Bahá’í World/Volume 5/The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
PRESENT-DAY ADMINISTRATION OF THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH
BY HORACE HOLLEY
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 Bahá’í Cause, the principles of world administration were expressed by Bahá’u’lláh, and these principles were developed in the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 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 Bahá’í Cause will show that the purpose and method of Bahá’í 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 Bahá’í administration represent the science of cooperation; in application, they provide for a new and higher type of morality worldwide in scope. In the clash and confusion of sectarian prejudice, the Bahá’í Movement is impartial and sympathetic, offering a foundation upon which reconciliation can be firmly based. Amid the complex interrelations of governments, the Movement stands absolutely neutral as to political purposes and entirely obedient to all recognized authority. It will not be overlooked by the student that Bahá’u’lláh is the only religious teacher making obedience to just governments and rulers a definite spiritual command.
In this brief analysis of the several features of the Bahá’í system of administration the purpose is rather to place in the hands of the believers themselves a convenient summary of the available instructions than to clarify this aspect of the Movement to the non-Bahá’í. Until one has made contact with the spirit of the Bahá’í teachings and desires to cooperate wholeheartedly with their purpose, the administrative phase of the Movement can have little real meaning or appeal.
At the time of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the organization was fully defined but not yet established among His followers. The responsibility for carrying out the instructions was placed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá upon His grandson, Shoghi Effendi, to whom was assigned the function of “Guardian of the Cause.” Obedience to the authority of the Guardian was definitely enjoined upon all Bahá’ís by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, but this authority carries with it nothing of an arbitrary or personal character, being limited as to purpose and method by the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Guardian unifies the efforts to bring into complete application those principles of world administration already clearly defined.
To assist the Guardian in his manifold responsibilities and duties and particularly in the promotion of the teaching work, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá provided for the appointment of a group of co-workers to be known as “The
Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. In the background is the lowest section of one of the ribs of the recently completed dome of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, Wilmette, Illinois, U. S. A.
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Hands of the Cause of God.”
The appointment of this body is a function
of the Guardian, and these from their own
number are to elect nine persons who will
be closely associated with the Guardian
in the discharge of
his duties. It is the function of the Guardian
also to appoint his own successor, this
appointment to be ratified by the nine Hands of
the Cause.
It is the genius of the Bahá’í Cause that the principle underlying the administration of its affairs aims to improve the life and upbuild the character of the individual believer in his own local community, wherever it may be, and not to enhance the prestige of those relatively few who, by election or appointment, hold positions of higher authority. Bahá’í authority is measured by self-sacrifice and not by arbitrary power. This fundamental aim can be seen clearly on studying the significant emphasis which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá placed upon the local Bahá’í community. The local group, involving as it does men and women in all the normal activities and relations of life, is the foundation upon which rests the entire evolution of the Cause. The local Bahá’í community is given official recognition only after its number of adult declared believers has become nine or more. Up to this point, the community exists as a voluntary group of workers and students of the Cause.
In this connection, the word “community” is not used in the sense of any locality, exclusively Bahá’í in membership, nor of any manner of living differing outwardly from the general environment, such as has been attempted by religionists and also members of philosophic and economic movements in the past. A Bahá’í community is a unity of minds and hearts, an association of people entirely voluntary in character, established upon a common experience of devotion to the universal aims of Bahá’u’lláh and agreement as to the methods by which these aims can be advanced.
A Bahá’í 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, Bahá’í 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 Bahá’í 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 Bahá’í 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 powers, and association with others in spiritual love brings these powers into vital, positive expression. A Bahá’í 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.
Where the community is small and
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insignificant, in comparison with the population
of the city or town, the first condition of
growth is understanding of the Manifestation
of Bahá’u’lláh, and the next condition is that
of true humility. If these two conditions
exist, the weakest soul becomes endowed with
effective power in service to the Cause. The
result of unity, in fact, is to share the powers
and faculties of all with each.
The responsibility for and supervision of local Bahá’í 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 Riḍván (the Festival commemorating the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh) 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-Bahá has written as follows:
“It is incumbent upon everyone (every believer) not to take any step (of Bahá’í 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 fragrance, 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 Bahá 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 expresses with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should anyone oppose, he 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 fulfil 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.”
The letters of Shoghi Effendi quote the fundamental instructions contained in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the character of Bahá’í administration, and give them definite application: “A careful study of Bahá’u’lláh’s and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets will reveal that other duties (besides teaching the Cause), no less vital to the interests of the Cause, devolve upon the elected representatives of the friends in every locality.
“They must endeavor to promote amity and concord amongst the friends and secure an active and wholehearted cooperation for the service of the Cause.
“They must do their utmost to extend at all times the helping hand to the poor, the sick, the disabled, the orphan, the widow, irrespective of color, caste and creed.
"They must promote by every means in
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their power the material
as well as spiritual enlightenment of youth,
the means for the
education of children; institute, whenever
possible, Bahá’í educational institutions;
organize and supervise their work, and provide
the best means for their progress and development. . . .
"They must bend every effort to promote the interests of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (i.e., House of Worship),1 and hasten the day when the work of this glorious Edifice2 will have been consummated.
“They must encourage and stimulate by every means at their command, through subscriptions, reports and articles, the development of the various Bahá’í magazines.
“They must undertake the arrangement of the regular meetings of the friends, the feasts and anniversaries, as well as the special gatherings designed to serve and promote the social, intellectual and spiritual interests of their fellowmen.
"They must supervise in these days when the cause is still in its infancy all Bahá’í publications and translations, and provide in general for a dignified and accurate presentation of all Bahá’í literature and its distribution to the general public.
“These rank among the most outstanding obligations of the members of every Spiritual Assembly. In whatever locality the Cause has sufficiently expanded, and in order to insure efficiency and avoid confusion, each of these manifold functions will have to be referred to a special Committee, responsible to that Assembly, elected by it from among the friends in that locality, and upon whose work the Assembly will have to exercise constant and general supervision.
“In every locality, be it city or hamlet, where the number of adult declared believers exceed nine, a local Spiritual Assembly must be forthwith established.
"As the progress and extension of spiritual activities is dependent and conditioned upon material means, it is of absolute necessity that immediately after the establishment of local as well as national Spiritual Assemblies, a Bahá’í Fund be established, to be placed
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1 Referring particularly to Spiritual Assemblies in America.
2On the shore of Lake Michigan.
under the exclusive control of the Spiritual Assembly. All donations and contributions should be offered to the Treasurer of the Assembly, for the express purpose of promoting the interests of the Cause throughout that locality or country. It is the sacred obligation of every conscientious and faithful servant of Bahá’u’lláh, who desires to see His Cause advance, to contribute freely and generously for the increase of that Fund. The members of the Spiritual Assembly will at their own discretion expend it to promote the teaching campaign, to help the needy, to establish educational Bahá’í institutions, to extend in every way their sphere of service.
“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 interests 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 (Bahá’í) 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 whatever, 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
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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 Bahá’í 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.”
Experience in the life of a Bahá’í community and participation in the details of its several activities impresses one with the fact that Bahá’í unity has in it new elements which work powerfully to expand one’s area of sympathy, deepen one’s insight, develop one’s character and bring order and stability into all of one’s affairs. There can be no higher privilege than the experience of attempting to serve faithfully upon a Spiritual Assembly, conscious as its members are of the unique standard upheld by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and bringing as it does the opportunity of dealing with a large range and diversity of human problems from an impersonal point of view. It is inevitable that the nine elected members shall exemplify diverse interests and types of character, with the result that unity of heart and conscience with the other eight members is a direct training to enter into spiritual unity with the larger body of mankind. No such schools of discipline and inspiration exist on earth today, for one must bear in mind that a Bahá’í community can never be an exclusive group not a closed circle of interests but, on the contrary, its fundamental purpose is to unify and cooperate with every possible element in the surrounding population.
The local Spiritual Assembly after election organizes by electing from its own number a chairman, corresponding secretary, recording secretary and treasurer. It should appoint from its own members or from the local Bahá’í community working committees responsible for the various permanent activities of the Cause.
Since a Spiritual Assembly is established upon a new and higher ideal, the character, knowledge and purity of its members is essential to success. Wherever personal ambition, narrowness or impurity enters a Spiritual Assembly, the results are invariably to check the growth of the Cause and, if these conditions are prolonged, to destroy the foundation already laid. The careful student of the teachings will accept this result as one more vindication of the all—surrounding spirit protecting this Faith. The elimination of an unworthy group from the Bahá’í Cause would be a bitter disappointment but not an evidence that the Cause had failed. On the contrary, the Cause could only be declared a failure if personal ambition, pride, narrowness and impurity should so prevail as to build a world-wide organization able to pervert the original purpose.
The local Spiritual Assemblies of a country are linked together and co-ordinated 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 Bahá’í communities. The delegates are elected by all the adult declared believers of a community in which a Spiritual Assembly exists. The National Convention in which the delegates are gathered together is composed of an elective body based upon the principle of proportional representation. The total number of delegates is fixed by Shoghi Effendi for each country, and this number is fulfilled by assigning to each local community the number of delegates called for by its relative numerical strength. These National Conventions are preferably held during the period of Riḍván, the twelve days beginning April 21st which commemorate the Declaration made by Bahá’u’lláh in the Garden of Riḍván near Baghdád. The recognition of delegates is vested in the outgoing National Spiritual Assembly.
A National Convention is an occasion for
deepening one’s understanding of Bahá’í
activities and of sharing reports of national
and local activities for the period of the
elapsed year. It has been the custom to
hold a public Bahá’í Congress in connection
with the
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Convention. The function of a Bahá’í 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.
Delegates unable to attend the Convention in person are permitted to vote for the new National Spiritual Assembly by mail.
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 co-ordinate, 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-Bahá’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 Bahá’í world, to elect directly the members of the International or Universal 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 Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, 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 relations 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 a matter which ought to receive its special attention.
“It is the 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 were 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 dispersion 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,
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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.
“The seating of delegates to the Convention (i. e., the right to decide upon the validity of the credentials of the delegates at a given Convention), is vested in the outgoing National Assembly, and the right to decide who has the voting privilege is also ultimately placed in the hands of the National Spiritual Assembly, either when a local Spiritual Assembly is for the first time being formed in a given locality, or when differences arise between a new applicant and an already established local Assembly.
“Were the National Spiritual Assembly to decide, after mature deliberation, to omit the holding of the Bahá’í Convention and Congress in a given year, then they could, only in such a case, devise ways and means to insure that the annual election of the National Spiritual Assembly should be held by mail, provided it can be conducted with sufficient thoroughness, efficiency and dispatch. It would also appear to me unobjectionable to enable and even to require in the last resort such delegates as cannot possibly undertake the journey to the seat of the Bahá’í Convention to send their votes, for the election of the National Spiritual Assembly only, by mail to the National Secretary.”
Concerning the matter of drawing up the voting list to be used at the annual local Bahá’í 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 a true believer or not: Full recognition of the station of the Forerunner, the Author and the True Exemplar of the Bahá’í Cause, as set forth in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá‘s Will and 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 Bahá’í administration—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-Bahá’s instructions provide for the further development of Bahá’í organization through an International Spiritual Assembly to be elected by the members of the National Spiritual Assemblies. This international body has not yet come into existence, but its special character has been clearly defined:
"And now, concerning the Assembly (Baytu’l-‘Ad’l: i.e., 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 day-springs of knowledge and understanding, must be steadfast in God’s Faith, and the well-wishers of all mankind. By this Assembly is meant the Universal Assembly: that is, in each country a secondary Assembly must be instituted, and these secondary Assemblies must elect the members of the Universal one.
“Unto this body all things must be referred. It enacteth 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 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 assembly enacteth the laws and the executive 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 everyone must
turn, and all that is not expressly recorded
therein must be referred to the Universal
Assembly. That which this body, either
unanimously or by a majority, doth carry,
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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 Bahá’ís 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,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s bedroom, Plaza Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, U. S. A., April, 1912.
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 Bahá’u’lláh.
The general student of religion will not fail to note four essential characteristics of Bahá’í administration. The first is its completely successful reconciliation of the usually opposed claims of democratic freedom and unanswerable authority. The second is the entire absence from the Bahá’í Cause of anything approaching the institution of a salaried professional clergy. The Bahá’í conception of religion is one which combines mysticism, which is a sacred personal experience, with practical morality, which is a useful contact between the individual and his fellow man. In the nature of things, some souls are more advanced than others, and the function of spiritual teaching is given special importance in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Bahá’í teacher, however, has no authority over the individual conscience. The individual conscience must be subordinated to the decisions of a duly elected Spiritual Assembly, but this relationship is entirely different in character and results from the relationship of an individual with minister or priest.
The third characteristic is the absence of internal factionalism, that bane of all organized effort, and the sure sign of the presence of spiritual disease. The predominant spirit of unity which distinguishes the Bahá’í Cause in its relation to the world, making its followers
Bahá’í pioneers of Chicago.
Bahá’ís of Chicago, September 6, 1908.
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strive for reconciliation
rather than partisan victory, creates an internal
condition, unlike that which exists in movements
which accept partisan victory, in one or
another form, as their very reason for being.
Such movements can but disintegrate from
within; the Bahá’í Movement can but grow.
Significant also is the fourth characteristic, namely, that the Bahá’í Cause has within it an inherent necessity operating slowly but surely to bring its administration into the hands of those truly fitted for the nature of the work. The lesser vision gives way invariably for the larger vision, itself replaced by the still larger vision in due time. The result is an inevitable improvement in the qualities placed at the service of the Cause, until the highest attributes of humanity will be enrolled. In the Bahá’í Cause we are actually witnessing the fulfilment of that strange and cryptic saying: “The meek shall inherit the earth.”
That the administrative machinery is not an end in itself but merely the means to spread everywhere the light of faith and brotherhood, is frequently expressed by the Guardian in his general letters, and this brief survey may well close with one of those passages:
“Not by the force of numbers, not by the mere exposition of a set of new and noble principles, not by an organized campaign of teaching—no matter how worldwide and elaborate in its character—not even by the staunchness of our faith or the exaltation of our enthusiasm, can we ultimately hope to vindicate in the eyes of a critical and skeptical age the supreme claim of the Abhá Revelation. One thing and only one thing will unfailingly and alone secure the undoubted triumph of this sacred Cause, namely the extent to which our own inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendor of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh.”
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EXCERPTS FROM THE WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ
FOREWORD
IT IS significant of the completeness of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh that the text of His Book provided for every emergency confronting human souls in this age. The supreme tests of the Bahá’í Faith had in fact already been successfully met during the days which followed the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh in 1892. By the appointment of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Center of His Covenant, Bahá’u’lláh prolonged His own ministry for well nigh thirty years, a period coinciding with an entire generation and therefore sufficient to withstand the onslaughts of those ambitious persons who arose to overthrow or pervert the Faith from within and without its ranks. For the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, according to the text of this appointment, have spiritual validity with those of the Manifestation.
Thus, during the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh was not only safeguarded from confusion and division, it was vastly extended into Europe, America and the Far East, and the fundamental literature of the Faith was amplified by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s public addresses and Tablets, many of which were directed to the administrative side of Bahá’í service. By 1921, the outer form of this community had been fairly defined in many localities and impressed upon the habits as well as thoughts of the believers.
Despite this fact, it is more than doubtful,
it is positively certain, that the worldwide
Bahá’í community could not have survived
the shock of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing, and
perpetuated its complex unity into the future,
had He not made definite provision for a
point of unity acceptable to all the believers
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and a continuance
of that administrative authority which is
the body of the soul of Faith.
These provisions were made in the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, excerpts from which follow. By the appointment of a Guardian of the Bahá’í Cause, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá created an executive head and center possessing unquestioned consecration and capacity for the tremendous task of inspiring the world-wide Bahá’í community to develop along the path of human service marked out for it in the Religion of Bahá’u’lláh.
ALL-PRAISE to Him who, by the Shield of His Covenant, hath guarded the Temple of His Cause from the darts of doubtfulness, who by the Hosts of His Testament hath preserved the Sanctuary of His Most Beneficent Law and protected His Straight and Luminous Path, staying thereby the onslaught of the company of Covenant-breakers, that have threatened to subvert His Divine Edifice; who hath watched over His Mighty Stronghold and All-glorious Faith, through the aid of men whom the slander of the slanderer affects not, whom no earthly calling, glory and power can turn aside from the Covenant of God and His Testament, established firmly by His clear and manifest words, writ and revealed by His All-glorious Pen and recorded in the Preserved Tablet.
