The Covenant/The Purpose of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant

The Purpose of

Bahaullah’s Covenant

Introduction

The Covenant, as an instrument designed to direct and channel the forces of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, possesses tremendous power. “There is a power in this Cause,” ‘Abdu’1-Baha states, “a mysterious power—far, far, far away from the ken of men and angels; that invisible power is the cause of all these outward activities. It moves the hearts. It rends the mountains. It administers the complicated affairs of the Cause. It inspires the friends. It dashes into a thousand pieces all the forces of opposition. It creates new spiritual worlds.”! “If it is considered with insight,” He also notes, “St will be seen that all the forces of the universe, in the last analysis serve the Covenant.””

The power of the Covenant is channeled for a purpose. The ultimate purpose is, as previously stated, the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. In this lesson we will see how the Covenant of Baha’u’ll4h (including the Covenant made by ‘Abdu’1-Baha) works to build the Kingdom by promoting the fortunes of the Faith.

1 The Power of the Covenant, Part I, intro. 2 Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahd 228

47 [Page 48]Overview

Shoghi Effendi described four purposes of Baha’u’llah’s Covenant:

to “perpetuate the influence” of the Faith;
to “insure its integrity;”

to “safeguard it from schism;” and

to “stimulate its world-wide expansion.”

To “perpetuate the influence” of the Faith means to preserve its ability to affect human affairs. The Covenant does this, in part, by extending the channel for the forces of the Revelation—the institution to which all in the Faith can turn to receive the will of God. Since the passing of Baha’u’ lah this channel has been continued through the ministries of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi. It continues today through the Universal House of Justice.

The influence exerted by the Covenant extends beyond the Baha’is. It impacts, in concrete ways and through spiritual means, on the development of humanity. For example, the Universal House of Justice is charged by Bah4’u’llah to promote the Lesser Peace,‘ despite the fact that it is the nations, not the Baha’is directly, that will ultimately establish this political peace.*> Also, it was the power of the Covenant that resulted in the downfall of Sultan ‘Abdu’l-Hamid and the release of ‘Abdu’l-Baha from captivity.®

The integrity of the Faith refers to the “purity” and “flexibility”® of the teachings. Regarding purity, the Covenant insures that God’s will as expressed through Baha’u’llah’s writings remains unaltered. It provides an appointed Interpreter (‘Abdu’l-Baha and the Guardian) to infallibly explain what the Word of God means. Regarding flexibility, the Covenant provides an institution (the Universal House of Justice) inspired to infallibly apply the laws and state what should be done in cases where the writings and the authoritative interpretation are not explicit. This institution may amend or repeal its statements to meet changing conditions.

3 God Passes By 244-45 6 Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By 295; ‘Abdu’l-Hamid was the 4 Tablets of Bahd’ u'llah 89 ruler of Turkey who kept ‘Abdu’ I-Bahé a prisoner in ‘Akka. 5 Lights of Guidance 323 7 The Universal House of Justice, Wellspring of Guidance 13

8 Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah 148

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To Perpetuate the Influence of the Faith

To Insure the Integrity of the Faith [Page 49]While all believers are bound by the authoritative interpretation, all have the freedom of individual interpretation. In fact, such thought is essential to understanding the Revelation. While “personal interpretations can be most illuminating... it is only a personal view and can never be upheld as a standard for others to accept, nor should disputes ever be permitted to arise over differences in such opinions.”? Differences are resolved by the Universal House of Justice.

The Covenant safeguards the unity of the Baha’is by providing an infallible source of guidance that protects the Cause from “differences and schisms, making it impossible for any one to create a new sect or faction of belief.”"° The Covenant further protects the Faith’s unity by requiring that the believers shun those who seek to create division (see lesson 7). “Were it not for the protecting power of the Covenant,” ‘Abdu’l-Baha warns, “there would arise among the Baha’{s in one day, a thousand different sects as was the case in former ages.”!! Because it unifies the believers, the Covenant is the pivot for the eventual—and inevitable—uniting of humanity.

The growth of the Faith is stimulated by the power of the Covenant and by specific directions given by ‘Abdu’l-Baha and the institutions of the Administrative Order. Shoghi Effendi attributes the birth of the American Baha’{ Community,” the spread of the Faith in the West,'? and the remarkable activities initiated by the early Western believers” to the “energies,” “impelling influence,” and “propelling power” of the Covenant. Beside being a force which moves the believers, the Covenant stirs the hearts of humanity. Individual souls are “enkindled, attracted and confirmed.”

