A Brief Course on the Baha'i Faith
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters.
Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Bahá'í World Centre, A
Brief Course on the Baha'i Faith, Kenya: Bahá'í Publishing Agency, 1993,
bahai-library.com.
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A

BRIEF COURSE
ON THE

BAHÁ’Í FAITH

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A Brief Course
on the Bahá’í Faith

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1. Proofs of the Existence of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2. The Need for Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3. The Immortality of the Human Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

4. Progressive Revelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

5. Maturity of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

6. Oneness of Mankind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

7. History of the Bahá’í Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

8. Bahá’í Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

9. The Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

10. Quotations from the Writings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

SOURCES

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Bahá’u’lláh      =   ESW
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh       =   GWB
The Hidden Words, Bahá’u’lláh                    =   HW
Bahá’í Prayers, U.S. 1991 ed.                    =   BP
The Covenant, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá                       =   TC
Foundations of World Unity, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá         =   FWU
The Power of the Covenant, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá          =   PC
The Promulgation of Universal Peace,             =   PUP
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá     =   SWA
Some Answered Questions, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá            =   SAQ
Tablets of the Divine Plan, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá         =   TDP
God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi                    =   GPB
The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, Shoghi Effendi   =   WOB
The Promise of World Peace, The Universal        =   PWP
House of Justice, 1985
The Bahá’í Faith An Introduction,                =   BFI
Gloria Faizi, 1989 ed.
The Bahá’í Faith: The Emerging Global            =   BF
Religion, Hatcher and Martin, 1985 ed.
The Covenant for Young People,                   =   CYP
Enoch Tanyi, 1991 ed.
The New Garden, Hushmand Fathea’zam,             =   NG
1991 ed.
The Renewal of Civilization, David Hofman,       =   RC
1981 ed.

INTRODUCTION

• A Brief Course on the Bahá’í Faith is a guide for those believers,
especially youth, who wish to deepen others enough to
become teachers of the Bahá’í Faith.

• Few teachers have sufficient time to explain the Bahá’í Faith
in great detail, so this book was compiled to explain some of the
basic Teachings to enable students to grasp a general understanding of the
Faith, thus preparing them to become teachers.

• To be a competent teacher you must know the material in
advance, well enough to answer basic questions, or at least
enough to help the student find the answer through independent investigation
of the truth.

• The preferred way to use this book is as follows: One topic
should be covered in one session, and since there are ten topics
there should be ten sessions. It has been suggested that the
teacher ask interested people to sacrifice ten mornings in a row,
then all interested students meet at dawn to study. The sessions
could range in time from one to two hours. Each day a new topic
should be covered and in less than two weeks a whole new set of
students could be taught.

• Discussion is to be encouraged as this helps everyone gain a
deeper understanding of the concepts.

• Each student should understand the topics presented in each
section before proceeding to the next topics for discussion.

• Try to memorize as many “words of God” as possible, since
these words have the greatest impact on the human soul, and
they can be recalled at any time, any place.

• As you gain more experience you will develop your own
teaching style, and through your growing knowledge of the
Bahá’í Faith you will have greater means to teach others.

• Teaching the Faith of God is an obligation for every Bahá’í.

• Although the ideas and concepts dealt with in this book cover
fundamental aspects of the Bahá’í Faith, it is by no means a
complete teachers guide. There are many excellent books which
explain the Faith in much greater detail, and further study is
encouraged.

1. PROOFS OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

[From: Some Answered Questions, pp. 5-6]

One of the proofs and demonstrations of the existence of
God is the fact that man did not create himself: nay, his creator
and designer is another than himself.
It is certain and indisputable that the creator of man is not
like man because a powerless creature cannot create another
being. The maker, the creator, has to possess all perfections in
order that he may create.
Can the creation be perfect and the creator imperfect? Can a
picture be a masterpiece and the painter imperfect in his art? For
it is his art and his creation. Moreover, the picture cannot be
like the painter; otherwise, the painting would have created
itself. However perfect the picture may be, in comparison with
the painter it is in the utmost degree of imperfection. . . .
It is certain that the whole contingent world is subjected to a
law and rule which it can never disobey; even man is forced to
submit to death, to sleep and to other conditions—that is to say,
man in certain particulars is governed, and necessarily this state
of being governed implies the existence of a governor. Because a
characteristic of contingent beings is dependency, and this dependency is an
essential necessity, therefore, there must be an
independent being whose independence is essential.
In the same way it is understood from the man who is sick
that there must be one who is in health; for if there were no
health, his sickness could not be proved.
Therefore, it becomes evident that there is an Eternal Almighty One, Who is
the possessor of all perfections, because
unless He possessed all perfections He would be like His creation.
Throughout the world of existence it is the same; the smallest
created thing proves that there is a creator. . . .
Praise be to God! The least change produced in the form of
the smallest thing proves the existence of a creator: then can this
great universe, which is endless, be self-created and come into
existence from the action of matter and the elements? How selfevidently wrong
is such a supposition!
These obvious arguments are adduced for weak souls; but if
the inner perception be open, a hundred thousand clear proofs
become visible. Thus, when man feels the in-dwelling spirit, he
is in no need of arguments for its existence; but for those who
are deprived of the bounty of the spirit, it is necessary to establish
external arguments.

Word Meanings:

indisputable: cannot be shown to be wrong.
masterpiece: a work done with special skill.
contingent:     subject to chance or unseen effects.
dependency: relying on something else for support.
self-evidently: shows itself clearly.
supposition: something that one thinks is true.

