Baha'i Prayers for Good Governance
==================================

Exported from Holy-Writings.com on 2026-06-18
1 clipping

1.
Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters.
Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Christopher Buck, Baha'i
Prayers for Good Governance, bahai-library.com.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance
Christopher Buck

Precis
Bahá’u’lláh, in his last will and testament, encouraged, if not obliged,
Bahá’ís to
pray for their respective rulers and governments, which is effectively the
same as
praying for good governance, peace, and prosperity. This essay presents a
newly
authorized translation of a Bahá’í prayer, “A Prayer for the
confirmation of the
American Government”—along with a provisional translation of a prayer of
‘Abdu’l-
Bahá for the Ottoman State and Caliphate. Bahá’í prayers for good
governance are
analyzed and discussed in comparative perspective with Jewish, Catholic, and
Islamic
prayers for good governance in the American context, introduced as
phenomenological
parallels. Bahá’u’lláh’s injunction to pray for one’s rulers is a
precept that ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá put into practice—to good practical effect. Moreover, he revealed
several prayers
for good governance for use by the Bahá’ís themselves, to offer, wherever
they may
reside, on behalf of their governments. Several such prayers are presented,
with com-
ments as to their respective historical contexts and purpose.

•

Introduction

B    ahá’í prayers for the good of governments—especially by way of good
governance—are part of a longstanding practice in the history of reli-
gions. Prayers for good governance are common to most, if not all, world
religions. Religious leaders, often on public ceremonial occasions, as well
as many adherents themselves, offer prayers to bless their respective gov-
ernments. Although there is no quid pro quo—that is, no transactional
expectations of government assistance for religious support for the

jour na l of ecumenica l studies
vol . 56, no. 4 (fa ll 2021) © 2021

19544-JES_56.4.indd 562                                                       
                           10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance             563

government of a given state—the pious hope, if not pragmatic expecta-
tion, is that governments will be divinely blessed if they exercise good
governance for the commonweal and benefit of all. Bahá’í prayers for
governments—and for good governance—are among the latest exemplars
of such prayers, which are surveyed and analyzed here.
From a phenomenological perspective, such practice, in a new religious
tradition, is part and parcel of a venerable tradition. Before examining such
Bahá’í prayers, I offer a few observations about prayer in general by way
of
prolegomena. Prayers may be read, chanted, or put to music in worship,
both privately in personal devotions and publicly in congregational or
informal gatherings. Prayers may be piously perfunctory, or they may be
incentivizing. That is, prayers may be invoked prior to personal and social
actions carried out by petitioners who, by undertaking post-supplicatory
actions with prayer-inspired resolve, in a sense, “complete” the prayers
they
offer. Such a petition/action scenario arises from the perspective that
prayer is more than pious worship and hopeful supplication. Supplication
implicates application. Put another way, invocation invites implementa-
tion. In other words, prayers not only may be prayed, but acted upon as
well. Offering up a prayer is not the end of it if that prayer may be followed
up as part of its fulfillment. In this sense, prayer may be a call to action,
although this may not be a popular conception of prayer. In the petition/
action scenario, prayer is seen as a resource for spiritual resolve and voli-
tional empowerment. Or, prayers can simply remain inert, without effect,
other than for pious or perfunctory purposes.
Thus, prayers have various functions. Prayers for good governance,
superficially at least, are typically recited in the spirit of a
“blessing” and an
expression of goodwill toward the government, both invoking wisdom
imparted by divine guidance in the actions and undertakings of govern-
ment officials and in the formulation of sound public policy. Prayers for
good governance often express sacred ideals and values, which function as
human virtues and acts of good citizenship, thereby reinforcing these
beliefs in the process of praying itself. Praying for the welfare of one’s
coun-
try presupposes that the petitioner also acts accordingly. Ideally, to ask is
also to act. Thus, such prayers may renew and reinvigorate individual and
social orientations and outlooks. Whether such prayers can make any dif-
ference at all, or otherwise be put to good effect, is an important question,
which depends on time and circumstance.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 563                                                       
                    10/18/21 3:17 PM
564       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

In American Judaism, for instance, there is a longstanding tradition in
Jewish liturgy of offering benevolent prayers for the welfare of the Ameri-
can government.1 This venerable practice dates back to King Solomon’s
prayer for his own good governance in Psalm 72—the first of only two bib-
lical psalms by Solomon himself (see also Psalm 127). Later on, the prophet
Jeremiah advocated the practice of praying for one’s government—even
under oppressive conditions: “And seek the peace of the city whither I have
caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in
the peace thereof shall ye have peace” (Jer. 29:7). Jewish prayers for good
governance for America serve as an ideal example of the traditional reli-
gious practices of offering prayers for good governance for other govern-
ments around the world.
Historically, nearly all Jewish prayer books in America have included a
prayer for the welfare of the government. This is part of a longstanding
Jewish practice around the world, as Gordon M. Freeman explained: “In
fact, a prayer for the government is a feature of every type of prayer book of
every land of the Jewish diaspora irrespective of the specific religious
movement of the community.”2 This is an ancient Jewish obligation and a
venerable tradition that has carried over to the Jewish experience in Amer-
ica. In the rabbinic commentary, Pirke Avot, Jews are enjoined to “Pray for
the welfare of the government, because were it not for the fear it inspires,
every man would swallow his neighbor alive” (3:2). This is as pragmatic as
it is perhaps cynical.
While prayer does not have scriptural status, it is a conduit of religious
ideology. Since there is no Jewish scripture regarding America, one there-
fore looks to Jewish prayer books for some communal Jewish perspectives
on America. Prayer books, after all, are not simply liturgy. They are com-
munal performances of doctrine in a spirit of devotion. “Second only to the

See Jonathan D. Sarna, “Jewish Prayers for the United States Government: A
Study in
the Liturgy of Politics and the Politics of Liturgy,” in Ruth Langer and
Steven Fine, eds., Lit-
urgy in the Life of the Synagogue: Studies in the History of Jewish Prayer
(Warsaw, IN: Eisen-
brauns, 2005), pp. 205–224.
Gordon M. Freeman, “The Conservative Movement and the Public Square,” in
Alan Mittleman, Robert A. Licht, and Jonathan D. Sarna, eds., Jewish Polity
and American Civil
Society: Communal Agencies and Religious Movements in the American Public
Square (New York:
Rowman & Littlefield, 2002), p. 236.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 564                                                       
                                    10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                  565

Torah, the siddur (prayer book),” stated one Reform rabbi, “expresses the
ideology of our people.” As a congregation prays, so it believes.3
Here, the first and immediate benefit of such a prayer redounds to the
petitioner himself or herself. In a sense, praying for good governance is a
gesture of goodwill on the part of citizens who offer such prayers, where
the relationship between “God and country” is optimized at the level of
intention. Praying for the welfare of one’s government can be seen as an
affirmation of loyal patriotism and, intrinsically, as an affirmative act of
good citizenship. Such religiously inspired well-wishes for institutions and
individuals in authority are not unlike the healthy, patriotic spirit gener-
ated by the singing of national anthems and recitals of pledges of alle-
giance. Such acts blend and merge sacred and secular identity into an
integrated outlook. Other religious traditions also have prayers for good
governance. Doing so is encouraged by St. Paul: “I exhort therefore, that,
first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be
made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may
lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good
and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour” (1Tim. 2:1–3, K.J.V.).
Intention and integrity go hand-in-hand. Sacred “godliness” (that is, a
religious virtue) and secular goodliness (for instance, “honesty,” a civic
virtue) are intentionally intertwined in synergistic fusion for the com-
monweal of “all men.” In a similar spirit, the first Catholic prayer for
America, “Prayer for Our Government,” was offered in 1791 by Archbishop
John Carroll, the first Catholic Bishop for the United States. This prayer
reads, in part:
We pray O God of might, wisdom and justice, through whom author-
ity is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist
with your Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the president of these
United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteous-
ness and be eminently useful to your people over whom he presides; by

Christopher Buck, God & Apple Pie: Religious Myths and Visions of America
(Kingston,
NY: Educator’s International Press, 2015), chap. 6: “Jewish Myths and
Visions of America,”
pp. 126–127, emphasis added (citing Rabbi Elliot L. Stevens, “The Prayer
Books, They Are
A’Changin’,” Reform Judaism [Summer, 2006],
https://www.ccarpress.org/content.asp
?tid=471; accessed April 24, 2021).

19544-JES_56.4.indd 565                                                       
                            10/18/21 3:17 PM
566       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of
the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality.
Let the light of your divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Con-
gress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule
and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the
promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety and
useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.
We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state, for the members
of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are
appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by
your powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective sta-
tions with honesty and ability.
We recommend likewise, to your unbounded mercy, all our brethren
and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed
in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of your most holy law;
that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world
cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to
those which are eternal. . . .
Amen.4

Catholic values of universal scope are enshrined in the noble senti-
ments that this prayer conveys. In keeping with such sacred benedictions
upon the secular, this venerable practice can, and does, find a place in the
devotional practices of other faith communities as well. In kindred com-
munal practice, Islamic prayers for good governance5 in America (or in any
other country) can be offered, even in legislative chambers, on being invited
to do so. For instance, on November 13, 2014, Imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli,
of the Islamic Society of Central Jersey in Monmouth Junction, gave the
opening prayer in the U.S. House of Representatives, as follows:

Gretchen Filz, “A Prayer for America by John Carroll, First U.S. Bishop” (
July 4, 2017),
https://www.catholiccompany.com/magazine/prayer-for-america-by-john-carroll-first-u-s
-bishop-6086; accessed December 13, 2018.
On Islamic principles of good governance, see, e.g., Christopher Buck,
“Religion of
Peace: Islamic Principles of Good Governance,” in Cyrus Rohani and Behrooz
Sabet, eds.,
Winds of Change: The Challenge of Modernity in the Middle East and North
Africa (London:
Saqi Books, 2019), pp. 87–111; for an Arabic translation of the English
original, see Christopher
Buck (tr. Gamal Hassan), “Religion of Peace: Islamic Principles of Good
Governance,” in
Behrooz Sabet and Gamal Hassan, eds., Winds of Change in the Middle East and
North Africa:
Crisis, Catharsis, and Renewal (Beirut: Dar al- Saqi, 2018), pp. 133–166.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 566                                                       
                                     10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance              567

O God, bless us as we begin a new day. Bless this assembly, bless the peo-
ple and Nation it represents. O God, at this time in our history, the chal-
lenges for our Nation and the world are many. O God, grant these men
and women the wisdom, the guidance, and the strength to pursue com-
passion, justice, and sound judgment. O God, in Your wisdom, You have
placed upon them great responsibility and honor. O God, please help
them with Your guidance and Your light. O God, grant them the will and
the means to improve the well-being of all inhabitants of this great Nation
and beyond. Amen.6

This prayer demonstrates that being a pious Muslim and a loyal American
are compatible, even commendable.