Salutation and praise, blessing and glory rest upon that Primal Branch of the Divine and Sacred Lote-Tree, grown out, blest, tender, verdant and flourishing from the Twin Holy Trees; the most wondrous, unique and priceless pearl that doth gleam from out the twin surging seas; upon the offshoots of the Tree of Holiness, the twigs of the Celestial Tree, they that in the Day of the Great Dividing have stood fast and firm in the Covenant; upon the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God that have diffused widely the divine Fragrances, declared His Proofs, proclaimed His Faith, published abroad His Law, detached themselves from all things but Him, stood for righteousness in this World, and kindled the Fire of the Love of God in the very hearts and souls of His servants; upon them that have believed, rested assured, stood steadfast in His Covenant and followed the Light that after My passing shineth from the Day-Spring of divine Guidance—for behold! he is the blest and sacred Bough that hath branched out from the Twin Holy Trees. Well is it with him that seeketh the shelter of his shade that shadoweth all mankind.
O ye beloved of the Lord! The greatest of all things is the protection of the True Faith of God, the preservation of His Law, the safeguarding of His Cause and service unto His Word. Ten thousand souls have shed streams of their sacred blood in this path, their precious lives they offered in sacrifice unto Him, hastened wrapt in holy ecstasy unto the glorious field of martyrdom, upraised the Standard of God’s Faith and writ with their life-blood upon the Tablet of the world the verses of His divine Unity. The sacred breast of His Holiness, the Exalted One—May my life be a sacrifice unto Him—was made a target to many a dart of woe, and in Mázindarán, the blessed feet of the Abhá Beauty—May my life be offered up for His loved ones—were so grievously scourged as to bleed and be sore wounded. His neck also was put into captive chains and His feet made fast in the stocks. In every hour, for a period of fifty years, a new trial and calamity befell Him and fresh afflictions and cares beset Him. One of them: after having suffered intense vicissitudes, He was made homeless and a wanderer and fell a victim to still new vexations and troubles. In ‘Iráq, the Day-star of the world was so exposed to the wiles of the people of malice as to be eclipsed in splendor. Later on He was sent an exile to the Great City (Constantinople) and thence to the Land of Mystery (Adrianople), whence, grievously wronged, He was eventually transferred to the Most Great Prison (‘Akká). He whom the world hath wronged—May my life be offered up for His loved ones—was four times banished from city to city, till at last, condemned to perpetual confinement, He was incarcerated in this Prison, the prison of highway robbers, of brigands and of manslayers. All this is but one of the trials that have afflicted the Blessed Beauty, the rest being even as grievous as this.
According to the direct and sacred
command of God, we are forbidden to utter
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slander, are commanded to show forth peace
and amity, are exhorted to rectitude
of conduct, straightforwardness and harmony with
all the kindreds and peoples of the world.
We must obey and be the well-wishers of the
governments of the land, regard disloyalty
unto a just king as disloyalty to God
Himself and wishing evil to the government a
transgression of the Cause of God.
O God, my God! Thou seest this wronged servant of Thine, held fast in the talons of ferocious lions, of ravening wolves, of bloodthirsty beasts. Graciously assist me, through my love for Thee, that I may drink deep of the chalice that brimmeth over with faithfulness to Thee and is filled with Thy bountiful Grace; so that, fallen upon the dust, I may sink prostrate and senseless whilst my vesture is dyed crimson with my blood. This is my wish, my heart’s desire, my hope, my pride, my glory. Grant, O Lord my God, and my Refuge, that in my last hour, my end may even as musk shed its fragrance of glory! Is there a bounty greater than this? Nay, by Thy Glory! I call Thee to witness that no day passeth but that I quaff my fill from this cup, so grievous are the misdeeds wrought by them that have broken the Covenant, kindled discord, showed their malice, stirred sedition in the land and dishonored Thee amidst Thy servants. Lord! Shield Thou from these Covenant-breakers the mighty Stronghold of Thy Faith and protect Thy secret Sanctuary from the onslaught of the ungodly. Thou art in truth the Mighty, the Powerful, the Gracious, the Strong.
O God, my God! Shield Thy trusted servants from the evils of self and passion, protect them with the watchful eye of Thy loving-kindness from all rancor, hate and envy, shelter them in the impregnable stronghold of Thy Cause and, safe from the darts of doubtfulness, make them the manifestations of Thy glorious Signs, illumine their faces with the effulgent rays shed from the Day-spring of Thy divine Unity, gladden their hearts with the verses revealed from Thy holy Kingdom, strengthen their loins by Thy all-swaying power that cometh from Thy Realm of Glory. Thou art the All-bountiful, the Protector, the Almighty, the Gracious.
O ye that stand fast in the Covenant!
When the hour cometh that this wronged and broken-winged bird will have taken its flight unto the Celestial Concourse, when it will have hastened to the Realm of the Unseen and its mortal frame will have been either lost or hidden beneath the dust, it is incumbent upon the Afnán, that are steadfast in the Covenant of God, and have branched from the Tree of Holiness; the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God—the glory of the Lord rest upon them—and all the friends and loved ones, one and all to bestir themselves and arise with heart and soul and in one accord, to diffuse the sweet savors of God, to teach His Cause and to promote His Faith. It behooveth them not to rest for a moment, neither to seek repose. They must disperse themselves in every land, pass by every clime and travel throughout all regions. Bestirred, without rest and steadfast to the end they must raise in every land the triumphal cry “O Thou the Glory of Glories!” (Ya-Baha’u’l-Abhá), must achieve renown in the world wherever they go, must burn brightly even as a candle in every meeting and must kindle the flame of divine love in every assembly; that the light of truth may rise resplendent in the midmost heart of the world, that throughout the East and throughout the West a vast concourse may gather under the shadow of the Word of God, that the sweet savors of holiness may be diffused, that faces may shine radiantly, hearts be filled with the divine spirit and souls be made heavenly.
In these days, the most important of all things is the guidance of the nations and peoples of the world. Teaching the Cause is of utmost importance for it is the head corner-stone of the foundation itself. This wronged servant has spent his days and nights in promoting the Cause and urging the peoples to service. He rested not a moment, till the fame of the Cause of God was noised abroad in the world and the celestial strains from the Abhá Kingdom roused the East and the West. The beloved of God must also follow the same example. This is the secret of faithfulness, this is the requirement of servitude to the Threshold of Baha!
The disciples of Christ forgot themselves and all earthly things, forsook all their cares and belongings, purged themselves of self
Mirzá Buzurg.
Mírzá Músá.
Mírzá Muḥammad-Qulí.
Mirzá Riḍá-Qulí.
Mirzá Yaḥyá.
Mírzá Buzurg, Father of Bahá’u’lláh and four of his sons.
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and passion and with absolute
detachment scattered far and wide and engaged
in calling the people 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 my loving friends! After the passing away of this wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Aghsán (Branches), the Afnán (Twigs) of the Sacred Lote-Tree, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God and the loved ones of the Abhá 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 Aghsán, the Afnán, 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 Abhá 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. Whoso obeyeth him not, neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God; whoso rebelleth against him and against them hath rebelled against God; whoso opposeth him hath opposed God; whoso contendeth with them hath contended with God; whoso disputeth with him hath disputed with God; whoso denieth him hath denied God; whoso disbelieveth in him hath disbelieved in God; whoso deviateth, separateth himself and turneth aside from him, hath in truth deviated, separated himself and turned aside from God—may the wrath, the fierce indignation, the vengeance of God rest upon him! The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to him who is the Guardian of the Cause of God. It is incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice, upon all the Aghsán, the Afnán the Hands of the Cause of God to show their obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the Guardian of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before him. He that opposeth him hath opposed the True One, will make a breach in the Cause of God, will subvert His word and will become a manifestation of the Center of Sedition. Beware, beware, lest the days after the ascension (of Bahá’u’lláh) be repeated when the Center of Sedition waxed haughty and rebellious and with divine Unity for his excuse deprived himself and perturbed and poisoned others. No doubt every vain-glorious one that purposeth dissension and discord will not openly declare his evil purposes, nay rather, even as impure gold, would he seize upon divers measures and various pretexts that he may separate the gathering of the people of Bahá. My object is to show that the Hands of the Cause of God must be ever watchful and so soon as they find anyone beginning to oppose and protest against the Guardian of the Cause of God, cast him out from the congregation of the people of Bahá and in no wise accept any excuse from him. How often hath grievous error been disguised in the garb of truth, that it might sow the seeds of doubt in the hearts of men!
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 in the work of the Guardian of
the
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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).
O friends! The Hands of the Cause of God must be nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Cause of God. All must be under his shadow and obey his command. Should any, within or without the company of the Hands of the Cause of God disobey and seek division, the wrath of God and His vengeance will be upon him, for he will have caused a breach in the true Faith 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 by 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. To disregard, though it be for a moment, this absolute command which is binding upon everyone, is in nowise permitted, that the existent world may become even as the Abhá Paradise, that the surface of the earth may become heavenly, that contention and conflict amidst peoples, kindreds, nations and governments may disappear, that all the dwellers on earth may become one people and one race, that the world may become even as one home. Should differences arise they shall be amicably and conclusively settled by the Supreme Tribunal, that shall include members from all the governments and peoples of the world.
O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensation, conflict and contention are in nowise permitted. Every aggressor deprives himself of God’s grace. It is incumbent upon everyone to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and sincere kindliness unto all the people 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. Thus man must strive that his realty may manifest virtues and perfections, the light whereof may shine upon everyone. The light of the sun shineth upon all the world and the merciful showers of Divine Providence fall upon all peoples. The vivifying breeze reviveth every living creature and all beings endued with life obtain their share and portion at His heavenly board. In like manner, the affections and loving kindness of the servants of the One True God must be bountifully and universally extended to all mankind. Regarding this, restrictions and limitations are in nowise permitted.
Wherefore, O my loving friends! Consort with all the peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, good-will and friendliness; that all the world of being may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Bahá, that ignorance, enmity, hate and rancor may vanish from the world and the darkness of estrangement amidst the peoples and kindreds of the world may give way to the Light of Unity. Should other peoples and nations be unfaithful to you show your fidelity unto them; should they be unjust toward you show justice towards them; should they keep aloof from you attract them to yourself; should they show their enmity be friendly towards them; should they poison your lives sweeten their souls; should they inflict a wound upon you be a salve to their sores. Such are the attributes of the sincere! Such are the attributes of the truthful!
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
Bahá’í Marriage Certificate adopted and enforced by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Persia.
Bahá’í Marriage Certificate adopted and enforced by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Egypt.
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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. Unto this body all things must
be referred. It enacteth 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. Should any of the members
commit a sin, injurious to the common weal,
the Guardian of the Cause of God hath at
his own discretion the right to expel him,
whereupon the people must elect another one
in his stead.
O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon you to be submissive to all monarchs that are just and 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.
By the Ancient Beauty! This wronged one hath in nowise borne nor doth He bear a grudge against anyone; towards none doth He entertain any ill-feeling and uttereth no word save for the good of the world. My supreme obligation, however, of necessity, prompteth Me to guard and preserve the Cause of God. Thus, with the greatest regret, I counsel you saying: “Guard ye the Cause of God, protect His law and have the utmost fear of discord. This is the foundation of the belief of the people of Bahá may my life be offered up for them. His Holiness, the Exalted One (the Báb), is the Manifestation of the Unity and Oneness of God and the Forerunner of the Ancient Beauty. His Holiness the Abhá Beauty—may my life be a sacrifice for His steadfast friends—is the Supreme Manifestation of God and the Day-spring of His Most Divine Essence. All others are servants unto Him and do His bidding.” 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. By this House is meant that Universal House of Justice which is to be elected from all countries—that is, from those parts in the East and West where the loved ones are to be found—after the manner of the customary elections in western countries, such as those of England.
O ye beloved of the Lord! Strive with all your heart to shield the Cause of God from the onslaught of the insincere, for souls such as these cause the straight to become crooked and all benevolent efforts to produce contrary results.
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!
Whosoever, and whatsoever meeting, becometh a hindrance to the diffusion of the Light of Faith, let the loved ones give them counsel and say: "Of all the gifts of God the greatest is the gift of Teaching. It draweth unto us the Grace of God and is our first obligation. Of such a gift how can we deprive ourselves? Nay, our lives, our goods, our comforts, our rest, we offer them all as a sacrifice for the Abhá Beauty and teach the Cause of God.” Caution and prudence, however, must be observed even as recorded in the Book. The veil must in no wise be suddenly rent asunder.
The Glory of Glories rest upon you!
O ye the faithful loved ones of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá!
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It is incumbent upon you to take the
greatest care of Shoghi Effendi, the twig that
hath branched from the fruit given forth
by the two hallowed and Divine Lote-Trees,
that no dust of despondency and sorrow may
stain his radiant nature, that day by day he
may wax greater in happiness, in joy and
spirituality, and may grow to become even
as a fruitful tree.
For he is, after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Guardian of the Cause of God. The Afnán, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause and the beloved of the Lord must obey him and turn unto him. He that obeyeth him not, hath not obeyed God; he that turneth away from him, hath turned away from God and he that denieth him, hath denied the True One. Beware lest anyone falsely interpret these words, and like unto them that have broken the Covenant after the Day of Ascension (of Bahá’u’lláh), advance a pretext, raise the standard of revolt, wax stubborn and open wide the door of false interpretation. To none is given the right to put forth his own opinion or express his particular convictions. All must seek guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause and the House of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error.
The Glory of Glories rest upon you!
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THE SPIRIT AND FORM OF THE BAHA’I ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER
"And now as I look into the future, I hope to see the friends at all times, in every land, and of every shade of thought and character, voluntarily and joyously rallying round their local and in particular their national centers of activity, upholding and promoting their interests with complete unanimity and contentment, with perfect understanding, genuine enthusiasm, and sustained vigor. This indeed is the one joy and yearning of my life, for it is the fountain-head from which all future blessings will flow, the broad foundation upon which the security of the Divine Edifice must ultimately rest.”—SHOGHI EFFENDI.
FOREWORD
THE 1926-1927 National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of the United States
and Canada completed a task which, while
pertaining to the outer and more material
aspects of the Cause, nevertheless has a
special signficance for its spirit and inward
sacred purpose. This task consisted in creating
a legal form which gives proper substance
and substantial character to the administrative
processes embodied in the Bahá’í Teachings.
The form adopted was that known as
a Voluntary Trust, a species of corporation
recognized under the common law and possessing
a long and interesting history. The
famous Covenant adopted by the Pilgrim
Fathers on the Mayflower, the first legal
document in American history, is of the same
nature as the Declaration of Trust voted by
the National Spiritual Assembly. This
Declaration of Trust, with its attendant By-Laws,
is published for the information of the
Bahá’ís of the world. Careful examination
of the Declaration and its By-Laws will
reveal the fact that this document contains
no arbitrary elements nor features new to the
Bahá’í Cause. On the contrary, it represents
a most conscientious effort to reflect those
very administrative principles and elements
already set forth in the letters of the
Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, and already
determining the methods and relationships of Bahá’í
collective association. The provision both in
the Declaration and in the By-Laws for
amendments in the future will permit the
National Spiritual Assembly to adapt this
document to such new administrative elements
or principles as the Guardian may at
any time give forth. The Declaration, in
fact, is nothing more or less than a legal
parallel of those moral and spiritual laws of
unity inherent in the fulness of the Bahá’í
Revelation and making it the fulfillment of
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the ideal of Religion in the social as well as
spiritual realm. Because in the Bahá’í Faith
this perfect correspondence exists between
spiritual and social laws, the Bahá’ís believe
that administrative success is identical with
moral success; and that nothing less than the
true Bahá’í spirit of devotion and sacrifice
can inspire with effective power the worldwide
body of unity, revealed by Bahá’u’lláh.
Therefore it has seemed fitting and proper to
accompany the Declaration of Trust with
excerpts from the letters of Shoghi Effendi
which furnished the source whence the
provisions of the Declaration were drawn, and
which furthermore give due emphasis to that
essential spirit without which any and every
social or religious form is but a dead and
soulless body.