1. Questions: Proofs of the Existence of God

1. a. Does God exist?
1. b. What are the proofs of the existence of God?
1. c. Did man create himself?
1.d. What do we know about the contingent world?
1. e. Can the creature be as perfect as its Creator?
1. f. Give the names of the different worlds of God.

2. THE NEED FOR RELIGION

[From: Some Answered Questions, pp. 7-11]

When we consider existence, we see that the mineral, vegetable, animal and
human worlds are all in need of an educator.
If the earth is not cultivated, it becomes a jungle where useless weeds grow;
but if a cultivator comes and tills the ground, it
produces crops which nourish living creatures. It is evident,
therefore, that the soil needs the cultivation of the farmer. Consider the
trees: if they remain without a cultivator, they will be
fruitless, and without fruit they are useless; but if they receive
the care of a gardener, these same barren trees become fruitful,
and through cultivation, fertilization and engrafting the trees
which had bitter fruits yield sweet fruits. These are rational
proofs; in this age the peoples of the world need the arguments
of reason. . . .
But education is of three kinds: material, human and spiritual. Material
education is concerned with the progress and
development of the body, through gaining its sustenance, its
material comfort and ease. This education is common to animals and man.
Human education signifies civilization and progress—that is
to say, government, administration, charitable works, trades,
arts and handicrafts, sciences, great inventions and discoveries
and elaborate institutions, which are the activities essential to
man as distinguished from the animal.
Divine education is that of the Kingdom of God: it consists
in acquiring divine perfections, and this is true education; for in
this state man becomes the focus of divine blessings, the manifestation of the
words, “Let Us make man in Our image, and
after Our likeness.” [Gen. 1:26] This is the goal of the world of
humanity.
Now we need an educator who will be at the same time a
material, human and spiritual educator, and whose authority
will be effective in all conditions. So if anyone should say, “I
possess perfect comprehension and intelligence, and I have no
need of such an educator,” he would be denying that which is
clear and evident, as though a child should say, “I have no need
of education; I will act according to my reason and intelligence,
and so I shall attain the perfections of existence”; or as though
the blind should say, “I am in no need of sight, because many
other blind people exist without difficulty.”
Then it is plain and evident that man needs an educator, and
this educator must be unquestionably and indubitably perfect in
all respects and distinguished above all men. Otherwise, if he
should be like the rest of humanity, he could not be their educator, more
particularly because he must be at the same time their
material and human as well as their spiritual educator—that is
to say, he must teach men to organize and carry out physical
matters, and to form a social order in order to establish cooperation and
mutual aid in living so that material affairs may be
organized and regulated for any circumstances that may occur.
In the same way he must establish human education—that is to
say, he must educate intelligence and thought in such a way that
they may attain complete development, so that knowledge and
science may increase, and the reality of things, the mysteries of
beings and the properties of existence may be discovered; that,
day by day, instructions, inventions and institutions may be
improved; and from things perceptible to the senses conclusions
as to intellectual things may be deduced.
He must also impart spiritual education, so that intelligence
and comprehension may penetrate the metaphysical world, and
may receive benefit from the sanctifying breeze of the Holy
Spirit, and may enter into relationship with the Supreme Concourse. He must so
educate the human reality that it may become the center of the divine
appearance, to such a degree that
the attributes and the names of God shall be resplendent in the
mirror of the reality of man, and the holy verse “We will make
man in Our image and likeness” [Gen. 1:26] shall be realized.
It is clear that human power is not able to fill such a great
office, and that reason alone could not undertake the responsibility of so
great a mission. How can one solitary person without help and without support
lay the foundations of such a
noble construction? He must depend on the help of the spiritual
and divine power to be able to undertake this mission. One
Holy Soul gives life to the world of humanity, changes the
aspect of the terrestrial globe, causes intelligence to progress,
vivifies souls, lays the basis of a new life, establishes new foundations,
organizes the world, brings nations and religions under
the shadow of one standard, delivers man from the world of
imperfections and vices, and inspires him with the desire and
need of natural and acquired perfections. Certainly nothing short
of a divine power could accomplish so great a work. We ought to
consider this with justice, for this is the office of justice. . . .
Therefore, the Universal Educator must be at the same time a
physical, human and spiritual educator; and He must possess a
supernatural power, so that He may hold the position of a
divine teacher. If He does not show forth such a holy power, He
will not be able to educate, for if He be imperfect, how can He
give a perfect education? If He be ignorant, how can He make
others wise? If He be unjust, how can He make others just? If
He be earthly, how can He make others heavenly?
Now we must consider justly: did these Divine Manifestations Who have appeared
possess all these qualifications or not?
If They had not these qualifications and these perfections, They
were not real Educators. . .
It has now been proved by rational arguments that the world
of existence is in the utmost need of an educator, and that its
education must be achieved by divine power. There is no doubt
that this holy power is revelation, and that the world must be
educated through this power which is above human power.

Word Meanings:

cultivate:         to loosen and break up the soil for the
growing of crops.
nourish:           to feed.
fertilization:     adding goodness to the soil to make
crops better.
engrafting:        joining the shoot of a special plant to
the roots of another.
sustenance:        food.
signifies:         a sign of.
distinguished:     being different from something when
compared to it.
comprehension:     understanding.
indubitably:       without doubt.
mutual:            to have the same feelings for one
another.
perceptible:       can be understood or grasped.
metaphysical:      being beyond what one’s senses can
understand.
sanctifying:       to free from sin; to make pure
and holy.
Supreme Concourse: the gathering of holy souls in the
next world.
solitary:          single and alone.
noble:             having good or excellent qualities.

