Authority and Centrality of the Universal House of Justice

7 April 2008

The Friends in Iran

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

Further to the letter to you of 18 February 2008 concerning the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice, we have been requested to provide the comments below on a related matter. It seems that questions have arisen regarding the infallibility of the House of Justice, in light of the presentation of the topic by Dr. Udo Schaefer, a well-known Bahá’í in Germany, whose publications have been translated and circulated in Iran.

In his book "Making the Crooked Straight" and in other publications, Dr. Schaefer offers his personal views on infallibility as it pertains to the Universal House of Justice. In an effort to defend the Faith and explain the concept in a manner acceptable to a skeptical world, he suggests that the infallibility of the House of Justice is confined to the sphere of legislation. He argues further that, as far as he can discern, the House of Justice has legislated only a small number of times, in each case, according to him, on an issue of "universal relevance" through a decision-making process that did not need to draw on any information obtained from fallible sources. Unfortunately, some have taken his conclusions another step, suggesting that believers are obliged to obey the House of Justice only in matters that fall within the narrow range of such enactments.

In general, the House of Justice wishes to preserve the widest possible latitude for the friends to explore the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh and to share their individual understanding of the Teachings. Yet it must be remembered that, with regard to deductions drawn from the Texts, the Master clearly states:

“...the deductions and conclusions of individual learned men have no authority, unless they are endorsed by the House of Justice. The difference is precisely this, that from the conclusions and endorsements of the body of the House of Justice whose members are elected by and known to the worldwide Bahá’í community, no differences will arise; whereas the conclusions of individual divines and scholars would definitely lead to differences, and result in schism, division, and dispersion. The oneness of the Word would be destroyed, the unity of the Faith would disappear, and the edifice of the Faith of God would be shaken.”

The Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice

18 February 2008

The Friends in Iran

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

We have received a letter from a believer in Iran with questions about the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice. We appreciate that firmness in the Covenant is among the distinctive characteristics of the believers in that land, who are informed of the principles and essential facts pertaining to the succession of authority in the Cause. Nevertheless, none among them should hesitate to seek clarification of matters about which they have questions, for the enemies of the Faith are tireless in their attempts to sow seeds of confusion and doubt. Moreover, it is beneficial, in view of the beloved Master’s exhortations to us all to be ever-vigilant concerning matters of protection, for the friends to review the relevant essentials from time to time. We have therefore decided to provide you with the following comments….

Questions concerning the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice can be resolved through careful study of the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi and the elucidations of the House of Justice, which, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states, will “deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book. Whatsoever they decide,” He assures the friends, “has the same effect as the Text itself.”

Prior to the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1921, the provisions He had put in place in His Will and Testament to safeguard the Faith and ensure its steady advancement into the future were generally unknown. The believers anticipated a day when the Universal House of Justice would be established since it had been specifically mentioned in the Sacred Texts. There was, however, no definite understanding that there would be a Guardian. Indeed, Shoghi Effendi later indicated that he had no foreknowledge of the position to which he would be called. At most, he had reportedly thought the Will and Testament might charge him, as the eldest grandson of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, with responsibility for arranging for the election of the House of Justice. Only after the reading of the Will did the institution of the Guardianship become widely known, and the Bahá’í community worldwide acknowledged Shoghi Effendi as the Head of the Faith to whom all must turn.

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)

20,000 Martyrs

4 September 2005

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

Your email letter of 21 June 2005 concerning the source of a statement about 20,000 martyrs in our letter dated 22 January 1984 to an individual believer has been received at the Bahá’í World Centre.

You may be aware that, in his work "Táríkh-i-Zuhúru’l-Ḥaq", Fáḍil-i-Mázandarání has made the following statement: "the author of the Násikhu’t-Taváríkh wrote that up to the present time 20,000 individuals have been killed". While Fáḍil-i-Mázandarání makes mention of the author of Násikhu’t-Taváríkh, he does not indicate in which of his many works the reference to 20,000 can be found. In our letter dated 22 January 1984, it was assumed that the number was recorded in the Násikhu’t-Taváríkh. The Research Department has now been asked to confirm in which of the author’s works the reference is located, and it was not able to provide any further information.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)

Concerning a passage attributed to ‘Abdu’l-Baha: - "Share your time with God"

19 September 2004

In an email message of 12 July 2004, Dr. --- enquired about the source of the following statement, attributed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which appears on the back cover of a book entitled “A Bahá’í Perspective on Economics of the Future”, compiled by Badi Shams and published by the Bahá’í Publishing Trust of India in 1998. The passages states:

“...Share your time with God. Spend half of the day in search of livelihood, guaranteeing your material life and dignified appearance, and dedicate the other half in the acquisition of moral virtues and service at the threshold of God...”