————————
DECLARATION OF TRUST AND BY-LAWS
Of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada
WE, Allen B. McDaniel of Washington, D. C., Horace Holley of New York City, N. Y., Carl Scheffler of Evanston, Ill., Roy C. Wilhelm of West Englewood, N. J., Florence Morton of Worcester, Mass., Amelia Collins of Princeton, Mass., ‘Alí-Kulí-Khán of New York City, N. Y., Mountfort Mills of New York City, N. Y., and Siegfried Schopflocher of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, duly chosen by the representatives of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada at the Annual Meeting held at San Francisco, Calif., on April 29, April 30, May 1, and May 2, 1926, to be the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, with full power to establish a Trust as hereinafter set forth, hereby declare that from this date the powers, responsibilities, rights, privileges and obligations reposed in said National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada by Bahá’u’lláh, Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, its Interpreter and Exemplar, and by Shoghi Effendi, its Guardian, shall be exercised, administered and carried on by the above-named National Spiritual Assembly and their duly qualified successors under this Declaration of Trust.
The National Spiritual Assembly in adopting this form of association, union and fellowship, and in selecting for itself the designation of Trustees of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, does so as the administrative body of a religious community which has had continuous existence and responsibility for over eighteen years. In consequence of these activities the National Spiritual Assembly is called upon to administer such an ever-increasing diversity and volume of affairs and properties for the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, that we, its members, now feel it both desirable and necessary to give our collective functions more definite legal form. This action is taken in complete unanimity and with full recognition of the sacred relationship thereby created. We acknowledge in behalf of ourselves and our successors in this Trust the exalted religious standard established by Bahá’u’lláh for Bahá’í administrative bodies in the utterance; "Be ye Trustees of the Merciful One among men”; and seek the help of God and His guidance in order to fulfill that exhortation.
ARTICLE I
The name of said Trust shall be the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada.
ARTICLE II
Sharing the ideals and assisting the efforts
of our fellow Bahá’ís to establish, uphold and
promote the spiritual, educational and
humanitarian teachings of human brotherhood,
radiant faith, exalted character and selfless
love revealed in the lives and utterances of
all the Prophets and Messengers of God,
Founders of the world’s revealed religions—
and given renewed creative energy and
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universal application to the conditions of this
age in the life and utterances of Bahá’u’lláh
—we declare the purposes and objects of this
Trust to be to administer the affairs of the
Cause of Bahá’u’lláh for the benefit of the
Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada
according to the principles of Bahá’í
affiliation and administration created
and established by Bahá’u’lláh, defined
and explained by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and
amplified and applied
by Shoghi Effendi and his duly constituted
successor and successors under the provision
The seal of the first Bahá’í Assembly of the United States and Canada, 1897.
of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
These purposes are to be realized by means of devotional meetings; by public meetings and conferences of an educational, humanitarian and spiritual character; by the publication of books, magazines and newspapers; by the construction of temples of universal worship and of other institutions and edifices for humanitarian service; by supervising, unifying, promoting and generally administering the activities of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada in the fulfillment of their religious offices, duties and ideals; and by any other means appropriate to these ends, or any of them.
Other purposes and objects of this Trust are:
a. The right to enter into, make, perform and carry out contracts of every sort and kind for the furtherance of the objects of this Trust with any person, firm, association, corporation, private, public or municipal or body politic, or any state, territory or colony thereof, or any foreign government; and in this connection, and in all transactions under the terms of this Trust, to do any and all things which a copartnership or natural person could do or exercise, and which now or hereafter may be authorized by law.
b. To hold and be named as beneficiary under any trust established by law or otherwise or under any will or other testamentary instrument in connection with any gift, devise, or bequest in which a trust or trusts is or are established in any part of the world as well as in the United States and Canada; to receive gifts, devises or bequests of money or other property.
c. All and whatsoever the several purposes and objects set forth in the written utterances of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, under which certain jurisdiction, powers and rights are granted to National Spiritual Assemblies.
d. Generally to do all things and acts which in the judgment of said Trustees,
Certificate of the United States Federal Government to the Declaration of Trust entered into by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada.
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i.e., the National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of the United
States and Canada, are necessary,
proper and advantageous to promote the
complete and successful administration
of this Trust.
ARTICLE III
Section 1. All persons, firms, corporations and associations extending credit to, contracting with, or having any claim against the Trustees, i.e., the National Spiritual Assembly, and the members thereof, of any character whatsoever, whether legal or equitable and whether arising out of contract or tort, shall look solely to the funds of the Trust and to the property of the Trust estate for payment or indemnity, or for the payment of any debt, damage, judgment or decree or any money that may otherwise become due or payable from the Trustees, so that neither the Trustees, nor any of them, nor any of their officers or agents appointed by them hereunder, nor any beneficiary or beneficiaries herein named shall be personally liable therefor.
Section 2. Every note, bond, proposal, obligation or contract in writing or other agreement or instrument made or given under this Trust shall be explicitly executed by the National Spiritual Assembly, as Trustees, by their duly authorized officers or agents.
ARTICLE IV
The Trustees, i.e., the National Spiritual Assembly, shall adopt for the conduct of the affairs entrusted to them under this Declaration of Trust, such by-laws, rules of procedure or regulations as are required to define and carry on its own administrative functions and those of the several local and other elements composing the body of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, not inconsistent with the terms of this instrument and all in accordance with the explicit instructions given us to date by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, which instructions are already known to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada and accepted by them in the government and practice of their religious affairs.
ARTICLE V
The central office of this Trust shall be located in such place as may be decided upon from time to time by the National Spiritual Assembly.
ARTICLE VI
The seal of this Trust shall be circular in form, bearing the following description:
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Declaration of Trust, 1927.
ARTICLE VII
This Declaration of Trust may be amended by majority vote of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada at any special meeting duly called for that purpose, provided that at least thirty (30) days prior to the date fixed for said meeting a copy of the proposed amendment or amendments is mailed to each member of the Assembly by the Secretary.
By-Laws of the National Spiritual Assembly
ARTICLE I
THE National Spiritual Assembly, in the
fulfillment of its sacred duties under this
Trust, shall have exclusive jurisdiction and
authority over all the activities and affairs
of the Bahá’í Cause throughout the United
States and Canada, including paramount
authority in the administration of this Trust.
It shall endeavor to stimulate, unify and
co-ordinate the manifold activities of the
local Spiritual Assemblies (hereinafter
defined) and of individual Bahá’ís in the
United States and Canada and by all possible
means assist them to promote the oneness of
mankind. It shall be charged with the
recognition of such local Assemblies, the scrutiny
of local membership rolls, the calling of the
Annual Meeting or special meetings and the
seating of delegates to the Annual Meeting
and their apportionment among the various
local Bahá’í communities. It shall appoint
all national Bahá’í committees and shall
supervise the publication and distribution of
Bahá’í literature, the reviewing of all writings
[Page 215]
pertaining to the Bahá’í Cause, the construction and
administration of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
and its accessory activities,
and the collection and disbursement of all
funds for carrying on of this Trust. It shall
decide whether any matter lies within its own
jurisdiction or within the jurisdiction of any
local Spiritual Assembly. It shall, in such
cases as it considers suitable and necessary,
entertain appeals from the decisions of local
Spiritual Assemblies and shall have the right
of final decision in all cases where the
qualification of an individual or group
for continued voting rights and membership
in the Bahá’í body is in question. It
shall furthermore represent the Bahá’ís
of the United States and Canada in all
their co-operative
and spiritual activities with the Bahá’ís of
other lands, and shall constitute the sole
electoral body of the United States and Canada
in the formation of the Universal House of
Justice provided for in the Sacred Writings
of the Bahá’í Cause. Above all, the National
Spiritual Assembly shall ever seek to attain
that station of unity in devotion to the
Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh which will attract the
confirmations of the Holy Spirit and enable
the Assembly to serve the founding of the
Most Great Peace. In all its deliberation and
action the National Assembly shall have
constantly before it as Divine guide and standard
the utterance of Bahá’u’lláh:
"It behooveth them (i.e., Spiritual Assemblies) to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to consider themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly.”
ARTICLE II
The Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, for whose benefit this Trust has been established, shall consist of all persons resident in the United States and Canada who are recognized by the National Spiritual Assembly as having fulfilled the requirements of voting membership in a local Bahá’í community. To become a voting member of a Bahá’í community a person shall—
a. Be a resident of the locality defined by the area of jurisdiction of the local Spiritual Assembly, as provided by Article VII, Section 12, of this instrument.
b. Have attained the age of 21 years.
c. Have established to the satisfaction of the local Spiritual Assembly, subject to the approval of the National Assembly, that he possesses the qualifications of Bahá’í faith and practice, required under the following standard: Full recognition of the station of the Forerunner (the Báb), the Author (Bahá’u’lláh), and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the True Exemplar of the Bahá’í Cause: unreserved acceptance of, and submission to, whatsoever has been revealed by their Pen; loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sacred Will; and close association with the spirit as well as the form of present-day Bahá’í administration throughout the world.
ARTICLE III
The National Assembly shall consist of nine members chosen from among the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, who shall be elected by the said Bahá’ís in manner hereinafter provided, and who shall continue in office for the period of one year, or until their successors shall be elected.
ARTICLE IV
The officers of the National Spiritual Assembly shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as may be found necessary for the proper conduct of its affairs. The officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the Assembly taken by secret ballot.
ARTICLE V
The first meeting of a newly-elected
National Assembly shall be called by the
member elected to membership by the highest
number of votes or, in case two or more
members have received the same said highest
number of votes, then by the member selected
by lot from among those members; and this
member shall preside until the permanent
[Page 216]
Chairman shall be chosen. All subsequent
meetings shall be called by the Secretary of
the Assembly at the request of the Chairman
or, in his absence or incapacity, of the
Vice-Chairman, or of any three members of the
Assembly; provided, however, that the Annual
Meeting of the Assembly shall be held
at a time and place to be fixed by a majority
vote of the Assembly, as hereinafter provided.
ARTICLE VI
Five members of the National Assembly present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum, and a majority vote of those present and constituting a quorum shall be sufficient for the conduct of business, except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws, and with due regard to the principle of unity and cordial fellowship involved in the institution of a Spiritual Assembly. The transactions and decisions of the National Assembly shall be recorded at each meeting by the Secretary, who shall supply copies of the minutes to the Assembly members after each meeting, and preserve the minutes in the official records of the Assembly.
ARTICLE VII
Whenever in any locality of the United States and Canada, be it city, town, or village, the number of Bahá’ís resident therein recognized by the National Spiritual Assembly exceeds nine, these may on April 21st of any year convene and elect by plurality vote a local administrative body of nine members, to be known as the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of that community. Every such Spiritual Assembly shall be elected annually thereafter upon each successive 21st day of April. The members shall hold office for the term of one year and until their successors are elected and qualified.
When, however, the number of Bahá’ís in any community is exactly nine, these may on April 21st of any year, or in successive years, constitute themselves the local Annual Assembly by joint declaration. Upon the recording of such declaration by the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, said body of nine shall become established with the rights, privileges and duties of a local Spiritual Assembly as set forth in this instrument.
Section 1. Each newly-elected local Spiritual Assembly shall at once proceed in the manner indicated in Articles IV and V of these By-Laws to the election of its officers, who shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as the Assembly finds necessary for the conduct of its business and the fulfillment of its spiritual duties. Immediately thereafter the Secretary chosen shall transmit to the Secretary of the National Assembly the names of the members of the newly—elected Assembly and a list of its officers.
Section 2. The general powers and duties of a local Spiritual Assembly shall be as set forth in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi.
Section 3. Among its more specific duties, a local Spiritual Assembly shall have full jurisdiction of all Bahá’í activities and affairs within the local community, subject, however, to the exclusive and paramount authority of the National Spiritual Assembly as defined therein.
Section 4. Vacancies in the membership of a local Spiritual Assembly shall be filled by election at a special meeting of the local Bahá’í community duly called for that purpose by the Assembly. In the event that the number of vacancies exceeds four, making a quorum of the local Assembly impossible. the election shall be held under the supervision of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Section 5. The business of the local Assembly shall be conducted in like manner as provided for the deliberations of the National Assembly in Article VI above.
Section 6. The local Assembly shall pass upon and approve the qualifications of each member of the Bahá’í community before such members shall be admitted to voting membership; but where an individual is dissatisfied with the ruling of the local Spiritual Assembly upon his Bahá’í qualifications, such individual may appeal from the ruling to the National Assembly, which shall thereupon take jurisdiction of and finally decide the case.
Section 7. On or before the 1st day of February of each year the Secretary of each
Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Chicago, Illinois, U. S. A.
Certificate of Incorporation, Spiritual Assembly of Chicago, (page 2).
Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of Chicago, (page 3).
[Page 220]
local Assembly shall send to the Secretary of
the National Assembly a duly certified list of
the voting members of the local Bahá’í
community for the information and approval
of the National Assembly.
Section 8. All matters arising within a local Bahá’í community which are of purely local interest and do not affect the national interests of the Cause shall be under the primary jurisdiction of the Spiritual Assembly of that locality; but decision whether a particular matter involves the interest and welfare of the national Bahá’í body shall rest with the National Spiritual Assembly.
Section 9. Any member of a local Bahá’í community may appeal from a decision of his Spiritual Assembly to the National Assembly, which shall determine whether it shall take jurisdiction of the matter or leave it to the local Spiritual Assembly for reconsideration. In the event that the National Assembly assumes jurisdiction of the matter, its finding shall be final.
Section 10. Where any dissension exists within a local Bahá’í community of such a character that it cannot be remedied by the efforts of the local Spiritual Assembly, this condition shall be referred by the Spiritual Assembly for consideration to the National Spiritual Assembly, whose action in the matter shall be final.
Section 11. All questions arising between two or more local Spiritual Assemblies, or between members of different Bahá’í communities, shall be submitted in the first instance to the National Assembly, which shall have original and final jurisdiction in all such matters.
Section 12. The sphere of jurisdiction of a local Spiritual Assembly, with respect to residential qualification of membership, and voting rights of a believer in any Bahá’í community, shall be the locality included within the civil limits of the city, town, or village, but Bahá’ís who reside in adjacent, outlying or suburban districts and can regularly attend the meetings of the local Bahá’í community, may be enrolled on the membership list of the adjacent Spiritual Assembly and enjoy full voting rights pending the establishment of a local Spiritual Assembly in their home community.
All differences of opinion concerning the sphere of jurisdiction of any local Spiritual Assembly or concerning the affiliation of any Bahá’í or group of Bahá’ís in the United States and Canada shall be referred to the National Spiritual Assembly, whose decision in the matter shall be final.
ARTICLE VIII
The Annual Meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly at which its members shall be elected shall be known as the National Convention of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, and shall be held at a time and place to be fixed by the National Assembly, which shall give sixty days’ notice of the meeting to each local Bahá’í community through its Spiritual Assembly. The National Assembly shall at the same time inform each Spiritual Assembly of the number of delegates to the Convention it has assigned to the local Bahá’í community in accordance with the principle of proportionate representation in such manner that the entire number of delegates composing the National Convention shall be ninety-five. Upon receipt of this notice each local Spiritual Assembly shall, within a convenient period and after giving due and sufficient notice thereof, call a meeting of the voting members on its rolls for the purpose of electing their delegate or delegates to the National Convention; and, not later than thirty days before the date of the Convention, the Secretary of each local Spiritual Assembly shall certify to the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly the names and addresses of the delegates so elected.
Section 1. All delegates to the Convention shall be elected by plurality vote. Members who for illness or other unavoidable reasons are unable to be present at the election in person shall have the right to transmit their ballots by mail or telegram under conditions satisfactory to the local Spiritual Assembly.
Section 2. All delegates to be seated at the Convention must be enrolled as voting members of the Bahá’í community represented by them.
Section 3. The rights and privileges of a delegate may not be assigned nor may they be exercised by proxy.
Section 4. The recognition and seating of
The Spiritual Assembly of Bahá’ís of Chicago.
The Bahá’ís community of Chicago, Illinois, U. S. A.
Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Washington D. C., U. S. A.
Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Washington D. C., U. S. A., (page 2).
Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Washington, D. C., U. S. A., (page 3).
[Page 225]
delegates to the National Convention shall be
vested in the National Spiritual Assembly.
