Various questions: Psychic powers, Persepolis, portrait of Mulla Husayn, etc.

6 August 2007

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

Your email letters of 13, 18 and 23 May 2007 have been received by the Universal House of Justice, which has asked us to respond as follows.

The pressure of work at the Bahá’í World Centre does not permit it to continue to provide a detailed response to your questions. You are advised to turn to your Spiritual Assembly or a knowledgeable believer in your area for assistance in this regard.

Responses to several of your questions are set out in the enclosed memorandum prepared by the Research Department. Concerning questions 1,3,5 and 7 in your 13 May 2007 letter, we have been asked to provide the following information. The passage on childhood was mistakenly attributed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; it was authored by the Hand of the Cause of God George Townshend and published in his book ‘The Mission of Bahá‘u‘lláh and other literary pieces’ (Oxford: George Ronald, 1952, 1976 printing). The World Centre does not have an authentic photograph or drawing of Mullá Husayn. No complete list of sites for future Bahá’í Houses of Worship has been published. No additional information is available about the passages quoted from the "Mathnavi" of Rúmí.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)

Letters Written on Behalf of the Guardian

12 January 2006

Dear ---              

We have received an email letter of 23 July 2005 from Mr. _ ...[Personal information omitted]... It would be appreciated if you would convey the following information and the enclosed item to Mr. [Personal information omitted ]... Enclosed you will find a memorandum prepared by the Research Department that should be of assistance to him in resolving his questions. In addition to this information, the Universal House of Justice has asked that we provide the following comments to be conveyed to him.

With regard to your questions about the authority of letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, particularly those sent from the Holy Land during the latter part of his ministry, there is no justification for summarily dismissing the authoritative guidance contained in this body of correspondence. If concerns arise in relation to specific messages or topics addressed, clarification can be sought from the Universal House of Justice.

As to your question concerning when a matter is referred to the Research Department, this is determined by the Universal House of Justice depending on the nature of the inquiry. For example, in reply to questions regarding interpretation of the Text or the findings of general scholarship, the Research Department would provide references from the authoritative texts and offer comments that assist inquirers to draw their own personal conclusions. Other questions that require a decision on a specific case, consideration of general policies, or elucidation of obscure matters would, after consultation by the House of Justice, be referred to the Department of the Secretariat for reply.

Finally, you ask whether Bahá’ís should accept all statements in the Writings as based in fact, unless there is an explicit reference to a particular statement being conditioned on other information. It should be clear from the examples provided in the memorandum of the Research Department that there are some cases where passages from the Writings affirm specific facts and other cases where passages conform to the beliefs of particular peoples. It is, therefore, necessary for the reader to determine the meaning of statements that are not explicit by applying sound hermeneutical principles found in the Teachings. While there is often room for a range of personal interpretation on such matters, and a degree of ambiguity will invariably exist in some cases, usually a common understanding is formed, which will change over time should additional evidence come to light. Differences of personal opinion about the meaning of the Text should not be allowed to create discord or wrangling among the friends.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)