Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Boris Handal, The Covenant of Baha'u'llah, bahai-library.com.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh *
Boris Handal

Accepting the Manifestation of God and following His commands are two inseparable
duties, as instructed in the very first paragraph of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh’s Book
of Laws. Foremost among these commandments were Bahá’u’lláh’s first allusions to His
Covenant through the designation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor, the establishment of
the institution of the Guardianship as a hereditary office and of the Universal House of
Justice as an infallible governing body. These and other ordinances were characterised by
Bahá’u’lláh as “the lamps of My loving providence among My servants, and the keys of
My mercy among My creatures” 1 being part of the eternal Covenant of God with
humanity. This article describes Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, the nature of Covenant-
breaking as well as the spiritual foundation for being firm in such a fundamental
principle.

The Kitáb-i-‘Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh, the Supreme Manifestation of God, passed away in ‘Akká on the morning of 29th
May 1892. Nine days later, His Will and Testament was read to the believers, including pilgrims
and members of the families of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb. In that document, also known as Kitáb-
i-‘Ahd (The Book of Covenant), ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was appointed as the Centre of Bahá’u’lláh’s
Covenant and the authorized Interpreter of His teachings, to whom all believers should turn.
Never before in religious history a Manifestation of God had formulated such an explicit
Covenant with His followers, assuring not only the continuity of divine guidance, but also the
unity of the Bahá’í Faith in light of His promise that this is the “day which will not be followed
by night”. 2

In the same document, Bahá’u’lláh clearly and explicitly places the rank and station of His
second son, Muhammad-‘Alí after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This did not come as a surprise for most
believers who were already familiar with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s noble character and vast knowledge.
Almost twenty years before, as stated before, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had been appointed the successor of
the Manifestation of God. In the Most Holy Book, we read:

*
A modified version of this paper was published in the Australian Bahá’í Bulletin, 2008.

When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn
your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed [‘Abdu’l-Bahá], Who hath branched
from this Ancient Root. 3

Muhammad-‘Alí’s Rebellion

What followed after Bahá’u’lláh’s ascension was a sad history of intrigues and machinations
protagonised by Muhammad-‘Alí. He fiercely engaged in a rebellious and destructive power-
seeking behaviour, tried to usurp ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s authority and to gain control of the Faith for
himself. He had hoped to succeed in creating a faction and assume the role of leadership. For
several years after this, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá concealed His brother’s faults, until such time that
Muhammad–‘Ali’s conduct became so evident, virulent and damaging that the Master had no
choice but to declare Muhammad-‘Alí as a breaker of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant and, therefore,
expel him from the ranks of the believers.

The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a document that all Bahá’ís should study, exposes
Muhammad-‘Ali’s evil deeds leading to his excommunication, including an attempt on the life of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, forging Bahá’u’lláh’s writings, joining the enemies of the Faith to attack and
destroy it, maliciously misrepresenting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the government through falsifying
documents and handing out Bahá’u’lláh‘s original tablets. All these misdeeds and attacks on the
part of Muhammad-‘Alí towards the Centre of Baha’u’llah’s Covenant caused the government to
once again imprison ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Muhammad-‘Alí died unrepentant in 1937 at the age of 85,
only to see the futility of his discordant efforts. Such was his spiritual confusion and misery that
he was buried with Muslim rituals, abandoned by many who initially supported his claims. Of
him Bahá’u’lláh had warned: “Should he for a moment pass out from under the shadow of the
Cause, he surely shall be brought to nothing”. 4

Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith

‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away in 1921 appointing His eldest grandson Shoghi Effendi, ‘the sacred
and youthful branch”, 5 as the first Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith and as the authorized interpreter
of the Bahá'í scriptures. In His Will and Testament, the Master instructed that: “He that obeyeth
him not, hath not obeyed God; he that turneth away from him, hath turned away from God and
he that denieth him, hath denied the True One. Beware lest anyone falsely interpret these
words...” 6 Shoghi Effendi laboured ceaselessly for thirty-six years to establish the
administrative order of the Bahá’í Faith throughout the world until his death in 1957. His
ministry was crowned with the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963.

