1550. No Prophet in Same Category as Bahá’u’lláh
"There are no Prophets, so far, in the same category as Bahá’u’lláh, as He culminates a great cycle begun with Adam."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand, December 26, 1941: Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand, p. 41)
1551. Bahá’u’lláh Has Appeared in God's Greatest Name
"… By 'Greatest Name' is meant that Bahá’u’lláh has appeared in God's Greatest Name, in other words, that He is the Supreme Manifestation of God."
- (Ibid., p. 41)
1552. Bahá’u’lláh Conversed with Moses in the Burning Bush
"Bahá’u’lláh is not the Intermediary between other Manifestations and God. Each has His own relation to the Primal Source. But in the sense that Bahá’u’lláh is the greatest Manifestation to yet appear, the One Who consummates the Revelation of Moses; He was the One Moses conversed with in the Burning Bush. In other words Bahá’u’lláh identifies the glory of the Godhead on that occasion with Himself. No distinction can be made amongst the Prophets in the sense that They all proceed from One Source, and are of One Essence. But Their stations and functions in this world are different."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, October 19, 1947)
1553. Bahá’u’lláh is not God—But Through Him We Can Know God
"As regards your question: Bahá’u’lláh is, of course, not God and not the Creator; but through Him we can know God, and because of this position of Divine Intermediary, in a sense, He (or the other Prophets) is all we can ever know of that Infinite Essence which is God. Therefore, we address ourselves in prayer and thought to Him, or through Him to that Infinite Essence behind and beyond Him."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, June 4, 1951)
1554. Why He Uses the Pronoun "We"
"When Bahá’u’lláh uses the plural—'We', 'Our' etc.—He is merely using a form which is regal and has greater power than the singular 'I'. We have this same usage in English, when the King says 'we'. The Pope does the same thing."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 18, 1951)
1555. There is no Record of a Prophet Similar in Station To Bahá’u’lláh
"Regarding your questions: There is no record in history, or in the teachings, of a Prophet similar in station to Bahá’u’lláh having lived 500,000 years ago. There will, however, be one similar to Him in greatness after the lapse of 500,000 years, but we cannot say definitely that His Revelation will be inter-planetary in scope. We can only say that such a thing may be possible. What Bahá’u’lláh means by His appearance in 'other worlds' He has not defined, as we could not visualize them in our present state, hence He was indefinite, and we cannot say whether He meant other planets or not…."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, December 24, 1941)
1556. Hour of Bahá’u’lláh's Birth
"Bahá’u’lláh was born at dawn."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, July 10, 1939)
1557. The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, Certain Passages Clarified
"Concerning the meaning of the passage on p. 12 of the 'Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh' beginning with the words 'But for Him no Divine Messenger…', this refers to the reality of God in Him and not to His Person.
"Page 20, first line, of the same pamphlet, the passage refers to any opportunities that are missed through neglect and not to any particular event.
"Page 21, line 20; the meaning of the passage should not be taken literally. The purpose is to emphasize the theme and heighten its effect.
"Page 24, line 20: it refers to the reality of Bahá’u’lláh."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, July 17, 1937)
1558. Reckoning of Days Mentioned in the "Dispensation"
"Concerning the passage in the 'Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh' in which the Guardian quotes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's interpretation of the prophecy referring to the times when the sun would stand still in the heavens, he wishes me to explain that the days referred to in this prophecy have to be reckoned differently. In the Sacred Scripture of various religions there are to be found frequent references to days, but these have been considered as indicating different periods of time, as for instance in the Qur'án a day is reckoned as one thousand years. The first ten days in the above-mentioned prophecy represent each a century, making thus a total of one thousand lunar years. As to the twenty days referring to the Bábí Dispensation, each of them represents only one lunar year, the total of twenty years marking the duration of the Revelation of the Báb. The thirty days in the last Dispensation should not be reckoned numerically, but should be considered as symbolizing the incomparable greatness of the Bahá’í Revelation which, though not final, is nonetheless thus far the fullest revelation of God to man. From a physical point of view, the thirty days represent the maximum time taken by the sun to pass through a sign of the zodiac. They thus represent a culminating point in the evolution of this star. So also from a spiritual standpoint these thirty days should be viewed as indicating the highest, though not the final, stage in the spiritual evolution of mankind."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, August 7, 1934: Bahá’í News, No. 87, September 1934, p. 1)
1559. Bahá’u’lláh was a Descendent of Abraham Through Both Katurah and Sarah—Jesse, Son of Sarah, was the Father of David and Ancestor of Bahá’u’lláh
"Regarding your question concerning the Jesse from whom Bahá’u’lláh is descended: The Master says in 'Some Answered Questions', referring to Isaiah, chapter 11, verses 1 to 10, that these verses apply 'Word for word to Bahá’u’lláh'. He then identifies this Jesse as the father of David in the following words: '…for Joseph was of the descendants of Jesse the father of David…', thus identifying the Jesse of Isaiah, chapter 11, with being the father of David. Bahá’u’lláh is thus the descendant of Jesse, the father of David.