Section 5. Delegates unable to be present in person at the Convention shall have the right to vote for members of the National Spiritual Assembly by mail or telegram under such conditions as may be indicated by the National Assembly.
Section 6. If in any year the National Spiritual Assembly shall consider that it is impracticable or unwise to assemble together the delegates to the National Convention, the National Spiritual Assembly shall provide ways and means by which the business of the Convention may be conducted by correspondence or telegram.
Section 7. The presiding officer of the National Spiritual Assembly present at the National Convention shall call to order the delegates, who shall then proceed to the permanent organization of the meeting, electing by ballot a presiding officer, a Secretary and such other officers as are necessary for the proper conduct of the business of the Convention.
Section 8. The principal business of the National Convention shall be the election of the nine members of the incoming National Spiritual Assembly, the consideration of the reports of the financial and other activities of the outgoing National Assembly and its various committees, and deliberation upon the affairs of the Bahá’í Cause in general, it being understood, however, in accordance with the principles of Bahá’í administration defined by the Guardian that all deliberation and action of the delegates at the National Convention, other than the election of the members of the incoming National Spiritual Assembly, shall constitute merely advice and recommendation for consideration by the said Assembly, final decision on all matters concerning the affairs of the Bahá’í Cause in the United States and Canada being vested solely in that body.
Section 9. The general order of business to be taken up at the National Convention shall be prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly, but any and all matters pertaining to the Cause introduced by any of the delegates may upon motion and vote be taken up as part of the deliberations of the Convention.
Section 10. The election of the members of the National Spiritual Assembly shall be by plurality vote of the delegates recognized by the outgoing National Spiritual Assembly, i. e., the members elected shall be the nine persons receiving the greatest number of votes on the first ballot cast by delegates present at the Convention and delegates whose ballot has been transmitted to the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly by mail or telegram. In case by reason of a tie vote or votes the full membership is not determined on the first ballot, then one or more additional ballots shall be taken until all nine members are elected.
Section 11. All official business transacted at the National Convention shall be recorded and preserved in the records of the National Assembly.
Section 12. Vacancies in the membership of the National Spiritual Assembly shall be filled by a plurality vote of the delegates composing the Convention which elected the Assembly, the ballot to be taken by correspondence or in any other manner decided upon by the National Spiritual Assembly.
ARTICLE IX
Where the National Spiritual Assembly has been given in these By-Laws exclusive and final jurisdiction, and paramount executive authority, in all matters pertaining to the activities and affairs of the Bahá’í Cause in the United States and Canada, it is understood that any decision made or action taken upon such matters shall be subject in every instance to ultimate review and approval by the Guardian of the Cause or the Universal House of Justice.
ARTICLE X
Whatever functions and powers are not specifically attributed to local Spiritual Assemblies in these By-Laws shall be considered vested in the National Spiritual Assembly, which body is authorized to delegate such discretionary functions and powers as it deems necessary and advisable to the local Spiritual Assemblies within its jurisdiction.
ARTICLE XI
In order to preserve the spiritual character and purpose of Bahá’í elections, the practice
Spiritual Assembly of Bahá’ís of Washington, D. C., U. S. A.
Bahá’í community of Bahá’ís of Washington, D. C., U. S. A.
[Page 228]
of nominations or any other
electoral method detrimental to a silent and
prayerful election shall not prevail, so that
each elector may vote for none but those whom
prayer and reflection have inspired him to uphold.
Among the most outstanding and sacred duties incumbent upon those who have been called upon to initiate, direct and co-ordinate the affairs of the Cause as members of local or national Spiritual Assemblies are:
To win by every means in their power the confidence and affection of those whom it is their privilege to serve; to investigate and acquaint themselves with the considered views, the prevailing sentiments and the personal convictions of those whose welfare it is their solemn obligation to promote; to purge their deliberations and the general conduct of their affairs of self-contained aloofness, the suspicion of secrecy, the stifling atmosphere of dictatorial assertiveness and of every word and deed that may savor of partiality, self-centeredness and prejudice; and while retaining the sacred right of final decision in their hands, to invite discussion, ventilate grievances, welcome advice, and foster the sense of interdepedence and copartnership, of understanding and mutual confidence between themselves and all other Bahá’ís.
ARTICLE XII
These By-Laws may be amended by majority vote of the National Spiritual Assembly at any of its regular or special meetings, provided that at least fourteen days prior to the date fixed for the said meeting a copy of the proposed amendment or amendments is mailed to each member of the Assembly by the Secretary.
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BY-LAWS OF THE SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA’IS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK*
ARTICLE I
The Bahá’ís of the City of New York adopt this Corporation in order to supply proper legal status to the conduct of the affairs of a religious community which has had continuous existence for more than thirty years, being one of the first two local Bahá’í communities established in North America. During this period the community has been recognized, encouraged and instructed in letters and communications addressed to it by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who in one communication designated New York “The City of the Covenant.” It was in this city that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá devoted the larger portion of His American visit in 1912. The Assembly has been recognized since the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in letters addressed to it by the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith. The New York Bahá’í community has been continuously and uninterruptedly represented by delegates in the Annual Meetings held by the recognized national Bahá’í body of North America since the formation of that body in 1909. The
————————
*The pattern for all local Bahá’í constitutions.
Spiritual Assembly is at present enrolled in the list of Local Spiritual Assemblies recognized by the National Spiritual Assembly. The Trustees, i. e., the Spiritual Assembly, recognize that this action has been taken in full unanimity and agreement. They acknowledge for themselves and on behalf of their successors the sacred meaning and universal purpose of the Bahá’í Faith, the teachings and principles of which fulfil the divine promise of all former revealed religions.
ARTICLE II
In administering the affairs of the Bahá’í Religion under this Corporation for the benefit of the Bahá’ís of the City of New York in accordance with the religious teachings and administrative principles of this Faith, the Spiritual Assembly shall act in conformity with the functions of a Local Spiritual Assembly as defined in the By-Laws adopted by the National Spiritual Assembly and published by that body for the information and guidance of Bahá’ís throughout the United States and Canada.
Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Teaneck, New Jersey, U. S. A.
Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Teaneck, New Jersey, U. S. A., (page 2).
Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Teaneck, New Jersey, U. S. A., (page 3).
ARTICLE III
The Spiritual Assembly, in the fulfillment of its obligations and responsibilities under this Corporation, shall have exclusive jurisdiction and authority over all the local activities and affairs of the Bahá’í community of the City of New York, including paramount authority in the administration of this Corporation. It shall be responsible for maintaining the integrity and accuracy of all Bahá’í teaching, whether written or oral, undertaken throughout the local community. It shall make available the published literature of the Faith. It shall represent the community in its relations to the National Spiritual Assembly, in its relation to the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, to other local Bahá’í communities, and to the general public in the City of New York. It shall be charged with the recognition of all applicants requesting membership in the local Bahá’í community. It shall pass upon the right of any and all members of the community whose membership is in question to retain their status as voting members of the community. It shall call the meetings of the community, including the Bahá’í Anniversaries and Feasts, the meetings of consultation, the Annual Meeting and the meeting for the election of delegates to the Annual Meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly. It shall appoint and supervise all committees of the Bahá’í community. It shall collect and disburse all funds intended for the maintenance of this Corporation. It shall have full and complete custody of the headquarters or meeting place of the Bahá’í community. It shall report to the National Spiritual Assembly annually, or when requested, the membership roll of the Bahá’í community, for the information and approval of the national Bahá’í body. The Spiritual Assembly, however, shall recognize the authority and right of the National Spiritual Assembly to declare at any time what activities and affairs of the Bahá’í community of the City of New York are national in scope and hence subject to the jurisdiction of the national Bahá’í body. It shall likewise recognize the right of any member of the community to appeal to the National Spiritual Assembly for review and decision of any matter in which the previous decision of the local Spiritual Assembly is felt by the member to be contrary to the explicit teachings of the Bahá’í Faith or opposed to its best interests. It shall, on the other hand, have the authority and right to appeal from the decision of the National Assembly to the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith for review and final decision of any matter related to the Faith in the City of New York.
ARTICLE IV
The Spiritual Assembly, in administering
this Corporation, shall ever bear in mind the
ideals upheld in the Sacred Writings of the
Bahá’í Faith respecting the relationships of
a Spiritual Assembly to its Bahá’í community,
respecting the relations of Bahá’ís to
one another in the community, and the
relationships of Bahá’ís to all non-Bahá’ís,
without prejudice of race, creed, class or
nationality. The Assembly shall therefore
above all recognize its sacred duty to
maintain full and complete unity throughout the
Bahá’í community, to relieve and comfort
the sick and distressed, to assist the poor and
destitute, to protect the orphans, the
crippled and the aged, to educate the children
of Bahá’ís according to the highest religious
and intellectual standards, to compose
differences and disagreements among members of
the community, to promulgate the principles
of Divine Civilization revealed by
Bahá’u’lláh, and to promote in every way
possible the Bahá’í aim of the oneness of
mankind. It shall faithfully and devotedly
uphold the general Bahá’í activities and
affairs initiated and sustained by the National
Spiritual Assembly. It shall co-operate
wholeheartedly with other local Spiritual
Assemblies throughout North America in all
matters declared by the National Spiritual
Assembly to be of general Bahá’í importance
and concern. It shall rigorously abstain from
any action or influence, direct or indirect,
that savors of intervention on the part of a
Bahá’í body in matters of public politics
and civil jurisdiction. It shall encourage
intercourse between the Bahá’í community
of the City of New York and other recognized
Bahá’í communities, issuing letters of
introduction to Bahá’ís traveling from New
[Page 233]
York and passing upon
letters of introduction issued by other
Bahá’í Assemblies. It shall regard its
authority as a means of
rendering service to Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís
and not as a source of arbitrary power.
While retaining the sacred right of final
decision in all matters pertaining to the Bahá’í
community, the Spiritual Assembly shall ever
seek the advice and consultation of all
members of the community, keep the community
informed of all its affairs, and invite full
and free discussion on the part of the
community of all matters affecting the Faith.
ARTICLE V
The Bahá’ís of the City of New York, for whose benefit this Corporation has been established, shall consist of all persons resident in the City of New York who are recognized by the Spiritual Assembly as having fulfilled the requirements of voting membership in this local Bahá’í community. To become a voting member of this Bahá’í community a person shall:
a. Be a resident of the City of New York as defined by the area of jurisdiction of the Spiritual Assembly, as provided hereinafter in this instrument.
b. Have attained the age of 21 years.
c. Have established to the satisfaction of the Spiritual Assembly, subject to the approval of the National Spiritual Assembly, that he (or she) possesses the qualifications of Bahá’í Faith and practice required under the following standard: Full recognition of the Station of the Fore-runner (the Báb), the Author (Bahá’u’lláh), and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Exemplar of the Bahá’í religion; unreserved acceptance of, and submission to, whatsoever has been revealed by Them; loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sacred Will and Testament; and close association with the spirit as well as the form of Bahá’í administration throughout the world.
ARTICLE VI
The Spiritual Assembly shall consist of nine Trustees chosen from among the Bahá’ís of the City of New York, who shall be elected by these Bahá’ís in a manner hereinafter provided and who shall continue in office for the period of one year, or until their successors shall be elected.
ARTICLE VII
The officers of the Spiritual Assembly shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as may be found necessary for the proper conduct of its affairs. The officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the entire membership of the Assembly taken by secret ballot.
ARTICLE VIII
The first meeting of a newly-elected Assembly shall be called by the member elected to membership by the highest number of votes, or, in case two or more members have received the same said highest number of votes, then by the member selected by lot from among those members; and this member shall preside until the permanent Chairman shall be chosen. All subsequent meetings shall be called by the Secretary of the Assembly at the request of the Chairman, or, in his absence or incapacity, of the Vice-Chairman, or of any three members of the Assembly; provided however that the Annual Meeting of the Assembly shall be held on April 21st, in accordance with the administrative principles recognized by all Bahá’í Assemblies.
Section 1. Five members of the Assembly present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum, and a majority vote of those present and constituting a quorum shall be sufficient for the conduct of business, except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws, and with due regard to the principle of unity and cordial fellowship involved in the institution of a Spiritual Assembly. The transactions and decisions of the Assembly shall be recorded at each meeting by the Secretary, who shall have the minutes adopted and approved by the Assembly, and preserve them in the official records of the Assembly.
Section 2. Vacancies in the membership of the Spiritual Assembly shall be filled by election at a special meeting of the local Bahá’í community duly called for that purpose
Bahá’í community of Teaneck, New Jersey, U. S. A.
Spiritual Assembly of Bahá’ís of Teaneck, New Jersey, U. S. A.
[Page 235]
by the Assembly. In the
event that the number of vacancies exceeds
four, making a quorum of the Spiritual
Assembly impossible, the election shall
be under the supervision of
the National Spiritual Assembly.
ARTICLE IX
The sphere of jurisdiction of the Spiritual Assembly, with respect to residential qualification of membership, and voting rights of a believer in the Bahá’í community, shall be the locality included within the civil limits of the City of New York, but Bahá’ís, who reside in adjacent, outlying or suburban districts and can regularly attend the meetings of the local Bahá’í community, may be enrolled on the membership list of the Spiritual Assembly and enjoy full voting rights pending the establishment of a local Spiritual Assembly in their home community.
ARTICLE X
Section 1. In the event that any decision of the Assembly is unacceptable to any member or members of the community, the Assembly shall after endeavoring to compose the differences of opinion invite the said member or members to make appeal to the national Bahá’í body and notify that body of the condition of the matter and the readiness of the Assembly to become party to the appeal.
Section 2. In the same manner, if any difference arises between the Assembly and another local Assembly, or Assemblies, in North America, the Assembly shall report the matter to the national Bahá’í body and inform that body of its readiness to make joint appeal together with the other Assembly or Assemblies.
Section 3. If, however, the result of such appeal is unsatisfactory to the Spiritual Assembly or the Assembly at any time has reason to believe that actions of the National Spiritual Assembly are affecting adversely the welfare and unity of the Bahá’í community of the City of New York, it shall, after seeking to compose its difference of opinion with the national body in direct consultation, have the right to make appeal to the Guardian of the Faith.
Section 4. The Assembly shall likewise have the right to make complaint to the National Spiritual Assembly in the event that matters of local Bahá’í concern and influence are referred to the national body by a member or members of the local community without previous opportunity for action by the local Assembly.
ARTICLE XI
The Annual Meeting of the Corporation at which its Trustees shall be elected shall be held on April 21st at an hour and place to be fixed by the Assembly, which shall give not less than fifteen days’ notice of the meeting to all members of the local Bahá’í community.
Section 1. The Assembly shall accept those votes transmitted to the Assembly before the election by members who by reason of sickness or other unavoidable reason are unable to be present at the election in person.
Section 2. The election of members to the Spiritual Assembly shall be by plurality vote.
Section 3. All voting members of the local Bahá’í community are eligible for election as members of the Spiritual Assembly.
Section 4. The Assembly shall prepare an agenda for the Annual Meeting in which shall be included reports of the activities of the Assembly since its election, a financial statement showing all income and expenditure of its fund, reports of its committees and presentation of any other matters pertaining to the affairs of the Bahá’í community. The Assembly, both preceding and following the annual election, shall invite discussion and welcome suggestions from the community, in order that its plans may reflect the community mind and heart.
Section 5. The result of the election shall be reported by the Spiritual Assembly to the National Assembly.
ARTICLE XII
In addition to the Annual Meeting, the Assembly shall arrange for regular meetings of the Bahá’í community throughout the year at intervals of nineteen days, in accordance with the calendar incorporated in the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith.
Certificate of Incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India and Burma.
ARTICLE XIII
The Spiritual Assembly, on notice from the National Spiritual Assembly, shall report the number of voting members in the local community, that the national Bahá’í body may be duly informed of the number of delegates to be assigned to the Bahá’í community of the City of New York in accordance with the principle of proportionate representation controlling the annual election of members to the National Spiritual Assembly.
Section 1. When informed of the number of delegates assigned to the local community, the Spiritual Assembly shall call a special meeting of the community for the purpose of electing said number of delegates to represent the community at the Annual Meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Section 2. The election of delegates to the Annual Meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly shall be by plurality vote.
Section 3. All voting members of the local Bahá’í community are eligible for election as delegates to the Annual Meeting of the National Assembly.