2. Questions: The Need for Religion

2. a. What are the qualities of a perfect educator?
2. b. Can material education be enough for man? Is there a need
for religion?
2. c. Is God a material, human and spiritual educator?
2.d. What should be man’s reality?
2. e. Is man the best educator for himself?

3. THE IMMORTALITY OF THE HUMAN SOUL

[From: The New Garden, pp. 73-78]

Our lives are very short. Twenty or thirty years may seem a
long time when we are still very young, but when we have left
those years behind us, we wonder how they could have gone by
so swiftly. The years that lie ahead of us will also pass like
fleeting moments, and death will soon overtake us all.
Is death the end of everything for us? No! The Bahá’í Faith
teaches that death is not the end. It is only a beginning.
Bahá’u’lláh says:
“O Son of the Supreme! I have made death a messenger of joy
to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made the light to shed on
thee its splendour. Why dost thou veil thyself therefrom?”—The
Hidden Words (Arabic) No. 32
Death is the beginning of our spiritual journey towards God.
It is a rebirth — a spiritual rebirth.
When our soul departs from our body, it continues to live
and progress in the Kingdom of God. But it never comes back
to the earth in a material form.
A nightingale which has always lived in a cage does not know
any other place but the cage. It may get glimpses of a garden
through the bars of its cage but the poor bird has no conception
of freedom and has never known the joy of flying in the green
woods or the open fields. If you open the door of the cage to set
the bird free, it may hop to a corner of the cage and not want to
come out, and when you put your hand in to take the bird out,
it gets frightened and tries to escape from your hand. But once
the bird is free, it soars high in the open sky and sings among
the green trees. It makes its home in the flowered meadows and
the perfumed woods, and never comes back to a cage even if you
offer it thousands of golden cages.
In the same way when the soul is being set free from the cage
of this body, those who are not aware of the Kingdom of God,
and the happiness which awaits them after they depart from this
life, find it very difficult to die. It is because they know of only
the cage, and are unaware of the heaven of God’s love and
eternal mercy.
Those who have recognized the Manifestations of God, however, are sure of the
immortality of the soul and everlasting life.
Somebody asked Bahá’u’lláh about life after death, and this was
His reply:
“And now concerning thy question regarding the soul of man
and its survival after death. Know thou of a truth that the soul,
after its separation from the body, will continue to progress
until it attaineth the presence of God, in a state and condition
which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the
changes and chances of this world, can alter. It will endure as
long as the Kingdom of God, His sovereignty, His dominion
and power will endure. It will manifest the signs of God and His
attributes, and will reveal His loving kindness and bounty. The
movement of My pen is stilled when it attempteth to befittingly
describe the loftiness and glory of so exalted a station.”—Gleanings from
the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, LXXXI, pp. 155-56
Death is spiritual rebirth for each one of us. Let us therefore
be prepared to welcome “the messenger of joy” [The Hidden
Words (Arabic), No. 32] whenever it may knock at our door.
If you plant a field in the proper season, water it regularly and
protect it from pests and birds, you will be rewarded with a rich
harvest. But if you do not sow your seeds at the right time, and
neglect to water the field, you cannot hope for a good crop. You
will be punishable for your negligence when the time comes to reap
the harvest and who can be blamed for the loss except yourself?
Reward and punishment are necessary for the order of the
world. Reward and punishment are the natural consequences of
our own deeds. All the Messengers of the past have tried to
make us realize that what we do in this world does not only
affect our lives here, but continues to bear results after our
death. If our deeds are good, they will produce good results and
become the cause of everlasting happiness; if they are bad, they
will bear evil results and bring eternal suffering to us. It is not
because God wishes to take revenge on those who have done
wrong, but because it is impossible to get good results from bad
actions just as it is impossible to have beautiful flowers in the
garden when we have planted weeds. This is what is meant by
reward and punishment. But this essential belief which has
been taught in all religions, has been greatly misunderstood.
The Manifestations of God have explained the existence of
reward and punishment through symbols and parables. We have
mentioned that the Manifestations of God are perfect Educators. A perfect
educator must necessarily teach in a way that his
students may understand or else there would be no purpose in
His teaching. To make people understand that they will have to
account for their deeds even after their life in this world is over,
God’s Messengers have pictured a life full of joy and pleasure
for the good, and spoken of torture and misery for the wicked.
The pleasures and tortures they have mentioned are those that
people know of in this world because it was the only way to
make people understand the importance of Their teachings on
life after death.
To a small child who asks about knowledge, the parent may
say that it is sweeter than anything he has ever enjoyed. He does
not mean, of course, that knowledge is a kind of food which can
be tasted, and when the child is older, he will come to know
what his parent meant by the description he gave. Most of the
people in the world are taking the symbols and parables which
the Manifestations of God have used about life after death quite
literally, and do not realize that they were meant to illustrate
spiritual experiences. They have, therefore, set up an imaginary
hell and heaven. Some believe hell to be a horrible place with
fire, disease and horrid devils in which sinners are tortured
forever. And heaven, according to them, is a beautiful garden
full of delicious fruits and earthly pleasures. Others believe that
our souls will return to this world after death as if there were no
other place in the whole of the universe except our little planet.
They say that we will come back in different forms, and that we
may even come as animals depending on the kind of deeds we
have done our lifetime.
Whereas the Manifestations of the past have had to speak of
our experiences after death in symbolic terms, Bahá’u’lláh says
we are now ready to know the true meaning of heaven and hell.
The two important facts which we must remember are these:

1. Our souls are immortal and continue to live after our
bodies are dead.
2. Our deeds in this world will produce their results even
after the soul departs from the body.

