxical” current world situation in Which “simultaneous signs of order and chaos, promise and frustration” become daily more apparent, the Universal House of Justice instituted a Three Year Plan for the growth and consolidation of the Bahá’í community, beginning at Riḍván 1993. Though “its brevity is compelled by the swiftly changing tides of the times,” the House of Justice notes in its Riḍván letter that the Plan’s “primary purpose is indispensable to the future of the Cause and of humankind.”
Necessary for the success of this Plan is, first of all, a “massive expansion of the Bahá’í community.” The Universal House of Justice notes the mutuality of the expansion and administration of the Faith. Influx of great numbers of believers Will, it states, provide scope for the institutions of the Faith “to be able to develop and adequately demonstrate their inherent capacity to minister to the crying needs of humanity in its hour of deepening despair.”
The three-fold theme of the Three Year Plan centers around “enhancing the vitality of the faith of individual believers, greatly developing the human resources of the Cause, and fostering the proper functioning of local and national Bahá’í institutions.” The Riḍván message deals With each of these aspects in some detail. With regard to the first objective, the Universal House of Justice points out the necessity for individual believers to become spiritually transformed and to cultivate a sense of spirituality, obeying the laws and principles of Baha’u’llah Which constitute a “Wholesome medicine” for humanity in this age. With regard to the development of the human resources of the Faith, the Universal House of Justice does not speak of training and the acquisition of knowledge as ends in themselves but as means to apply spiritual principles to administer the affairs of humanity. Finally, in writing about the proper functioning of institutions, the House of Justice outlines
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the principles applicable: that the members should thoroughly familiarize themselves With their duties; adhere strictly to principle; remove estrangement and sectarian tendencies from their modes of functioning; Win the affection of those they serve; involve individual members of their communities in the work as much as possible; and aim constantly at improving their performance. The end result, it states, Will be a rekindling of hope in disillusioned members of society.
In the final portion of its Riḍván message, the Universal House of Justice outlines its own activities, to be undertaken simultaneously to the Bahá’í world community’s pursuit of the objectives outlined above: it will coordinate the “Widely diverse activities” of the Bahá’í community on a global scale, direct the burgeoning external affairs work, and pursue the completion of the Mount Carmel construction projects according to the established timetable.3 The letter concludes With a statement of the need for increased material resources to complete the work that has begun on Mount Carmel, and With an appeal to individual believers throughout the world to arise and redouble their efforts to serve their Faith. The House of Justice clearly points out the crucial nature of their response:
The goals of the Three Year Plan Will not be easily won, but 'they must be magnificently achieved, whatever the sacrifice. There should therefore be no hesitation or delay on the part of individuals or Spiritual Assemblies in attending to them, lest the problems of mankind pile up unchecked, or the rise of internal crises slows us down.
Pointing to the historical pattern of alternating Victory and crisis Within the Bahá’í community, the Universal House of Justice ends its message by saying, “As we savour the triumphs of the Holy Year, let us not forget the reality of this recurrent experience. Let us also remember that our blessings are equal to our challenges, as repeatedly shown by our glorious history.”
3. For further discussion of the significance of the Mount Carmel Projects, see The Bahá’í World 1992-93, pp. 169-176.
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Messages Regarding the Institutions of the Faith
Other major messages from the Universal House of Justice written during the period from Riḍván 1993 to Riḍván 1994 can be grouped according to a number of different topics. First, there were a number of letters concerning the senior institutions of the Faith. On 30 April 1993, an electronic message was sent to all National Spiritual Assemblies announcing the results of the election of the Universal House of Justice at the Seventh International Convention:
ANNOUNCE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF IUSTICE ‘ALi NAKHJAVANI’, GLENFORD MITCHELL, ADIB TAHERZADEH, IAN SEMPLE, PETER KHAN, HUSHMAND FATHEAZAM, HOOPER DUNBAR, FARZAM ARBAB, DOUGLAS MARTIN.
On 13 May 1993, a message announced the appointment of the International Teaching Centre for its next five-year term and also thanked the retiring members for their services on the institution:
WITH J OYFUL HEARTS WE ANNOUNCE APPOINTMENT COUNSELLOR MEMBERS INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE FOR FIVE-YEAR TERM BEGINNING 23 MAY 1993: MR. KISER BARNES, IVER. HARTMUT GROSSMANN, MRS. LAURETTA KING, MRS. JOAN LINCOLN, MR. SHAPOOR MONADJEM, NIR. DONALD ROGERS, MR. FRED SCHECHTER, NIRS. KIMIKO SCHWERIN, NERS. JOY STEVENSON. PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL MR. MAS‘UD KHAMS1AND MR. PETER VUYIYA FOR ILLUSTRIOUS RECORD YEARS DEVOTED LABOURS IN DEVELOPMENT WORLDWIDE OPERATION THIS VITAL INSTITUTION.