Good Governance Defined
Good governance matters, both politically and economically. The litera-
ture on good governance is extensive. It treats not only of the benign exer-
cise of institutional political authority but also of optimal corporate
operations. A natural point of departure is to offer a working definition of
“good governance” at the institutional level. One definition offered by
the
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
is as follows: “Good governance has 8 major characteristics. It is
participa-
tory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective
and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures
that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into
account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in
decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of
society.”7 This is only one description, among others, but it is
illustrative of
how good governance works and the parameters by which governance may
be evaluated.

See video, “Imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli: Opening Prayer,” at
https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=nmDBF7XRYG4. See also “Imam Chebli Opening Prayer in Congress,
November 13, 2014,” at
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1044838145550307&
type=1&l=086607aeb5; accessed December 13, 2018.
Yap Kioe Sheng (Chief, Poverty Reduction Section), “What Is Good
Governance?”
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,
https://www.
unescap.org/sites/default/files/good-governance.pdf; accessed July 14, 2019.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 567                                                       
                      10/18/21 3:17 PM
568       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

Good governance, as often noted, has its own social “dividends.” This
payoff is typically a reflex of sound public policy, when implemented rea-
sonably well. Paradigms of good governance vary, as one would expect.
Good governance is one of the social requisites of democracy. Bahá’í
social principles enrich public discourse on this key topic. For instance,
Núr University—the second largest private institution of higher learning
in Bolivia—offers a Bahá’í-inspired “Just Governance Program,” which
“seeks to promote good governance by exploring the different dimensions
of moral leadership, [by] strengthening administrative and decision-making
capacities in the public sector, and by promoting dialogue concerning the
future development of Bolivian society.”8 The Bahá’í International
Commu-
nity broadens the operational dimensions of good governance as follows:
While governance is often equated with government, it in fact involves
much more. Governance occurs at all levels and encompasses the ways
that formal government, non-governmental groups, community organi-
zations and the private sector manage resources and affairs. Three factors
that largely determine the efficacy of any system of governance are the
quality of leadership, the characteristics of the governed, and the nature
of the structures and processes employed to exercise authority and meet
human needs.9

Here, the dynamic interrelationships among those who govern, the
governed, and the processes of government offer a useful framework of
analysis for evaluating the quality of governance in a given setting. Else-
where, the Bahá’í International Community has stressed that good gover-
nance is a “moral exercise”:
The administration of material affairs, governance is a moral exercise. It is
the expression of a trusteeship—a responsibility to protect and to serve
the members of the social polity. Indeed, the exercise of democracy will
succeed to the extent that it is governed by the moral principles that are in
harmony with the evolving interests of a rapidly maturing human race.

Bahá’í International Community, “Overcoming Corruption and Safeguarding
Integrity
in Public Institutions: A Baha’i Perspective,” prepared by and presented
at the Intergovern-
mental Global Forum on Fighting Corruption II, The Hague, Netherlands, May 28,
2001,
https://www.bic.org/statements/overcoming-corruption-and-safeguarding-integrity-public
-institutions-bahai-perspective; accessed July 14, 2019.
Ibid.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 568                                                       
                                10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                      569

These include trustworthiness and integrity needed to win the respect
and support of the governed; transparency; consultation with those
affected by decisions being arrived at; objective assessment of needs and
aspirations of communities being served; and the appropriate use of sci-
entific and moral resources.10

Historically, religions have been a primary—if not the principal—well-
springs of individual and social values in societies at large. For better or
worse, such religious values demonstrate dynamic interrelationships
between the sacred and the secular. Bahá’í prayers for good governance are
informed by, or at least presuppose, Bahá’í social principles for the
better-
ment of society.

Bahá’í Principles of Good Governance
Briefly, Bahá’í sacred texts have called for various social reforms, some-
times referred to as “world reforms.” For instance, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
authored a
treatise, known in English as The Secret of Divine Civilization, written in
1875 and published anonymously in Bombay in 1882,11 which is the second
Bahá’í book to be published as an authorized text.12 This volume was fol-
lowed by A Treatise on Politics, published in 1893 or 1896.13 These texts,

See Bahá’í International Community, “The Search for Values in an Age of
Transition: A
Statement of the Bahá’í International Community on the Occasion of the
60th Anniversary of
the United Nations,” New York, October, 2005, at
https://www.bahai.org/documents/bic/
search-values-age-transition; accessed October 12, 2019.
See ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, tr. Marzieh Gail and
Ali-Kuli Khan
(Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1957). On the early Bahá’í
Bombay lithographs gener-
ally, see discussion in Farzin Vejdani, “Transnational Baha’i Print
Culture: Community For-
mation and Religious Authority, 1890–1921,” Journal of Religious History
36 (special issue on
Baha’i History, ed. Todd Lawson) (December, 2012): 499–515; and
Christopher Buck, Symbol
and Secret: Qur’an Commentary in Bahá’u’lláh’s Kitáb-i Íqán (Los
Angeles: Kalimat Press, 1995,
2004), pp. 17–29.
Here, “authorized” means that this publication was commissioned by
Bahá’u’lláh, with
the first such publication having been the Kitáb-i-Íqán, the Book of
Certitude, revealed by
Bahá’u’lláh in January, 1861. See Bahá’u’lláh, The
Kitáb-i-Íqán: The Book of Certitude, tr. Shoghi
Effendi (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1989); and Ahang Rabbani,
“The Conversion
of the Great-Uncle of the Báb,” World Order 30 (Spring, 1999): 34–35, at
https://bahai-library.
com/rabbani_conversion_great-uncle_bab, accessed September 4, 2021.
See Necati Alkan, “The Young Turks and the Bahais in Palestine,” in Eyal
Ginio and
Yuval Ben Bassat, eds., Late Ottoman Palestine: The Period of Young Turk Rule
(London: I. B.
Tauris, 2011), especially pp. 261 ff.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 569                                                       
                                    10/18/21 3:17 PM
570       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

which discourse at length on issues of good governance, were preceded by
Bahá’u’lláh’s general proclamation to the leading kings and rulers of
the
world, including ecclesiastical authorities, as well as scholars and states-
persons.14 Bahá’u’lláh’s series of open epistles directed to the
political,
diplomatic, religious, and intellectual leaders of the day may be fairly char-
acterized as one of the first, if not the first, international peace
missions.15
This international peace mission was a clarion call to world peace, with its
attendant requirements of multilateral disarmament, except for maintain-
ing internal security, along with other principles of good governance neces-
sary to maintain global stability, peace, and prosperity, publicly enunciated
and exhorted.
While such Bahá’í-inspired social reforms may or may not be imple-
mented by any existing government, Bahá’ís themselves are systematically
incorporating such reforms in developing models of good governance
through their administrative and community-building endeavors, where a
given reform becomes the norm. Bahá’í administration, which is an origi-
nal system for the oversight and guidance of Bahá’í affairs through wisdom
borne of consultation by elected Bahá’í councils, was described by Shoghi
Effendi as follows:
. . . [T]his vast Administrative Order . . . is, both in theory and practice,
not only unique in the entire history of political institutions, but can find
no parallel in the annals of any of the world’s recognized religious sys-
tems. No form of democratic government; no system of autocracy or of
dictatorship, whether monarchical or republican; no intermediary scheme
of a purely aristocratic order; nor even any of the recognized types of
theocracy, whether it be the Hebrew Commonwealth, or the various

See Christopher Buck and Youli A. Ioannesyan, “Bahá’u’lláh’s
Bishárát (Glad-Tidings): A
Proclamation to Scholars and Statesmen,” Bahá’í Studies Review, vol. 16
(2010), pp. 3–28, at
https://bahai-library.com/buck_ioannesyan_bisharat_proclamation; accessed
April 24, 2021.
See Buck, God & Apple Pie, chap. 12, “Bahá’í Myths and Visions of
America,” p. 314, at
https://www.academia.edu/37503635/God_and_Apple_Pie_2015_Baha_i_Myths_and_
Visions_of_America_sample_chapter_released_September_30_2018_, accessed April
24,
2021; and Christopher Buck, “The Eschatology of Globalization:
Bahá’u’lláh’s Multiple-
Messiahship Revisited,” in Moshe Sharon, ed., Studies in Modern Religions,
Religious Move-
ments, and the Bābī-Bahā’ī Faiths, Numen Book Series: Studies in the
History of Religions 104
(Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 2004), pp. 143–178, at
https://www.academia.edu/
30670228/_The_Eschatology_of_Globalization_Baha_u_llah_s_Multiple_Messiahship
_Revisited_2004_, accessed April 24, 2021.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 570                                                       
                                  10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                   571

Christian ecclesiastical organizations, or the Imamate or the Caliphate in
Islám—none of these can be identified or be said to conform with the
Administrative Order which the master-hand of its perfect Architect has
fashioned.
This new-born Administrative Order incorporates within its struc-
ture certain elements which are to be found in each of the three recog-
nized 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 undoubt-
edly contains without vitiating the integrity of those God-given verities
on which it is ultimately founded.16

Bahá’í governance is a unique system that is still in its embryonic stage
of development by the worldwide Bahá’í community, under the guidance
of the international Bahá’í governing body, known as the Universal House
of Justice, elected every five years by elected delegates, being the members
of the various members of National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’ís
from around the world.
If Bahá’í principles of good governance were faithfully implemented
in any given administration, the benefits would redound to society at
large. Yet, for any system of good governance to be truly effective, the
moral and ethical character of the general population must be such that
government policies can truly take hold, so that the goals of sound public
policy can thereby be realized to their fullest potential. In the interim,
this same principle applies to present-day governance. As one orientation
in furtherance of this ideal relationship between the governors and gov-
erned, religious prayers for good governance can be an asset, especially
for the goodwill that such prayers inculcate and inspire, along with the
mindfulness that sacral and civil futures can, and should, coexist in syner-
gistic harmony. In this sense, Bahá’í prayers for good governance, in
effect, endow with sacred purpose the secular practice of fair and equita-
ble administrative processes.

Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í
Publishing Trust,
1938, 1991), pp. 152–153.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 571                                                       
                               10/18/21 3:17 PM
572       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

“Pray ye on their behalf”
Should Bahá’ís—and good citizens everywhere—pray for their respective
governments? If so, for what purpose, and to what end? As a point of depar-
ture for this question, one text stands out. In the Kitáb-i-‘Ahd (Book of
the
Covenant, c. 1891), Bahá’u’lláh exhorted Bahá’ís to pray for their
rulers,
who, in the nineteenth century, were principally monarchs, who held abso-
lute sway over their subjects: “O ye the loved ones and the trustees of God!
Kings are the manifestations of the power, and the daysprings of the might
and riches, of God. Pray ye on their behalf. He hath invested them with the
rulership of the earth and hath singled out the hearts of men as His Own
domain.”17 There are many ways to understand Bahá’u’lláh’s
exhortation,
such as a duty to offer prayer, demonstrate respect for authority, and mani-
fest loyalty and obedience to government—among other interpretations.
The fact that it was expressed in Bahá’u’lláh’s last will and
testament may
invest this exhortation with an added degree of importance.
In a broader context, the attitude that Bahá’ís should maintain toward
governments and governmental officials is one of respect for authority and
obedience to the law of the land. Since the watchword of the Bahá’í Faith
is
unity—and, more specifically, “unity in diversity”—it makes perfect
sense
that Bahá’ís avoid partisan politics, because the rivalry, rancor, and
“grid-
lock” often generated by “party politics” are held to be
quintessentially
divisive, that is, “partisan,” as the term itself suggests. The Universal
House
of Justice has explained the proper Bahá’í attitude toward governments
as follows:
As you are no doubt well aware, in discussing the principle of non-
involvement in politics, Shoghi Effendi wrote that Bahá’ís are to
“refrain
from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with the
political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their

Bahá’u’lláh, “Kitáb-i-‘Ahd (Book of the Covenant),” Tablets of
Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after
the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1988), pp.
220–221. On the Kitáb-i-
‘Ahd, see Christopher Buck and Youli A. Ioannesyan, “The 1893 Russian
Publication of
Bahá’u’lláh’s Last Will and Testament: An Academic Attestation of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Succes-
sorship,” Bahá’í Studies Review 19 ( June, 2013): 3–44 (published May,
2017; DOI: https://
doi.org/10.1386/bsr.19.1.3_1), at
https://www.academia.edu/34197434/_The_1893_Russian
_Publication_of_Baha_u_llah_s_Last_Will_and_Testament_An_Academic_Attestation
_of_Abdu_l-Baha_s_Successorship_2013_published_in_June_2017_; accessed Decem-
ber 13, 2018.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 572                                                       
                                     10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                      573

governments and the schemes and programs of parties and factions.” In
political controversies, they “should assign no blame, take no side, further
no design, and identify themselves with no system prejudicial to the best
interests” of their “world-wide Fellowship.” . . . Bahá’ís and
Bahá’í institu-
tions should not take positions on the political decisions of governments,
including disputes among governments of different nations; should
refrain from becoming involved in debates surrounding any political con-
troversy; and should not react, orally or otherwise, in a manner that could
be taken as evidence of support for a partisan political stance. . . .
Furthermore, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá enjoined Bahá’ís to
be
obedient to the government of their land. Unity, order, and cooperation
are the basis for sound and lasting change. Even civil disobedience, in the
form of a conscious decision to violate the law to effect social change, is
not acceptable for Bahá’ís—whatever merit it appears to have had in par-
ticular political settings. Ultimately, obedience to government has a bear-
ing on the unity of the Bahá’í community itself. . . .
The principles of non-involvement in politics and obedience to gov-
ernment, far from being obstacles to social change, are aspects of an
approach set forth in the Bahá’í writings to implement effective remedies
for and address the root causes of the ills afflicting society. This approach
includes active involvement in the life of society as well as the possibility
of influencing and contributing to the social policies of government by all
lawful means. Indeed, service to others and to society is a hallmark of the
Bahá’í life.18

Bahá’í prayers for good governance, without exception, are genuine
expressions of the well-wishes of Bahá’ís for any government. Such prayers
are by no means transactional. There is no quid pro quo here. These prayers
should be taken at face value, with no hidden agenda, or even enlightened
self-interest. As promoters of unity in society, Bahá’ís pray for the
welfare
of the government in a spirit of loyalty and altruism.
Such respect for governments and leaders is reflected in the very lan-
guage of Bahá’u’lláh’s writings to the various kings and rulers of the
world.
For instance, in the “Súriy-i-Mulúk,” one encounters such benevolent
speech and courteous appellations as follows:

Letter dated April 27, 2017, on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, to
an individual
believer,
https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/
messages/20170427_001/20170427_001.xhtml; accessed May 11, 2019.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 573                                                       
                                    10/18/21 3:17 PM
574       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

Hearken, O King [Sult. án ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz], to the speech of Him that
speaketh the truth, Him that doth not ask thee to recompense Him with the
things God hath chosen to bestow upon thee, Him Who unerringly tread-
eth the straight Path. He it is Who summoneth thee unto God, thy Lord,
Who showeth thee the right course, the way that leadeth to true felicity, that
haply thou mayest be of them with whom it shall be well. . . .
...
Wert thou to incline thine ear unto My speech and observe My counsel,
God would exalt thee to so eminent a position that the designs of no man on
the whole earth can ever touch or hurt thee. . . .
Render thanks unto God for having chosen thee out of the whole
world, and made thee king over them that profess thy faith. It well
beseemeth thee to appreciate the wondrous favours with which God hath
favoured thee, and to magnify continually His name. Thou canst best
praise Him if thou lovest His loved ones, and dost safeguard and protect
His servants from the mischief of the treacherous, that none may any lon-
ger oppress them. . . .
Shouldst thou cause rivers of justice to spread their waters amongst
thy subjects, God would surely aid thee with the hosts of the unseen and
of the seen, and would strengthen thee in thine affairs.19

Bahá’u’lláh exhorted Sult. án ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz to rule wisely and
equitably, with
the assurance that, if he caused “rivers of justice” to spread throughout
his
realm, this would attract divine blessings and confirmations. The foregoing
language is respectful, and sets the tone for the exemplary Bahá’í prayers
for good governance that are presented and discussed below.

Prayers of Bahá’u’lláh for Rulers
There is a prayer for the Iranian (Qajar) emperor, Nás.iri’d-Dín Sháh
(“Helper of the Faith,” r. 1848–96), by Bahá’u’lláh: “Glorified
art Thou, O
my God, and my Master, and my Mainstay! Aid Thou His Majesty the
Sháh to execute Thy laws and Thy commandments, and show forth Thy
justice among Thy servants. Thou art, verily, the All-Bounteous, the Lord
of grace abounding, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.”20 And, further,
Bahá’u’lláh, “Súriy-i-Mulúk,” The Summons of the Lord of Hosts
(Haifa: Bahá’í World
Centre, 2002), pp. 209–211.
Bahá’u’lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 1988),
p. 139; see also Bahá’u’lláh’s prayer “to aid His Majesty the Sháh
to render Thy Cause victori-
ous” (p. 105).

