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Bahá'í Administration
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Pages 17-25
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Letter of March 5, 1922.
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Dear fellow-workers in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh:--
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It is with words of regret and disappointment that I desire to
open this letter because of my inability, in view of my manifold
and pressing duties, to respond individually and in writing to the
many messages of love and sympathy and of hope that you have
so affectionately sent me since our Beloved's passing from this
World. I am sure I am voicing the sentiments of the bereaved
ladies of the Household when I say that however desirous we may
be to correspond separately with every one of you, the grave responsibilities
and manifold duties now devolved upon us make it
regrettably impossible to express in written messages to every friend
what we constantly feel in our hearts, and pray for when visiting
His sacred Shrine.
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At this grave and momentous period through which the Cause
of God in conformity with the Divine Wisdom is passing, it is the
sacred duty of every one of us to endeavor to realize the full significance
of this Hour of Transition, and then to make a supreme resolve
to arise steadfastly for the fulfilment of our sacred obligations.
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Great as is the love and paternal care which our beloved Master
is extending to us from on High, and unique as is the Spirit that
animates today His servants in the world, yet a great deal will depend
upon the character and efforts of His loved ones on whom now
rests the responsibility of carrying on His work gloriously after
Him. How great is the need at this moment when the promised
outpourings of His grace are ready to be extended to every soul,
for us all to form a broad vision of the mission of the Cause to
mankind, and to do all in our power to spread it throughout the
world! The eyes of the world, now that the sublime Personality
of the Master has been removed from this visible plane,
are turned with eager anticipation to us who are named after
His name, and on whom rests primarily the responsibility to keep
burning the torch that He has lit in this world. How keenly I
feel at this challenging hour in the history of the Cause the need
for a firm and definite determination to subordinate all our personal
likings, our local interests, to the interests and requirements
of the Cause of God! Now is the time to set aside, nay, to forget
altogether, minor considerations regarding our internal relationships,
and to present a solid united front to the world animated
by no other desire but to serve and propagate His Cause.
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It is my firm conviction which I now express with all sincerity
and candor, that the dignity and unity of the Cause urgently demands--
particularly throughout the American continent--that the
friends should in their words and conduct emphasize and give absolute
prominence to the constructive dynamic principles of Bahá'u'lláh,
rather than attach undue importance to His negative Teachings.
With hearts cleansed from the least trace of suspicion and filled
with hope and faith in what the spirit of love can achieve, we must
one and all endeavor at this moment to forget past impressions, and
with absolute good-will and genuine cooperation unite in deepening
and diffusing the spirit of love and service that the Cause has thus
far so remarkably shown to the world. To this attitude of good-will,
of forbearance and genuine kindness to all, must be added,
however, constant but unprovocative vigilance, lest unrestricted association
with the peoples of the world should enable the very few
who have been definitely pronounced by the Master as injurious to
the body of the Cause, to make a breach in the Movement. Not
until, however, an unmistakable evidence should appear, manifestly
revealing the evil motives of a certain individual or group
of individuals, is it advisable to make the matter public; for an
untimely declaration that shall give rise to open differences among
the friends is far more detrimental than forbearing still further
with those who are suspected of evil intentions. As the Master
so fully and consistently did throughout His lifetime, we must
all make a supreme effort to pour out a genuine spirit of kindness
and hopeful love to peoples of various creeds and classes, and must
abstain from all provocative language that may impede the effect
of what true and continued kindness can produce.
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Does not `Abdu'l-Bahá wish us, as He looks down upon us with
loving expectation from His glorious Station, to obliterate as much
as possible all traces of censure, of conflicting discussions, of cooling
remarks, of petty unnecessary observations that impede the onward
march of the Cause, that damp the zeal of the firm believer and
detract from the sublimity of the Bahá'í Cause in the eyes of the
inquirer? In order, however, to insure fair and quick and vigorous
action whenever such an evil activity is revealed and has been carefully
ascertained, the best and only means would appear to be, for
the careful observer, once he is assured of such an evil action, and
has grown hopeless of the attitude of kindness and forbearance, to
report it quietly to the Spiritual Assembly representative of the
friends in that locality and submit the case to their earnest and full
consideration. Should the majority of the members of that Assembly
be conscientiously convinced of the case--and this being a
national issue affecting the body of the friends in America--it
should, only through the intermediary of that Assembly, be cautiously
communicated to that greater body representing all the Assemblies
in America, which will in its turn obtain all the available
data from the local Assembly in question, study carefully the situation
and reserve for itself the ultimate decision. It may, if it
decides so, refer to the Holy Land for further consideration and
consultation.