The growth of the Faith proceeds systematically through a plan initiated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Tablets of the Divine Plan. This plan is “divine in origin, is guided by the explicit and repeated instructions ... of the Center of the Covenant Himself, is energized by the allcompelling will of its Author, ... and must continue to function... throughout successive epochs . . . of the Baha’{ Dispensation.”’° The plan is carried forward today under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice.

9 The Universal House of Justice, letter of 1-3-82 13 God Passes By 245

10 ‘Abdu’l-Bah4, Bahd’i World Faith 248 14 God Passes By 279

11 Baha’ i World Faith 357-58 15 Star of the West, Vol. X, 233

12 God Passes By 255 16 Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith 7

To Safeguard the Unity of the Faith

To Stimulate the Expansion of the Faith

49 [Page 50]1. “The power of the Covenant is as the heat of the sun which quickeneth and promoteth the development of all created things on earth. The light of the Covenant, in like manner, is the educator of the minds, the spirits, the hearts and souls of men.”

—‘Abdu’|-Bah4, quoted in God Passes By 239

2. “To direct and canalize the forces released by His Revelation He instituted His Covenant whose power has preserved the integrity of the Faith, maintained its unity and stimulated its world-wide expansion throughout the successive ministries of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi. It continues to fulfill its life-giving purpose

through the agency of the Universal House of Justice. . . .” —The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice 3-4

3. “Conscious of their high calling, confident in the society-building power which their Faith possesses, they press forward undeterred and undismayed, in their efforts to fashion and perfect the necessary instruments wherein the embryonic World Order of Baha’u’ll4h can mature and develop. It is this building process, slow and unobtrusive, to which the life of the world-wide Baha’i Community is wholly consecrated, that constitutes the one hope of a stricken society. For this process is actuated by the generating influence of God’s changeless Purpose, and is evolving within the framework of the Administrative Order of His Faith.

“In a world the structure of whose political and social institutions is impaired, whose vision is befogged, whose conscience is bewildered, whose religious systems have become anemic and lost their virtue, this healing Agency, this leavening Power, this cementing Force, intensely alive and all-pervasive, has been taking shape, is crystallizing into institutions, is mobilizing its forces, and is preparing for the spiritual conquest and the complete redemption of mankind. Though the society which incarnates its ideals be small, and its direct and tangible benefits as yet inconsiderable, yet the potentialities with which it has been endowed, and through which it is destined to regenerate the individual and rebuild a broken world, are incalculable.” —Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahd' u'Ildh 195

4. “In the Baha’i Faith there are two authoritative centers appointed to which the believers must turn.... One center is the Book with its Interpreter, and the other is the Universal House of Justice guided by God to decide on whatever is not explicitly revealed in the Book.” —Messages of the Universal House of Justice 42

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To Perpetuate the Influence of the Faith

quicken: to bring life to

undeterred: unrestrained embryonic: in an early stage of development

unobtrusive: not readily noticeable; inconspicuous

consecrated: devoted

actuated: put into action or motion

impaired: lessened; weakened

befogged: clouded; confused

anemic: without vitality

leavening: enlivening or lightening

tangible: real; capable of being determined

To Insure the Integrity of the Faith [Page 51]5. “The Covenant of Baha’u’llah is unbroken, its all-encompassing power inviolate. The two unique features which distinguish it from all religious covenants of the past are unchanged and operative. The revealed Word, in its original purity, amplified by the divinely guided interpretations of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi, remains immutable, unadulterated by any man-made creeds or dogmas, unwarrantable inferences, or unauthorized interpretations. The channel of Divine guidance, providing flexibility in all the affairs of mankind, remains open through that institution which was founded by Baha’u’llah and endowed by Him with supreme authority and unfailing guidance, and of which the Master wrote: ‘Unto this body all things must be referred.’ How clearly we can see the truth of Baha’u ’llah’s assertion: “The Hand of Omnipotence hath established His Revelation upon an enduring foundation. Storms of human strife are powerless to undermine its basis, nor will men’s fanciful theories succeed in damaging its structure.”

