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2058. The Reason For a Place of Worship
"You had asked about places of worship and the underlying reason therefor. The wisdom in raising up such building is that at a given hour, the people should know it is time to meet, and all should gather together, and, harmoniously attuned one to another, should engage in prayer; with the result that out of this coming together, unity and affection shall grow and flourish in the human heart."
- (‘Abdu’l-Bahá: from a newly translated extract cited in a compilation on the Temple from the World Centre)
2059. The Character of Meetings in the Auditorium
"As to the character of the meetings in the Auditorium of the Temple, he feels that they should be purely devotional in character; Bahá’í addresses and lectures should be strictly excluded. For the present, he feels that there would be no objection to having Bahá’í meetings including addresses and the business sessions of the Convention held in the Foundation Hall. Shoghi Effendi would urge that choir singing by men, women and children be encouraged in the Auditorium and that rigidity in the Bahá’í service be scrupulously avoided. The more universal and informal the character of Bahá’í worship in the Temple the better. Images and pictures, with the exception of the Greatest Name, should be strictly excluded. Prayers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh and the Master as well as sacred Writings of the Prophets should be read or chanted as well as hymns based upon Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í sacred Writings."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, April 2, 1931)
2060. Non-Bahá’í Public Welcome
"Let the friends not hesitate to welcome to their observances, even to those of a devotional character, the non-Bahá’í public, many of whom may well be attracted by the prayers and expressions of gratitude of the believers, no less than by the exalted tone of passages from Bahá’í Writings."
- (From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies, June 25, 1967: Wellspring of Guidance, p. 116)
2061. Worship in Temple
"As regard the whole question of the Temple and services held in it: He wishes to emphasize that he is very anxious, now that this first and greatest Temple of the West has been built, and will, within a few years, be used for worship and regular services by the Bahá’ís, that no forms, no rituals, no set customs be introduced over and above the bare minimum outlined in the teachings. The nature of these gatherings is for prayer, meditation and the reading of writings from the Sacred Scriptures of our Faith and other Faiths; there can be one or a number of readers; any Bahá’í chosen, or even, non-Bahá’í, may read. The gatherings should be simple, dignified, and designed to uplift the soul and educate it through hearing the Creative Word. No speeches may be made, no extraneous matter introduced.
"The use of pulpits is forbidden by Bahá’u’lláh: if, in order to be more clearly heard, the person stands on a low platform, there is no objection, but this should not be incorporated as an architectural feature of the building….
"Vocal music alone may be used and the position of the singers or singer is also a matter for your Assembly to decide; but again, there should be no fixed point, no architectural details marking a special spot. Acoustics should certainly be the main consideration in placing the singers."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 11, 1947: Insert with Bahá’í News, No. 232, June 1950)
2062. Talking in the Temple
"It is understood of course that there is to be no talking in the auditorium of the Temple. However, the Guardian does feel that in an emergency, it may be necessary to carry on a conversation for a very limited period, in a subdued tone of voice. The Guardian feels that in matters of this type, careful judgement must be used."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 1953: Archives)
2063. Scriptures of Other Religions, Readers, Music in The House of Worship
"Your Assembly is free to use its discretion in choosing excerpts from the generally recognized scriptures of the older religions.
"With reference to your query about the use of several readers in unison, this is permissible provided it does not seem or become theatrical in the view of your Assembly. Concerning the placement of the reader the beloved Guardian has already indicated, 'the reader should stand where he or she will best be seen and heard by all.'
"Music in the House of Worship is to be vocal only, whether by singers or a singer. It does not matter if a guest a capella choir or soloist is used, provided such use is not made the occasion to publicize services of Worship and the precautions you mention are taken. No doubt the excellent recordings available today would assure the highest quality of performance at low cost, but all references to vocal music in the central Edifice imply the physical presence of the singers."
