Translation and Review

8 September 1991

Your memorandum to the Universal House of Justice dated 4 April 1991

The Universal House of Justice has asked that we reply to your memorandum as follows.

The first question from Dr. ... concerns the use of provisional (and therefore unreviewed) translations of the Bahá'í Writings that appeared in an article by .... We have been asked to say that the policy of the House of Justice in this matter has not changed and that translations into English, and revisions of earlier translations in that language, must be checked at the World Centre and officially approved before publication. There have been, however, occasions when the House of Justice has permitted the publication of provisional translations made by individuals whose work is known to it. In these cases the translations usually appear in scholarly or other publications of limited distribution and are not likely to be used as a basis for translations into other languages. Such usage does not alter the general policy as stated above.

A letter dated 31 August 1989 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, states that "this policy is not intended to prohibit Bahá'ís from making scholarly study of these Writings [of the Faith], including analysis of existing translations, use of more technical terms in parentheses or in footnotes, and commentary on the approach to translation used by the Guardian."

In the specific matter raised by Dr. ... concerning translations made by Mr. ..., the [publisher] was informed by the Department of the Secretariat in a message dated 21 November 1990, that although the extracts Mr. ... had translated could not be reviewed here at the Bahá'í World Centre for the present, "...there is no objection in principle, given the competence of the author, to their use if clearly identified as provisional in character."

The Condition of non-Bahá'í Relatives after Death

Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

Date: 28 August 1991

From: Research Department

Re: The Condition of non-Bahá'í Relatives after Death

The Research Department has studied the questions about the spiritual condition of souls of the non-Bahá'í relatives of Bahá'ís, which were contained in the letter dated 26 July 1991 from Mr. ... to the Universal House of Justice. Mr. ... cites the following extract from a Tablet revealed by Bahá'u'lláh and raises a number of issues about its meaning and application:

“These blessed words were uttered by the Tongue of Grandeur in the Land of Mystery [Adrianople], exalted and glorified is His utterance:

“One of the distinguishing characteristics of this most great Dispensation is that the kin of such as have recognized and embraced the truth of this Revelation and have, in the glory of His name, the Sovereign Lord, quaffed the choice, sealed wine from the chalice of the love of the one true God, will, upon their death, if they are outwardly non-believers, be graciously invested with divine forgiveness and partake of the ocean of His mercy. This bounty, however, will be vouchsafed only to such souls as have inflicted no harm upon Him Who is the Sovereign Truth nor upon His loved ones. Thus hath it been ordained by Him Who is the Lord of the Throne on High and the Ruler of this world and the world to come.”

The issues raised by Mr. ... are as follows:

1. Do the non-Bahá'í parents of believers become Bahá'ís in the next world?

Station of Baha'u'llah

1991

The Universal House of Justice has received you letter … and has instructed us to convey to you the following reply:

The House of Justice is very sorry to learn in some parts of Europe the friends have been arguing about the station of Bahá'u'lláh. In the time of Bahá'u'lláh Himself such difference of opinion arose among the friends and there is a Tablet in which He referred to this. He explains that there are differences in the levels of understanding of individuals. Some see the reflection of the Essence of God Himself in the temple of His Manifestation; others see the Manifestation as the Revealer of God and regard His commands and prohibitions to be identical with the ordinances of God. Both views, Bahá'u'lláh says, are acceptable, but if believers in expounding their points of view engage in contention and disputation, they would be rejected by God, inasmuch as the purpose of the Manifestation of God and the aim of His Teaching are to attract souls, create fellowship among men and promulgate the Cause of God. Argument and conflict about such matters can lead to nothing but the ruin of the Cause and thus those who engage in it would fall into perdition even though they may claim to be expounding the highest level of true understanding.

As to drawing distinctions between the Manifestations of God, the believers can study the Kitáb-i-Íqán where Bahá'u'lláh explains the varying intensities of the Revelations sent by God and elucidates the apparently contradictory statements about the nature of the Manifestations contained in the Scriptures of past Dispensations. They are surely also familiar with the statement of Bahá'u'lláh that appears as section XXIV of "Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh":

"Beware, O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation. This indeed is the true meaning of Divine Unity, if ye be of them that apprehend and believe this truth. Be ye assured, moreover, that the works and acts of each and every one of these Manifestations of God, nay whatever pertaineth unto them, and whatsoever they may manifest in the future, are all ordained by God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Whoso maketh the slightest possible difference between their persons, their words, their messages, their acts and manners, hath indeed disbelieved in God, hath repudiated His signs, and betrayed the Cause of His Messengers."

Secret of Divine Civilization; Capitalization of Pronouns; Capital Punishment; The First Person to Recognize Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God; Designer of the House of Worship in 'Ishqabad ; and Other Questions

20 June 1991 

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice referred to the Research Department your letter of 17 April 1991 in which you asked for guidance in the matter of capitalization of pronouns referring to Abdu’l-Baha, and other questions that came to your attention while you were working on the translation into Portuguese of "The Secret of Divine Civilization".