Section 4. The result of the election shall be reported by the Spiritual Assembly to the National Spiritual Assembly, and the Spiritual Assembly shall meet all the conditions laid down by the national Bahá’í body for the recognition of local Spiritual Assemblies and the participation of local Bahá’í communities in the annual election of the national Bahá’í body.
ARTICLE XIV
The seal of this Corporation shall be circular in form, bearing the following description: The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the City of New York, Corporate Seal.
ARTICLE XV
These By-Laws may be amended by majority vote of the Spiritual Assembly at any of its regular or special meetings, provided that at least fourteen days prior to the date fixed for the said meeting a copy of the proposed amendment or amendments is mailed to each member of the Assembly by the Secretary.
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CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION, THE SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA’IS OF ESSLINGEN, GERMANY
1. NAMEN UND ZWECK.
Die Bahá’í—Arbeitsgemeinschaft Esslingen a/N. ist ein Glied der Bahá’í-Bewegung. Ihr Zweck ist die Förderung, Verbreitung und Verwirklichung der Bahá’í—Ideen gemäss den Lehren Bahá’u’lláh’s und ‘Abdu’l-Bahás und ihrer Fortentwicklung durch deren von der Allgemeinheit der Bahá’í in der Welt anerkannten Nachfolger (Hüter).
2. SITZ.
Der Sitz ist Esslingen a/ N.
3. EINTRAGUNG.
Die Eintragung in das Vereinsregister ist zu beantragen.
4. MITGLIEDSCHAFT.
I. Edwerb der Mitgliedsrhaft.
Mitglied kann jede in der Gemeinde Esslingen ansässige volljährige natürliche Person werden, die bereit ist, dem Zweck der Bahá’í-Arbeitsgemeinschaft Esslingen zu dienen und durch die in Esslingen ansässigen Anhänger Bahá’u’lláh’s und ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s und des anerkannten Hüters (Bahá’í) gemäss den allgemeinen Bahá’í Gepflogenheiten bezw. gemäss de Satzungen der rechtmässigen deutschen Nationalen Bahá’í-Arbeitsgemeinschaft (Bahá’í-Nationalrat) oder deren rechtmässigen Nachfolger gewählt und von letzterer bestätigt ist. Die Mitgliedschaft dauert jeweils ein Jahr und kann beliebig erneuert werden.
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II. Verlust der Mitgliedschaft.
Die Mitgliedschaft erlischt:
a. nach Verlauf eines Jahres falls sie nicht erneuert wird.
b. durch Tod.
c. durch Austritt.
d. durch Ausschluss.
Der Austritt ist an keine bestimmte Form oder Frist gebunden. Zum Ausschluss bedarf es der Dreiviertelmehrheit der Mitglieder
Certificate of incorporation, Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Esslingen, Germany.
und der Bestätigung durch den deutschen Bahá’í-Nationalrat bezw. dessen Rechtsnachfolger oder des Hüters.
5. BEITRAG.
Eine bestimmte Beitragspflicht ist nicht vorgesehen. Es bleibt der Mitgliederversammlung überlassen hierüber Beschlüsse zu fassen.
6. BILDUNG DES VORSTANDES.
Der Vorstand wird von der Mitgliederversammlung alljährlich mit einfacher Stimmenmehrheit gewählt und besteht aus dem Vorsitzenden, dessen Stellvertreter, dem Sekretär und dem Rechner. Ihm obliegt die Ausführung der Beschlüsse der Mitgliederversammlung.
7. BERUFUNG DER MITGLIEDERVERSAMMLUNG UND BESCHLUSSFASSUNG.
Die Mitgliederversammlungen werden nach Bedarf von dem Vorsitzenden bezw. dessen Stollvertreter bezw. dem Sekretär einberufen. Eine besondere Form ist nicht vorgeschrieben. Die Beschlusse sind von dem Vorsitzenden und dem Sekretär zu unterzeichnen. Die Beschlüsse werden mit einfacher Stimmenmehrbeit gefasst.
8. SCHEIDSGERICHT.
Wegen aller aus dem Zweck des Vereins sich ergegenden Streitigkeiten unterwerfen sich die Mitglieder einem von deutschen Bahá’í-Nationalrat bezw. dessen Rechtsnachfolger zu ernennenden Schiedsgericht.
9. VEREINSVERMÖGEN.
Ein eventuelles Vereinsvermögen fällt bei Auflösung des Vereins dem deutschen Bahá’í-Nationalrat bezw. dessen Rechtsnachfolger ev. bis zur Naugründung einer selbstständigen Gruppe in Esslingen-in zweiter Linie dem Hüter zu.
Esslingen, den 10 April, 1931.
(Signed)
Anna Köstlin
Erna Kaŭffmann
Hugo Bender
Will Munts
Luise Rommel
Ema Löffler
Lydia Falsler
EXCERPTS FROM THE LETTERS OF SHOGHI EFFENDI
I HAVE been acquainted by the perusal of your latest communications with the nature of the doubts that have been publicly expressed, by one who is wholly misinformed as to the true precepts of the Cause, regarding the validity of institutions that stand inextricably interwoven with the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Not that I for a moment view such faint misgivings in the light of an open challenge to the structure that embodies the Faith, nor is it because I question in the least the unyielding tenacity of the faith of the American believers, if I venture to dwell upon what seems to me appropriate observations at the present stage of the evolution of our beloved Cause. I am indeed inclined to welcome these expressed apprehensions inasmuch as they afford me an opportunity to familiarize the elected representatives of the believers with the origin and character of the institutions which stand at the very basis of the world order ushered in by Bahá’u’lláh. We should feel truly thankful for such futile attempts to undermine our beloved Faith—attempts that protrude their ugly face from time to time, seem for a while able to create a breach in the ranks of the faithful, recede finally into the obscurity of oblivion, and are thought of no more. Such incidents we should regard as the interpositions of Providence, designed to fortify our faith, to clarify our vision, and to deepen our understanding of the essentials of His Divine Revelation.
It would, however, be helpful and instructive to bear in mind certain basic principles with reference to the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which together with the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, constitutes the chief depositary wherein are enshrined those priceless elements of that Divine Civilization, the establishment of which is the primary mission of the Bahá’í Faith. A study of the provisions of these sacred documents will reveal the close relationship that exists between them, as well as the identity of purpose and method which they inculcate. Far from regarding their specific provisions as incompatible and contradictory in spirit, every fair-minded inquirer will readily admit that they are not only complementary, but that they mutually confirm one another, and are inseparable parts of one complete unit. A comparison of their contents with the rest of Bahá’í Sacred Writings will similarly establish the conformity of whatever they contain with the spirit as well as the letter of the authenticated writings and sayings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In fact, he who reads the Aqdas with care and diligence will not find it hard to discover that the Most Holy Book [Aqdas] itself anticipates in a number of passages the institutions which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ordains in His Will. By leaving certain matters unspecified and unregulated in His Book of Laws [Aqdas], Bahá’u’lláh seems to have deliberately left a gap in the general scheme of Bahá’í Dispensation, which the unequivocal provisions of the Master’s Will has filled. To attempt to divorce the one from the other. to insinuate that the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh have not been upheld, in their entirety and with absolute integrity, by what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has revealed in his Will, is an unpardonable affront to the unswerving fidelity that has characterized the life and labors of our beloved Master.
I will not attempt in the least to assert or demonstrate the authenticity of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, for that in itself would betray an apprehension on my part as to the unanimous confidence of the believers in the genuineness of the last written wishes of our departed Master. I will only confine my observations to those issues which may assist them to appreciate the essential unity that underlies the spiritual, the humanitarian, and the administrative principles enunciated by the Author and the Interpreter of the Bahá’í Faith.
I am at a loss to explain that strange
mentality that inclines to uphold as the sole
criterion of the truth of the Bahá’í
Teachings what is admittedly only an
obscure and unauthenticated translation
of an oral statement made by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
in defiance and total disregard of the
available text of all of
His universally recognized writings. I truly
deplore the unfortunate distortions that
have
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resulted in days past from the incapacity of
the interpreter to grasp the meaning of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and from his incompetence to
render adequately such truths as have been
revealed to him by the Master’s statements.
Much of the confusion that has obscured the
understanding of the believers should be
attributed to this double error involved in the
inexact rendering of an only partially
understood statement. Not infrequently has the
interpreter even failed to convey the exact
purport of the inquirer’s specific questions,
and, by his deficiency of understanding and
expression in conveying the answer of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, has been responsible for reports
wholly at variance with the true spirit and
purpose of the Cause. It was chiefly in view
of this misleading nature of the reports of
the informal conversations of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
with visiting pilgrims, that I have insistently
urged the believers of the West to regard
such statements as merely personal impressions
of the sayings of their Master, and to
quote and consider as authentic only such
translations as are based upon the
authenticated text of His recorded
utterances in the original tongue.
It should be remembered by every follower of the Cause that the system of Bahá’í administration is not an innovation imposed arbitrarily upon the Bahá’ís of the world since the Master’s passing, but derives its authority from the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is specifically prescribed in unnumbered Tablets, and rests in some of its essential features upon the explicit provisions of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. It thus unifies and correlates the principles separately laid down by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and is indissolubly bound with the essential verities of the Faith. To dissociate the administrative principles of the Cause from the purely spiritual and humanitarian teachings would be tantamount to a mutilation of the body of the Cause, a separation that can only result in the disintegration of its component parts, and the extinction of the Faith itself.
Local and National Houses of Justice
It should be carefully borne in mind that the local as well as the international Houses of Justice have been expressly enjoined by the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; that the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly, as an intermediary body, and referred to in the Master’s Will as the “Secondary House of Justice,” has the express sanction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; and that the method to be pursued for the election of the International and National Houses of Justice has been set forth by Him in His Will, as well as in a number of His Tablets. Moreover, the institutions of the local and national Funds, that are now the necessary adjuncts to all Local and National Spiritual Assemblies, have not only been established by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets He revealed to the Bahá’ís of the Orient, but their importance and necessity have been repeatedly emphasized by Him in His utterances and writings. The concentration of authority in the hands of the elected representatives of the believers; the necessity of the submission of every adherent of the Faith to the considered judgment of Bahá’í Assemblies; His preference for unanimity in decision; the decisive character of the majority vote; and even the desirability for the exercise of close supervision over all Bahá’í publications, have been sedulously instilled by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as evidenced by His authenticated and widely-scattered Tablets. To accept His broad and humanitarian Teachings on one hand, and to reject and dismiss with neglectful indifference His more challenging and distinguishing precepts, would be an act of manifest disloyalty to that which He has cherished most in His life.
That the Spiritual Assemblies of today will be replaced in time by the Houses of Justice, and are to all intents and purposes identical and not separate bodies, is abundantly confirmed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself. He has in fact in a Tablet addressed to the members of the first Chicago Spiritual Assembly, the first elected Bahá’í body instituted in the United States, referred to them as the members of the “House of Justice” for that city, and has thus with His own pen established beyond any doubt the identity of the present Bahá’í Spiritual Assemblies with the Houses of Justice referred to by Bahá’u’lláh. For reasons which are not difficult to discover, it has been found advisable to bestow upon the elected representatives of Bahá’í communities throughout the world the temporary appellation
Map of Bahá’í holdings surrounding and dedicated to the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel, recently exempted from the payment of taxes by the Government of Palestine. Tentative design of terraces suggesting an idea of the future development of a part of this area.
[Page 242]
of Spiritual Assemblies, a term which,
as the position and aims of the Bahá’í Faith
are better understood and more fully recognized,
will gradually be superseded by the
permanent and more appropriate designation
of House of Justice. Not only will the
present-day Spiritual Assemblies be styled
differently in future, but will be enabled also
to add to their present functions those powers,
duties, and prerogatives necessitated by
the recognition of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh,
not merely as one of the recognized religious
systems of the world, but as the State
Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power.
And as the Bahá’í Faith permeates the masses
of the peoples of East and West, and its
truth is embraced by the majority of the
peoples of a number of the Sovereign States
of the world, will the Universal House of
Justice attain the plentitude of its power,
and exercise, as the supreme organ of the
Bahá’í Commonwealth, all the rights, the
duties, and responsibilities incumbent upon
the world’s future super-state.
It must be pointed out, however, in this connection that, contrary to what has been confidently asserted, the establishment of the Supreme House of Justice is in no way dependent upon the adoption of the Bahá’í Faith by the mass of the peoples of the world, nor does it presuppose its acceptance by the majority of the inhabitants of any one country. In fact, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Himself, in one of His earliest Tablets, contemplated the possibility of the formation of the Universal House of Justice in His own lifetime, and but for the unfavorable circumstances prevailing under the Turkish régime, would have, in all probability, taken the preliminary steps for its establishment. It will be evident, therefore, that given favorable circumstances, under which the Bahá’ís of Persia and of the adjoining countries under Soviet Rule may be enabled to elect their national representatives, in accordance with the guiding principles laid down in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s writings, the only remaining obstacle in the way of the definite formation of the International House of Justice will have been removed. For upon the National Houses of Justice of the East and West devolves the task, in conformity with the explicit provisions of the Will, of electing directly the members of the International House of Justice. Not until they are themselves fully representative of the rank and file of the believers in their respective countries, not until they have acquired the weight and the experience that will enable them to function vigorously in the organic life of the Cause, can they approach their sacred task, and provide the spiritual basis for the constitution of so august a body in the Bahá’í world.
The Institution of Guardianship
It must be also clearly understood by every believer that the institution of Guardianship does not under any circumstances abrogate, or even in the slightest degree detract from, the powers granted to the Universal House of Justice by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and repeatedly and solemnly confirmed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will. It does not constitute in any manner a contradiction to the Will and Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, nor does it nullify any of His revealed instructions. It enhances the prestige of that exalted assembly, stabilizes its supreme position, safeguards its unity, assures the continuity of its labors, without presuming in the slightest to infringe upon the inviolability of its clearly defined sphere of jurisdiction. We stand indeed too close to so monumental a document to claim for ourselves a complete understanding of all its implications, or to presume to have grasped the manifold mysteries it undoubtedly contains. Only future generations can comprehend the value and the significance attached to this Divine Masterpiece, which the hand of the Master-builder of the world has designed for the unification and the triumph of the worldwide Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Only those who come after us will be in a position to realize the value of the surprisingly strong emphasis that has been placed on the institution of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship. They only will appreciate the significance of the vigorous language employed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with reference to the band of Covenant-breakers that has opposed Him in His days. To them alone will be revealed the suitability of the institutions initiated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the character of the future society which is to emerge out of the chaos and confusion of the present age. . . .
Unity Feast, Bahá’í Summer School, July, 1933, Geyserville, California, U. S. A.
The Animating Purpose of Bahá’í Institutions
And, now, it behooves us to reflect on the animating purpose and the primary functions of these divinely-established institutions, the sacred character and the universal efficacy of which can be demonstrated only by the spirit they diffuse and the work they actually achieve. I need not dwell upon what I have already reiterated and emphasized that the administration of the Cause is to be conceived as an instrument and not a substitute for the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, that it should be regarded as a channel through which His promised blessings may flow, that it should guard against such rigidity as would clog and fetter the liberating forces released by His Revelation. . . . Who, I may ask, when viewing the international character of the Cause, its far-flung ramifications, the increasing complexity of its affairs, the diversity of its adherents, and the state of confusion that assails on every side the infant Faith of God, can for a moment question the necessity of some sort of administrative machinery that will insure, amid the storm and stress of a struggling civilization, the unity of the Faith, the preservation of its identity, and the protection of its interests? To repudiate the validity of the assemblies of the elected ministers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh would be to reject these countless Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, wherein they have extolled their privileges and duties, emphasized the glory of their mission, revealed the immensity of their task, and warned them of the attacks they must needs expect from the unwisdom of friends, as well as from the malice of their enemies. It is surely for those to whose hands so priceless a heritage has been committed to prayerfully watch lest the tool should supersede the Faith itself, lest undue concern for the minute details arising from the administration of the Cause obscure the vision of its promoters, lest partiality, ambition, and worldliness tend in the course of time to becloud the radiance, stain the purity, and impair the effectiveness of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. (February 27, 1929.)
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THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
AMID the reports that have of late reached the Holy Land, most of which witness to the triumphant march of the Cause, a few seem to betray a certain apprehension regarding the validity of the institutions which stand inseparably associated with the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. These expressed misgivings appear to be actuated by certain whisperings which have emanated from quarters which are either wholly misinformed regarding the fundamentals of the Bahá’í Revelation, or which deliberately contrive to sow the seeds of dissension in the hearts of the faithful.