The Research Department has not, to date, been able to locate the passage cited above among the authenticated Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Based on available information, the statement appears to be a pilgrim’s note. We note, however, that the passage is included in a Persian-language compilation entitled, in English, “Service and Servitude”, published in England in 1990 by H. Goharriz. The source of the quotation is given as “Áhang-i-Badí‘”, volume 31, number 339, page 83. This latter publication refers to the statement as a pilgrim’s note and describes the context in which the Master made the statement—‘Abdu’l-Bahá was walking with a Western pilgrim and offered the guidance in response to the young man’s question—but does not name the pilgrim. The Research Department has also not been able to find an English translation of the passage, apart from the one provided by Dr. Diessner. It is suggested that he might wish to contact Mr. Shams, in care of the Publishing Trust of India, to determine whether he has any additional information.

Obligatory Prayer, Ablutions, and Repetition of the Greatest Name

6 June 2004

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice has received your email letter of 5 April 2004, in which you enquire whether the recitation of the specific verses associated with the performance of ablutions for the medium Obligatory Prayer would also be required when carrying out ablutions for the short and long Obligatory Prayers or for the recitation of the Greatest Name.

Responses to similar queries in the past have indicated that the recitation of the words specified in the medium Obligatory Prayer pertains only to that prayer; that is, for the short and long Obligatory Prayers it would be sufficient to wash one’s hands and face in preparation for each of these two prayers. It follows then that the recitation of the specific verses need not be applied when performing ablutions prior to the recitation of the phrase “Alláh-u-Abhá” ninetyfive times. However, there would be no objection to saying the verses with the ablutions in such cases, should any of the friends so desire.

Concerning your second query in which you request additional statements from the Bahá’í Writings regarding repetition of the Greatest Name ninety-five times a day, we are enclosing a memorandum that was prepared by the Research Department at the Bahá’í World Centre in response to an earlier query on this topic.

We hope this will provide the clarification you seek.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)

Concerning tattooing

19 August 2003

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

Your email letter of 17 August 2003 regarding tattoos has been received at the Bahá’í World Centre and referred to our Department for response.

In reply to your enquiry, nothing at all has been found in the Holy Texts on the matter of tattooing. There is, of course, the following general counsel given by Bahá’u’lláh:

“Let there be naught in your demeanour of which sound and upright minds would disapprove, and make not yourselves the playthings of the ignorant. Well is it with him who hath adorned himself with the vesture of seemly conduct and a praiseworthy character.” (The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, paragraph 159)

Generally, what is appropriate in such matters will clearly vary from culture to culture.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)

Regarding Baha'is participating in demonstrations for peace

27 March 2003 

Dear Baha'i Friend.

Your email message of 4 March 2003 has been received at the Baha'i World Centre, and we can reply as follows. You state that there are large-scale demonstrations arising in your community and in communities around the world, and you inquire about the appropriateness of Baha'is participating in demonstrations for peace. It is important to keep in mind that while these activities are generally carried out in the name of peace, such occasions are motivated by highly political and controversial sentiments at a time of turmoil and confusion in the world. Not only would it be contrary to the Baha'i principle of non-involvement in politics for individual believers, or Baha'i institutions, to become associated with such activities, it could also be harmful to the interests of the Faith internationally. The point to bear in mind here is that current demonstrations are not intended to promote peace in principle but are focused on a specific dispute among governments. As you can no doubt understand, Baha'i participation in public demonstrations involving controversial issues would undermine the Faith's essential purpose of promoting unity in all aspects of human affairs, and your desire to remain focused on the essential work of the Faith is deeply appreciated.

With loving Baha'i greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

cc: National Assembly of the United States (by email)

(US Baha’i National Administrative website)

Not to “take positions on the political decisions of governments”

12 January 2003 

Dear Baha'i Friend,

Your email letter of 8 November 2002 has been received at the Baha’i World Center and passed to our Department for response. As you are aware, it is not the practice of Baha’i institutions or individuals to take positions on the political decisions of governments. One of the greatest obstacles to progress is the tendency of Baha’is to be drawn into the general attitudes and disputes that surround them. The central importance of the principle of avoidance of politics and controversial matters is that Baha'is should not allow themselves to be involved in the disputes of the many conflicting elements of the society around them.