"The Guardian hopes that this will clarify the matter for you. It is a tremendous and fascinating theme, Bahá’u’lláh's connection with the Faith of Judaism, and one which possesses great interest to Jew and Christian alike."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, July 11, 1942)
"Regarding your question concerning the descent of Bahá’u’lláh from Abraham: The Master has stated that Bahá’u’lláh is a descendant of Abraham through a son of his, other than Isaac and Ishmael, from his wife Katurah…."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 24, 1943)
1560. As the Return of Christ
"In accepting Bahá’u’lláh you have accepted Christ in His appearance as the Father, as He Himself so clearly foretold. The Catholic Church does not believe this; on the contrary, it still awaits the return of Christ. If you decide, in order to be buried next to your dear husband, to return to the Church, you either would have to, in good faith, deny Bahá’u’lláh or you would be just using the Church as a means to satisfying a desire of your own, which would certainly not be an upright and conscientious thing to do!"
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, July 28, 1950)
1561. Appearance of Later Prophets
"After Bahá’u’lláh many Prophets will, no doubt, appear, but they will be all under His shadow. Although they may abrogate the laws of the Dispensation, in accordance with the needs and requirements of the age in which they appear, they nevertheless draw their spiritual force from this mighty Revelation. The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh constitutes, indeed, the stage of maturity in the development of mankind. His appearance has released such spiritual forces which will continue to animate, for many long years to come, the world in its development. Whatever progress may be achieved in later ages—after the unification of the whole human race is achieved—will be but improvements in the machinery of the world. For the machinery itself has already been created by Bahá’u’lláh. The task of continually improving and perfecting this machinery is one which later Prophets will be called upon to achieve. They will move and work within the orbit of the Bahá’í cycle."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, November 14, 1935)
1562. Fears for Next Manifestation
"As to the meaning of the quotation, 'My fears are for Him Who will be sent down unto you after Me', this refers to the Manifestation Who is to come after a thousand or more years, Who like all previous Messengers of God will be subjected to persecutions, but will eventually triumph over them. For men of ill-will have been and will always continue to be in this world, unless mankind reaches a state of complete and absolute perfection—a condition which is not only improbable but actually impossible to attain. The fundamental difference, however, between this Dispensation and all previous ones is this, that in this Revelation the possibility of permanent schism between the followers of the Prophet has been prevented through the direct and explicit instructions providing for the necessary instruments designed to maintain the organic unity of the body of the faithful."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, December 1, 1934, Bahá’í News, No. 89, p. 1, January 1935)
1563. He Does Not Ask Us to Follow Him Blindly
"Just as in the past the Prophets have been persecuted and their Mission was ridiculed, so has the Message of Bahá’u’lláh been scoffed at as a mere impractical idealism. From His earliest youth He was put in chains, expatriated and persecuted. But what do we observe in this Day? …the principles He advocated are the only solution for practical political politics, the spiritual truths He voiced are the crying needs of man and the very things he requires for his moral and spiritual development.
"He does not ask us to follow Him blindly; as He says in one of His Tablets, God has endowed man with a mind to operate as a torchlight and guide him to the truth. Read His Words, consider His teachings and measure their value in the light of contemporary problems and the truth will surely be revealed to you. Read books such as the Íqán, Some Answered Questions, Nabil's Narrative, and you will appreciate the truth of His mission, as well as the true spirit He creates in whosoever follows His ways."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 26, 1933: Bahá’í News, No. 80, p. 5, January 1934)
1564. Christ and Bahá’u’lláh
"The beloved Guardian has been very impressed with the latest book written by our dear departed coworker, George Townshend, 'Christ and Bahá’u’lláh'.
"This book outlines clearly the relationship of Christ and Bahá’u’lláh, and presents the manners in which the Bahá’ís are setting up the Kingdom of God for which the Christians are praying.
"It is challenging, and surely will affect many religious leaders.
"The Guardian feels your Assembly should make this book the basis of a very active teaching campaign."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 19, 1957: Bahá’í News, No. 316, p. 5, June 1957)
1565. Duration of the Bahá’í Cycle and Dispensation
"Concerning your question relative to the duration of the Bahá’í Dispensation. There is no contradiction between Bahá’u’lláh's statement in the Íqán about the renewal of the City of God once every 1000 years, and that of the Guardian in the 'Dispensation' to the effect that the Bahá’í cycle will extend over a period of at least 500,000 years. The apparent contradiction is due to the confusion of the terms cycle and dispensation. For while the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh will last for at least one thousand years, His cycle will extend still further to at least 500,000."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, November 14, 1935: Bahá’í News, No. 102, August 1936, pp. 2-3)
1566. No Explanation Given for 500,000 Year Period of Bahá’í Cycle
"‘Abdu’l-Bahá has given no explanation regarding the 500,000 year period of the Bahá’í cycle. Individual believers are free to work out for themselves the explanation they desire, so long as they do not impose their views on others."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, July 10, 1939)
1567. Identifies Himself with Other Prophets
"As to the list of the prophets with whom Bahá’u’lláh identified Himself in the passage found on pages 26 and 27 of 'The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh', their names are as follows: Abraham, Moses, Joseph, John the Baptist, Jesus, Imám Husayn, on whom Bahá’u’lláh has conferred an exceptionally exalted station,(and) the Báb."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, August 7, 1936)
1568. Bahá’u’lláh Did Not Name "Letters of the Living" for Himself
"There were no 'Letters of the living' for Bahá’u’lláh, as there had been for the Báb's Dispensation. Dayyan was evidently the 3rd to believe in Bahá’u’lláh; who the second and the others were we don't know. The Báb, being the Manifestation, cannot be considered the first in this sense."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, April 19, 1947)
1569. The "Trustees" of Knowledge
"We cannot be sure to whom Bahá’u’lláh refers as the 'trustees' of knowledge."