Viewed in the light of past experience, the inevitable result of such futile attempts, however persistent and malicious they be, is to contribute to a wider and deeper recognition by believers and unbelievers alike of the distinguishing features of the Faith proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh. These challenging criticisms, whether or not dictated by malice, cannot but serve to galvanize the souls of its ardent supporters, and to consolidate the ranks of its faithful promoters. They will purge the Faith from those pernicious elements whose continued association with the believers tends to discredit the fair name of the Cause, and to tarnish the purity of its spirit. We should welcome, therefore, not only the open attacks which its avowed enemies persistently launch against it, but should also view as a blessing in disguise every storm of mischief with which they who apostatize their faith or claim to be its faithful exponents assail it from time to time. Instead of undermining the Faith, such assaults, both from within and without, reinforce its foundations, and excite the intensity of its flame. Designed to becloud its radiance, they proclaim to all the world the exalted character of its precepts, the completeness of its unity, the uniqueness of its position, and the pervasiveness of its influence.
[Page 245]
I do not feel for one moment
that such clamor, mostly attributable to
impotent rage against the resistless march
of the Cause of God, can ever distress
the valiant warriors of the Faith. For
these heroic souls, whether
they be contending in America’s impregnable
stronghold, or struggling in the heart of
Europe, and across the seas as far as the
continent of Australasia, have already
abundantly demonstrated the tenacity of their faith
and the abiding value of their conviction.
I feel it, however, incumbent upon me by virtue of the responsibility attached to the Guardianship of the Faith, to dwell more fully upon the essential character and the distinguishing features of that world order as conceived by Bahá’u’lláh. . . .
It behooves us, dear friends, to endeavor not only to familiarize ourselves with the essential features of this supreme Handiwork of Bahá’u’lláh, but also to grasp the fundamental difference existing between this world-embracing, divinely-appointed Order and the chief ecclesiastical organizations of the world, whether they pertain to the Church of Christ, or to the ordinances of the Muḥammadan Dispensation.
For those whose priceless privilege is to guard over, administer the affairs, and advance the interests of these Bahá’í institutions will have, sooner or later, to face this searching question: “Where and how does this Order established by Bahá’u’lláh, which to outward seeming is but a replica of the institutions established in Christianity and Islám, differ from them? Are not the twin institutions of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship, the institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, the institution of the national and local Assemblies, the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, but different names for the institutions of the Papacy and the Caliphate, with all their attending ecclesiastical orders which the Christians uphold and advocate? What can possibly be the agency that can safeguard these Bahá’í institutions, so strikingly resemblant, in some of their features, to those which have been reared by the Fathers of the Church and the Apostles of Muḥammad, from witnessing the deterioration in character, the breach of unity, and the extinction of influence, which have befallen all organized religious heirarchies? Why should they not eventually suffer the same fate that has overtaken the institutions which the successors of Christ and Muḥammad have reared?”
Upon the answer given to these challenging questions will, in a great measure, depend the success of the efforts which believers in every land are now exerting for the establishment of God’s kingdom upon the earth. Few will fail to recognize that the Spirit breathed by Bahá’u’lláh upon the world, and which is manifesting itself with varying degrees of intensity through the efforts consciously displayed by His avowed supporters and indirectly through certain humanitarian organizations, can never permeate and exercise an abiding influence upon mankind unless and until it incarnates itself in a visible Order, which would bear its name, wholly identify itself with His principles, and function in conformity with His laws. That Bahá’u’lláh in His Book of Aqdas, and later ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will—a document which confirms, supplements, and correlates the provisions of the Aqdas—have set forth in their entirety those essential elements for the constitution of the world Bahá’í Commonwealth, no one who has read them will deny. According to these divinely-ordained administrative principles, the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh—the Ark of human salvation —must needs be modelled. From them, all future blessings must flow, and upon them its inviolable authority must ultimately rest.
For Bahá’u’lláh, we should readily recognize, has not only imbued mankind with a new and regenerating Spirit. He has not merely enunciated certain universal principles, or propounded a certain philosophy, however potent, sound and universal these may be. In addition to these He, as well as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá after Him, have, 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. Not only have
Upper center: Group of friends attending the Bahá’í Summer School at Geyserville, California. Left: The large fir tree under which many meetings are held. Lower center: View of valley from Bosch Place. Right: A view of the beautiful redwood trees on the property.
[Page 247]
they revealed all the
directions required for the practical
realization of those ideals which
the Prophets of God have visualized, and
which from time immemorial have inflamed
the imagination of seers and poets in every
age; they have also, in unequivocal and
emphatic language, appointed those twin
institutions of the House of Justice and of
the Guardianship as their chosen Successors,
destined to apply the principles, promulgate
the laws, protect the institutions, adapt
loyally and intelligently the Faith to the
requirements of progressive society, and
consummate the incorruptible inheritance which
the Founders of the Faith have bequeathed
to the world.
Should we look back to the past, were we to search out the Gospel and the Qur’án, we will readily recognize that neither the Christian nor the Islámic Dispensations can offer a parallel either to the system of Divine Economy so thoroughly established by Bahá’u’lláh, or to the safeguards which He has provided for its preservation and advancement. Therein, I am profoundly convinced, lies the answer to those questions to which I have already referred.
None, I feel, will question the fact that the fundamental reason why the unity of the Church of Christ was irretrievably shattered, and its influence was in the course of time undermined was that the Edifice which the Fathers of the Church reared after the passing of His First Apostle was an Edifice that rested in nowise upon the explicit directions of Christ Himself. The authority and features of their administration were wholly inferred, and indirectly derived, with more or less justification, from certain vague and fragmentary references which they found scattered amongst His utterances as recorded in the Gospel. Not one of the sacraments of the Church; not one of the rites and ceremonies which the Christian Fathers have elaborately devised and ostentatiously observed; not one of the elements of severe discipline they rigorously imposed upon the primitive Christians; none of these reposed on the direct authority of Christ, or emanated from His specific utterances. Not one of these did Christ conceive, none did He specifically invest with sufficient authority to either interpret His Word, or to add to that which He had not specifically enjoined.
For this reason, in later generations, voices were raised in protest against the self—appointed Authority which arrogated to itself privileges and powers which did not emanate from the clear text of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and which constituted a grave departure from the spirit which that Gospel did inculcate. They argued with force and justification that the canons promulgated by the Councils of the Church were not divinely-appointed laws, but were merely human devices which did not even rest upon the actual utterances of Jesus. Their contention centered around the fact that the vague and inconclusive words, addressed by Christ to Peter, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,” could never justify the extreme measures, the elaborate ceremonials, the fettering creeds and dogmas, with which His successors have gradually burdened and obscured His Faith. Had it been possible for the Church Fathers, whose unwarranted authority was thus fiercely assailed from every side, to refute the denunciations heaped upon them by quoting specific utterances of Christ regarding the future administration of His Church, or the nature of the authority of His Successors, they would surely have been capable of quenching the flame of controversy, and preserving the unity of Christendom. The Gospel, however, the only repository of the utterances of Christ, afforded no such shelter to these harassed leaders of the Church, who found themselves helpless in the face of the pitiless onslaught of their enemy, and who eventually had to submit to the forces of schism which invaded their ranks.
In the Muḥammadan Revelation, however,
although His Faith as compared with that
of Christ was, so far as the administration
of His Dispensation is concerned, more complete
and more specific in its provisions, yet
in the matter of succession it gave no written,
no binding and conclusive instructions
to those whose mission was to propagate His
Cause. For the text of the Qur’án, the
ordinances of which regarding prayer, fasting,
marriage, divorce, inheritance, pilgrimage,
and the like, have after the revolution of
thirteen hundred years remained intact and
operative, gives no definite guidance
[Page 248]
regarding the Law of Succession, the source
of all the dissensions, the controversies,
and schisms which have dismembered and
discredited Islám.
Not so with the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. Unlike the Dispensation of Christ, unlike the Dispensation of Muḥammad, unlike all the Dispensations of the past, the apostles of Bahá’u’lláh 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. Both in the administrative provisions of the Bahá’í Dispensation, and in the matter of succession, as embodied in the twin institutions of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship, the followers of Bahá’u’lláh can summon to their aid such irrefutable evidences of Divine Guidance that none can resist, that none can belittle or ignore. Therein lies the distinguishing feature of the Bahá’í 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. . . .
We should also bear in mind that the distinguishing character of the Bahá’í Revelation does not consist solely in the completeness and unquestionable validity of the Dispensation which the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá have established. Its excellence lies also in the fact that those elements which in past Dispensations have, without the least authority from their Founders, been a source of corruption and of incalculable harm to the Faith of God, been strictly excluded by the clear text of Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings. Those unwarranted practices, in connection with the sacrament of baptism, of communion, of confession of sins, of ascetism, of priestly domination, of elaborate ceremonials, of holy war and of polygamy, have one and all been rigidly suppressed by the Pen of Bahá’u’lláh, whilst the rigidity and rigor of certain observances, such as fasting, and which are necessary to the devotional life of the individual, have been considerably abated. . . .
Dear friends! Feeble though our Faith may now appear in the eyes of men, who either denounce it as an offshoot of Islám, 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 Bahá’u’lláh, 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.)
THE GOAL OF A NEW WORLD ORDER
THE inexorable march of recent events has carried humanity so near to the goal foreshadowed by Bahá’u’lláh that no responsible follower of His Faith, viewing on all sides the distressing evidences of the world’s travail, can remain unmoved at the thought of its approaching deliverance.
It would not seem inappropriate, at a time when we are commemorating the world over, the termination of the first decade since ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sudden removal* from our midst, to ponder, in the light of the teachings bequeathed by Him to the world, such events as have tended to hasten the gradual emergence of the World Order anticipated by Bahá’u’lláh.
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* November 28, 1921.
Ten years ago, this very day, there flashed upon the world the news of the passing of Him Who alone, through the ennobling influence of His love, strength and wisdom, could have proved its stay and solace in the many afflictions it was destined to suffer.
How well we, the little band of His avowed supporters who lay claim to have recognized the Light that shone within Him, can still remember His repeated allusions, in
Some of the friends attending the Bahá’í Summer School, Louhelen Ranch in Michigan.
The buildings and grounds at Louhelen Ranch, Davison, Michigan, and a group of Bahá’í friends who participated in the fruitful and happy beginning of the Bahá’í Summer School at this beautiful place.
[Page 250]
the evening of His earthly
life, to the tribulation and turmoil with
which an unregenerate humanity was to be
increasingly afflicted. How poignantly
some of us can recall His pregnant remarks,
in the presence of
the pilgrims and visitors who thronged
His doors on the morrow of the jubilant
celebrations that greeted the termination of
the World War—a war, which by the horrors
it evoked, the losses it entailed and
the complications it engendered, was
destined to exert so far-reaching an
influence on the fortunes
of mankind. How serenely, yet how
powerfully, He stressed the cruel deception which
a Pact, hailed by peoples and nations as the
embodiment of triumphant justice and the
unfailing instrument of an abiding peace,
held in store for an unrepentant humanity.
Peace, Peace, how often we heard Him remark,
the lips of potentates and peoples unceasingly proclaim, whereas the fire of unquenched hatreds still smoulders in their hearts.
How often we heard Him raise His
voice, whilst the tumult of triumphant
enthusiasm was still at its height and long
before the faintest misgivings could have
been felt or expressed, confidently declaring
that the Document, extolled as the Charter
of a liberated humanity, contained within
itself seeds of such bitter deception as would
further enslave the world. How abundant
are now the evidences that attest the
perspicacity of His unerring judgment!
Ten years of unceasing turmoil, so laden with anguish, so fraught with incalculable consequences to the future of civilization, have brought the world to the verge of a calamity too awful to contemplate. Sad indeed is the contrast between the manifestations of confident enthusiasm in which the Plenipotentiaries at Versailles so freely indulged and the cry of unconcealed distress which victors and vanquished alike are now raising in the hour of bitter delusion.
Neither the force which the Framers and Guarantors of the Peace Treaties have mustered, nor the lofty ideals which originally animated the Author of the Covenant of the League of Nations, have proved a sufficient bulwark against the forces of internal disruption with which a structure so laboriously contrived had been consistently assailed. Neither the provisions of the so called Settlement which the victorious Powers have sought to impose, nor the machinery of an institution which America’s illustrious and far-seeing President had conceived, have proved, either in conception or practice, adequate instruments to ensure the integrity of the Order they had striven to establish. “The ills from which the world now suffers,” wrote ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in January 1920, "will multiply; the gloom which envelops it will deepen. The Balkans will remain discontented. Its restlessness will increase. The vanquished Powers will continue to agitate. They will resort to every measure that may rekindle the flame of war. Movements, newly-born and worldwide in their range, will exert their utmost effort for the advancement of their designs. The Movement of the Left will acquire great importance. Its influence will spread.”
Economic distress, since those words were written, together with political confusion, financial upheavals, religious restlessness and racial animosities, seem to have conspired to add immeasurably to the burdens under which an impoverished, a war-weary world is groaning. Such has been the cumulative effect of these successive crises, following one another with such bewildering rapidity, that the very foundations of society are trembling. The world, to whichever continent we turn our gaze, to however remote a region our survey may extend, is everywhere assailed by forces it can neither explain nor control.
Europe, hitherto regarded as the cradle of
a highly—vaunted civilization, as the
torch-bearer of liberty and the mainspring of the
forces of world industry and commerce,
stands bewildered and paralyzed at the sight
of so tremendous an upheaval. Long-cherished
ideals in the political no less than in
the economic sphere of human activity are
being severely tested under the pressure of
reactionary forces on one hand and of an
insidious and persistent radicalism on the
other. From the heart of Asia distant
rumblings, ominous and insistent, portend the
steady onslaught of a creed which, by its
negation of God, His Laws and Principles,
threatens to disrupt the foundations of
human society. The clamor of a nascent
nationalism, coupled with a recrudescence of
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skepticism and unbelief,
come as added misfortunes to a continent
hitherto regarded as
the symbol of age-long stability and
undisturbed resignation. From darkest Africa the
first stirrings of a conscious and determined
revolt against the aims and methods of
political and economic imperialism can be
increasingly discerned, adding their share to
the growing vicissitudes of a troubled age.
Not even America, which until very recently
prided itself on its traditional policy of
aloofness and the self-contained character
of its economy, the invulnerability of its
institutions and the evidences of its
growing prosperity and prestige, has been
able to resist
the impelling forces that have swept her into
the vortex of an economic hurricane that
now threatens to impair the basis of her own
industrial and economic life. Even faraway
Australia, which, owing to its remoteness
from the storm—centers of Europe,
would have been expected to be immune from
the trials and torments of an ailing continent,
has been caught in this whirlpool of passion
and strife, impotent to extricate herself from
their ensnaring influence.
Never indeed have there been such widespread and basic upheavals, whether in the social, economic or political spheres of human activity as those now going on in different parts of the world. Never have there been so many and varied sources of danger as those that now threaten the structure of society. The following words of Bahá’u’lláh are indeed significant as we pause to reflect upon the present state of a strangely disordered world: "How long will humanity persist in its waywardness? How long will injustice continue? How long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst men? How long will discord agitate the face of society? The winds of despair are, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that divides and afflicts the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appears to be lamentably defective.”
The disquieting influence of over thirty million souls living under minority conditions throughout the continent of Europe; the vast and ever-swelling army of the unemployed with its crushing burden and demoralizing influence on governments and peoples; the wicked, unbridled race of armaments swallowing an ever-increasing share of the substance of already impoverished nations; the utter demoralization from which the international financial markets are now increasingly suffering; the onslaught of secularism invading what has hitherto been regarded as the impregnable strongholds of Christian and Muslim orthodoxy—these stand out as the gravest symptoms that bode ill for the future stability of the structure of modern civilization. Little wonder if one of Europe’s preëminent thinkers, honored for his wisdom and restraint, should have been forced to make so bold an assertion: “The world is passing through the gravest crisis in the history of civilization.” “We stand,” writes another, “before either a world catastrophe, or perhaps before the dawn of a greater era of truth and wisdom.” "It is in such times,” he adds, “that religions have perished and are born.”