The aim of the Baha'is is to reconcile viewpoints, to heal divisions, and to bring about tolerance and mutual respect among men. and this aim is undermined if we allow ourselves to be swept along by the ephemeral passions of others. This does not mean that Baha’is cannot collaborate with any non-Baha’i movement; it does mean that good judgment is required to distinguish those activities and associations which are beneficial and constructive from those which are divisive.

With loving Baha'i greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

(National Baha’i Website of the United States)

Whether Baha'is are permitted to celebrate Christmas

29 November 2002

Dear Baha'i Friend,

The Universal House of Justice has received your email of 23 November 2002, and referred it to our Department for reply. You have explained that as a result of an email discussion group there is a differing of opinions whether Baha'is are permitted to celebrate Christmas, and you have expressed your understanding that while there is no harm in sharing the festivities with friends, the "Baha'is themselves should not be putting up Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, etc."

As one member of your discussion group pointed out, a letter written on behalf of the House of Justice has indeed indicated in the past that although most of the cultural or religious festivals of other religions or communities have no doubt stemmed from religious rituals in bygone ages, the believers should not be deterred from participating in those in which, over the course of time, the religious meaning has given way to purely culturally oriented practices.

In deciding whether or not to participate in such traditional activities, Baha'is must guard against two extremes. The one is to disassociate themselves needlessly from harmless cultural observances and thus alienate themselves from their non-Baha'i families and friends; the other is to continue the practice of abrogated observances of previous dispensations and thus undermine the independence of the Baha'i Faith and create undesirable distinctions between themselves and their fellow Baha'is. In this connection there is a difference between what Baha'is do among themselves and what they do in companionship with their non-Baha'i friends and relations. We provide below a question posed to Shoghi Effendi by a believer, followed by the response written on his behalf taken from a letter dated 19 March 1938, with which you are familiar. It is important to note, in the response to the question, the phrase "in their relation to each other".

Emergence of a New Culture

22 August 2002

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

We have been asked by the Universal House of Justice to respond on its behalf to your email letter of 9 August 2002. Your description of the lack of significant numerical growth in Bahá'í communities in Western lands, while more precisely applicable to some countries than others, is largely accurate, and the resulting distress you feel is fully justified. To see important Bahá'í communities markedly lacking in the development of the human resources required to reach populations desperately searching for solutions to the crisis in which society is sinking is painful indeed to believers aware of the potency of Bahá'u'lláh's Message.

This consideration was an important element in the drafting of the relevant sections of the document "Century of Light", to which you make reference. These passages of the document seek to acquaint believers everywhere with the profound change in Bahá'í culture that the preceding decades of struggle, achievement and disappointment made possible and that was capitalized on through the agency of the Four Year Plan. The culture now emerging is one in which groups of Bahá'u'lláh's followers explore together the truths in His Teachings, freely open their study circles, devotional gatherings and children's classes to their friends and neighbours, and invest their efforts confidently in plans of action designed at the level of the cluster, that makes growth a manageable goal. The enthusiasm with which Bahá'í communities in most parts of the world are responding to this challenge, and the results their efforts are beginning to garner have been a source of great joy to the House of Justice.

Alas, this level of response still falls short of being universal. Where Bahá'í communities are unable to free themselves from an orientation to Bahá'í life that has long outlived whatever value it once possessed, the teaching work will lack both the systematic character it requires, and the spirit that must animate all effective service to the Cause. To mistakenly identify Bahá'í community life with the mode of religious activity that characterizes the general society--in which the believer is a member of a congregation, leadership comes from an individual or individuals presumed to be qualified for the purpose, and personal participation is fitted into a schedule dominated by concerns of a very different nature--can only have the effect of marginalizing the Faith and robbing the community of the spiritual vitality available to it.

Could Indian Nations in the United States have their own National Spiritual Assemblies

12 February 2002

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

Your email message of 13 January 2002 has been warmly received at the Bahá'í World Centre, and we can reply as follows.