On 24 June 1993 a letter to the Bahá’ís of the world documented the significance of the consultations held at the Counsellors’ Conference following the International Convention and outlined the functions of the International Teaching Centre, an institution Which the Universal House of Justice characterized as having “abundantly demonstrated its capacity and
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eagerness to assume the Wide range of responsibilities conferred upon it.”4
Messages Concerning the Mount Carmel Projects
As work continued on the construction proj ects currently under way on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, including construction of two administrative buildings at the Bahá’í World Centre—the Centre for the Study of the Texts and the International Teaching Centre—and the building of the nineteen terraces to enhance the beauty and dignity of the Shrine of the Báb, the Universal House of Justice wrote to the Bahá’í communities around the world announcing the issuing of tenders for the projects and the signing of contracts. A further letter outlining the significance of the building projects was sent on 4 J anuary 1994, referring to them as “a manifest expression of the emergence from obscurity of the Faith of Baha’u’llah and of the determining role it is ordained to play in the affairs of humankind. When the buildings are completed, they will stand as the Visible seat of mighty institutions whose purpose is no other than the spiritualization of humanity and the preservation of justice and unity throughout the world.”5
The Situation of the Bahd ’t’s in Iran
The period 1993-94 witnessed further persecutions of the Iranian Bahá’í community, and the Universal House of Justice wrote a number of letters to Bahá’í National Spiritual Assemblies around the world to inform them of the situation and to urge them to bring it to the attention of their governments. On 17 May 1993, a letter was sent to selected National Spiritual Assemblies concerning denial of legal reparations to the family of a Bahá’í killed in an automobile accident on the grounds that
the viCtim was a Bahá’í, followed on 20 May by a letter
4. For a detailed discussion of the institution of the International Teaching Centre and the deliberations held during this conference, see pp. 59-66.
5. See pp. 67-75 for further details concerning the work on the Mount Carmel Projects in 1993-94.
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regarding the confiscation of Bahá’í propetties in various cities in Iran. By July 1993, the Iranian government had undertaken full-scale destruction of the Bahá’í cemetery in Tehran, desecrating Bahá’í graves, disinterring some two thousand bodies and transporting them to an unknown location. This action prompted a letter from the Universal House of Justice on 4 July and a further letter on 21 July, informing National Spiritual Assemblies that work on the destruction of the cemetery had been stepped up to three shifts per day in an effort to complete the work before objections could be raised through diplomatic channels. The response of Bahá’í communities around the world was evident in the extensive coverage of the desecration carried by print media in widely diverse locations, from tlée Cook Islands News in the South Pacific to the New York Times.
Expansion of the Bahá’í Faith
The Universal House of Justice addressed two letters to the Bahá’ís of the world specifically regarding the expansion of the Faith. The first, written on 9 November 1993, spoke in detail about the receptive climate for massive expansion of the Bahá’í Faith in various areas and the means by which the Bahá’í world community can pursue such expansion. The second letter, of 26 November, announced the imminent formation, at Riḍván 1994, of seven new National and Regional Assemblies in different locations around the world.
Other Messages
Other messages dealt With a variety of different topics: the Visit of the Deputy Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea to the Bahá’í World Centre,7 the murder of three Bahá’ís in Ciskei, South Africa,8 and a call for Bahá’ís around the world to arise and settle in different geographical areas to promote the expan 6. For further information on the situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran during 199394, please see pp. 139-145; for details concerning the media coverage of the destruction of the Tehran Bahá’í cemetery, see pp. 153-156.
7. See “Year in Review,” p. 78.
8. See pp. 147—150 for this story.
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sion and consolidation of the Bahá’í community worldwide.
The letters of the Universal House of Justice written between Riḍván 1993 and Riḍván 1994 cover a breadth of topics which it is not possible to contain in this brief summary. They show how the supreme elected institution ordained by Bahá’u’lláh in His writings functions, protecting the Bahá’í community from
persecution and division, applying the Bahá’í teachings for the current situation, guiding the Bahá’í community in its course of ‘ development, and sharing news of both crisis and victory in the Bahá’í world.
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.'
\
The Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre, Israel
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