—The Universal House of Justice, Wellspring of Guidance 13

6. “Independent investigation of truth recognizes that no human being can have a full and correct understanding of the revelation of God; it places upon each individual the duty to strive for an ever greater understanding of the Teachings of Baha’u’llah. . . . This will produce great diversity of views on a wide variety of subjects, and this is excellent. What it cannot and must not do is to produce ‘sects’ in relation to the Teachings of the Faith; the Covenant provides the centre of guidance which is to prevent such a degeneration.”

—tThe Universal House of Justice, letter of 10-20-77

7. “A mighty force, a consummate power lieth concealed in the world of being. Fix your gaze upon it and upon its unifying influence, and not upon the differences which appear from it.” —rablets of Bahd' u'lléh 221

8. “The first condition is firmness in the Covenant. ... It is the fortified fortress of the Cause of God and the firm pillar of the religion of God. Today no power can conserve the oneness of the Baha’i world save the Covenant of God. ... It is evident that the axis of the oneness of the world of humanity is the power of the Covenant and nothing else.” —‘Abdu’l-Bahé, Tablets of the Divine Plan 49

9. “The Covenant is the ‘axis of the oneness of the world of humanity’ because it preserves the unity and integrity of the Faith itself

and protects it from being disrupted. . . .” —The Universal House of Justice, The Covenant 18

inviolate: not violated; pure

unadulterated: uncorrupted

dogmas: doctrines

unwarrantable: not justifiable

assertion: declaration; affirmation

degeneration: decay or alteration

To Safeguard the Unity of the Faith

conserve: keep in safe or sound shape

axis: a straight line around

which an object rotates or can be imagined to rotate

51 [Page 52]10. “As the central teaching of the Baha’i Faith is the unity of mankind, it is essential that the Faith itself remain one and undivided if it is to achieve its purpose. It was to preserve the unity of the Faith and the purity of His Message that Baha’u’llah instituted His Covenant, an institution which protects the Cause from individuals who, through the assertion of their own wills, would try to force God’s Cause into the paths of their own preference and thus divide the

faithful and subvert the world-wide establishment of divine justice.” —tThe Universal House of Justice, letter of 3-23-75

11. “Through the power which that Divine Instrument had conferred upon Him [‘Abdu’1-Bah4] the light of God’s infant Faith had penetrated the West, had diffused itself as far as the Islands of the Pacific, and illumined the fringes of the Australian continent.” —Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By 314

12. “Rest ye assured that if a soul ariseth in the utmost perseverence and raiseth the Call of the Kingdom and resolutely promulgateth the Covenant, be he an insignificant ant he shall be enabled to drive away the formidable elephant from the arena, and if he be a feeble moth he shall cut to pieces the plumage of the rapacious vulture.” —Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahaé 209

13. “... The world of nature hath fully stretched its pavilion over Paris and hath done away with religious sentiments. But this power of the Covenant shall heat every freezing soul, shall bestow light upon everything that is dark and shall secure for the captive in the hand of nature the true freedom of the Kingdom.

“Arise thou at present in Paris with the power of the Kingdom, with a divine confirmation, with a genuine zeal and ardour and with a flame of the love of God.... Rest thou assured. If thou dost act accordingly and hoist the standard of the Covenant, Paris shall burst into flame.” —Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’ Il-Bahd 102-03

14. “From the beginning of this dispensation the most urgent summons of the Word of God, voiced successively by the Bab and Baha’u’llah, has been to teach the Cause.... Shoghi Effendi . . . raised the Administrative Order . . . and forged it into a teaching instrument to accomplish through a succession of plans, national, international and global, the entire Divine Plan of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and he clearly foresaw ... a series of plans to be launched by the Universal House of Justice. . . .”” —The Universal House of Justice, Wellspring of Guidance 22-23

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subvert: overturn from the foundation

To Stimulate the Expansion of the Faith

diffused: spread out

perseverence: persistence in spite of difficulties

resolutely: with strong will and determination

formidable: powerful; hard to overcome

rapacious: plundering, greedy

world of nature: material world

pavilion: an ornate tent; an open structure with a roof

sentiments: emotions, feelings; attitudes based on emotions

zeal: eagerness, fervor

ardour: passion, intensity

For more quotations on topics raised in this lesson

see the index, page 81. [Page 53]Illustration

Among the results produced by the power of the Covenant was that it enabled ‘Abdu’l-Bah4, despite many obstacles, to entomb the Bab’s remains on Mt. Carmel.!” “‘Every stone of that building, every stone of the road leading to it,’ “‘Abdu’1-Baha is known to have said, ‘ I have, with infinite tears . . . raised and placed in position.’”!® This added “tremendous impetus”” to the process of the development of the World Center of the Faith that was initiated by Baha’u’lla4h when He revealed the Tablet of Carmel. The same process continues today through our efforts to raise the buildings of the Arc.