19544-JES_56.4.indd 574                                                       
                                      10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                    575

“Assist Thou, O My God, His Majesty the Sháh to keep Thy statutes amidst
Thy servants and to manifest Thy justice amongst Thy creatures, that he
may treat this people [the Bahá’ís] as he treateth others. Thou art, in
truth,
the God of power, of glory and wisdom.”21 In offering a prayer for His Maj-
esty, the Sháh of Iran, Bahá’u’lláh demonstrated, in practice, his
exhorta-
tion to pray for the leaders of one’s government, notwithstanding the fact
that this ruthless despot—characterized by Shoghi Effendi as “a selfish,
capricious, imperious monarch”22—in 1852 incarcerated and then in 1853
exiled Bahá’u’lláh to Baghdad, all in the broader context of ordering
the
relentless persecution, imprisonment, torture, execution, or exile of count-
less followers of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh.
Reference to another prayer for good governance, in the Ottoman con-
text, comes by way of this historical anecdote when, on July 4, 1909,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá commented on a short prayer that was chanted during “early
morning tea”:

4 July 1909
Early morning tea
Munavvar Khánum chanted a prayer.
Our Lord [‘Abdu’l-Bahá]: “In this prayer which we have just read,
Bahá’u’lláh meant ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd, the Turkish Sultán who has lately
been
deposed,23 and the verses are:
‘I implore Thee, O My God and the King of the nations, and ask Thee by
the Greatest Name, to change the throne of tyranny into a centre of jus-
tice and the seat of pride and iniquity into the chair of humbleness and
justice. Thou art free to do whatsoever Thou wishest and Thou art the All-
Knowing, the Wise!’ ”
“A Power above the power of kings,” I whispered to Munavvar.
“And still,” she whispered back, “and still we ask for miracles.”24

Bahá’u’lláh, [Tablet to] “Násiri’d-Dín Sháh,” The Summons of
the Lord of Hosts (Haifa:
Bahá’í World Centre, 2002), p. 106.
Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day Is Come (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing
Trust,
1980), p. 67.
“This had taken place on 27 April 1909.” This note refers to the overthrow
by the Young
Turk Revolution of Sultan Abdülhamid, who reigned from 1876 to 1909.
Juliet Thompson, The Diary of Juliet Thompson, Preface by Marzieh Gail (Los
Angeles:
Kalimát Press, 1983), p. 39,
http://bahai-library.com/thompson_diary&chapter=2; accessed
April 8, 2020.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 575                                                       
                                10/18/21 3:17 PM
576       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

The original Arabic text for this short, but poignant prayer has been
published and available online,25 although the above is a provisional trans-
lation, as an authorized (officially endorsed) translation has yet to be pub-
lished. Bahá’u’lláh’s prayer, it seems, was uncannily prophetic, in
having
anticipated the imminent “change” of the current “throne of tyranny”
into
a “centre of justice.” This did not require “regime change” per se,
yet that
was the ultimate outcome, notwithstanding.26
While the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh27 to Sultan Abdülaziz (r.
1861–76)—
who had exiled Bahá’u’lláh from Baghdad to Istanbul, then to Edirne
(1863), and finally to ‘Akka (1868)—are well-known, there is also an
unpub-
lished and undated prayer in Arabic, dated 27 Sha’bán 1309 (March 27,
1892), revealed for Sultan Abdülhamid II, who came to the throne in 1876
(after the short interregnum of Murad V for three months in the same
year). During the reign of Abdülaziz, Bahá’u’lláh stigmatized the seat
of
the Ottoman Empire as being the “throne of tyranny” from where one
could hear “the hooting of the owl.”28
In the privately published prayer, of which the following portions have
been provisionally translated by Necati Alkan, Bahá’u’lláh asked God
“to
protect His majesty, the Sultan [Abdülhamid], and his ministers (wuzará’)
and state officials (wukalá’) from those who have rejected his [the
Sultan’s]
munificence (ankarú fad.lahu) and have been inflamed with the fire of jeal-
ousy (ishta‘alú nár al-h.asad) in his days.” Bahá’u’lláh further
entreated
God to “strengthen him with Thy might (‘azzizhu bi-‘izzika) and make him
victorious with Thy power (wa ans.irhu bi-sult.ánika),” because “Thou
seest

Bahá’u’lláh, Nasá’im al-Rah.mán (Beirut, 1993),
https://reference.bahai.org/fa/t/c/
NR1/nr1-33.html; accessed April 8, 2020.
See the following by Necati Alkan: “The Young Turks and the Bahais in
Palestine,” pp.
259–278; Dissent and Heterodoxy in the Late Ottoman Empire: Reformers,
Babis, and Bahá’ís
(revised Ph.D. thesis) (Istanbul: ISIS Press, 2008); “ ‘The Eternal Enemy
of Islām’: Abdullah
Cevdet and the Bahá’í Religion,” Bulletin of the School of Oriental and
African Studies, vol. 68,
no. 1 (2005), pp. 1–20; and “Ottoman Reform Movements and the Bahā’ī
Faith, 1860s–1920s,”
in Sharon, Studies in Modern Religions, pp. 253–274.
The first is unfortunately lost. but there are other addresses in
Baha’u’llah’s Summons of
the Lord of Hosts, available in the Bahá’í Reference Library; see
Introduction, pp. v–vi, at
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SLH/slh-3.html; and the
“Súriy-i-Mulúk,” paras. 58–83, at
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SLH/slh-13.html; accessed December 13, 2018.
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KA/ka-6.html; accessed
Decem-
ber 13, 2018.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 576                                                       
                                      10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                       577

him clinging to Thee and holding fast unto Thy luminous hem (taráhu
mutamassikan bi-ka wa mutashabbithan bi-dhaylika al-munír).” Lastly,
Bahá’u’lláh beseeched God to cause the Sultan “to remember and speak
of
the Cause of God and be steadfast in it at all times” (thumma ’ j‘alhu
fí kulli
’l-ah.wál nát.iqan dhákiran rásikhan fí amrika), to “aid him with the
visible
and invisible hosts” (ans.irhu bi-junúd al-ghaybi wa al-shaháda), and
“to pro-
tect his domains from the rebellious on earth” (thumma ’h.faz. mamálikahu
min t.ughát al-bariyya).29
As part of the governor/governed interactional dynamic, Bahá’u’lláh’s
exhortation to “[p]ray . . . on their behalf ” implies—and inspires—a
will-
ingness on the part of the petitioner who, in offering such a prayer, implic-
itly agrees to obey the law of the land (a universal requirement for
Bahá’ís
worldwide). To what extent is this implicated in Bahá’í prayers for good
governance?

Provisional translation by Necati Alkan. Brief advice on his provisional
translation was
given (based on “the Arabic original . . . in the manuscript of the Tablet
held in the Archives at
the World Centre”), courtesy of the Research Department of the Universal
House of Justice,
in a letter dated August 12, 2020, to Alkan and myself). For the published
Arabic text, see
Kamran Ekbal, ed., Majmú‘iy-i Alváh.-i mubárakiy-i H.ad.rat-i
Bahá’u’lláh khit.áb bih Jináb-i Muh.
ammad Mus.t.afá Baghdádí va farzandánishán Jináb-i H.usayn Afandí
Iqbál va ‘Alí Afandí Ih.sán va
Amínu’l-Badí‘ Abú’l-Vafá va Duktur D.iyá Mabsút. Baghdádí
(private publication, 2015), p. 182.
For a review of the Tablets, see Kamran Ekbal, “Murúrí bar Alváh.-i
H.ad.rat-i Bahá’u’lláh khitáb
bih Muh.ammad Mustafá Baghdádí” (“A Review of the Tablets Revealed in
Honour of Muham-
mad Mustafá Baghdádi and His Family”), in Safíniy-i ‘Irfán 4, pp.
192–202. (Abdülhamid is
mentioned on p. 200.) On Mustafa Baghdadi, see
http://bahaisworldwide.blogspot.com/
2011/05/mustafa-baghdadi.html; accessed December 13, 2018: “Mustafa Baghdadi
lived for
many years in Beirut, Syria. He was one of the earliest followers of the Báb
and Bahá’u’lláh. He
provided countless services for the Faith. Throughout his life he was firm and
full of zeal. His
house was at the disposal of all pilgrims and his services to them were
invaluable. Many of the
American friends, passing through Beirut to visit ‘Abdul-Bahá in Akka and
Haifa, bear testi-
mony to the nobility of his spirit and the strength of his character. All
loved and revered him
and looked up to him as one of the spiritual souls of the earlier days. His
winsome manner and
gentleness of heart attracted all those who came in contact with him and
carried away the
sweet fragrance of his life. He had three sons, Hussein Ighbal, Ali Ehsan and
Zia Baghdadi,
who studied sciences and were active servants in the Cause. Zia Baghdadi was
loved and
respected by all the American friends for his earnestness and enthusiasm. He
studied medi-
cine in the US and assisted with the Persian section of the Star of the West
magazine” (adapted
from the Star of the West 1 [ January 19, 1911] : 10–11). On the Baghdadi
family, see Kamran
Ekbal, “Baḡdádi Family,” in Encyclopaedia Iranica, at
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/
bagdadi-family; accessed December 13, 2018.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 577                                                       
                                    10/18/21 3:17 PM
578       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

Prayer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for the Ottoman State and Caliphate
Alkan has provisionally translated the following prayer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
for
the Ottoman State, which, characteristically, is also a prayer for good
governance:
He is God!
O my God! O my God!
I ask Thee by Thy invisible confirmations, Thy eternal assistance and
merciful bestowals to aid the Sublime Ottoman State and the Muh. am-
madan Caliphate to be firmly established on earth and on the throne. Protect
its domains from disasters and guard the centre of its caliphate [Istanbul]
from misfortunes.
O Lord! Preserve it in the shelter of Thy defence and care, guard it
with the eye of Thy loving-kindness and extend to it Thy merciful glance,
for it safeguards the blessed and luminous Spot [Haifa/Akka], shelters the
Vale of Sinai and extends the shade of its protective canopy over the heads
of the Loved Ones [Bahá’ís].
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Verily, Thou art, the Most
Powerful, the Almighty.30

This prayer is purely of historical interest, in that the Ottoman Empire
and the Caliphate are no longer in existence, both having been summarily
abolished under the direct influence of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1924—
or, more precisely, the Ottoman Empire collapsed as a result of its defeat in
World War I. Although this prayer may be seen as an expression of enlight-
ened self-interest on the part of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in petitioning, by
implica-
tion, for the protection of Bahá’í persons and property within Ottoman
domains, it is axiomatic that the litmus test of whether or not a given state
has acted with justice and fairness is its treatment of all minorities, reli-
gious and otherwise.
While Ottoman protection of Bahá’í holy places went far in securing
them and preserving them intact, such safeguards were not always extended
to the rights of the Bahá’í religious minority. So, along with the fall of
the

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “Prayer for the Ottoman State and Caliphate,” with
provisional transla-
tion by Alkan. Brief advice on his provisional translation was given, courtesy
of the Research
Department of the Universal House of Justice, in a letter dated August 12,
2020, to Alkan and
myself. For the original Arabic text, see az Makátíb-i ʻAbdu’l- Bahá,
2:31, at http://
reference.bahai.org/fa/t/ab/MA2/ma2-312.html; accessed December 13, 2018.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 578                                                       
                                  10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                    579

Ottoman state and the Caliphate, this Bahá’í prayer ceased to be offered
on
their behalf, which is why this particular Bahá’í prayer for good gover-
nance is of historical interest only—not because the rights of Bahá’ís
were
sometimes not protected. Yet, this prayer’s underlying principles may be
studied for phenomenological and functional purposes, especially as they
reappear and are articulated in other Bahá’í prayers for good governance.