The Universal House of Justice was touched by the spirit of love and devotion expressed in your letter and has noted your suggestion that it consider officially recognizing native American reservations as sovereign states. In response to a similar recommendation, the following was provided on behalf of the House of Justice:

...Clearly, this recommendation was prompted by a conscientious desire, inspired by basic Bahá'í principles, to assist the downtrodden to rise to the full realization of their rights and responsibilities as human beings. Indeed, the purpose of the coming of Bahá'u'lláh is to lift the yoke of oppression from his loved ones, to liberate all the people of the world, and to provide the means for their abiding happiness. In this regard, the Tablets of the Divine Plan addressed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to North America make it clear that the destiny of the native Americans as an illumined and fulfilled people is linked to the quality of their response to the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. The primary obligation of the American Bahá'ís must therefore be to see that the Divine Message is effectively delivered to the native peoples. In their effort, the friends must be certain to demonstrate through their attitude, actions and words the genuineness of their belief in the Faith's central principle, namely, the oneness of humankind.

Children's classes which include non-Baha'i children

25 September 2001

Dear Baha'i Friends,

The Universal House of Justice received your email message dated 30 July 2001 seeking clarification regarding children's classes which include non-Baha'i children.

It is possible, of course, to create a programme for children which is inspired by the Baha'i teachings and conveys such topics as moral education, comparative religion, peace, concern for the environment, service to humanity, or world citizenship. Such programmes might also convey practical subjects such as literacy, academic tutoring, or vocational training.

In its message dated 9 January 2001, however, the House of Justice refers specifically to Baha'i children's classes as also being open to non-Baha'i children. In the case of these classes, which are intended to address the complete spiritual education of Baha'is, it would not be possible to eliminate Baha'i religious teachings, and topics such as Baha’i history, Baha'i laws, and the Covenant would be an integral part of these classes.

While Baha'i religious teachings are part of the programme of child education in Baha'i classes, the design of the programme, particularly the sequencing of content, may make it more attractive to non-Baha'is. For example, in the approach taken to child education in Ruhi Institute Book 3, the emphasis is placed initially on character development, and only later are specific aspects related to the life of Bahá'u’lláh and the Báb introduced. So too can we see the same principle at work in the main sequence of books in which many non-Baha'i youth have participated. Book 1 addresses such broad topics as prayer and life and death (from a Baha'i perspective, of course). It is in Book 4 that history is presented in detail. Thus a non-Baha'i can feel welcome to participate and is not overwhelmed by new, purely religious teachings. Then, if attracted by the principles and general spiritual teachings, the non-Baha'is would not hesitate to engage in the full programme; alternatively, they are free to withdraw or not participate in some segments.

Stem cell research and therapy

23 August 2001

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

Your email message of 11 August 2001 to the Universal House of Justice regarding stem cell research and therapy has been warmly received at the Bahá'í World Centre, and has been forwarded to our Department for reply.

You ask whether stem cell therapy is acceptable in Bahá'í law. As you are no doubt aware, this new area of scientific inquiry involves a distinction between embryonic and other aspects of stem cell research. Reports appearing in the press and in scientific literature indicate that such exploration is at an early stage. Many fundamental questions about the biological and genetic features of the processes involved, and the physiological implications, remain unresolved, and will become clear only with the passage of time.

Nothing specific has been found in the Bahá'í Writings regarding stem cell research and the types of therapy to which it may apply. The House of Justice regards it as premature for it to give consideration to these matters and their spiritual consequences. For the present, believers faced with questions about them are free to come to their own conclusions based on their knowledge of the Baha' i teachings on the nature and purpose of life. However, they should be careful not to make dogmatic statements or to offer their own understanding as a teaching of the Faith.

We have been asked to assure you of the prayers of the House of Justice in the Holy Shrines that the therapy you seek for your own well-being may be found.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)

Training Institutes

31 May 2001

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

Your letter dated 30 April 2001 has been received by the Universal House of Justice, which has directed us to reply as follows.

In your letter you indicate that you are not attracted to the idea of the training institute. You consider, rather, the study of Bahá'í Writings a personal matter and state that, in your professional capacity, you take courses on subjects about which you are uninformed as a basic introduction that enables you to proceed with your own investigations. You therefore feel uneasy about training institutes being a central feature of the Five Year Plan and seek clarification on this issue.