We are now able to send you the enclosed copy of the memorandum dated 23 May 1991, and its two attachments, prepared in response.

The House of Justice commends you on the valuable contribution you have made to the range of Bahá'í literature in Portuguese and wishes you well in your continuing efforts in this important field of service to the Faith.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

Enclosure (with two attachments)

Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

Date: 23 May 1991

From: The Research Department

"The Secret of Divine Civilization"

The Research Department has studied the questions raised by Mr. ... in his letter of 17 April 1991 to the Universal House of Justice. Mr. ... is engaged in translating "The Secret of Divine Civilization" into Portuguese. Many of the questions he poses in his letter result from a close study of this book. We provide the following response.

1. Capitalization of Pronouns

Mr. ... lists a number of places in "The Secret of Divine Civilization" where the pronouns that refer to 'Abdu'l-Bahá are capitalized. Mr. ... indicates that he is aware that 'Abdu'l-Bahá was known as the Master during the Ministry of Bahá'u'lláh and he enquires whether His station, at that time, was "already so special that He should refer to Himself with [a] capital letter"?

In contrast to many European languages, in Persian, personal pronouns are never capitalized. 'Abdu'l-Bahá followed this established rule and did not capitalize the pronouns that refer to Him. When the book was translated into English, the particular translator employed the convention, common in English, of capitalizing pronouns. It is interesting to note that when 'Abdu'l-Bahá signed His name in English, He used a combination of upper and lower case letters. He, typically, wrote "abdul Baha abbas" — the reference to Bahá'u'lláh being the only word He capitalized.

Regarding “statement in… Ridván 1990 message referring to Bahá'u'lláh as "the most precious Being ever to have drawn breath on this planet"

20 June 1991

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

Further to our letter of 25 November 1990, we have been directed by the Universal House of Justice to convey the following response to your inquiry of 24 June 1990. The delay is sincerely regretted.

The House of Justice appreciates your frankness concerning your puzzlement over the statement in its Ridván 1990 message referring to Bahá'u'lláh as "the most precious Being ever to have drawn breath on this planet". You are entirely correct in drawing upon Bahá'u'lláh's statement, cited on pages 78-79 of "Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh", to point out the oneness and sameness of the "essence of all the Prophets of God". The statement of the House of Justice should not be taken to imply anything to the contrary, but rather should be seen in the historical context of His Revelation and in its nature and character relative to the Revelations that preceded it. As Bahá'u'lláh has said in the same passage in the "Gleanings" from which you quoted:

“The measure of the revelation of the Prophets of God in this world, however, must differ. Each and every one of them hath been the Bearer of a distinct Message, and hath been commissioned to reveal Himself through specific acts….”

Concerning His own Revelation, Bahá'u'lláh has testified to "the inconceivable greatness of this Revelation" and said:

Arius, the early Christian theologian

Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

Date: 11 June 1991

From: Research Department

Arius

In his letter dated 7 January 1990 to the Research Department, Mr. ... requests clarification of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá’s assessment of Arius, the early Christian theologian. Mr. ... cites a Tablet of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá to Louise R. Waite published in “Star of the West” vol. 10, no. 5 (5 June 1919), p.96, in which He refers to the career of Arius as an illustration of the inevitable failure of Covenant-Breakers:

“Consider thou, at the time of Christ and after Him, how many childish attempts were made by different persons! What claims they have advanced and what a multitude have they gathered around themselves! Even Arius attracted to himself a million and a half followers and strove and endeavored to sow the seeds of sedition in the Cause of Christ. But eventually the sea of Christ surged and cast out all the gathering froth and nothing was left behind save everlasting malediction.”

Mr. ... asks why ‘Abdu’l-Baha would condemn Arius as a leader of sedition and a cause of disunity when his view of the relationship between the Manifestation and God, as Mr. ... understands it, is “remarkably similar to both the teachings of Muhammad as well as the Central Figures of the Baha’i Faith.” Mr. ... notes that this question is of particular importance insofar as the theological agreement between Arius and the Baha’i Faith could be a means of attracting Christians to the Baha’i teachings. However, he is concerned that Christians might read the Tablet to Louise Waite, see that ‘Abdu’l-Baha condemns Arius, draw the conclusion that the Baha’is reject Arian theology, and therefore criticize the Baha’is for being self-contradictory with regard to the relationship between the Manifestation and God. We provide the following.

Spiritual health of American community

24 December 1990

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

The House of Justice notes your concerns for the spiritual health of the American Bahá’í community, as conveyed in your letter of November 17, 1990, and we are to share the following advice on its behalf.

Our hope as Bahá’ís is that our communities will indeed foster increasing levels of candor, trust and intimacy wherein those practical steps and concerted measures which you allude to may be identified and agreed to in a consultative spirit.