Prayer for America
After the Young Turk revolution of 1908, all political prisoners in the
Ottoman Empire were liberated, including ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Putting into
practice the Bahá’í ethic of earning one’s own livelihood,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
undertook a successful land purchase and farming enterprise in the Jor-
dan Valley, much of which was used to provide food and other resources
to the poor and needy in Palestine, especially during World War I.31
During 1911–13, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá traveled abroad to North Africa, Europe,
and North America to promulgate Bahá’u’lláh’s universal teachings. On
May 6, 1912, in Cleveland, Ohio, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá made this remarkable
prophecy regarding America’s future destiny: “The American continent
gives signs and evidences of very great advancement; its future is even
more promising, for its influence and illumination are far-reaching, and
it will lead all nations spiritually.”32 The best-known Bahá’í prayer
for
good governance may well be ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s “Prayer for America,” as
found in standard American Bahá’í prayer books:
O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is turning to Thee. These hearts are
radiant with Thy love. These minds and spirits are exhilarated by the mes-
sage of Thy glad-tidings. O God! Let this American democracy become
glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to material degrees, and
render this just government victorious. Confirm this revered nation to
upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most
Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among

Iraj Poostchi, “Adasiyyah: A Study in Agriculture and Rural Development,”
Bahá’í Stud-
ies Review, vol. 16 (2010), pp. 61–105 (reference courtesy of Sen McGlinn,
November 23, 2018).
See also Roderic Maude and Derwent Maude, The Servant, the General, &
Armageddon
(Oxford, U.K.: George Ronald, 1998).
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace (Wilmette, IL: Bahai
Publishing
Trust, 1982), p. 104.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 579                                                       
                                10/18/21 3:17 PM
580       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

all the nations of the world. O God! This American nation is worthy of
Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy. Make it precious and near to
Thee through Thy bounty and bestowal.33

This prayer is presumed to have been recorded contemporaneously, in
the original Persian, by one of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s entourage of
secretaries,
whose practice it was to record, by way of “real time” notes, the exact
words
of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s extemporaneous talks and speeches delivered while
trav-
eling. At the same time, stenographic notes were routinely taken of the
English translations of the same talks that were simultaneously offered, in
the language of the host country. However, no Persian original for this
prayer has been found to date, as the Research Department explained in a
Memorandum, dated July 20, 2017, to the Universal House of Justice:
Dr. Buck also asks for comment on the authenticity of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
other prayer for America beginning “O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is
turning to Thee”. As he mentions, this prayer appears at the end of a talk
that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave on 30 April 1912 at the public meeting concluding
the Bahá’í Temple Unity Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Joseph H.
Hannen took the notes from which the published version was con-
structed. The Research Department has not, to date, obtained the origi-
nal Persian transcript of the talk in question, and the World Centre does
not hold a copy of the notes taken by Mr. Hannen. However, in Mah.-
múd’s Diary,[1] the entry for 30 April 1912 includes a brief reference to
the
prayer with which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ended His talk. Moreover, the talk and
prayer were published in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s lifetime in “Star of the
West”,
volume 3, number 3 (April 28, 1912), in an addendum to this issue titled
“Wisdom-Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, given at Chicago, Ill., April 30th to
May
5th, 1912”.34

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “Prayer for America,” in Bahá’í Prayers: A
Selection of Prayers Revealed by
Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdul-Bahá (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 1991), p. 25. This
prayer was revealed on April 30, 1912, during ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s “Talk at
Public Meeting Conclud-
ing Convention of Bahá’í Temple Unity, Drill Hall, Masonic Temple,
Chicago, Illinois,” and
“Translated by Dr. Ameen U. Fareed and taken stenographically by Joseph H.
Hannen,” in
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 67.
Research Department, “Prayers for America,” Memorandum to the Universal
House
of Justice ( July 20, 2017), citing Mah.múd’s Diary: The Diary of Mírzá
Mah.múd-i-Zarqání
Chronicling ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Journey to America, tr. Mohi Sobhani
(Oxford, U.K.: George Ron-
ald, 1998), p. 71.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 580                                                       
                                     10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                       581

In the absence of a Persian original for this “Prayer for America,” there
is some question, therefore, as to whether ‘Abdu’l-Bahá actually used the
word “democracy” or if this was a benign interpolation on the part of the
translator.35 That said, there is no question that the “Most Great Peace”
is
an important Bahá’í term, used to express the anticipated world common-
wealth, which would emerge in due course, ultimately evolving to such
degree that it would usher in a future golden age of world civilization. One
of the avowed purposes of the Bahá’í Faith is to help establish the condi-
tions necessary for such a world civilization to come about. As a necessary
precondition, the consciousness of the oneness of humankind must first be
established, as this is the fundamental foundation upon which the world
commonwealth can, and must, be based.
In this invocation, there is something of a hoped-for, part-to-whole
relationship between the immediate audience and America itself. The idea
is that, somehow, “the message of Thy glad-tidings”—by which the
“minds
and spirits” of those present are “exhilarated”—can and will promote
the
message of world unity, which is at the heart and soul of the Bahá’í Faith
and may be said to characterize the nature and essence of the Bahá’í
social
gospel and discourse.
When America (or, for that matter, any other nation) endeavors “to
upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity” and “to promulgate the
Most Great Peace,” this will “thereby” redound to America’s honor and
glory by way of international prestige and acclaim. This can occur only if
“this American democracy” actually advances “in spiritual degrees even
as
it has aspired to material degrees.” Once those conditions are met, then
America’s “just government” will be rendered “victorious.”
So, it seems clear that the primary function of this prayer for America’s
good governance is to promote world unity and, thereby, international

Shoghi Effendi stated that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s prayer for America was
“revealed”: “A prayer
revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for America was presented by the elected
national representatives of
the United States Bahá’í Community to President Eisenhower, who
acknowledged its receipt
in warm terms and above his own signature” (Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the
Bahá’í World:
1950–1957 [Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1971], p. 96). For a
discussion of “authentica-
tion by citation” by Shoghi Effendi, see the brief discussion in Buck, God &
Apple Pie, p. 327,
and n. 101, quoting and commenting on this pronouncement: “The Universal
House of Justice
has asked us to affirm that the utterances of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted in the
writings of the Guard-
ian can be taken as authentic” (letter dated June 15, 2000, to an
individual, quoted in a letter by
the Universal House of Justice, dated August 20, 2014, to the present writer).

19544-JES_56.4.indd 581                                                       
                                     10/18/21 3:17 PM
582       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

peace and prosperity, which, of course, will also redound to America’s
enlightened self-interest and goodwill. This is a clear condition for Ameri-
ca’s spiritual and ultimate success as a nation—if America takes its
oppor-
tunity to promote and materially advance ideal international relations. In
this prayer, America’s leadership is not seen as one of dominance but,
rather, as a catalyst in hastening the advent of world peace and prosperity.

Another Prayer for America
Another Bahá’í prayer for America exists—this time, with the original
Persian text extant.36 The English translation is as follows:
O Lord! Bestow Thy gracious aid and confirmation upon this just
government. This country lieth beneath the sheltering shadow of Thy
protection and this people is in Thy service. O Lord! Confer upon them
Thy heavenly bounty and render the outpourings of Thy grace and favor
copious and abundant. Suffer this esteemed nation to be held in honor
and enable it to be admitted into Thy kingdom.
Thou art the Powerful, the Omnipotent, the Merciful, and Thou art
the Generous, the Beneficent, the Lord of grace abounding.37

This prayer for America is part of a longer prayer included in the section for
“Gatherings” in the standard American Bahá’í prayer book; it has not
received a great deal of attention as a prayer for America as such.
Consistent with the previous prayer, divine blessings are invoked for
America, presumably for the continued furtherance of “Thy service,”
which is not specified here but is clear from the context of the talk that
‘Abdu’l-Bahá delivered on May 26, 1912, at the Mount Morris Baptist
Church in New York. The ideal outcomes, in fact, are presented in the text