“On the morning of March 21st 1909, the day of Naw-Riz, ‘Abdu’l-Baha had the marble sarcophagus—gift of the Baha’is of Rangoon—carried up the mountain and placed in the vault. That evening he laid in the sarcophagus the wooden casket which contained the inseparable remains of the Bab and the disciple who had died with Him. A solitary lamp lit the scene, so poignant and yet so exultant. The Bab had been cruelly maligned, cruelly wronged, cruelly put to death. His torn and smashed body had had no home for many long years. Now the heart of Carmel was receiving it forevermore. Of this event Zechariah had written: ‘Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord’. How mysteriously and indubitably had his prophecy come true. “The Branch’ had built ‘the temple of the lord,’ had raised His ‘tabernacle’ on His Mountain—on Carmel— the Mountain of God....

“When all was finished, and the earthly remains of the MartyrProphet of Shiraz were, at long last, safely deposited for their everlasting rest in the bosom of God’s holy mountain, ‘Abdu’1-Baha, Who had cast aside His turban, removed His shoes and thrown off His cloak, bent low over the still open sarcophagus, His silver hair waving about His head and His face transfigured and luminous, rested His forehead on the border of the wooden casket, and, sobbing aloud, wept with such a weeping that all those who were present wept with Him’. Sorrows and memories of a lifetime came flooding in His tears. That night, too, sleep parted from His eyes.

“The triumph which ‘Abdu’1-Baha achieved on that day in 1909 shines with ever-increasing splendour.”

—Balyuzi, ‘Abdu’ I-Bahd 129-30

17 God Passes By 295 18 Quoted in Balyuzi, ‘Abdu’l-Bahd 126 19 Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By 345

sarcophagus: a stone coffin or tomb

poignant: touching; keenly affecting the feelings

exultant: full of great joy; jubliant; triumphant

maligned: spoken evil of, verbally abused

indubitably: without doubt

transfigured: changed in appearance

luminous: full of light; glowing

53 [Page 54]Further Study

Select one of the passages from the “Readings” section.

What does the passage mean to you?

What are the implications of the passage for your life?

List any unanswered questions about the lesson you may want to explore in more depth. Use the index on page 81 and additional reading below to help you find answers to your questions.

1.

2.

God Passes By, by Shoghi Effendi, Chapter XX Discusses the impact of the Covenant on the growth of the Faith

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Personal Reflection

Remaining Questions

Additional Reading [Page 55]1. List the four purposes of Baha’u’llah’s Covenant as described by the Guardian:

2. Associate the following effects of the power of the Covenant with each of its four purposes. If the effect is not one of the purposes of the Covenant, indicate this with an “x.”

a.

b.

extends the channel of divine guidance unifies the believers

provides authorized interpretations

. prevents the formation of divisions

restrains independent investigation of truth brought the Faith to America

regenerates humanity

. protects the purity of the teachings

illumines hearts

. prevents individual interpretations

. Stops people from imposing their personal

will on the Faith

55 [Page 56]Answers

The following are suggested answers. Depending on your understanding of the quotes, you may have different answers. Consider the suggested answers a starting point for thought and discussion.

1. The Covenant perpetuates the influence of the Faith; insures the integrity of the Faith; safeguards the unity of the Faith; and stimulates the expansion of the Faith.

2. Perpetuates the influence of the Faith: a and g. Insures the integrity of the Faith: c and h (and possibly k). Safeguards the unity of the Faith: b, d, and k. Stimultates the expansion of the Faith: f and i.

Regarding “e,” independent investigation of truth is in no way restrained by the need to preserve the integrity of the teachings; what is outside the boundaries of the pure meaning of the Covenant is by definition not “truth.” See the second quotation on page 53. Similarly “j” is also not an effect due to the Covenant. Individual interpretations of the Writings are encouraged but they may not be imposed on others, nor can they conflict with authorized interpretations of ‘Abdu’l-Baha or Shoghi Effendi. See page 51.

Discussion

How does the individual relate to each of the four purposes of the Covenant. How do each of these purposes serve God’s will and purpose?