It is understandable if the believers feel a sense of impatience with the apparently slow progress in the expansion of the Cause in certain regions, but they should take heart at the victories being won elsewhere, and even study these for insights into the process of effective teaching and community development. We may take comfort in the following words of the beloved Guardian:

"...every bearer of the Message of Bahá'u'lláh should consider it not only an obligation but a privilege to scatter far and wide the seeds of His Faith, and to rest content in the abiding knowledge that whatever be the immediate response to that Message, and however inadequate the vehicle that conveyed it, the power of its Author will, as He sees fit, enable those seeds to germinate, and in circumstances which no one can foresee enrich the harvest which the labor of His followers will gather ..." (The Advent of Divine Justice [Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1984, p. 53)

As for acknowledging problems, should an institution of the Faith become aware of a problem within the community, it would seem that the most prudent course of action is usually to draw attention to underlying spiritual principles, or to encourage the believers along pathways of growth and development; an example would be the December 29, 1988, letter of the House of Justice on individual rights and freedoms in the Bahá’í community.

The Unity of Religions in This Century; Jews and the Crucifixion; the Sacrifice of Ishmael

6 November 1990

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice referred to the Research Department your letter of 18 May 1990 with its questions regarding the unity of religions in this century, the Jews and the crucifixion of Christ, and the sacrifice of Ishmael. Your follow-up letter of 26 September 1990 has also been received. The delay in dealing with your letter is regretted, but was occasioned by the amount of research involved and pressure of work at the World Centre.

We are now able to send you the enclosed copy of the memorandum prepared in response and hope that a study of this material will provide the enlightenment you have sought.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

Enclosure

Memorandum

 To: The Universal House of Justice        

Date: 24 October 1990

From: The Research Department

The Unity of Religions in This Century, Jews and the Crucifixion, and the Sacrifice of Ishmael

In his letter dated 18 May 1990 (and follow-up letter dated 26 September 1990) to the Universal House of Justice, Mr. _ asks a number of questions, to which we respond as follows.

1. In his first question, Mr. _ cites two texts. The first text is from a recorded talk in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá refers to the twentieth century:

“Praise be to God! the mediaeval ages of darkness have passed away and this century of radiance has dawned, -- this century wherein the reality of things is becoming evident, -- wherein science is penetrating the mysteries of the universe, the oneness of the world of humanity is being established and service to mankind is the paramount motive of all existence…

World Government and the Universal House of Justice

Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

September 10, 1990

From: Research Department

World Government and the Universal House of Justice

The Research Department has studied the questions raised by Mr. -- and Mr. -- in their letter postmarked 10 July 1990 to the Universal House of Justice. Messrs – and -- are law students who are preparing a research paper relating the concept of sovereignty in international law to the Bahá’i World Order. As a background to their questions, they refer to the following statements:

The remark attributed to ‘Abdu’l-Bala in "The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Baha during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912", 2nd. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá’i Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 455, in which the Master indicates that the Universal House of Justice "is endowed with a political as well as a religious function, the consummate union and blending of church and state".

Shoghi Eflendi’s comments about the non-political character of the Faith and his assertion that, no matter how "advanced their institutions," the Bahá’is will not "violate, under any circumstances, the provisions of their country’s constitution" nor "allow the machinery of their administration to supersede the government of their respective countries." See "The World Order of Baha'u’llah: Selected Letters" (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1982). pp. 65-66.

The reference in "The Promise of World Peace" (Haifa: Bahá’i World Centre, 1985), p. 15, to the means by which a World Parliament will be constituted, namely, its members will be elected by the people of each country and confirmed by their respective governments.

Mr. -- and Mr. -- note that a future world government will consist of an international executive, legislature, and a supreme tribunal, and they pose a number of questions that pertain to the relationship between the institutions of the world government and the future role of the Universal House of Justice. We provide the following comment.

Tablets to the Kings

20 November 1989

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice referred to the Research Department your letter of 12 September 1989 in which you asked two questions related to the Tablets revealed by Bahá'u'lláh to the kings. We are now directed to send you the enclosed copy of the memorandum prepared in response.

It is hoped that a study of this material will provide the enlightenment you seek on this historical aspect of the Faith.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

Enclosure

(Baha’i Library Online)

Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

Date: 20 November 1989

From: The Research Department

TABLETS TO THE KINGS

In his letter dated 12 September 1989 to the Universal House of Justice
, Mr. ... raises two questions about Bahá'u'lláh's Tablets to the kings. We provide the following response.

1. Delivery of the Tablets

Mr. ... quotes the following statement from "Epistle to the Son of the Wolf", rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1979), p. 59:

“Our purpose is that haply the breezes of Revelation may envelop thee, and cause thee to arise, wholly for the sake of God, and serve His Cause, and that thou mayest transmit any of the Tablets of the kings which might have remained undelivered...”