The original Persian text of the full prayer (in which the prayer for America
is embed-
ded) has been published in Khit.ábát, vol. 2; see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
Majmú‘ih-yi Khit.ábát H.ad.rat-i
‘Abdu’l-Bahá fí Úrúpá va Ámríká (“Collected Talks of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Europe and America”),
vol. 2 (Hofheim-Langenhain, Germany: Bahá’í-Verlag, BE 127/1970–71;
repr. in one vol.,
1984), pp. 96–97. The short prayer for America begins on p. 97, on the
middle of the sixth line
from the bottom of the page, beginning with “Khudá” (“O Lord!”). See
https://reference.
bahai.org/fa/t/ab/KA2/ka2-101.html and
https://reference.bahai.org/fa/t/ab/KA2/ka2-102.
html (courtesy of Adib Masumian, personal communication, March 28, 2020).
‘Abdul-Bahá, “26 May 1912, Talk at Mount Morris Baptist Church, Fifth
Avenue and
126th Street, New York,” in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal
Peace, p. 150; and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í Prayers.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 582                                                       
                                    10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance      583

of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talk in the paragraph immediately preceding the
prayer:
“Let us endeavor to attain capacity, susceptibility and worthiness that we
may hear the call of the glad tidings of the Kingdom, become revivified by
the breaths of the Holy Spirit, hoist the standard of the oneness of human-
ity, establish human brotherhood, and under the protection of divine grace
attain the everlasting and eternal life.”38
This prayer is aspirational as well as inspirational. In the conclusion of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talk, delivered from the pulpit in the Baptist sanctuary
on
that occasion, the exhortation to “endeavor to attain capacity, susceptibil-
ity and worthiness” is to enable listeners to “hear the call of the glad
tidings
of the Kingdom,” which is not the gospel of Jesus Christ (as, we may sur-
mise, most of the listeners understood this religious, even Christian
expression) but, rather, as the news of the coming of a new Messenger of
God, Bahá’u’lláh, along with the call, in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s words,
to “hoist the
standard of the oneness of humanity” and to “establish human brother-
hood.” Whether ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s call to “endeavor to attain capacity,
suscep-
tibility and worthiness” is seen as a set of preconditions—or equally (and
more usefully, perhaps) seen as the logical outcome of a certain course of
action—good results may flow from well-intentioned efforts. To what
extent any of the listeners may have understood and appreciated this
underlying message is even more conditional, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá himself
commented: “Some hearts may be affected, then soon forget; others owing
to superstitious ideas and imaginations may even fail to hear and under-
stand; but the blessed souls who are attentive to my exhortation and admo-
nition, listening with the ear of acceptance, allowing my words to penetrate
effectively, will advance day by day toward full fruition, yea even to the
Supreme Concourse.”39 The next prayer is of particular importance and
interest.

“A Prayer for the confirmation of the American Government”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá revealed the first Bahá’í prayer for America sometime
around
1900. He later praised the American model of government and said, “Hav-
ing traveled from coast to coast, I find the United States of America vast

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 149.
Ibid.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 583                                                       
                       10/18/21 3:17 PM
584       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

and progressive, the government just and equitable, the nation noble and
independent . . . worthy of raising the flag of brotherhood and international
agreement.”40 However, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá repeatedly challenged America to
fulfill its role of peacemaker in the world, stating, “America has become
renowned for her discoveries, inventions and artistic skill, famous for
equity of government and stupendous undertakings; now may she also
become noted and celebrated as the herald and messenger of Universal
Peace.”41 This prayer for America—for which an authenticated Arabic
original exists—was originally published as a provisional translation in
Star of the West, a Bahá’í periodical.42 In 2017, the Universal House of
Jus-
tice released an authorized translation, accompanied by a Memorandum
that reads, in part, as follows:
Dr. Buck requests an authorized translation of the prayer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
beginning “Alláhumma yá mu’ayyid kull-i sult.atin ‘ádila(tin)” and
asks
whether it was revealed specifically for America. The prayer in question is
authentic, and its original Arabic text is held in the Archives at the
Bahá’í
World Centre. The manuscript includes the following heading in English:
“A Prayer for the confirmation of the American Government.” Moreover,
in a message dated January 4, 1982, to a National Spiritual Assembly, the
Universal House of Justice stated that the prayer was “specifically revealed
for the U.S. Government.” A 2017 authorized translation of the prayer
follows:43

. . . O my God! O Thou Who endowest every just power and equitable
dominion with abiding glory and everlasting might, with permanence and
stability, with constancy and honour! Aid Thou by Thy heavenly grace
every government that acteth justly towards its subjects and every sover-
eign authority, derived from Thee, that shieldeth the poor and the weak
under the banner of its protection.

Ibid., pp. 386–387.
Ibid., p. 27.
See ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “A Prayer for the confirmation of the American
Government:
Revealed about the Year 1900,” Star of the West 8 (September 27, 1917): 141,
at https://bahai.
works/Star_of_the_West/Volume_8/Issue_11/Text; accessed December 13, 2018. See
also
Star of the West 9 ( June 24, 1918): 75, at
https://bahai.works/Star_of_the_West/Volume_9/
Issue_6/Text; accessed December 13, 2018.
Bahá’í World Centre, Research Department, Memorandum, “Prayers for
America”
( July 20, 2017).

19544-JES_56.4.indd 584                                                       
                                  10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                      585

I beseech Thee, by Thy divine grace and surpassing bounty, to aid this
just government, the canopy of whose authority is spread over vast and
mighty lands and the evidences of whose justice are apparent in its pros-
perous and flourishing regions. Assist, O my God, its hosts, raise aloft its
ensigns, bestow influence upon its word and its utterance, protect its
lands, increase its honour, spread its fame, reveal its signs, and unfurl its
banner through Thine all-subduing power and Thy resplendent might in
the kingdom of creation.
Thou, verily, aidest whomsoever Thou willest, and Thou, verily, art the
Almighty, the Most Powerful.44

The original Arabic text of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s “A Prayer for the
confirma-
tion of the American Government” may be found online; it was previously
published in print in Muntakhabátí az
Makátíb-i-H.ad.rat-i-ʻAbdu’l-Bahá,
vol. 2, p. 313.45 A transliteration, into Latin characters, of the original
Arabic

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “Additional Prayers Revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,”
https://www.bahai.org/
library/authoritative- texts/abdul- baha/additional- prayers- revealed- abdul-
baha/190
618071/1#764030886; accessed April 24, 2021. The authorized translation was
released by the
Universal House of Justice, Bahá’í World Centre, e-mail communication,
July 23, 2017, with
attachments, in response to a request by Christopher Buck for an authorized
translation,
May 7, 2017.
See also ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “A Prayer for the confirmation of the American
Government,”
Arabic text published at
https://www.bahai.org/fa/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/
additional-tablets-talks-abdul-baha/292030620/1#768084884;
https://www.bahai.org/fa/lib
rary/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/additional-tablets-talks-abdul-baha/additional-tablets
-talks-abdul-baha.pdf, accessed December 13, 2018; and Muntakhabátí az
Makátíb-i-H.ad.rat-i-
ʻAbdu’l-Bahá, vol. 2, p. 313, at
http://reference.bahai.org/fa/t/ab/MA2/ma2-313.html, accessed
December 13, 2018 (reference courtesy of Omid Ghaemmaghami, personal
communication,
May 7, 2017, and Adib Masumian, August 25, 2017). See also the following
information pro-
vided by Bahá’í scholar, Steven Phelps: “AB06000. 130 words, Ara. Mss:
None. Pubs: BRL.
DAK#53, MKT2.313. Trans: BRL.APAB#17, SW v08#11 p.141, SW v09#06 p.075, SW
v24#09
p.258, JHT .A#001. O my God! O Thou Who endowest every just power and
equitable dominion
with abiding glory . . . Notes: Prayer for confirmation of the American
Government” (Steven
Phelps, Loom of Reality: A Partial Inventory of the Works of the Central
Figures of the Bahá’í
Faith [Version 2.02, November 3, 2020], p. 494,
http://blog.loomofreality.org/wp-content/
uploads/2020/12/Partial-Inventory-2.02.pdf; accessed April 24, 2021). As to
the manuscript of
this prayer, note that “its original Arabic text is held in the Archives at
the Bahá’í World Cen-
tre” as stated in the Memorandum cited above at n. 43. See
https://www.bahai.org/fa/library/
authoritative- texts/abdul- baha/additional- tablets- talks- abdul-
baha/292030620/1#768
084884; accessed March 28, 2020. In Phelps’s Inventory, the category,
“Mss,” refers to “publicly
available” manuscripts, of which there are none known at present, such that
the manuscript
archived in the Bahá’í International Archives is unique and, therefore,
exists in “splendid isola-
tion,” as scholars say.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 585                                                       
                                    10/18/21 3:17 PM
586       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

text of this prayer for America is as follows—so that, when read aloud, the
reader can approximate the sound of the Arabic original as well:
Alláhumma, yá mu’ayyidu kulli sult.atin ‘ádilatin wa salt.anatin
qásit.atin
‘alá ’l-‘izzati ’l-abadiyyati wa ’l-qudrati ’s-sarmadiyyati wa
’l-baqá’i wa ’l-is-
tiqrári wa ’th-thabáti wa ’l-iftikhár. Ayyid bi-fayd.i rah.mániyyatika
kulla
h.ukúmatin ta’dilu bayna ra’áyáhá wa kulla sult.atin mamnúh.atin
minka tah.
mí al-fuqará’i wa ’d-du’afá’i biráyátihá.
As’aluka bi-fayd.i qudsika wa s.ayyibi fad.lika an tu’ayyida hádhihi
’l-h.
ukúmata ’l-‘ádilata ’llatí d.arabat at.nába khibá’ihá ‘alá
mamáliki wási‘atin
shási’atin wa az.harat al-‘adálata burhánihá fí aqálímihá
’l-‘ámirati
’l-báhira.
Alláhumma, ayyid junúdahá wa ráyátahá wa naffidh kalimatahá wa
áyátihá wa ah.mi h.amahá wa rá‘i dhimárahá wa adhi‘ s.ítahá wa
shayyi‘
áthárahá wa i‘la ‘alamahá bi-quwwatika ’l-qáhirati ‘alá
’l-ashyá’i wa quw-
watika ’l-báhirati fí malakúti ’l-inshá’. Innaka anta mu’ayyidu
man tashá’
wa innaka anta ’l-muqtadiru ’l-qadír.46