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This clearly places heavy responsibilities on the local as well as
national Assemblies, which in the course of time will evolve, with
the Master's power and guidance, into the local and national Houses
of Justice. Hence the vital necessity of having a local Spiritual
Assembly in every locality where the number of adult declared
believers exceeds nine, and of making provision for the indirect election
of a Body that shall adequately represent the interests of all
the friends and Assemblies throughout the American Continent.
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A perusal of some of the words of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá
on the duties and functions of the Spiritual Assemblies in every land
(later to be designated as the local Houses of Justice), emphatically
reveals the sacredness of their nature, the wide scope of their activity,
and the grave responsibility which rests upon them.
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Addressing the members of the Spiritual Assembly in Chicago,
the Master reveals the following:--"Whenever ye enter the council-chamber,
recite this prayer with a heart throbbing with the love of
God and a tongue purified from all but His remembrance, that the
All-powerful may graciously aid you to achieve supreme victory:--
`O God, my God! We are servants of Thine that have turned with
devotion to Thy Holy Face, that have detached ourselves from all
beside Thee in this glorious Day. We have gathered in this spiritual
assembly, united in our views and thoughts, with our purposes harmonized
to exalt Thy Word amidst mankind. O Lord, our God!
Make us the signs of Thy Divine Guidance, the Standards of Thy
exalted Faith amongst men, servants to Thy mighty Covenant. O
Thou our Lord Most High! Manifestations of Thy Divine Unity
in Thine Abhá Kingdom, and resplendent stars shining upon all
regions. Lord! Aid us to become seas surging with the billows of
Thy wondrous Grace, streams flowing from Thy all-glorious
Heights, goodly fruits upon the Tree of Thy heavenly Cause, trees
waving through the breezes of Thy Bounty in Thy celestial Vineyard.
O God! Make our souls dependent upon the Verses of Thy
Divine Unity, our hearts cheered with the outpourings of Thy
Grace, that we may unite even as the waves of one sea and become
merged together as the rays of Thine Effulgent Light; that our
thoughts, our views, our feelings may become as one reality, manifesting
the spirit of union throughout the world. Thou art the
Gracious, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the Almighty, the Merciful,
the Compassionate.'"
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In the Most Holy Book is revealed:--"The Lord hath ordained
that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall
gather counsellors to the number of Bahá, and should it exceed this
number it does not matter. It behooveth them to be the trusted
ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the
guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent
upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for
the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they
regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and
seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God commanded you. Beware
lest ye put away that which is clearly revealed in His Tablet. Fear
God, O ye that perceive."
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Furthermore, `Abdu'l-Bahá reveals the following:--"It is incumbent
upon every one not to take any step without consulting the
Spiritual Assembly, and they must assuredly obey with heart and
soul its bidding and be submissive unto it, that things may be properly
ordered and well arranged. Otherwise every person will act independently
and after his own judgment, will follow his own desire,
and do harm to the Cause."
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"The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are
purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save
God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and lowliness
amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties
and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously
aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom
of Bahá shall be vouchsafed to them. In this day, assemblies of
consultation are of the greatest importance and a vital necessity.
Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory. The members
thereof must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for
ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every
member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and
setteth forth his argument. Should any one oppose, he must on no
account feel hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the
right way be revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth
only after the clash of differing opinions. If after discussion, a
decision be carried unanimously, well and good; but if, the Lord
forbid, differences of opinion should arise, a majority of voices must
prevail."
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Enumerating the obligations incumbent upon the members of
consulting councils, the Beloved reveals the following:--"The first
condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of
the assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and
must manifest in themselves the Unity of God, for they are the
waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one heaven,
the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden.