This world into which the soul enters after departing from the
body is very different from the world we are used to here.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says it is as different from this world as our world
is different from the womb of the mother where a child lives
before it is born. And, in the same way as a child prepares for his
life in this world by developing his eyes, ears, and limbs, which
he does not need in his mother’s womb, but without which he
cannot live a normal, healthy life here, we too must prepare for a
happy life in the next world which our souls will be born into
after leaving this world. In the next world we are not going to
need physical eyes and ears any more, but we will need spiritual
qualities which we can acquire in this world by following the
teachings of God sent to us through His Messengers.
There is, however, a great difference between the condition of
a child in his mother’s womb and that of a person who is living
in this world. The unborn child is not responsible for his own
development because he has no choice and cannot help himself
in any way. But in this world we are given the power to choose
between right and wrong, good and bad. We are, therefore,
responsible for our spiritual development, and if we fail to grow
strong and healthy in spirit, we are going to be very unhappy in
the next world. This state of unhappiness is called hell. If, on
the other hand, we strive to understand and obey the laws of
God, we will be preparing for a life of happiness in the next
world and we will enjoy the state which is spoken of as heaven.
Bahá’u’lláh says that heaven is nearness to God and hell is being
deprived of this bounty. He calls upon each one of us to strive
to become worthy of the eternal blessings which are prepared for
us in the worlds to come:
“O Son of Bounty! Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the
clay of My command I made thee to appear, and have ordained
for thy training every atom in existence and the essence of all
created things. Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother’s
womb, I destined for thee two founts of gleaming milk, eyes to
watch over thee, and hearts to love thee. Out of My loving
kindness, ’neath the shade of My mercy I nurtured thee, and
guarded thee by the essence of My grace and favour. And My
purpose in all this was that thou mightest attain My everlasting
dominion and become worthy of My invisible bestowals. . . .”—
The Hidden Words (Persian), No. 29

Word Meanings:

immortality: continuing to live forever; never-ending existence.
grieve:        to feel sad; to suffer
nightingale:   a bird with an especially beautiful song.
glimpse:       a quick look at something.
conception:    understanding an idea.
Manifestation: the Being through which God shows His
attributes and qualities.
revolution:    the passing of a period of time.
manifest:      to show.
loftiness:     high position and station.
consequences: results.
eternal:       continuing forever.
revenge:       to hurt someone who has wronged us in
order to get even.
parable:       a story that shows a religious principle.
torture:       to cause someone great pain.
misery:        suffering and unhappiness.
wicked:        very bad; evil.
literally:     understanding something in word only, not
in spirit.
illustrate:    to show.

3. Questions: The Immortality of the Human Soul

3. a. Is death the end of existence?
3. b. The soul is immortal. True or False?
3. c. After death, our soul progresses in the earthly kingdom.
True or False?
3.d. What should be our attitude towards death?
3. e. Who is responsible for our spiritual development? What is
our task?
3. f. What are the effects of our good and bad deeds on our
spiritual development?

4. PROGRESSIVE REVELATION

[From: The Renewal of Civilization, pp. 54-60]