Apart from the English note that appears on the original Arabic manu-
script, there is no internal evidence that appears to be specific to America
itself. That fact may lend a certain universality to this particular prayer,
which may commend it for use as a prayer for good governance for other
countries as well. That said, what follows are some observations on this
prayer, with an American context in mind.
From my perspective, this is a universal statement of principle that ide-
ally applies to every established government throughout the world. Such
language is general and certainly not specific to America, as the first para-
graph applies to “every government that acteth justly towards its
subjects”
and to “every sovereign authority . . . that shieldeth the poor and the weak
under the banner of its protection.” Such governments will be aided by
God, according to this prayer. First and foremost is protecting the poor
and weak, as well as extending protections and justice to all subjects within
any given country.
The second paragraph of the prayer may concern America, although
not by name. The descriptions certainly fit: America is a “just
government.”
Here, based on Shoghi Effendi’s interpretation of what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
meant

Transliteration by Joshua Hall, January, 2017; corrections courtesy of Omid
Ghaem-
maghami and Alkan.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 586                                                       
                           10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                     587

by a “just government,” the word “just” really means “duly
constituted”:
“What the Master’s statement really means is obedience to a duly consti-
tuted government, whatever that government may be in form. We are not
the ones, as individual Bahá’ís, to judge our government as just or
unjust.”47
That said, the earnest hope that this prayer expresses is that America—
duly constituted as a “just government”—will continue to govern with
jus-
tice for all. The prayer goes on to describe America as having a “canopy of
. . . authority” that “is spread over vast and mighty lands” and to
praise “the
evidences” of its “justice,” which are “apparent in its prosperous and
flour-
ishing regions.”
What does this prayer specifically ask God to do when it comes to aid-
ing and assisting America as a nation? Here, God is asked to bless, guide,
and empower America in nine distinct ways:

1. “aid this just government”: “God bless America!” is a familiar
phrase,
especially at the end of presidential speeches. Much of this prayer may
similarly be recapitulated as, “Behold how God has blessed America!”
Regardless of how well (or not so well) America may be doing, this
prayer inspires continued faith in America, at least in terms of fulfilling
its ideal potential, which Bahá’í authoritative sources variously refer to
as “America’s spiritual destiny.” It remains, therefore, for each
citizen to
ask God to “aid this just government,” by continuing to inspire, enno-
ble, and enable America’s public policy and the exercise of good gover-
nance. So, beseeching God to “aid this just government” is a general
invocation for divine assistance to America in every respect, whether as
to America’s legislative, judicial, or executive branches; or to America’s
state of affairs, domestically and abroad; or to America’s economic, cul-
tural, social, educational, and scientific military capabilities.
2. “Assist . . . its hosts”: Here, “hosts” presumably refers to all
civil servants,
including America’s executive forces, whether police or military. Read-
ers may be familiar with the biblical expression, “the Lord of hosts”
(1 Sam. 17:45), where, as here, “hosts” means either the “heavenly
host”
or earthly forces, principally the military. More broadly, “hosts” can
also simply mean a large number of people—such as the people of one
country.

Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian (National Spiritual Assembly of
the Bahá’ís
of the Hawaiian Islands) (New Delhi: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, India,
1973), p. 56.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 587                                                       
                                 10/18/21 3:17 PM
588       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

3. “raise aloft its ensigns”: “Ensigns” typically means “flags,”
which can be a
symbol for America’s standards, values, and reputation and for Ameri-
ca’s influence in the world at large. To “raise aloft” means to exalt,
uplift, and otherwise promote. There would be no other reason or pur-
pose for God to do so unless this were meant to further or fulfill a
greater social good for the world generally.
4. “bestow influence upon its word and its utterance”: The way in which
“raise aloft its ensigns” is described above aptly characterizes this
invo-
cation as well, which asks God to increase America’s influence for the
betterment of the world. Obviously, by “influence” is not meant
strengthening America’s ability to align other nations with America’s
values and policies merely for America’s own sake. Here, “influence”
presupposes a positive influence, as well as earning and enjoying the
respect of other nations vis-à-vis America, ideally.
5. “protect its lands”: America, as every nation, has its own security
inter-
ests. Protection, first of all, involves domestic peace and tranquility,
economic stability, and, ideally, prosperity. There may even be an
“environmental” dimension here, as none of this can happen without
America’s “lands” remaining in good shape, without serious damage
due to environmental pollution, degradation, and climate change—
which, to a certain extent, may be regarded as a national security issue,
as well as a global environmental crisis of somewhat existential, world-
historical proportions. There is, moreover, much to commend the idea
that what is best for the world redounds to America’s enlightened self-
interest, that is, good for one and all alike.
6. “increase its honour”: In the business sense, “honor”—as
“goodwill”—
is a key intangible asset that can even be quantified in business valua-
tion. To increase America’s honor redounds not only to America’s
benefit but also, in theory if not in practice, to those countries under
America’s ideally benign influence, if and when economic values are
anchored in human values and where humanitarian objectives take
precedence over purely material interests.
7. “spread its fame”: “Fame” also has to do with reputation, in the
sense of
having a “good name” and enjoying the “goodwill” of the international
community at large. Fame should be well deserved and worthy of
honor. Otherwise, fame can turn into infamy.
8. “reveal its signs”: Here, “signs” can be understood to mean not
only
symbols but also intentions, mission and purpose, values, policies, and

19544-JES_56.4.indd 588                                                       
                        10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance      589

alliances and commitments, where good governance, domestically,
translates into effective diplomacy and efficacy in the arena of interna-
tional relations.
9. “unfurl its banner through Thine all-subduing power and Thy resplendent
might in the kingdom of creation”: “Banner” is likely the equivalent of
“signs,” which also might be understood as a dual reference to “evi-
dences.” “Unfurl its banner” may also suggest extending America’s
positive influence, if it arises to fulfill its destiny to “lead all nations
spiritually.”48

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s “A Prayer for the confirmation of the American Govern-
ment,” if widely invoked, has significant potential for inspiring and exert-
ing a leavening social influence—that is, its ability to potentialize and
realize ambitious and noble domestic and international initiatives.
Although this prayer is optimistic—and emphasizes and encourages a pos-
itive world role that America has the opportunity and enhanced potential
to exercise—America’s prospective moral and social leadership have been
compromised by a number of unresolved issues and social maladies that
threaten the very fabric of American society. That said, this is a prayer for
blessings that will redound to the greater good of the world. In a letter
dated February 25, 2017, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of
the United States stated:
At this pivotal juncture in our nation’s history, our foremost responsi-
bility is to everywhere affirm—in the Name of Bahá’u’lláh—the truth
of
the oneness of humanity in a manner that will have an impact for decades
to come. We must accelerate our efforts to remove the stains of prejudice
and injustice from the fabric of our society. As you take up this call with
courage and zeal, we ask that you keep the following concepts in mind.
The tensions, divisions, and injustices that currently beset America
are symptoms of a longstanding illness. The nation is afflicted with a deep
spiritual disorder, manifest in rampant materialism, widespread moral
decay, and a deeply ingrained racial prejudice. As a result, millions of our
fellow Americans, subject to systemic injustices in many facets of life, are
prevented from making their full contributions to society and of partak-
ing fully in its benefits. No one is immune to this disorder—we are all

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 104.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 589                                                       
                      10/18/21 3:17 PM
590       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

members of this society and to some degree suffer the effects of its mala-
dies. That we live in a critical time can be seen in the way essential ques-
tions of identity, social vision, and global relations are being raised to a
degree not seen in decades. Increasing numbers of our fellow-citizens are
actively in search of solutions both moral and practical to answer them.
The resolution to these challenges lies in recognizing and embracing
the truth at the heart of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation—the
incontrovertible
truth that humanity is one. Ignorance of this truth—which embodies the
very spirit of the Age—is itself a form of oppression, for without it, it is
impossible to build a truly just and peaceful world.49

Note that this prayer is expressed in an ideal way. In a very real sense, it
sets forth certain preconditions for good governance, in that “every gov-
ernment” should act “justly towards its subjects” and “every sovereign
authority” should shield “the poor and the weak under the banner of its
protection.” Ideally, any government, if acting with good governance, can
aspire to better “protect its lands,” “increase its honour,” and
“spread its
fame”—to thereby “reveal its signs” and “unfurl its banner” by
virtue of its
just reputation and good name.
Bahá’ís should—and often do—pray for their governments. Praying for
one’s government also means praying for good governance, for they are one
and the same. Shoghi Effendi, after all, stated that “a sane and intelligent
patriotism” is perfectly in keeping with the Bahá’í teachings, as well
as
upholding “the allegiance and loyalty of any individual to his country,”
as
long as national loyalties give way to a “wider loyalty” to all of
humankind.50
The Bahá’í Faith, explained Shoghi Effendi, subordinates or relativizes
patriotism, in particular, within the broader context of world citizenship,
in general:
It [the Bahá’í Faith] calls for a wider loyalty, which should not, and
indeed does not, conflict with lesser loyalties. It instills a love which, in
view of its scope, must include and not exclude the love of one’s own coun-
try. It lays, through this loyalty which it inspires, and this love which it
infuses, the only foundation on which the concept of world citizenship

See National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States,
Letter “To the
American Bahá’í Community” (February 25, 2017), at
https://www.bahai.us/static/assets/
20170225-NSA-on-America-and-the-Five-Year-Plan.pdf; accessed December 13,
2018.
Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day Is Come, p. 122.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 590                                                       
                              10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance          591

can thrive, and the structure of world unification can rest. It does insist,
however, on the subordination of national considerations and particular-
istic interests to the imperative and paramount claims of humanity as a
whole, inasmuch as in a world of interdependent nations and peoples the
advantage of the part is best to be reached by the advantage of the whole.51

The Bahá’í concept of “a sane and intelligent patriotism” can include
praying for the welfare of one’s national government and for divine assis-
tance in its exercise of good governance. Each of us can do our part in help-
ing our respective governments to act “justly towards its subjects” and to
shield “the poor and the weak under the banner of its protection”—and to
make this world a better world.
Since, internally, “A Prayer for the confirmation of the American Gov-
ernment” appears to have no distinctively specific reference to America,
this prayer therefore lends itself as a prayer for good governance for any
and all governments. In fact, that title, although appearing in the autho-
rized published Arabic text, is omitted from the authorized English trans-
lation itself. Although there is no published guidance on its usage, the fact
that the authorized English translation omits the original heading in the
authoritative online publication (notwithstanding the fact that the English
inscription, “A Prayer for the confirmation of the American Government,”
appears in the original Arabic manuscript itself) implies no restriction
whatsoever for which government this prayer can be offered—that is, it
presumably can be prayed for other governments as well. Obviously, it can
be used as a prayer for America, and the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of the United States plans on including this prayer for America in
the next U.S. edition of Baha’i Prayers. That said, this prayer could just
as
easily be used as a prayer for good governance for any government across
the world since it is quite universal in its intrinsic content. That, of
course,
is purely a matter of personal preference, and, in so saying, I offer this
observation as a purely private interpretation.