The Universal House of Justice appreciates the sincerity with which you present your concerns and wishes to assure you that it is entirely acceptable for you not to participate in the institute process, following your own way of studying the Writings as you have done in the past. This has certainly led in your case to outstanding service to the Cause of God. The House of Justice is aware, for example, of your contributions to Bahá'í discourse on science and religion, contributions that can only be the result of a profound study of the Writings. However, it feels that you would do well to re-examine the perspective from which you view the role of the training institute in the Bahá'í community.

The aim of the Five Year Plan, and indeed of the Plan before it and the ones that lie immediately ahead, is to advance the process of entry by troops. In its message of 26 December 1995 to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, the House of Justice clearly explained that occasional courses of instruction and the informal activities of community life, though important, had not proven sufficient as a means of human resource development. It indicated further that a systematic process for the development of human resources was essential to the sustained large-scale expansion of the Faith. To conceive and nurture an educational process of the magnitude envisioned by the Universal House of Justice is vastly different than thinking about one's own interests, which is not to say that personal study and spiritual growth are not legitimate and natural concerns of the individual.

Defending the Cause against Opponents on Internet

6 May 2001

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

We have been asked to respond to your enquiries of 31 January and 18 April 2001 regarding the wisest course that a believer can adopt when encountering attacks on the Faith in Internet discussions. The subject was dealt with by the Universal House of Justice in a letter dated 22 November 1999, and we are happy to enclose a copy of relevant excerpts for your information. We apologize for the delay in answering which was caused by the pressure of work at the Bahá'í World Centre.

We are not aware of any letter from the Bahá'í World Centre that commends the owner of the "Talisman" or any other Internet list, as mentioned in paragraph six of your letter of 31 January. Essentially, the position of the House of Justice is that the Internet offers Bahá'ís a very valuable communication tool. As with all other forms of consultation; however, such exchanges are spiritually and intellectually helpful to a believer to the extent that they take place within the context of Bahá'í principle.

We trust that this guidance is of assistance to you in dealing with the questions that have troubled you.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

Enclosure

Defending the Cause against its Opponents

The Lesser Peace

19 April 2001 

Dear Baha'i Friend,

The principal issue raised in your letter is that of the timing for the occurrence of the Lesser Peace, in light of your impression that the Baha’i Writings anticipate its coming before the conclusion of the twentieth century; i.e., the end of December 2000.

Enclosed for your information is a copy of a memorandum prepared by the Research Department, at the request of the House of Justice, on the subject of the attainment of the unity of nations and the Lesser Peace. Assembled in this document are a number of pertinent passages from authoritative texts of the Faith.

In reviewing this material it becomes apparent that there is nothing in the authoritative Baha'i Writings to indicate that the Lesser Peace would be established before the end of the twentieth century. However, there are clear statements affirming that the unity of nations would be, in the words of ‘Abdu'l-Bahâ, "securely established” during the twentieth century.

These statements, and others appearing in the enclosed document, should be viewed from the perspective that the evolution of the World Order of Baha’u’llah is an organic process proceeding in accordance with the Divine Will and animated by a spiritual reality. In response to a question, ‘Abdu'l-Bahâ wrote: " The kingdom of peace, salvation, uprightness, and reconciliation is founded in the invisible world, and it will by degrees become manifest and apparent through the power of the Word of God!" As a result of consecrated human endeavour over decades, and indeed centuries, this spiritual reality is gradually expressed in physical form.

An orientation to process is apparent throughout the writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahà and Shoghi Effendi concerning the attainment of world peace. For example, the Guardian reported the Master as having acclaimed actions taken at the conclusion of the First World War to have signalized "the dawn of the Most Great Peace". This stands in contrast to preoccupation with the short term in the wider society today which focuses exclusively on events rather than on evolutionary processes.

Physical disability preventing genuflections of Long Obligatory Prayer

8 October 2000

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice has received your emailed letter of 19 August 2000 requesting guidance, in light of your physical incapability, about the requirements of the Obligatory Prayers. With regard to your query, we share with you below extracts from two letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi in response to similar questions:

"With reference to your question regarding the three daily obligatory prayers: the Bahá'í worshipper is not required to recite them all each day, but has to choose one, and should also strictly conform to any instructions revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in connection with its recital, such as the raising of hands, various genuflexions, etc. Those who for some reason or other, especially when physically unable to observe these regulations owing to illness or some bodily defect, cannot conform to these instructions should preferably choose the short prayer, which is exceedingly simple." (7 December 1939 to an individual believer)

"As regards the questions about the proper use of the Long Obligatory Prayer: All the writings of the Faith may be read and should be read for the instruction and inspiration of the friends. This includes the specific prayers. If a believer is physically incapable of performing the genuflexions accompanying one of the prayers, and yet he longs to say it as an obligatory prayer, then he may do so. By physically incapable is meant a real physical incapacity a physician would attest as genuine." (17 February 1955 to a Local Spiritual Assembly)

It is hoped that these quotes will provide the clarification you seek.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)

The Bahá'í Administrative Order

18 July 2000 

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice received your letter of 31 May 2000 and has asked us to send you the following reply.