- (Ibid.)
"Those words uttered by the Luminaries of Truth must needs be pondered, and should their significance be not grasped, enlightenment should be sought from the Trustees of the depositories of Knowledge, that these may expound their meaning, and unravel their mystery…."
- (Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Íqán, pp. 181-182)
1570. The Bahá’í Faith is a Way of Life not a Mere Philosophical or Social Doctrine
"For the Bahá’í Faith is above all a way of life. It is not a mere philosophical or social doctrine. It is a closely-knit and harmoniously functioning community, a worldwide spiritual fraternity which seeks to reform the world first and foremost by bringing about a deep inner spiritual change in the heart of individuals. To live the Teachings of the Cause should be the paramount concern of every true believer, and the only way to do so is to commune both in spirit and through actual concrete means with the entire community of the faithful. The Bahá’í Cause encourages community life and makes it a duty for every one of its followers to become a living, a fully active and responsible member of the world-wide Bahá’í fellowship."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, August 13, 1936)
1571. The Teachings Should be Conceived of as One Great Whole with Many Facets
"He feels that many of the perplexities that arise in your mind could be dissipated if you always conceived of the teachings as one great whole with many facets. Truth may, in covering different subjects, appear to be contradictory, and yet it is all one if you carry the thought through to the end. For instance the statement on life after death and the condition of believers and non-believers; you might say that a wonderful believer is like a diamond blazing in the sun, an unawakened soul like one in a dark room. But we must couple this concept with the other part of the teachings, that God's Mercy exceeds His Justice, and that soul can progress in the world beyond; the unillumined soul can become brilliant."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 24, 1947)
1572. The Whole Theory of Divine Revelation Rests on the Infallibility of the Prophets
"Regarding your Bahá’í friend who does not fully understand the infallibility of the Manifestation of God: You should influence that person to study the matter more deeply, and to realize that the whole theory of Divine Revelation rests on the infallibility of the Prophet, be He Christ, Muhammad, Bahá’u’lláh, or one of the others. If They are not infallible, then They are not Divine, and thus lose that essential link with God which, we believe, is the bond that educates men and causes all human progress."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, January 11, 1942)
1573. There is a Minimum of Rituals in the Bahá’í Faith and no Man-Made Dogmas
"In response to your letter of 3rd September 1979 asking if there are dogmas and rites in the Bahá’í Faith, the Universal House of Justice has instructed us to convey its reply.
"A dogma is a principle, tenet or teaching, especially an authoritative teaching, and in these senses it is apparent that the Faith has 'dogmas'. The word is also used, however, to describe that body of rigid doctrines that have accumulated in a religion after the passing of its Founder; such man-made dogmas are entirely absent from the Bahá’í Faith, nor can it ever acquire them.
"Concerning rituals, the beloved Guardian's secretary wrote on his behalf to an individual believer on 24th June 1949:
'Bahá’u’lláh has reduced all ritual and form to an absolute minimum in His Faith. The few forms that there are—like those associated with the two longer obligatory daily prayers—are only symbols of the inner attitude. There is a wisdom in them and a great blessing, but we cannot force ourselves to understand or feel these things; that is why He gave us also the very short and simple prayer, for those who did not feel the desire to perform the acts associated with the other two.'
"Thus it can be seen that the Faith has certain simple rites prescribed by Bahá’u’lláh, such as the obligatory prayers, the marriage ceremony and the laws for the burial of the dead, but its teachings warn against developing them into a system of uniform and rigid rituals incorporating man-made forms and practices, such as exist in other religions where rituals usually consist of elaborate ceremonial practices performed by a member of the clergy. In another letter written on behalf of the Guardian his secretary stated:
'In these days the friends should, as much as possible, demonstrate through their deeds the independence of the Holy Faith of God, and its freedom from the customs, rituals and practices of a discredited and abrogated past.'
- (Translated from the Persian).
"In freeing the believers from the religious rituals of the past and from those customs which are contrary to Bahá’í principles, the institutions of the Faith should be careful not to press the friends to arbitrarily discard those local traditions which are harmless and often colourful characteristics of particular peoples and tribes. In 'The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh', on page 41, we read:
'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 remold its institutions in a manner consonant with the needs of an ever-changing world. It can conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor can it undermine essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame of a sane and intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor to abolish the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world….'"
- (From a letter written of behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia, October 16, 1979)