Should harmony of thought and absolute unity be non-existent,
that gathering shall be dispersed and that assembly be brought to
naught. The second condition:--They must when coming together
turn their faces to the Kingdom on High and ask aid from the
Realm of Glory. They must then proceed with the utmost devotion,
courtesy, dignity, care and moderation to express their views. They
must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon their
own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one's views will
lead ultimately to discord and wrangling and the truth will remain
hidden. The honored members must with all freedom express their
own thoughts, and it is in no wise permissible for one to belittle
the thought of another, nay, he must with moderation set forth the
truth, and should differences of opinion arise a majority of voices
must prevail, and all must obey and submit to the majority. It is
again not permitted that any one of the honored members object to
or censure, whether in or out of the meeting, any decision arrived at
previously, though that decision be not right, for such criticism
would prevent any decision from being enforced. In short, whatsoever
thing is arranged in harmony and with love and purity of
motive, its result is light, and should the least trace of estrangement
prevail the result shall be darkness upon darkness.... If this be
so regarded, that assembly shall be of God, but otherwise it shall lead
to coolness and alienation that proceed from the Evil One. Discussions
must all be confined to spiritual matters that pertain to the
training of souls, the instruction of children, the relief of the poor,
the help of the feeble throughout all classes in the world, kindness
to all peoples, the diffusion of the fragrances of God and the exaltation
of His Holy Word. Should they endeavor to fulfill these conditions
the Grace of the Holy Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto them,
and that assembly shall become the center of the Divine blessings,
the hosts of Divine confirmation shall come to their aid, and they
shall day by day receive a new effusion of Spirit."
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So great is the importance and so supreme is the authority of
these assemblies that once `Abdu'l-Bahá after having himself and
in his own handwriting corrected the translation made into Arabic
of the Ishráqát (the Effulgences) by Sheikh Faraj, a Kurdish friend
from Cairo, directed him in a Tablet to submit the above-named
translation to the Spiritual Assembly of Cairo, that he may seek
from them before publication their approval and consent. These
are His very words in that Tablet:--"His honor, Sheikh Faraju'llah,
has here rendered into Arabic with greatest care the Ishráqát
and yet I have told him that he must submit his version to the
Spiritual Assembly of Egypt, and I have conditioned its publication
upon the approval of the above-named Assembly. This is so that
things may be arranged in an orderly manner, for should it not be so
any one may translate a certain Tablet and print and circulate it on
his own account. Even a non-believer might undertake such work,
and thus cause confusion and disorder. If it be conditioned, however,
upon the approval of the Spiritual Assembly, a translation
prepared, printed and circulated by a non-believer will have no recognition
whatever."
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This is indeed a clear indication of the Master's express desire
that nothing whatever should be given to the public by any individual
among the friends, unless fully considered and approved by the
Spiritual Assembly in his locality; and if this (as is undoubtedly
the case) is a matter that pertains to the general interest of the
Cause in that land, then it is incumbent upon the Spiritual Assembly
to submit it to the consideration and approval of the national body
representing all the various local assemblies. Not only with regard
to publication, but all matters without any exception whatsoever,
regarding the interests of the Cause in that locality, individually or
collectively, should be referred exclusively to the Spiritual Assembly
in that locality, which shall decide upon it, unless it be a matter of
national interest, in which case it shall be referred to the national
body. With this national body also will rest the decision whether
a given question is of local or national interest. (By national affairs
is not meant matters that are political in their character, for the
friends of God the world over are strictly forbidden to meddle
with political affairs in any way whatever, but rather things
that affect the spiritual activities of the body of the friends in that
land.)
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Full harmony, however, as well as cooperation among the various
local assemblies and the members themselves, and particularly
between each assembly and the national body, is of the utmost importance,
for upon it depends the unity of the Cause of God, the
solidarity of the friends, the full, speedy and efficient working of
the spiritual activities of His loved ones.
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Large issues in such spiritual activities that affect the Cause in
general in that land, such as the management of the "Star of the
West" and any periodical which the National Body may decide to
be a Bahá'í organ, the matter of publication, or reprinting Bahá'í
literature and its distribution among the various assemblies, the
means whereby the teaching campaign may be stimulated and maintained,
the work of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, the racial question in
relation to the Cause, the matter of receiving Orientals and association
with them, the care and maintenance of the precious film exhibiting
a phase of the Master's sojourn in the United States of
America as well as the original matrix and the records of His voice,
and various other national spiritual activities, far from being under
the exclusive jurisdiction of any local assembly or group of friends,
must each be minutely and fully directed by a special board, elected
by the National Body, constituted as a committee thereof, responsible
to it and upon which the National Body shall exercise constant and
general supervision.
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The time is indeed ripe for the manifold activities, wherein the
servants and handmaids of Bahá'u'lláh are so devoutly and earnestly
engaged, to be harmonized and conducted with unity, cooperation
and efficiency, that the effect of such a combined and systematized
effort, through which an All-powerful Spirit is steadily pouring,
may transcend every other achievement of the past, however glorious
it has been, and may stand, now that, to the eyes of the outside
world the glorious Person of the Master is no more, a convincing
testimony of the potency of His everliving Spirit.
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Your brother and co-worker in His Cause,
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SHOGHI.
Haifa, Palestine.
March 5, 1922.
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