To your question "What do I have to think of the promotion of a Bahá'í democratization?" there is both a simple reply and a more complex one, and the House of Justice feels that it is desirable to approach the matter from both points of view.

Firstly, as a Bahá'í who has given many decades of outstanding service in your community, you understand that the Bahá'í Administrative Order is an integral part of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh; it is a divinely conceived system which, as the Guardian explained in The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, "incorporates within its structure certain elements which are to be found in each of the three recognized forms of secular government, without being in any sense a mere replica of any one of them, and without introducing within its machinery any of the objectionable features which they inherently possess. It blends and harmonizes, as no government fashioned by mortal hands has as yet accomplished, the salutary truths which each of these systems undoubtedly contains without vitiating the integrity of those God-given verities on which it is ultimately founded."

It is the continuing task of Bahá'ís to increase their understanding of the principles on which the Administrative Order is founded, and to improve the faithfulness with which they implement these principles in their actions. Indeed one of the specific needs of this period in the development of the Faith is the evolution of national and local Bahá'í institutions. If, therefore, by "the promotion of a Bahá'í democratization" is meant the furthering of an increasingly responsible participation in the work of the community by its individual members, this is highly meritorious, and should be a continual endeavour of Bahá'í institutions.

Tablet to a Physician (Lawh-i-Tibb)

20 April 2000

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

Your email of 14 December 1999, inquiring about a translation of Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet to a Physician subsequent to the one found in Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, was received by the Universal House of Justice and referred to our Department for reply.

Excerpts from Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet to a Physician appeared in Star of the West, volume 13, page 252, as well as in many and various Bahá'í newsletters and compilations, as an early translation of a portion of the Tablet entitled "Lawh-i-Tibb", revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in honour of Mirza Muhammad Rida Yazdi, a physician. However, until such time as conditions are propitious for the Tablet to be translated, only portions of it have an authorized translation. For your convenience, we are enclosing the text of the early, partial translation of the Tablet to a Physician which was published in Star of the West, as cited above, along with a related exhortation from Bahá'u'lláh taken from Star of the West, volume 21, number 5, page 160. Furthermore, it may interest you to know that the prayer starting with the words, "Thy Name is my healing ..." is also found in this Tablet.

With regard to the Tablet, on 18 December 1945 a letter was written on behalf of the beloved Guardian to an individual believer stating:

The Tablet to a Physician was addressed to a man who was a student of the old type of healing prevalent in the East and familiar with the terminology used in those days, and He addresses him in terms used by the medical men of those days. These terms are quite different from those used by modern medicine, and one would have to have a deep knowledge of this former school of medicine to understand the questions Bahá'u'lláh was elucidating.

It is hoped that this information will be of assistance to you, and you may be assured of the loving prayers of the House of Justice in the Holy Shrines that the tender mercies of Bahá'u'lláh may surround you.

Clarification on Application of Bahá'í Laws

23 February 2000

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice received your emailed letter of 6 February 2000 and appreciates your suggestion for a procedure to be followed when Bahá’í laws are applied. You provide a very interesting perspective and the House of Justice has asked us to send you the following comments.

The way in which the House of Justice currently takes such actions is largely dictated by the nature of the law in each case and on the condition of the Bahá’í community at the time. The method adopted may not be suitable for publication in a special legal bulletin or for the specification of the sacred Texts on which the law rests.

The fundamental aspects of the laws of obligatory prayer and fasting have long been known to the believers and applied by them in varying degrees depending upon their awareness of their importance. The details which remained to be applied universally were quite secondary in relation to the vital spiritual significance of the laws themselves. It was with this in mind that the announcement made by the House of Justice did not go into such matters as the verses of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and the Questions and Answers in which these details can be found. It wishes the friends to register in their understanding the basic concepts of these laws and the importance of observing them. Then, as individuals study the Texts, they will undoubtedly have questions which can be answered as they arise. In due course the House of Justice will provide National Spiritual Assemblies with references which they can use in replying to such questions.