Bahá’u’lláh teaches that revelation is progressive, and that
each Manifestation of God answers the need of His time. This
need has two voices: one, crying for spiritual food, satisfaction
of the inner life, ‘knowledge of God’, faith, is always answered
in the same way, through spiritual teachings, an outpouring of
love, and a renewal of the soul’s vigour. The other voice cries for
laws to regulate excesses, abrogation of outworn customs, and
organization of daily affairs.
Both cries are answered. Moses revived the faith of the captive Israelites and
gave them laws. Jesus gave to drink ‘of that
water which is life indeed’; but the rigid law of the Sabbath
was abrogated, and to correct the excesses of the time, divorce
was forbidden. Muhammad gave his people faith in Alláh, and
also laws and regulations which proved of the greatest benefit.
Bahá’u’lláh again pours out the ‘water of life’, in answer to our
cry, and also gives us laws and regulations for modern affairs.
“Know of a certainty that in every Dispensation the light of
Divine Revelation hath been vouchsafed unto men in direct
proportion to their spiritual capacity. Consider the sun. How
feeble its rays the moment it appeareth above the horizon. How
gradually its warmth and potency increase as it approacheth its
zenith, enabling meanwhile all created things to adapt themselves to the
growing intensity of its light. How steadily it
declineth until it reacheth its setting point. Were it, all of a
sudden, to manifest the energies latent within it, it would, no
doubt, cause injury to all created things. . . . In like manner, if
the Sun of Truth were suddenly to reveal, at the earliest stages of
its manifestation, the full measure of the potencies which the
providence of the Almighty hath bestowed upon it, the earth of
human understanding would waste away and be consumed; for
men’s hearts would neither sustain the intensity of its revelation,
nor be able to mirror forth the radiance of its light. Dismayed
and overpowered, they would cease to exist.”—Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, XXXVIII, pp. 87-88
There is only one religion.
There is but one God, by whatever name He is called. There
is but one human race. There can be but one religion. But this
one religion has many Speakers, and many expressions.
The life and progress of man are dependent upon the Word
of God. In past times the human race was divided by oceans,
mountain ranges, forests, deserts, all the physical barriers which
modern invention has just succeeded in surmounting. This is
one reason why there have been many revealers of the Word of
God; so that all mankind should receive it.
There is another reason. Religion becomes corrupt; it loses its
early vigour and degenerates into institutions with no spiritual
force to energize the inner life of man. Therefore it must be
renewed and purified. This is accomplished through the influence of a Messiah
. . . another Speaker.
There is yet another reason. Man, through successive seasons
of civilization and decline, grows in understanding and social
capacity. He, therefore, needs, from time to time, a further
measure of that essential, real truth which is both the food of his
spirit and the energy of his new civilization. This truth is revealed by a
divine messenger.
Bahá’u’lláh teaches:
1. that religious revelation is progressive.
2. that old forms and institutions must give way to new ones.
3. that revelation is according to the need and capacity of
the time.
The first teaching is upheld by the Bible, the Gospel and the
Qur’án, by the Bhagavad Gita and the Gospel of Buddha. The
Old Testament contains the story of successive revelation up to
the beginning of the Christian era. The Gospel confirms the
teachings of the Old Testament, fulfils many of its prophecies
and emphatically renews the promise of another Messiah (or the
‘return’ of the Messiah). The Qur’án confirms both the Old
Testament and the New, and again renews this promise.
The second teaching is a recognized requirement of all phases
of life, but a strange and quite unfounded exception is given to
religious institutions. Why? They too are mortal, and must give
way to new ones. Jesus Christ taught this: Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’ (Heaven is
the place where the sun resides —the synagogue, church,
mosque or temple from which the light of religion shines; earth
is the recipient of the light—the social order. Both shall pass
away; but the light shall not pass away.)
Jesus Christ also supports the third teaching, that religious
revelation is according to the capacity and the need. I have yet
many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you
into all truth. . .’ You cannot bear it now.’ Surely if men are wise
enough to educate their children according to this principle,
God will do no less!
The true educator of man is the Founder of religion, who
trains him in morals and the higher virtues and reveals to him
his spiritual reality. All the Prophets have served this purpose.
They have trained men in honesty, truthfulness, trustworthiness, reverence,
modesty, civil obedience and self sacrifice for
others. The essential teaching of all Religion is the same.
But the names of the speakers are different: they apply spiritual truth
differently to different conditions, and that is a great
source of annoyance to conventional minds (not only in religion). Justice at
one time was achieved by an eye for an eye and
a tooth for a tooth’, but that application today would be barbarous. At one
time divorce was permitted, at another forbidden.
When women were regarded as chattel and had no protection
unless belonging to a man, polygamy was sanctioned. In hot
countries the eating of pork was forbidden. One day of the week
must be kept free from work, so Muslims, Jews and Christians
remain exclusive about this and keep Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively.
The differences in religion are due to the different requirements of the times
in which each revelation was made, and
the enmity between religions is due to prejudice and ignorance.
“. . . Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets
of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute. God, the
Creator, saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the
Bearers of My Message. They all have but one purpose; their
secret is the same secret. . . .
“It is clear and evident, therefore, that any apparent variation
in the intensity of their light is not inherent in the light itself,
but should rather be attributed to the varying receptivity of an
ever-changing world. Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and
Peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the
earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in
a manner that would best meet the requirements of the age in
which He appeared. . . .”—Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh, XXXIV, pp. 78-79
Here is a teaching, acceptable to reason, in accord with historical evidence,
and, moreover, capable of removing religious
enmity and of providing a basis for true spiritual brotherhood
among all people.

Word Meanings:

progressive:        moving forward and onward.
vigour:             activity; energy.
excesses:           things taken beyond moderation.
abrogation:         getting rid of something.
Dispensation:       the period during which a Manifestation
of God holds sovereignty.
vouchsafed:         given.
potency:            strength; power.
zenith:             highest point in the sky.
intensity:          brilliance; strength.
latent:             hidden; potential.
sustain:            to carry; to bear.
dismayed:           having no courage.
surmounting:        overcoming.
corrupt:            changing from good to bad.
degenerate:         sinking into a bad condition.
recipient:          the one who receives.
conventional minds: those accepting only what they consider
to be standard.
chattel:            belongings of a man.
polygamy:           law allowing a man to have many wives.
sanction:           to allow.
enmity:             bad feelings; hatred.
inherent:           within; a part of.
receptivity:        capacity to receive.

4. Questions: Progressive Revelation

4. a. The Manifestations of God are renewing the divine
message at each revelation.
4. b. Religious truth is relative and absolute. True or False?
4. c. Are there several Gods?
4.d. The Revelation is given to man according to the needs and
capacity of an age. True or False?

5. MATURITY OF THE WORLD

[From: The Promise of World Peace, pp. 2-4]