Might we not already discern, as we scan
the political horizon, the alignment of those
forces that are dividing afresh the continent
of Europe into camps of potential combatants,
determined upon a contest that may
mark, unlike the last war, the end of an
epoch, a vast epoch, in the history of human
evolution? Are we, the privileged custodians
of a priceless Faith, called upon to witness
a cataclysmical change, politically as
fundamental and spiritually as beneficent
as that which precipitated the fall of the Roman
Empire in the West? Might it not happen
—every vigilant adherent of the Faith of
Bahá’u’lláh might well pause to reflect—that
out of this world eruption there may
stream forces of such spiritual energy as shall
recall, nay eclipse, the splendor of those signs
and wonders that accompanied the establishment
of the Faith of Jesus Christ? Might
there not emerge out of the agony of a
shaken world a religious revival of such scope
and power as to even transcend the potency
of those world-directing forces with which
the Religions of the Past have, at fixed
intervals and according to an inscrutable
Wisdom, revived the fortunes of declining ages
and peoples? Might not the bankruptcy of
this present, this highly-vaunted materialistic
civilization, in itself clear away the
choking
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weeds that now hinder the unfoldment
and future efflorescence of God’s struggling Faith?
Let Bahá’u’lláh Himself shed the illumination of His words upon our path as we steer our course amid the pitfalls and miseries of this troubled age. More than fifty years ago, in a world far removed from the ills and trials that now torment it, there flowed from His Pen these prophetic words: "The world is in travail and its agitation waxeth day by day. Its face is turned towards waywardness and unbelief. Such shall he its plight that to disclose it now would not be meet and seemly. Its perversity will long continue. And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake. Then and only then will the Divine Standard be unfurled and the Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody.”
Dearly-beloved friends! Humanity, whether viewed in the light of man’s individual conduct or in the existing relationships between organized communities and nations, has, alas, strayed too far and suffered too great a decline to be redeemed through the unaided efforts of the best among its recognized rulers and statesmen—however disinterested their motives, however concerted their action, however unsparing in their zeal and devotion to its cause. No scheme which the calculations of the highest statesmanship may yet devise, no doctrine which the most distinguished exponents of economic theory may hope to advance, no principle which the most ardent of moralists may strive to inculcate, can provide, in the last resort, adequate foundations upon which the future of a distracted world can be built. No appeal for mutual tolerance which the worldly-wise might raise, however compelling and insistent, can calm its passions or help restore its vigour. Nor would any general scheme of mere organized international co-operation, in whatever sphere of human activity, however ingenious in conception or extensive in scope, succeed in removing the root cause of the evil that has so rudely upset the equilibrium of present day society. Not even, I venture to assert, would the very act of devising the machinery required for the political and economic unification of the world—a principle that has been increasingly advocated in recent times —provide in itself the antidote against the poison that is steadily undermining the vigor of organized peoples and nations.
What else, might we not confidently affirm, but the unreserved acceptance of the Divine Program enunciated, with such simplicity and force as far back as sixty years ago, by Bahá’u’lláh, embodying in its essentials God’s divinely appointed scheme for the unification of mankind in this age, coupled with an indomitable conviction in the unfailing efficacy of each and all of its provisions, is eventually capable of withstanding the forces of internal disintegration which, if unchecked, must needs continue to eat into the vitals of a despairing society. 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.
To claim to have grasped all the implications of Bahá’u’lláh’s prodigious scheme for world-wide human solidarity, or to have fathomed its import, would be presumptuous on the part of even the declared supporters of His Faith. To attempt to visualize it in all its possibilities, to estimate its future benefits, to picture its glory, would be premature at even so advanced a stage in the evolution of mankind.
All we can reasonably venture to attempt is to strive to obtain a glimpse of the first streaks of the promised Dawn that must, in the fulness of time, chase away the gloom that has encircled humanity. All we can do is to point out, in their broadest outlines, what appears to us to be the guiding principles underlying the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, as amplified and enunciated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Center of His Covenant with all mankind and the appointed Interpreter and Expounder of His Word.
That the unrest and suffering afflicting
the mass of mankind are in no small measure
the direct consequences of the World War
and are attributable to the unwisdom and
shortsightedness of the framers of the Peace
Treaties only a biased mind can refuse to
admit. That the financial obligations
contracted in the course of the war,
as well as
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the imposition of a staggering burden of
reparations upon the vanquished, have, to a
very great extent, been responsible for the
maldistribution and consequent shortage of
the world’s monetary gold supply, which in
turn has, to a very great measure,
accentuated the phenomenal fall in prices
and thereby relentlessly increased the
burdens of impoverished countries, no
impartial mind would
question. That inter-governmental debts
have imposed a severe strain on the masses
of the people in Europe, have upset the
equilibrium of national budgets, have
crippled national industries, and led to
an increase in the number of the unemployed, is
no less apparent to an unprejudiced observer.
That the spirit of vindictiveness, of suspicion,
of fear and rivalry, engendered by the
war, and which the provisions of the Peace
Treaties have served to perpetuate and foster,
has led to an enormous increase of national
competitive armaments, involving during
the last year the aggregate expenditure of no
less than a thousand million pounds, which
in turn has accentuated the effects of the
world-wide depression, is a truth that even
the most superficial observer will readily
admit. That a narrow and brutal nationalism,
which the post-war theory of self-determination
has served to reinforce, has been
chiefly responsible for the policy of high and
prohibitive tariffs, so injurious to the healthy
flow of international trade and to the
mechanism of international finance, is a fact
which few would venture to dispute.
It would be idle, however, to contend that the war, with all the losses it involved, the passions it aroused and the grievances it left behind, has solely been responsible for the unprecedented confusion into which almost every section of the civilized world is plunged at present. Is it not a fact—and this is the central idea I desire to emphasize—that the fundamental cause of this world unrest is attributable, not so much to the consequences of what must sooner or later come to be regarded as a transitory dislocation in the affairs of a continually changing world, but rather to the failure of those into whose hands the immediate destinies of peoples and nations have been committed, to adjust their systems of economic and political institutions to the imperative needs of a fast evolving age? Are not these intermittent crises that convulse present-day society due primarily to the lamentable inability of the world’s recognized leaders to read aright the signs of the times, to rid themselves once for all of their preconceived ideas and fettering creeds, and to reshape the machinery of their respective governments according to those standards that are implicit in Bahá’u’lláh’s supreme declaration of the Oneness of Mankind—the chief and distinguishing feature of the Faith He proclaimed? For the principle of the Oneness of Mankind, the corner—stone of Bahá’u’lláh’s world-embracing dominion, implies nothing more or less than the enforcement of His scheme for the unification of the world—the scheme to which we have already referred. “In every Dispensation,” writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “the light of Divine Guidance has been focussed upon one central theme. . . . In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious century, the foundation of the Faith of God and the distinguishing feature of His Law is the consciousness of the Oneness of Mankind.”
How pathetic indeed are the efforts of
these 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
Bahá’u’lláh, 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 Bahá’u’lláh and,
thoroughly imbued with a sense of world
solidarity, the sine quâ 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, once for
all, every preconceived idea, every national
prejudice, and give heed to the sublime
counsel of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the authorized
Expounder of His teachings. You can best
serve your country, was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
rejoinder to a high official in the service of
the federal government of the United States
of America, who had questioned Him as to
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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 principle of federalism
underlying the government of your own country
to the relationships now existing between
the peoples and nations of the world.
In "The Secret of Divine Civilization” ("The Mysterious Forces of Civilization”), ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s outstanding contribution to the future re-organization of the world, we read the following:
“True civilization will unfurl its banner in the midmost heart of the world whenever a certain number of its distinguished and high—minded sovereigns—the shining exemplars of devotion and determination—shall, for the good and happiness of all mankind, arise, with firm resolve and clear vision, to establish the Cause of Universal Peace. They must make the Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to establish a Union of the nations of the world. They must conclude a binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which shall be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race. This supreme and noble undertaking—the real source of the peace and well-being of all the world—should be regarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth. All the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this Most Great Covenant. In this all-embracing pact the limits and frontiers of each and every nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the relations of governments towards one another definitely laid down, and all international agreements and obligations ascertained. In like manner, the size of the armaments of every government should be strictly limited, for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of others. The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce it to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at its disposal, to destroy that government. Should this greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure.”
“A few,” He further adds, “unaware of the power latent in human endeavor, consider this matter as highly impracticable, nay even beyond the scope of man’s utmost efforts. Such is not the case, however. On the contrary, thanks to the unfailing grace of God, the loving-kindness of His favoured ones, the endeavors of unrivalled wise and capable souls, and the thoughts and ideas of the peerless leaders of this age, nothing whatsoever can be regarded as unattainable. Endeavour, ceaseless endeavour, is required. Nothing short of an indomitable determination can possibly achieve it. Many a cause past ages have regarded as purely visionary, yet in this day have become most easy and practicable. Why should this most great and lofty cause—the day-star of the firmament of true civilization and the cause of the glory, the advancement, the well-being and the success of all humanity—be regarded as impossible of achievement? Surely the day will come when its beauteous light shall shed illumination upon the assemblage of man.”
In one of His Tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, elucidating further His noble theme, reveals the following:
“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 well nigh
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. . . . 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
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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—has been 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.”
Over sixty years ago, in His Tablet to Queen Victoria, Bahá’u’lláh, addressing “the concourse of the rulers of the earth,” revealed the following:
“Take ye counsel together, and let your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind and bettereth the condition thereof . . . Regard the world as the human body which though created whole and perfect has been afflicted, through divers causes, with grave ills and maladies. Not for one day did it rest, nay its sicknesses waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of unskilled physicians who have spurred on the steed of their worldly desires and have erred grievously. And, if at one time, through the care of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before. Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. . . . That which the Lord hath ordained as a sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, all-powerful and inspired Physician. This verily is the truth, and all else naught but error.”
In a further passage Bahá’u’lláh adds these words:
“We see you adding every year unto your expenditures and laying the burden thereof on the people whom ye rule; this verily is naught but grievous injustice. Fear the sighs and tears of this wronged One, and burden not your peoples beyond that which they can endure. . . . Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may need armaments no more save in a measure to safeguard your territories and dominions. Be united, O concourse of the sovereigns of the world, for thereby will the tempest of discord be stilled amongst you and your peoples find rest. Should any one among you take up arms against another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but manifest justice.”
What else could these weighty words signify
if they did not point to the inevitable
curtailment of unfettered national sovereignty
as an indispensable preliminary to
the formation of the future Commonwealth
of all the nations of the world? Some form
of a world super-state must needs be evolved,
in whose favour 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
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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 Labour definitely recognized;
in which the clamour 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 Bahá’u’lláh,
an Order that shall come to be regarded as
the fairest fruit of a slowly maturing age.
“The Tabernacle of Unity,” Bahá’u’lláh proclaims in His message to all mankind, “has been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. . . . Of one tree are all ye the fruit and of one bough the leaves. . . . The world is but one country and mankind its citizens. . . . Let not a man glory in that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind.”
Let there be no misgivings as to the animating purpose of the world-wide Law of Bahá’u’lláh. Far from aiming at the subversion of the existing foundations of society, it seeks to broaden its basis, to remould 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. It insists upon the subordination of national impulses and interests to the imperative claims of a unified world. It repudiates excessive centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at uniformity on the other. Its watchword is unity in diversity such as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself has explained:
“Consider the flowers of a garden. Though differing in kind, colour, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm and addeth unto their beauty. How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruit, the branches and the trees of that garden were all of the same shape and colour! Diversity of hues, form and shape enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas and convictions of the children of men.”
The call of Bahá’u’lláh is primarily directed
against all forms of provincialism,
all insularities and prejudices. If
long-cherished ideals and time-honoured
institutions, if certain social
assumptions and religious
formulae have ceased to promote the welfare
of the generality of mankind, if they no
longer administer to the needs of a
continually evolving humanity, let
them be swept away and relegated to the
limbo of obsolescent and forgotten doctrines.
Why should these, in a world subject to the
immutable law of change and decay, be exempt from
the deterioration that must needs overtake
every human institution? For legal standards,
political and economic theories are solely
designed to safeguard the interests of
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humanity as a whole, and not humanity to be
crucified for the preservation of the integrity
of any particular law or doctrine.
Let there be no mistake. The principle of the Oneness of Mankind—the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve —is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its appeal is not to be merely identified with a re-awakening of the spirit of brotherhood and good-will among men, nor does it aim solely at the fostering of harmonious cooperation among individual peoples and nations. 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 does not constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, but stands inseparably associated with an institution adequate to embody its truth, demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its influence. It implies an organic change in the structure of present-day society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced. It constitutes a challenge, at once bold and universal, to outworn shibboleths of national creeds—creeds that have had their day and which must, in the ordinary course of events as shaped and controlled by Providence, give way to a new gospel, fundamentally different from, and infinitely superior to, what the world has already conceived. It calls for no less than the reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized world—a world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units.
It represents the consummation of human evolution—an evolution that has had its earliest beginnings in the birth of family life, its subsequent development in the achievement of tribal solidarity, leading in turn to the constitution of the city-state, and expanding later into the institution of independent and sovereign nations.
The principle of the Oneness of Mankind, as proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh, carries with it, no more and no less, than a solemn assertion that attainment to this final stage in this stupendous evolution is not only necessary but inevitable, that its realization is fast approaching, and that nothing short of a power that is born of God can succeed in establishing it.
So marvellous a conception finds its earliest manifestations in the efforts consciously exerted and the modest beginnings already achieved by the declared adherents of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh who, conscious of the sublimity of their calling and initiated into the ennobling principles of His Administration, are forging ahead to establish His Kingdom on this earth. It has its indirect manifestations in the gradual diffusion of the spirit of world solidarity which is spontaneously arising out of the welter of a disorganized society.
It would be stimulating to follow the
history of the growth and development of
this lofty conception which must
increasingly engage the attention of the
responsible custodians of the destinies
of peoples and nations. To the states and
principalities just
emerging from the welter of the great
Napoleonic upheaval, whose chief
preoccupation was either to recover
their rights to an
independent existence or to achieve their
national unity, the conception of world
solidarity seemed not only remote but
inconceivable. It was not until the
forces of nationalism had succeeded in
overthrowing the foundations of the Holy
Alliance that had
sought to curb their rising power, that the
possibility of a world order, transcending
in its range the political institutions these
nations had established, came to be seriously
entertained. It was not until after the World
War that these exponents of arrogant
nationalism came to regard such an order as the
object of a pernicious doctrine tending to
sap that essential loyalty upon which the
continued existence of their national life
depended. With a vigour that recalled the
energy with which the members of the Holy
Alliance sought to stifle the spirit of a rising
nationalism among the peoples liberated from
the Napoleonic yoke, those champions of
an unfettered national sovereignty, in their
turn, have laboured and are still labouring
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to discredit principles upon which their own
salvation must ultimately depend.
The fierce opposition which greeted the abortive scheme of the Geneva Protocol; the ridicule poured upon the proposal for a United States of Europe which was subsequently advanced, and the failure of the general scheme for the economic union of Europe, may appear as setbacks to the efforts which a handful of foresighted people are earnestly exerting to advance this noble ideal. And yet, are we not justified in deriving fresh encouragement when we observe that the very consideration of such proposals is in itself an evidence of their steady growth in the minds and hearts of men. In the organized attempts that are being made to discredit so exalted a conception are we not witnessing the repetition, on a larger scale, of those stirring struggles and fierce controversies that preceded the birth, and assisted in the reconstruction, of the unified nations of the West?
To take but one instance. How confident were the assertions made in the days preceding the unification of the states of the North American continent regarding the insuperable barriers that stood in the way of their ultimate federation! Was it not widely and emphatically declared that the conflicting interests, the mutual distrust, the differences of government and habit that divided the states were such as no force, whether spiritual or temporal, could ever hope to harmonize or control? And yet how different were the conditions prevailing a hundred and fifty years ago from those that characterize present-day society! It would indeed be no exaggeration to say that the absence of those facilities which modern scientific progress has placed at the service of humanity in our time made of the problem of welding the American states into a single federation a task infinitely more complex than that which confronts a divided humanity in its efforts to achieve the unification of all mankind.
