Regarding the role of women in society and the establishment of peace: 5 January 1986

Dear Baha'i friend,

The Universal House of Justice has directed us to transmit the following in reply to your letter dated 19 December 1985.

Concerning your request for material relating to the role of women in society and in the establishment of peace, a compilation of extracts from the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Baha, and from letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi and the House of Justice, is enclosed. These extracts concern the equality of women, their role, and, either directly or indirectly, their importance to the attainment of peace.

Additionally, from one of 'Abdu'l-Baha's previously untranslated Tablets, the following extract is taken:

“The handmaidens of God and the bondsmaids in His divine Court should reveal such attributes and attitudes amongst the women of the world as would cause them to stand out and achieve renown in the circles of women. That is, they should associate with them with supreme chastity and steadfast decency, with unshakeable faith, articulate speech, an eloquent tongue, irrefutable testimony and high resolve. Beseech God that thou mayest attain unto all these bounties.”

'Abdu'l-Baha also stated:

“The woman is indeed of the greater importance to the race. She has the greater burden and the greater work. Look at the vegetable and the animal worlds. The palm which carries the fruit is the tree most prized by the date grower. The Arab knows that for a long journey the mare has the longest wind. For her greater strength and fierceness, the lioness is more feared by the hunter than the lion.

“... The woman has greater moral courage than the man; she has also special gifts which enable her to govern in moments of danger and crisis. ...” ('Abdu'l-Baha in London, pp. 102-03)

Whether Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb met: Winter 1985

From the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice

(Translated from Persian as published in ‘Andalib Magazine, vol. V, no. 17, pp. 20-21.)

In view of the fact that some of the friends have held discussions and expressed views as to whether Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb met, the commentary on this question prepared by the Bahá'í World Centre Research Department at the request of the Universal House of Justice on the basis of the sacred writings and historical texts, and thereafter communicated by the Secretariat of the House of Justice, is presented in what follows for the illumination of the friends. (‘Andalib Editorial Board)

The Research Department has received Mr. Ruhu’llah Mudir-Masiha’i’s letter dated 4 December 1985 concerning the question whether Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb met, and has carefully considered the various points he raises.

The only known reference to this matter in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh occurs in a Tablet of His to Varqa written in the hand, and bearing the signature, of Khadimu’llah, and published in Ma’idiy-i-Asimani, volume 4 (Tihran, Mu’assisiy-i-Milliy-i-Matbu’at-i-Amri, 129 B.E., page 154). In this Tablet, Bahá'u'lláh states that:

He Who heralded the light of Divine Guidance, that is to say the Primal Point -- may the souls of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake -- in the days when He was journeying to Maku, attained to outward seeming the honour of meeting Bahá'u'lláh, albeit this meeting was concealed from all.