It is out of a deep sense of spiritual and moral duty that we
are impelled at this opportune moment to invite your attention
to the penetrating insights first communicated to the rulers of
mankind more than a century ago by Bahá’u’lláh, Founder of
the Bahá’í Faith, of which we are the Trustees.
“The winds of despair”, Bahá’u’lláh wrote, “are, alas, blowing
from every direction, and the strife that divides and afflicts the
human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos
can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appears to be
lamentably defective.” This prophetic
judgement has been amply confirmed by the common experience of humanity. Flaws
in the prevailing order are conspicuous
in the inability of sovereign states organized as United Nations
to exorcize the spectre of war, the threatened collapse of the
international economic order, the spread of anarchy and terrorism, and the
intense suffering which these and other afflictions
are causing to increasing millions. Indeed, so much have aggression and
conflict come to characterize our social, economic and
religious systems, that many have succumbed to the view that
such behaviour is intrinsic to human nature and therefore ineradicable.
With the entrenchment of this view, a paralyzing contradiction has developed
in human affairs. On the one hand, people of
all nations proclaim not only their readiness but their longing
for peace and harmony, for an end to the harrowing apprehensions tormenting
their daily lives. On the other, uncritical assent
is given to the proposition that human beings are incorrigibly
selfish and aggressive and thus incapable of erecting a social
system at once progressive and peaceful, dynamic and harmonious, a system
giving free play to individual creativity and initiative but based on
co-operation and reciprocity.
As the need for peace becomes more urgent, this fundamental
contradiction, which hinders its realization, demands a reassessment of the
assumptions upon which the commonly held view
of mankind’s historical predicament is based. Dispassionately
examined, the evidence reveals that such conduct, far from expressing man’s
true self, represents a distortion of the human
spirit. Satisfaction on this point will enable all people to set in
motion constructive social forces which, because they are consistent with
human nature, will encourage harmony and co-operation instead of war and
conflict.
To choose such a course is not to deny humanity’s past but to
understand it. The Bahá’í Faith regards the current world confusion
and calamitous condition in human affairs as a natural phase in an
organic process leading ultimately and irresistibly to the unification
of the human race in a single social order whose boundaries are those
of the planet. The human race, as a distinct, organic unit, has passed
through evolutionary stages analogous to the stages of infancy and
childhood in the lives of its individual members, and is now in the
culminating period of its turbulent adolescence approaching its
long-awaited coming of age.
A candid acknowledgement that prejudice, war and exploitation have been the
expression of immature stages in a vast historical process and that the human
race is today experiencing
the unavoidable tumult which marks its collective coming of age
is not a reason for despair but a prerequisite to undertaking the
stupendous enterprise of building a peaceful world. That such
an enterprise is possible, that the necessary constructive forces
do exist, that unifying social structures can be erected, is the
theme we urge you to examine.
Whatever suffering and turmoil the years immediately ahead
may hold, however dark the immediate circumstances, the
Bahá’í community believes that humanity can confront this supreme trial
with confidence in its ultimate outcome. Far from
signalizing the end of civilization, the convulsive changes towards which
humanity is being ever more rapidly impelled will
serve to release the “potentialities inherent in the station of
man” and reveal “the full measure of his destiny on earth, the
innate excellence of his reality”.
[From: The Bahá’í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion, pp. 78-81]
Unity, in the Bahá’í conception, is a unity in diversity rather
than uniformity. It is not by the suppression of differences that
we will arrive at unity, but rather by an increased awareness of
and respect for the intrinsic value of each separate culture, and
indeed, of each individual. It is not diversity itself which is
deemed the cause of conflict, but rather our immature attitude
towards it, our intolerance and prejudice. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá expressed this
viewpoint in the following passage:
“A critic may object, saying that peoples, races, tribes and communities of
the world are of different and varied customs, habits,
tastes, character, inclinations and ideas, that opinions and
thoughts are contrary to one another, and how, therefore, is it
possible for real unity to be revealed and perfect accord among
human souls to exist? In answer we say that differences are of two
kinds. One is the cause of annihilation and is like the antipathy
existing among warring nations and conflicting tribes who seek each
other’s destruction. . . The other kind which is a token of diversity
is the essence of perfection and the cause of the appearance of the
bestowals of the Most Glorious Lord. Consider the flowers of a
garden; though differing in kind, colour, form and shape, yet,
inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by
the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this
diversity increaseth their charm, and addeth unto their beauty. . . .
“How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the
leaves and blossoms, the fruits, the branches and the trees of that
garden were all of the same shape and colour! Diversity of hues,
form and shape, enricheth and adorneth the garden, and
heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers
shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the
power and influence of one central agency, the
beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made
manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God,
which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of
harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas,
and convictions of the children of men.”—Selections from the
Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 290-291
Because the establishment of world unity and a planetary
civilization represents the consummation of mankind’s development on this
planet, it represents the “coming of age” of humanity, the maturity of the
human race. Shoghi Effendi expressed
this idea as follows:
“The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, whose supreme mission is
none other but the achievement of this organic and spiritual
unity of the whole body of nations, should, if we be faithful to
its implications, be regarded as signalizing through its advent
the coming of age of the entire human race. It should be viewed
. . . as marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous
evolution of man’s collective life on this planet. The emergence
of a world community, the consciousness of world citizenship,
the founding of a world civilization and culture . . . should, by
their very nature, be regarded, as far as this planetary life is
concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of human society,
though man, as an individual, will, nay must indeed as a result of such a
consummation, continue indefinitely
to progress and develop.”—The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh,
BPT (U.S.), 1982 ed., p. 163
The different stages in mankind’s development are regarded
as quite similar to the stages in the life of an individual. The
current stage is described as that of adolescence, the stage immediately
preceding full maturity:
“The long ages of infancy and childhood, through which the
human race had to pass, have receded into the background.
Humanity is now experiencing the commotions invariably associated with the
most turbulent stage of its evolution, the stage of
adolescence, when the impetuosity of youth and its vehemence
reach their climax, and must gradually be superseded by the
calmness, the wisdom, and the maturity that characterize the
stage of manhood. Then will the human race reach that stature
of ripeness which will enable it to acquire all the powers and
capacities upon which its ultimate development must depend.”
—The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 202
Speaking of the age of mankind’s full maturity, Shoghi Effendi said: “That
mystic, all-pervasive, yet indefinable change,
which we associate with the stage of maturity inevitable in the life
of the individual . . . must . . . have its counterpart in the evolution
of the organization of human society. A similar stage must sooner
or later be attained in the collective life of mankind, producing
an even more striking phenomenon in world relations, and endowing the whole
human race with such potentialities of wellbeing as shall provide, throughout
the succeeding ages, the chief
incentive required for the eventual fulfillment of its high destiny.”—The
World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 163-164
Of course, the history of mankind that we can observe is the
history of man’s infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Therefore, affirmed
Bahá’u’lláh, we tend to underestimate the true
capacities of the entire human race. But these latent capacities
will become evident as humankind achieves its maturity:
“Verily I say, in this most mighty Revelation, all the Dispensations of the
past have attained their highest . . . consummation. . . .
The potentialities inherent in the station of man, the full measure of his
destiny on earth, the innate excellence of his reality,
must all be manifested in this promised Day of God.”—Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CLXI & CLXII p. 340
In summary, the Bahá’í principle of the oneness of humankind means that
the human race represents an organic unit
whose collective social life has gradually developed by being reorganized on
ever-higher levels of unity (the family, the tribe, the
city-state, the nation). The specific mission of Bahá’u’lláh was to
provide the impetus for the next stage of this social evolution,
namely the organization of human society as a planetary civilization. This is
to be achieved through the development of new
social structures which reduce and eliminate conflict of interest;
and by the creation of a new level of human consciousness, that
of the basic oneness of humanity. Moreover, the unification of
humankind represents the attainment of the stage of maturity or
adulthood in the collective life of humankind.
The Bahá’í community is seen as both the embryo and the
prototype of the future world civilization. It also provides the
individual with an opportunity to begin to live the experience of
unity and to develop this new consciousness. . . .