Conclusion
At the beginning of this essay, Jewish, Christian (Catholic), and Islamic
prayers for good governance in the American context were introduced as
Ibid.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 591                                                       
                   10/18/21 3:17 PM
592       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

phenomenological parallels to Bahá’í prayers for good governance. Several
such Bahá’í prayers were then offered as exemplars, along with prelimi-
nary phenomenological and functional analyses. Although not a universal
Bahá’í practice, Bahá’u’lláh, in his last will and testament,
encouraged, if
not obliged, Bahá’ís to pray for their rulers, which is effectively the
same as
praying for good governance.
Bahá’u’lláh’s injunction to pray for one’s rulers is a precept that
‘Abdu’l-
Bahá himself put into practice—and to good practical effect, since doing
so redounds to the benefit of the state and its citizens alike. Moreover, he
revealed several prayers for good governance for use by the Bahá’ís them-
selves. Several such prayers have been presented here, with some com-
ments as to their respective historical contexts. On analysis, these prayers
exhort and encourage governments to assist the poor, to protect the
oppressed, and, implicitly, to safeguard religious minority rights—includ-
ing those of the Bahá’ís, whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá represented. The prayers
for
good governance that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá revealed are comparable to prayers for
good governance in other religious traditions—both phenomenologically
and functionally—in that they offer similar features, such as invoking
divine blessings for governments that are just, equitable, and protective of
the poor and oppressed. In pursuing such noble undertakings—pursuant
to their God-given mission and mandate—governments can attract the
divine blessings, that is, “confirmations.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s “A Prayer for the confirmation of the American Govern-
ment” expresses the ideal not only that America should champion world-
wide peace and prosperity but also that its noble founding ideals and
principles would enjoy considerable influence in the global community of
nations if America arises to fulfill its spiritual destiny in serving as a
catalyst
in bringing about world peace and prosperity. The Bahá’í teachings
indicate
that such influence cannot be won by sheer might or the brutal force of arms
but by righting what is wrong in the world—that is, addressing and redress-
ing injustices, inequities, inequalities, imbalances, and impoverishment
internationally—even if done so out of enlightened self-interest. Ideally,
all of this can come true if America, for its part, is true to its founding
principles, by way of proactive leadership in such ways as championing
human rights, respecting national self-determination, recognizing and
protecting territorial sovereignty, encouraging democratic representation,

19544-JES_56.4.indd 592                                                       
                       10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                  593

and promoting international cooperation and unity—scientific as well as
political. That said, note (as previously stated) that there is nothing
distinc-
tively or quintessentially or exclusively “American” about this particular
prayer. Indeed, it is a universal prayer for the spiritual and moral support
of
any “just and equitable sovereignty”—which includes every duly consti-
tuted government that strives to govern in the public interest, for the com-
monweal, and for the welfare of one and all.
The Bahá’í “Prayer for America” is universal, egalitarian, cosmopoli-
tan—and, most importantly, nonpartisan. This unique prayer renders the
venerable presidential benediction—“God bless America!”—more possi-
ble, more plausible, more immediate, and more realizable, by encouraging
each of us to do our part to heal the racial, religious, class, gender, and
other divisions, barriers, and inequities that the United States of America
and many other nations have yet to address fully. The Bahá’í teachings
uni-
versalize nationalisms into universalisms, wherein “God bless America!”
expands, in scope and with sincere hope, into a global benediction of “God
bless Earth!” Or, as Bahá’í philosopher, Alain Locke (1885–1954),
stated so
succinctly, yet eloquently, “Eventually, however, just as world-mindedness
must dominate and remould [sic] nation-mindedness, so we must trans-
form eventually race-mindedness into human-mindedness.”52
Bahá’í prayers for good governance orient those offering such prayers to
be mindful of their own roles as good citizens, whereby good citizenship—
in pursuit of progressive social transformation—ideally complements, aids,
and advances the exercise of good governance by respective governments
around the world and serves as a reminder of the desirability and need for
all citizens, in all nations, to manifest civic virtues, that is, personal
qualities
that contribute to the effective functioning of civil and political order, in
furtherance of its values and principles.
Meanwhile, Bahá’ís are presently engaged in “community building”
efforts worldwide to edify their respective societies by offering spiritual
and
moral education for children, youth, and adults through children’s classes,

Alain Locke, “Stretching Our Social Mind” (1944), in “Alain Locke: Four
Talks Rede-
fining Democracy, Education, and World Citizenship,” ed. and intro.
Christopher Buck and
Betty J. Fisher, World Order, vol. 38, no. 3 (2006/2007), p. 30,
https://www.academia.
edu/29901174/_Alain_Locke_Four_Talks_Redefining_Democracy_Education_and
_World_Citizenship_2008_; accessed April 24, 2021.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 593                                                       
                            10/18/21 3:17 PM
594       Journal of Ecumenical Studies • 56:4

junior youth groups, devotional gatherings, and study circles.53 While the
collective efficacy and impact of Bahá’í prayers for good governance may
be difficult, if not impossible, to determine, such prayers have intrinsic
merit and extrinsic outcomes: the positive social actions that such prayers
inspire. They are ecumenical and interfaith in nature, universal in scope,
altruistic in their intentions, optimistic in their outlook, auspicious in
their
endeavors, and constructive in their ideal outcomes, for such Bahá’í
prayers wish the very best for all of humankind.
In closing, Bahá’u’lláh’s injunction, “Pray ye on their behalf ”54
—
enjoined in the Kitáb-i-‘Ahd (Book of the Covenant)—is a “covenantal”
obligation on the part of all Bahá’ís. Bahá’u’lláh’s solemn
exhortation
was extended by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the education of children, by recom-
mending “the repeating of prayers for the well-being of ruler and
ruled.”55
In the Tablet of Glad-Tidings, Bahá’u’lláh closed with this prayer for
rul-
ers: “We earnestly beseech God—exalted be His glory—to aid the rulers
and sovereigns, who are the exponents of power and the daysprings of
glory, to enforce His laws and ordinances. He is in truth the Omnipo-
tent, the All-Powerful, He Who is wont to answer the call of men.”56 This
is essentially a prayer for good governance since the “laws and ordi-
nances” of Bahá’u’lláh embody universal principles and practices of
good
governance. Bahá’u’lláh’s exhortation, “Pray ye on their behalf,”
is not
only for the benefit of the governing elite but for their respective citizens
and denizens as well—all of whom, collectively and ultimately, are
“world citizens” in their shared, one-planet destiny.

Christopher Buck (Bahá’í) has a B.A. from Pacific Lutheran University,
Tacoma,
WA; an M.A. from the University of Calgary, AB; and a Ph.D. (1996) in the
academic

See, e.g., “The Development of a Worldwide Community,” at
https://www.bahai.org/
action/response-call-bahaullah/development-worldwide-community; accessed
December 13,
2018.
Bahá’u’lláh, “Kitáb-i-‘Ahd (Book of the Covenant),” Tablets of
Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after
the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 220.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, from a Tablet, translated from the Persian, A Compilation
on Bahá’í Educa-
tion, compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice
(Haifa: Bahá’í
World Centre, August, 1976), p. 33.
Bahá’u’lláh, “Bishárát (Glad-Tidings),” Tablets of
Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-
Aqdas, p. 29.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 594                                                       
                                      10/18/21 3:17 PM
Buck • Bahá’í Prayers for Good Governance                 595

study of religion from the University of Toronto. In 2006, he received a J.D.
from the
Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Lansing, MI. He has taught at Carleton
University,
Ottawa, ON (1993–96); Millikin University, Decatur, IL (1997–99); Quincy
(IL)
University (2000–01); Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant (2002–03);
Michi-
gan State University, E. Lansing (2000–04); and Pennsylvania State
University’s
McKeesport, PA, branch (2011). He has served since 2001 on the
distance-education
faculty of the Wilmette (IL) Institute. Since 2007, he has been an associate
attorney at
Pribanic and Pribanic in White Oak, PA, specializing in medical malpractice,
per-
sonal injury, and product liability cases. Hundreds of his articles and
reviews have
appeared in journals and encyclopedia and as book chapters and legal briefs.
Most
recent of his several books are God & Apple Pie: Religious Myths and Visions
of America
(Educator’s International Press, 2015), and Bahá’í Faith: The Basics
(ed.) (Routledge,
2020). He has lectured throughout North America and in Israel and serves on
the
Council of Religious Advisors at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.

19544-JES_56.4.indd 595                                                       
                          10/18/21 3:17 PM
    — Baha'i Prayers for Good Governance (Used by permission of the curator)