Shoghi Effendi passed away without a successor. According to the provisions of the Will and
Testament, Shoghi Effendi had to appoint during his lifetime one of his linear descendants as the
next guardian, or choose one of the Bahá’u’lláh‘s direct male descendants. However, Shoghi
Effendi did not have children and all the other Bahá’u’lláh‘s male descendants, also known
Aghsán (“branches”), had broken the Covenant by the time of his death by allying to
Muhammad-‘Alí. Therefore, Shoghi Effendi himself was in a position where he could not to
appoint a second Guardian in a way that satisfy the provisions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will and
Testament.

This interruption in the hereditary line of guardians had been foreseen in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
Bahá’u’lláh Himself had anticipated that the line of Aghsán with conferred authority might
eventually terminate with the supreme authority of the Faith resting finally on the Universal
House of Justice:

Endowments dedicated to charity revert to God, the Revealer of Signs. None hath the
right to dispose of them without leave from Him Who is the Dawning-place of Revelation.
After Him, this authority shall pass to the Aghsán, and after them to the House of
Justice—should it be established in the world by then... Otherwise, the endowments shall
revert to the people of Bahá who speak not except by His leave… 7

These verses allude to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi who were the two Aghsán with
authority in the line of succession. The people of Bahá cited in the above passage refers to the
ministry of the Custodians (1957-1963), immediately after Shoghi Effendi’s deaths. In such
capacity, the Hands of the Cause of God, in their capacity as “chief stewards of Bahá’u’lláh’s
embryonic world order”, 8 carried forward Shoghi Effendi’s work until the election of the
Universal House of Justice in 1963. By chief steward is meant the second-in-charge who, in the
captain’s absence, keeps the ship on its course and brings safe it to port. 9

No Second Guardian

Given that Shoghi Effendi did not leave written instructions about his succession, the Hands of
the Cause of God left the decision on the issue of a second guardian to the Universal House of
Justice. This was so because it within the divine prerogatives of that body to deal with “matters
that are not expressly recorded in the Book” 10. In ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s words:

It is incumbent upon these members (of the Universal House of Justice) to gather in a
certain place and 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 has the same effect as the Text itself. 11

In October 1963, few months after its first election, the Universal House of Justice pronounced
that,

After prayerful and careful study of the Holy Texts … and after prolonged consideration
… the Universal House of Justice finds that there is no way to appoint or to legislate to
make it possible to appoint a second Guardian to succeed Shoghi Effendi. 12

The possibility of the Universal House of Justice functioning without a Guardian was also
considered in the second part of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will and Testament, where the supreme body is
portrayed operating only through its nine elected members, and yet its conferred infallibility
being uncompromised. “God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth…,” 13 is
Bahá’u’lláh’s assurance of permanent divine guidance. According to the supreme body, “a
careful study of the Writings and interpretations on any subject on which the House of Justice
proposes to legislate always precedes its act of legislation”. 14 One can only ponders on the
enormous amount of interpretations on Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings produced by the two interpreters,
the Master and the beloved Guardian, over a period of sixty-five years. While ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
revealed approximately 16 000 tablets in addition to records of His talks in the western
hemisphere, Shoghi Effendi wrote about 36 000 letters, messages books and various translations
of major Bahá’u’lláh’s works.

Bahá’u’lláh’s descendants

As per Bahá’u’lláh’s descendants, they all had shamelessly broken the Covenant, joined
Muhammad-‘Alí and his associates and were all expelled from the Faith by the time of Shoghi
Effendi’s passing. By being cut off from the Holy Tree, 15 all Bahá’u’lláh’s branches fell onto
the ground, dried out, ceased to exist as such and lost forever their glorious lineage. Having
forfeited their birthrights for their faithlessness, the kinship simply vanished and therefore a
family of Bahá’u’lláh does not exist as such. He Himself has indicated: “Know thou of a truth:
He that biddeth men be just and himself committeth iniquity is not of Me, even though he bear
My name”. 16 In brief, the only surviving member of Bahá’u’lláh’s family who remained loyal to
the Covenant was the Hand of the Cause ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Ruhíyyih Khánum, Shoghi Effendi’s
widow, who passed away in the year 2000.