Who knows that for so exalted a conception to take shape a suffering more intense than any it has yet experienced will have to be inflicted upon humanity? Could anything less than the fire of a civil war with all its violence and vicissitudes—a war that nearly rent the great American Republic—have welded the states, not only into a Union of independent units, but into a Nation, in spite of all the ethnic differences that characterized its component parts? That so fundamental a revolution, involving such far-reaching changes in the structure of society, can be achieved through the ordinary processes of diplomacy and education seems highly improbable. We have but to turn our gaze to humanity’s bloodstained history to realize that nothing short of intense mental as well as physical agony has been able to precipitate those epoch-making changes that constitute the greatest landmarks in the history of human civilization.
Great and far-reaching as have been those changes in the past, they cannot but appear, when viewed in their proper perspective, except as subsidiary adjustments preluding that transformation of unparalleled majesty and scope which humanity is in this age bound to undergo. That the forces of a world catastrophe can alone precipitate such a new phase of human thought is, alas, becoming increasingly apparent. That nothing short of the fire of a severe ordeal, unparalleled in its intensity, can fuse and weld the discordant entities, that constitute the elements of present-day civilization, into the integral components of the world Commonwealth of the future is a truth which future events will increasingly demonstrate.
The prophetic voice of Bahá’u’lláh warning, in the concluding passages of the Hidden Words, “the peoples of the world” that “an unforeseen calamity is following them and that grievous retribution awaiteth them” throws indeed a lurid light upon the immediate fortunes of sorrowing humanity. 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.
I would again direct your attention to those ominous words of Bahá’u’lláh which I have already quoted: “And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake.”
Has not ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself asserted in
unequivocal language that “another
war,
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fiercer than the last, will assuredly break out”?
Upon the consummation of this colossal, this unspeakably glorious enterprise—an enterprise that baffled the resources of Roman statesmanship and which Napoleon’s desperate efforts failed to achieve—will depend the ultimate realization of that millennium of which poets of all ages have sung and seers have long dreamed. Upon it will depend the fulfillment of the prophecies uttered by the Prophets of old when swords shall be beaten into ploughshares and the lion and the lamb lie down together. It alone can usher in the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father as anticipated by the Faith of Jesus Christ. It alone can lay the foundation for the New World Order visualized by Bahá’u’lláh—a World Order that shall reflect, however dimly, upon this earthly plane, the ineffable splendours of the Abhá Kingdom.
One word more in conclusion. The proclamation of the Oneness of Mankind—the head corner-stone of Bahá’u’lláh’s all-embracing dominion—can under no circumstances be compared with such expressions of pious hope as have been uttered in the past. His is not merely a call which He raised, alone and unaided, in the face of the relentless and combined opposition of two of the most powerful Oriental potentates of His day—while Himself an exile and prisoner in their hands. It implies at once a warning and a promise—a warning that in it lies the sole means for the salvation of a greatly suffering world, a promise that its realization is at hand.
Uttered at a time when its possibility had not yet been seriously envisaged in any part of the world, it has, by virtue of that celestial potency with which the Spirit of Bahá’u’lláh has breathed into it, come at last to be regarded, by an increasing number of thoughtful men, not only as an approaching possibility, but as the necessary outcome of the forces now operating in the world.
Surely the world, contracted and transformed into a single highly complex organism by the marvellous progress achieved in the real of physical science, by the worldwide expansion of commerce and industry, and struggling, under the pressure of world economic forces, amidst the pitfalls of a materialistic civilization, stands in dire need of a restatement of the Truth underlying all the Revelations of the past in a language suited to its essential requirements. And what voice other than that of Bahá’u’lláh the Mouthpiece of God for this age-is capable of effecting a transformation of society as radical as that which He has already accomplished in the hearts of those men and women, so diversified and seemingly irreconcilable, who constitute the body of His declared followers throughout the world?
That such a mighty conception is fast budding out in the minds of men, that voices are being raised in its support, that its salient features must fast crystallize in the consciousness of those who are in authority, few indeed can doubt. That its modest beginnings have already taken shape in the worldwide Administration with which the adherents of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh stands associated only those whose hearts are tainted by prejudice can fail to perceive.
Ours, dearly—beloved co-workers, is the paramount duty to continue, with undimmed vision and unabated zeal, to assist in the final erection of that Edifice the foundations of which Bahá’u’lláh has laid in our hearts. Ours is the duty to derive added hope and strength from the general trend of recent events, however dark their immediate effects, and to pray with unremitting fervour that He may hasten the approach of the realization of that Wondrous Vision which constitutes the brightest emanation of His Mind and the fairest fruit of the fairest civilization the world has yet seen.
Might not the hundredth anniversary1 of the Declaration of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh mark the inauguration of so vast an era in human history? (November 28, 1931.)
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11963.
NON-POLITICAL CHARACTER OF THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH
WE STAND too close to so colossal a Revelation to expect in this, the first century of its era, to arrive at a just estimate of its towering grandeur, its infinite possibilities, its transcendent beauty. Small though our present numbers may be, however limited our capacities, or circumscribed our influence, we, into whose hands so pure, so tender, so precious a heritage has been entrusted, should at all times strive, with unrelaxing vigilance, to abstain from any thoughts, words, or deeds, that might tend to dim its brilliance, or injure its growth. . . .
Dear friends: Clear and emphatic as are the instructions which our departed Master has reiterated in countless Tablets bequeathed by Him to his followers throughout the world, a few, owing to the restricted influence of the Cause in the West, have been purposely withheld from the body of His occidental disciples, who, despite their numerical inferiority, are now exercising such a preponderating influence in the direction and administration of its affairs. I feel it, therefore, incumbent upon me to stress, now that the time is ripe, the importance of an instruction which, at the present state of the evolution of our Faith, should be increasingly emphasized, irrespective of its application to the East or to the West. And this principle is no other than that which involves the non-participation by the adherents of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, whether in their individual capacities or collectively as local or national Assemblies, in any form of activity that might be interpreted, either directly or indirectly, as an interference in the political affairs of any particular government. Whether it be in the publications which they initiate and supervise; or in their official and public deliberations; or in the posts they occupy and the services they render; or in the communications they address to their fellow-disciples; or in their dealings with men of eminence and authority; or in their affiliations with kindred societies and organizations, it is, I am firmly convinced, their first and sacred obligation to abstain from any word or deed that might be construed as a violation of this vital principle. Theirs is the duty to demonstrate, on one hand, their unqualified loyalty and obedience to whatever is the considered judgment of their respective governments.
Let them refrain from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with the political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of parties and factions. In such controversies they should assign no blame, take no side, further no design, and identify themselves with no system prejudicial to the best interests of that world-wide Fellowship which it is their aim to guard and foster. Let them beware lest they allow themselves to become the tools of unscrupulous politicians, or to be entrapped by the treacherous devices of the plotters and the perfidious among their countrymen. Let them so shape their lives and regulate their conduct that no charge of secrecy, of fraud, of bribery or of intimidation may, however ill-founded, be brought against them. Let them rise above all particularism and partisanship, above the vain disputes, the petty calculations, the transient passions that agitate the face, and engage the attention, of a changing world. It is their duty to strive to distinguish, as clearly as they possibly can, and if needed with the aid of their elected representatives, such posts and functions as are either diplomatic or political from those that are purely administrative in character, and which under no circumstances are affected by the changes and chances that political activities and party government, in every land, must necessarily involve. Let them affirm their unyielding determination to stand, firmly and unreservedly, for the way of Bahá’u’lláh, to avoid the entanglements and bickerings inseparable from the pursuits of the politician, and to become worthy agencies of that Divine Polity which incarnates God’s immutable Purpose for all men.
It should be made unmistakably clear that
such an attitude implies neither the slightest
indifference to the cause and interests of
their own country, nor involves any insubordination
on their part to the authority of
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recognized and established
governments. Nor does it constitute a repudiation
of their sacred obligation to promote, in the
most effective manner, the best interests of their
government and people. It indicates the desire
cherished by every true and loyal follower of
Bahá’u’lláh to serve, in an unselfish,
unostentatious and patriotic fashion, the
highest interests of the country to which
he belongs, and in a way that would entail
no departure from the high standards of
integrity and truthfulness associated with
the teachings of His Faith. (March 21,
1932.)
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AMERICA AND THE MOST GREAT PEACE
DEARLY-BELOVED friends! It is not for me, nor does it seem within the competence of any one of the present generation, to trace the exact and full history of the rise and gradual consolidation of this invincible arm, this mighty organ, of a continually advancing Cause. It would be premature at this early stage of its evolution, to attempt an exhaustive analysis, or to arrive at a just estimate, of the impelling forces that have urged it forward to occupy so exalted a place among the various instruments which the Hand of Omnipotence has fashioned, and is now perfecting, for the execution of His divine Purpose. Future historians of this mighty Revelation, endowed with pens abler than any which its present-day supporters can claim to possess, will no doubt transmit to posterity a masterly exposition of the origins of those forces which, through a remarkable swing of the pendulum, have caused the administrative center of the Faith to gravitate, away from its cradle, to the shores of the American continent and towards its very heart—the present mainspring and chief bulwark of its fast evolving institutions. On them will devolve the task of recording the history, and of estimating the significance, of so radical a revolution in the fortunes of a slowly maturing Faith. Theirs will be the opportunity to extol the virtues and to immortalize the memory of those men and women who have participated in its accomplishment. Theirs will be the privilege of evaluating the share which each of these champion-builders of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh has had in ushering in that golden Millennium, the promise of which lies enshrined in His teachings.
Does not the history of primitive Christianity and of the rise of Islám, each in its own way, offer a striking parallel to this strange phenomenon the beginnings of which we are now witnessing in this, the first century of the Bahá’í Era? Has not the Divine Impulse which gave birth to each of these great religious systems been driven, through the operation of those forces which the irresistible growth of the Faith itself had released, to seek away from the land of its birth and in more propitious climes a ready field and a more adequate medium for the incarnation of its spirit and the propagation of its cause? Have not the Asiatic churches of Jerusalem, of Antioch and of Alexandria, consisting chiefly of those Jewish converts, whose character and temperament inclined them to sympathize with the traditional ceremonies of the Mosaic Dispensation, been forced as they steadily declined to recognize the growing ascendancy of their Greek and Roman brethren? Have they not been compelled to acknowledge the superior valor and the trained efficiency which have enabled these standard-bearers of the Cause of Jesus Christ to erect the symbols of His world-wide dominion on the ruins of a collapsing Empire? Has not the animating spirit of Islám been constrained, under the pressure of similar circumstances, to abandon the inhospitable wastes of its Arabian Home, the theatre of its greatest sufferings and exploits, to yield in a distant land the fairest fruit of its slowly maturing civilization?
"From the beginning of time until the present day,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself affirms, ”the light of Divine Revelation hath risen in the East and shed its radiance upon the West. The illumination thus shed hath, however, acquired in the West an extraordinary brilliancy. Consider the Faith proclaimed by Jesus. Though it first appeared
The Bahá’ís of Racine, Wisconsin, U. S. A.
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in the East, yet not until its light had been shed upon the West did the full measure of its potentialities be manifest.” "The day is approaching,”
He, in another passage, assures us,
"when ye shall witness how, through the splendor of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, the West will have replaced the East, radiating the light of Divine Guidance.” "In the books of the Prophets,”
He again asserts,
"certain glad-tidings are recorded which are absolutely true and free from doubt. The East hath ever been the dawning-place of the Sun of Truth. In the East all the Prophets of God have appeared. . . . The West hath acquired illumination from the East but in some respects the reflection of the light hath been greater in the Occident. This is specially true of Christianity. Jesus Christ appeared in Palestine and His teachings were founded in that country. Although the doors of the Kingdom were first opened in that land and the bestowals of God were spread broadcast from its center, the people of the West have embraced and promulgated Christianity more fully than the people of the East.”
Little wonder that from the same unerring pen there should have flowed, after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s memorable visit to the West, these often-quoted words, the significance of which it would be impossible for me to overrate: "The continent of America,” He announced in a Tablet unveiling His Divine Plan to the believers residing in the North-Eastern States of the American Republic, "is in the eyes of the one true God the land wherein the splendors of His light shall be revealed, where the righteous will abide and the free assemble.” "May this American democracy,” He Himself, while in America, was heard to remark, "be the first nation to establish the foundation of international agreement. May it be the first nation to proclaim the unity of mankind. May it be the first to unfurl the standard of the ‘Most Great Peace.’ . . . The American people are indeed worthy of being the first to build the tabernacle of the great peace and proclaim the oneness of mankind. . . . May America become the distributing center of spiritual enlightenment and all the world receive this heavenly blessing. For America has developed powers and capacities greater and more wonderful than any other nations. . . . May the inhabitants of this country become like angels of heaven with faces turned continually toward God. May all of them become servants of the omnipotent One. May they rise from their present material attainments to such a height that heavenly illumination may stream from this center to all the peoples of the world. . . . This American nation is equipped and empowered to accomplish that which will adorn the pages of history, to become the envy of the world and be blest in both the East and the West for the triumph of its people. . . . The American continent gives signs and evidences of very great advancement. Its future is even more promising, for its influence and illumination are far-reaching. It will lead all nations spiritually.”
Would it seem extravagant, in the light of so sublime an utterance, to expect that in the midst of so enviable a region of the earth and out of the agony and wreckage of an unprecedented crisis there should burst forth a spiritual renaissance which, as it propagates itself through the instrumentality of the American believers, will rehabilitate the fortunes of a decadent age? It was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself, His most intimate associates testify, Who, on more than one occasion, intimated that the establishment of His Father’s Faith in the North American continent ranked as the most outstanding among the threefold aims which, as He conceived it, constituted the principal objective of His ministry. It was He who, in the heyday of His life and almost immediately after His Father’s ascension, conceived the idea of inaugurating His mission by enlisting the inhabitants of so promising a country under the banner of Bahá’u’lláh. He it was Who in His unerring Wisdom and out of the abundance of His heart chose to bestow on His favored disciples, to the very last day of His life, the tokens of His unfailing solicitude and to overwhelm them with the marks of His special favor. It was He Who, in His declining years, as soon as delivered from the shackles of a long and cruel incarceration, decided to visit the land which had remained for so many years the object of His infinite care and love. It was He Who, through the power of His presence and the charm of His utterance, infused into the entire body of His followers those sentiments and principles
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which could alone sustain them amidst the trials which the very prosecution of their task would inevitably engender. Was He not, through the several functions which He exercised whilst He dwelt amongst them whether in the laying of the corner-stone of their House of Worship, or in the Feast which He offered them and at which He chose to serve them in person, or in the emphasis which He on a more solemn occasion placed on the implications of His spiritual station—was He not, thereby, deliberately bequeathing to them all the essentials of that spiritual heritage which He knew they would ably safeguard and by their deeds continually enrich? And finally who can doubt that in the Divine Plan which, in the evening of His life, He unveiled to their eyes He was investing them with that spiritual primacy on which they could rely in the fulfillment of their high destiny?
“O ye apostles of Bahá’u’lláh!” He thus addresses them in one of His Tablets, "May my life be sacrificed for you! . . . Behold the portals which Bahá’u’lláh hath opened before you! Consider how exalted and lofty is the station you are destined to attain; how unique the favors with which you have been endowed.” "My thoughts,” He tells them in another passage, "are turned towards you, and my heart leaps within me at your mention. Could ye know how my soul glows with your love, so great a happiness would flood your hearts as to cause you to become enamoured with each other.” "The full measure of your success,” He declares in another Tablet, "is as yet unrevealed, its significance still unapprehended. Ere long ye will, with your own eyes, witness how brilliantly every one of you, even as a shining star, will radiate in the firmament of your country the light of Divine Guidance and will bestow upon its people the glory of an everlasting life.” “The range of your future achievements,” He once more affirms, "still remains undisclosed. I fervently hope that in the near future the whole earth may be stirred and shaken by the results of your achievements.” "The Almighty,” He assures them, "will no doubt grant you the help of His grace, will invest you with the tokens of His might, and will endue your souls with the sustaining power of His holy Spirit.” Be not concerned,” He admonishes them, "with the smallness of your numbers, neither be oppressed by the multitude of an unbelieving world. . . . Exert yourselves; your mission is unspeakably glorious. Should success crown your enterprise, America will assuredly evolve into a center from which waves of spiritual power will emanate, and the throne of the Kingdom of God will, in the plentitude of its majesty and glory, be firmly established.” (April 21, 1933.)