Word Meanings:

penetrating:             deep.
impelled:                forced by reason.
strife:                  fighting; struggling.
impending convulsions:   disturbances which are about to
happen.
lamentably defective:    sadly at fault.
flaws:                   faults; defects.
prevailing order:        the way society is presently
arranged.
conspicuous:             easy to see.
exorcize:                to drive out; banish; put an end to.
spectre:                 something ghostly.
anarchy:                 utter confusion.
succumb:                 to give up and accept.
intrinsic:               an essential part of.
ineradicable:            can’t be overcome or gotten rid of.
entrenchment:            strengthening position of.
harrowing apprehensions: continuous and worrisome
doubts.
incorrigibly selfish:    selfishness which can’t be overcome
or controlled.
reciprocity:             an exchange of privileges
between people.
reassessment:            to judge again.
predicament:             being in a situation where
you must make a choice.
dispassionately:         justly; without a selfish interest.
distortion:              to twist out of shape.
consistent:              in line with.
calamitous:              distressful; harmful.
ultimately:              in the end.
organic:                 living; having the capacity to grow.
analogous:               having many things in common,
although appearing to be different.
turbulent adolescence:   period of trials and changes
experienced by a teenager.
candid:                  frank; openly expressed.
exploitation:            unfair use of people to gain an
advantage for someone else.
despair:                 total loss of hope.
prerequisite:            a necessary condition or step.
stupendous:              tremendous; monumental.
impelled:                pushed.
suppression:             holding control by force.
annihilation:            to kill off completely.
antipathy:               deeply rooted dislike or hatred
for another.
invigorated:             to give life and energy to.
divergent:               things which are heading in
different directions.
implications:            deeper meanings.
advent:                  arrival.
stupendous:              tremendous.
collective life:         the life of mankind as a whole.
consummation:            completion.
receded:                 gone back.
commotions:              disturbances.
turbulent:               violent and disturbing.
impetuosity:             wanting to do things as soon as one
thinks of them.
vehemence:               being strong in feelings and
expressions.
superseded:              overtaken.

all-pervasive:   being within the essence of
everything.
incentive:       motivation; something that
prompts some one to seek a goal.
underestimate:   to not see the full measure.
innate:          existing from birth.
impetus:         push; energy.
consciousness:   understanding; thought.
prototype:       an original model.

5. Questions: Maturity of the World

5. a. The Bahá’í Faith believes in unity in diversity. True or
False?
5. b. The establishment of world peace represents the climax of
the development of humanity. True or False?
5. c. Humanity has reached its full maturity. True or False?

6. ONENESS OF MANKIND

[From: The New Garden, pp. 51-54]