Similarly to Muhammad-‘Alí’s ambition for leadership at the passing of Bahá’u’lláh, there were
individuals who appointed themselves guardians after the passing of Shoghi Effendi and were
therefore expelled from the Faith. 17 What is evident from these accounts of defection and
betrayal was the strong foundation upon which the Bahá’í Faith has been designed. Bahá’u’lláh
has said:

The Hand of Omnipotence hath established His Revelation upon an enduring foundation.
Storms of human strife are powerless to undermine its basis, nor will men’s fanciful
theories succeed in damaging its structures. 18

What is Covenant-breaking?

A Covenant breaker is a Bahá’í who defies the authority of the head of the Faith which at
different periods were Bahá'u'lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi and nowadays the
Universal House of Justice. According to the supreme body,

When a person declares his acceptance of Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God he
becomes a party to the Covenant and accepts the totality of His Revelation. If he then
turns round and attacks Bahá'u'lláh or the Central Institution of the Faith he violates the
Covenant. 19

The breaking of this important spiritual principle by a person who has become a Bahá’í
intertwines with sentiments of ego, selfishness and leadership. It is also due to lack of faith in
Bahá'u'lláh’s revelation which comprises the institutions designed and envisioned by Him. It has
nothing to do with the principle of independent investigation of truth but rather with the principle
of obedience. Becoming a member of the Bahá’í Faith requires total acceptance of the
institutions and teachings, because the Bahá’í Faith comes in only one package and one version,
so to speak. Firmness in the Covenant also means abiding by the instructions of the Universal
House of Justice, “the source of all good and freed from all error” 20 In ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s words:

To none is given the right to put forth his own opinion or express his particular
conviction. All must seek guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause and the House
of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error… Unto
the Most Holy Book every one must turn and all that is not expressly recorded therein
must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether
unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the Truth and the Purpose of God
Himself. 21

In general, the Universal House of Justice recommends:

The best countermeasure to Covenant-breaker initiatives and the greatest protection for
the Cause is for the believers to acquire a deeper appreciation of the station and purpose
of Bahá'u'lláh and to become well-grounded in His Covenant”. 22

Firmness in the Covenant

The first condition is firmness in the Covenant of God”, says ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. “For the power of
the Covenant will protect the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh from the doubts of the people of error. It is
the fortified fortress of the Cause of God and the firm pillar of the religion of God. Today no
power can conserve the oneness of the Bahá’í world save the Covenant of God; otherwise
differences like unto a most great tempest will encompass the Bahá’í world. It is evident that the
axis of the oneness of the world of humanity is the power of the Covenant and nothing else…
Therefore, in the beginning the believers must make their steps firm in the Covenant so that the
confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh may encircle them from all sides, the cohorts of the Supreme
Concourse may become their supporters and helpers, and the exhortations and advices of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, like unto the pictures engraved on stone, may remain permanent and ineffaceable
in the tablets of all hearts. 23

References

1. Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 22. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1993.
2. God Passes By, p. 245. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1974.
3. Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 63. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1993.
4. Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 6. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1994.
5. Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 11. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1994.
6. Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 25-26. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1994.
7. Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 36. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1993.
8. Message from Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’í World, dated 8 October 1957.
9. The Universal House of Justice, Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986: The Third Epoch of
the Formative Age, p. 6. Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1996.
10. Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 20. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1994.
11. Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 20. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1994.
12. Message from the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assembles, 6 October 1963.
13. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 68. Bahá’í World Centre, 1978.
14. Message from the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, 27 May 1966.
15. Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 11. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1994.
16. Hidden Words, p. 10. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1985.
17. The Universal House of Justice, Mason Remey and Those Who Followed Him, 31 January 1997.
18. The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, p. 123. Bahá’í Publications Australia, 1991.
19. From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, 23 March 1975.
20. Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 14. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1994.
22. From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual, October 7, 1997.
23. Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 51. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1993.

Choose a second text to read in parallel — a translation, or any other text.