- (From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, March 13, 1964)
2064. The Auditorium May be Used for Special Prayers by Visiting Groups, Bahá’í or Non-Bahá’í
"…provided the general rules governing the nature of services in the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár are observed, there is no objection to your Assembly permitting the use of the auditorium for special prayer meetings by visiting groups at times when no general service is scheduled, and such meetings could include memorial services for departed souls, whether Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í. However, in some religions it is customary to hold memorial services for the departed at a specific time after the death—for example, in Islam it is forty days after the passing. The Guardian has stated that such practices have nothing to do with the Faith, the friends should be quite clear on this matters, and should preferably discontinue the practice. Therefore, in all such things the National Spiritual Assembly should be careful to ensure that no set practices or forms arise."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of Panama, November 24, 1976)
2065. The Chanting of Tablets in the Temple
"As regards the chanting of Tablets in the Temple, Shoghi Effendi wishes in this connection to urge the friends to avoid all forms of rigidity and uniformity in matter of worship. There is no objection to the reciting or chanting of prayers in oriental languages, but there is also no objection whatever of adopting such a form of prayer at any devotional service in the auditorium of the Temple. It should neither be required nor prohibited. The important thing that should always be borne in mind is that with the exception of certain specific obligatory prayers Bahá’u’lláh has given us, no strict or special ruling in matters of worship whether in the Temple or elsewhere. Prayer is essentially a communion between man and God and as such transcends all ritualistic forms and formulae."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, June 15, 1935)
2066. Questions and Answers Concerning Services in The House of Worship
"With reference to your letter of August 2, 1964, and the questions you have asked concerning services at the House of Worship, we have now had opportunity to study your questions in the light of available texts, and we are glad to share with you our conclusions.
"We will set forth your question, … and then make our comments at the end of each section:
A. Is congregational singing the same as congregational worship? Is it permissible to have singing in which anyone can join? If so, is it permissible for 'Alláh-u-Abhá' or 'Yá Bahá'u'l-Abhá' to be sung?
Singing by a congregation present at a service in the House of Worship should not be confused with congregational prayer prescribed by Bahá’u’lláh for the dead. As the Guardian in a letter written on his behalf by his secretary pointed out: 'When the Aqdas is published the form of congregational prayer prescribed by Bahá’u’lláh will be made clear to all the friends.' (Bahá’í Procedure, 1942, page 5) Regarding singing in the Temple, we must bear in mind the reference made by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas to the need for the person who enters the Temple to sit silently and listen to the chanting of the verses of God, as well as the statements made by the Guardian regarding 'the reader' or 'a number of readers' or a 'choir'.
In connection with the desire of the Africans to sing, this aptitude in them should be encouraged. The Guardian elucidated this principle in a letter written on his behalf by his secretary: 'Shoghi Effendi would urge that choir singing by men, women and children be encouraged in the Auditorium, and that rigidity in the Bahá’í service be scrupulously avoided.' (Bahá’í News, September, 1931).
B. Could we develop musical programs with words not necessarily from Sacred Scriptures? Could Christian hymn tunes with Bahá’í words be used?
We feel that the first question is covered by the following instruction given by the Guardian: 'Prayers… should be read or chanted, as well as hymns based upon Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í sacred Writings.' (Bahá’í News, September 1931). As regards using hymn tunes of other religions there is no objection to this. As the Guardian once pointed out, we do not have at this time distinctive music which could be called Bahá’í, as such a cultural expression is the flower of the civilization and does not come at the beginning of a new Revelation.
C. Is it necessary at the present time to uphold at all costs a standard of excellence in Temple singing? If so, should it be a Western or an African standard?
In everything we do we should always try to attain a standard of excellence. Bearing in mind the basic principle of unity in diversity and the undesirability of attempting uniformity, the National Assembly should do all possible to ensure the dignified presentation of whatever is sung in the Temple, African, Western or other.
D. …may the reader preface his reading by 'The reading is from…' or words to the effect? Is it permissible to make short comments which might add 'following readings are on the subject of humility…' or 'the following healing prayer is for …'
There is no objection to the reader very briefly stating at the beginning of his reading, the reference and source of the passage he is about to read. Beyond this, any other comment regarding the passage to be read is inappropriate. If in the future, your Assembly is able to overcome the difficulty of making a printed programme available, it would be far better to have such a programme.
E. May the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá be used in the Temple as these are most easily translatable and many are already prepared in the most common local language—Luganda?
The Guardian's advice on this point is: 'Prayers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh and the Master as well as Sacred Writings of the Prophets should be read or chanted.' (Bahá’í News, September 1931). In response to a specific question put to the Guardian regarding the Public Talks and Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Guardian advised that these should not be used in the devotional services in the Temple…."
- (From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda and Central Africa, August 19, 1965)