Exemption from Obligatory Prayer for the sick

27 March 2000

Regarding The Kitab-i-Aqdas: Exemption from Obligatory Prayer for the Sick, in Questions and Answers# 93:

The Research Department has studied the query contained in the email message of 23 January 2000 to the Bahá'í World Centre from ....

Ms. ... states that, since becoming a Bahá'í in June 1992, she has said an obligatory prayer, following the laws on ablutions, each day. However, she has studied the exemption for those who are ill and she wonders if she is "in fact breaking the Law by doing so". She relates that since infancy she has been "physically challenged" with a chronic disease, spinal muscular atrophy, and has lived her life from a wheelchair. Since 1998, due to further problems, she has been confined to bed. Nevertheless, she states that she leads an active life, earns an income and serves the Faith. Although her health is often poor, she has both good and bad days, and often sees herself as being in "good health". She wonders when an individual is considered in ill-health and so should not perform obligatory prayers, as prescribed in Questions and Answers 93, we read,

QUESTION: Concerning fasting and obligatory prayer by the sick.

ANSWER: In truth, I say that obligatory prayer and fasting occupy an exalted station in the sight of God. It is, however, in a state of health that their virtue can be realized. In time of ill health it is not permissible to observe these obligations; such hath been the bidding of the Lord, exalted be His glory, at all times. Blessed be such men and women as pay heed, and observe His precepts. All praise be unto God, He who hath sent down the verses and is the Revealer of undoubted proofs!

Reproduction and other biological subjects

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice has received your email letter of 24 August 2000 and has asked us to respond as follows.

The House of Justice has not found anything specific in the Bahá'í writings concerning the ethics of genetic engineering on human tissue, including fetal tissue, and on possible means of biologically creating replacement limbs and organs for human beings. It regards it as premature to give consideration to these matters and to their spiritual consequences. For the present, believers confronted with such issues are free to come to their own conclusions, based on their knowledge of the pertinent Bahá'í teachings.

Enclosed for your information is a brief compilation of passages from the Bahá'í writings on reproduction and other biological issues, which may be of interest to you in your consideration of these subjects.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

Enclosure

(Baha’i Library Online)

Regarding source of prayer "Make me a hollow reed"

December 12, 1999

Your email of 26 October 1999, and the one of 2 December 1999 addressed to the United States National Bahá'í Centre, seeking clarification about the source of the "Hollow Reed" prayer were noted by the Universal House of Justice and referred to our Department.

In response to a similar query in the past, the Research Department has advised that the first portion of the text, "O God! Make me a hollow reed from which the pith of self hath been blown, that I may become a clear channel through which Thy love may flow to others", has often been attributed to ‘Abdu'l-Bahá; however, the Research Department has not yet located any original text and is therefore unable to verify its authenticity. As a result, the prayer may be recited or sung by the believers, but it should not be attributed to the Master nor appear under His name in books and other publications.

You cite a reference which states that this prayer was in fact written by the Hand of the Cause of God George Townshend. Because this prayer has often been incorrectly quoted as the opening sentence from the following passage on page 124 of Mr. Townshend's book The Mission of Bahá'u'lláh (London: George Ronald, 1965), it would give the impression that he has written the words. However, the prayer in question does not appear in his book and cannot be attributed to him. For your information we quote below the text in question.

“I have left behind me impatience and discontent. I will chafe no more at my lot. I commit myself wholly into Thy hands, for Thou art my guide in the desert, the teacher of my ignorance, the physician of my sickness.

I am a soldier in my King's Army; I have given up my will to Him, and my life is His to dispose of as He may please.

I know not what fate Thou designest for me, not what work Thou hast ordained for me, nor will I enquire nor seek to know. The task of the day suffices for me, and all the future is Thine.

Little by little Thou trainest me. Little by little Thou changest weakness to strength, doubt to faith, perplexity to understanding. When I am fit to bear the burden Thou wilt lay it on my shoulders. When I am prepared to take the field Thou wilt assign me a place in Thy army of Light. Now I have no other duty than to equip myself for Thy service.

With eagerness and patience, with hope and gratitude I bend to the task of the hour lest when Thy call to battle comes I be found unready.”

We hope that this information will provide some clarification on this matter.

Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)