Explain the difference between authoritative interpretation and individual interpretation. How do these two things relate to one another in the Baha’i Faith? Consider this relationship in the process of consultation. Finally, compare the role of authoritative and individual interpretation in the Baha’i Faith with what you know about their role in other religions.

What are the implications of the Covenant for teaching the Faith?

How can you “hoist the standard of the Covenant” in your village, town, or city? (Refer to quotations #13 and #14, page 52.)

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[Page 57]Exercise

The Baha’i writings often use images or word pictures to expand our understanding of a particular teaching. For example, to broaden our understanding of the relationship among all people, Baha’u’lladh uses the image of a tree. The tree represents the whole of humanity and the fruits represent the individuals—“Ye are all the fruits of one tree.””°

In the following exercise, several images of the Covenant are given. Each image leads us to a deeper awareness of the nature of the Covenant and its power. Read the following quotes, then list the qualities of the image that is used to help describe the Covenant. What do these qualities tell us about the Covenant? An example of how to complete the exercise

is given.

Description

Images or pictures that describe the nature of the Covenant.

Qualities

The characteristics or properties that the image has.

Implications

What the qualities of the image tell us about the Covenant.

“Tt [the Covenant] is the fortified ForTREss of the Cause of God and the firm pruar of the religion of God.”

A fortress is a stronghold—a place where people of a kingdom take refuge and are protected. A pillar is a support for a building.

The Covenant is a refuge for the believers from disunity and conflict. It supports the Faith and protects it from schism.

“The ticut of the Covenant... is the educator of the minds, the spirits, the hearts and souls of men,””??

“The Covenant is like the sEA and the believers as fishes in the sea. If a fish leaves water it cannot live.””?3

“(The Covenant is] the Corp stretched betwixt the earth and the Abha Kingdom.”“

“|... The dynamic power of the world of existence is the power of the Covenant which like an ARTERY pulsateth in the body of the contingent world. . . .”*

“... The pivot of the oneness of mankind is nothing else but the power of the Covenant.”*6

20 Baha’u’lléh, Gleanings 2

21 ‘Abdu’l-Bah4, Tablets of the Divine Plan 48 22 ‘Abdu’l-Bah4, quoted in God Passes By 239

24 ‘Abdu’l-Bah4, quoted in God Passes By 239

23 ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, Star of the West, Vol. VIII, 222

25 Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahd 208-09 26 ‘Abdu’l-Bah4, quoted in God Passes By 238

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[Page 58]Feedback

The following are suggested answers to the exercise. You may have additional answers

that are appropriate.

Description

Images or pictures that describe the nature of the Covenant.

Qualities

The characteristics or properties that the image has.

Implications

What the qualities of the image tell us about the Covenant.

“Tt [the Covenant] is the fortified ForTREss of the Cause of God and the firm pruar of the religion of God.”

A fortress is a stronghold—a place where people of a kingdom take refuge and are protected. A pillar is a support for a building.

The Covenant is a refuge for the believers from disunity and conflict. It supports the Faith and protects it from schism.

“The LicuT of the Covenant... is the educator of the minds, the spirits, the hearts and souls of men.”

A light chases away the darkness and makes visible things previously hidden.

The Covenant brings to light God’s will, which chases away the darkness of ignorance and develops our latent attributes.

“The Covenant is like the sEA and the believers as fishes in the sea. If a fish leaves water it cannot live.”

The sea is a great body of water that covers much of the earth. Many fish live in the sea, but all depend on it for their survival.

The Covenant is vast and the believers are diverse, yet the Covenant unites all. Outside the Covenant there is no spiritual life.

“[The Covenant is] the Corp stretched betwixt the earth and the Abha Kingdom.”

The cord is a connector, a lifeline, a bond—for example, an umbilical cord.

The Covenant connects us to God and so gives spiritual life, it is a bond that ties us to God.

“... The dynamic power of the world of existence is the power of the Covenant which like an ARTERY pulsateth in the body of the contingent world. .. .”

An artery carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Without it, the body is deprived of oxygen-rich blood and would die.

The Covenant brings spiritual life to the body of the world. It provides a channel for God's will to the different organs and cells (believers) of the Faith.

“... The pivot of the oneness of mankind is nothing else but the power of the Covenant.”

A pivot is a point on which something rotates. It can be a person who plays a central role. Everything is organized around that point.

The believers revolve around one point—the center of the Covenant. This is the focus for uniting all humanity.

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