Bahá’u’lláh has taught us the Oneness of Mankind. All human
beings are children of one God. If we believe in one Heavenly
Father, then we must accept each other as brothers and sisters,
as members of one family—the family of man.
Before Bahá’u’lláh brought us the light of unity, there were
many causes which made men think they were different from others. Some people
thought that because the colour of their skin was
white, they were better than those who were black or yellow or
brown. Bahá’u’lláh said this is not true. Man is not different because
of his colour. If they are different, it is because they have
received different degrees of education and not because they have
different colours of skin. The different coloured peoples of the
world are like the different kinds of flowers you find in a garden. If
all the flowers of a garden were of the same colour, it would not be
so beautiful. Bahá’u’lláh said God is like a kind Shepherd for whom
the white sheep are no better than the brown or the black. God
loves us all, no matter what the colour of our skin may be or which
part of the world we may come from. Why should we, then, look
upon each other as strangers? Bahá’u’lláh has kindled such love in
the hearts of His followers that they feel like members of the same
family even though they come from all the countries of the world.
In His Writings, Bahá’u’lláh says:
“. . . O well-beloved ones! The tabernacle of unity hath been
raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of
one tree, and the leaves of one branch. . . .”—Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXII p. 218
“. . . Be ye as the fingers of one hand, the members of one
body. Thus counselleth you the Pen of Revelation. . .”—Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, LXXII, p. 140
‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written:
“And among the teachings of His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh is the
oneness of the world of humanity; that all human beings are the
sheep of God and He is the kind Shepherd. The Shepherd is
kind to all the sheep, because He created them all, trained them,
provided for them and protected them. There is no doubt that
the Shepherd is kind to all the sheep; and should there be
among these sheep ignorant ones, they must be educated; if
there be children, they must be trained until they reach maturity; if there be
sick ones, they must be healed. There must be no
hatred and enmity, for as by a kind physician these ignorant,
sick ones should be treated.”—Foundations of World Unity, p.
Let us pray for the unity of mankind:
“O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants,
and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy
commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in
their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God!
Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light
of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily,
Thou art their Helper and their Lord.”—Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í
Prayers (U.S. edition), p. 204
Bahá’u’lláh teaches that all forms of prejudice must be forgotten,
whether it is national prejudice or racial prejudice or religious prejudice.
As long as people cling to prejudice, we will not
have any peace on earth.
All the wars that we have had in the past, all the murders and
the bloodshed have been due to prejudice of some kind. People
have fought over their country or their religion, bringing destruction to the
world and death to millions of their fellow humans.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
“If this prejudice and enmity are on account of religion consider that
religion should be the cause of fellowship, otherwise it
is fruitless. And if this prejudice be the prejudice of nationality
consider that all mankind are of one nation; all have sprung
from the tree of Adam, and Adam is the root of the tree. That
tree is one and all these nations are like branches, while the
individuals of humanity are like leaves, blossoms and fruits
thereof. Then the establishment of various nations and the consequent shedding
of blood and destruction of the edifice of
humanity result from human ignorance and selfish motives.
“As to the patriotic prejudice, this is also due to absolute
ignorance, for the surface of the earth is one native land. Everyone can live
in any spot on the terrestrial globe. Therefore all
the world is man’s birthplace. These boundaries and outlets
have been devised by man. In the creation, such boundaries and
outlets were not assigned. Europe is one continent, Asia is one
continent, Africa is one continent, Australia is one continent,
but some of the souls, from personal motives and selfish interests, have
divided each one of these continents and considered a
certain part as their own country. God has set up no frontier
between France and Germany; they are continuous. Yea, in the
first centuries, selfish souls, for the promotion of their own
interests, have assigned boundaries and outlets and have, day by
day, attached more importance to these, until this led to intense
enmity, bloodshed and rapacity in subsequent centuries. In the
same way this will continue indefinitely, and if this conception
of patriotism remains limited within a certain circle, it will be
the primary cause of the world’s destruction. No wise and just
person will acknowledge these imaginary distinctions. Every
limited area which we call our native country we regard as our
motherland, whereas the terrestrial globe is the motherland of
all, and not any restricted area. In short, for a few days we live
on this earth and eventually we are buried in it, it is our eternal
tomb. Is it worth while that we should engage in bloodshed and
tear one another to pieces for this eternal tomb? Nay, far from
it, neither is God pleased with such conduct nor would any sane
man approve of it.
“Consider! The blessed animals engage in no patriotic quarrels. They are in
the utmost fellowship with one another and
live together in harmony. For example, if a dove from the east
and a dove from the west, a dove from the north and a dove
from the south chance to arrive, at the same time, in one spot,
they immediately associate in harmony. So is it with all the
blessed animals and birds. But the ferocious animals, as soon as
they meet, attack and fight with each other, tear each other into
pieces and it is impossible for them to live peacefully together in
one spot. They are all unsociable and fierce, savage and combative
fighters.”—Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp.
299-301

Word Meanings:

tabernacle:          a tent for the purpose of worship.
counselleth:         to give advice.
prejudice:           a bad opinion of someone formed without
knowing them properly.
enmity:              hatred.
patriotic prejudice: extreme and selfish love for one’s home
country.
terrestrial:         the earth.

6. Questions: Oneness of Mankind

6. a. The world forms one large family. True or False?
6. b. Bahá’u’lláh explains the diversity of humanity through images in
His Writings. Give two examples.
6. c. Bahá’u’lláh has revealed a prayer for the unity of His servants.
What is this prayer?
6.d. What are the effects of prejudices?
6. e. What should be the effects of religion?

7. HISTORY OF THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH

[From: The New Garden, pp. 27-31]

The Báb:
“Báb” means “Gate”! The Báb was the Gate to a new Kingdom—the
Kingdom of God on earth.
The Báb was very young when He told people about the
Message which God had given Him. He was only 25 years old.
A beautiful city in the south of Iran, called Shíráz, was the birthplace of
the Báb. The people of Iran were Muhammadans, so He
was given a name that was much used in that country. He was
called ‘Alí-Muhammad, and was a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad Himself. The Báb’s father died soon after His
birth, so He was placed under the care of His maternal uncle. As
a child He was sent to a teacher who taught the Qur’án and
elementary subjects. But from His early childhood, the Báb was
different from other children. He was always asking difficult
questions and then giving the answers Himself in a way that
astonished His elders. Often when other children were busy at
play, He would be found rapt in prayer under the shade of a tree
or in some other quiet spot.
Later, when the Báb revealed His reality as a Manifestation of
God, both His uncle and His teacher believed in Him because
they had known Him since His childhood, and seen the difference between Him
and other children. His uncle even died as a
martyr for the Cause of God revealed through his Nephew, the
Báb.
Mullá Husayn was the Báb’s first disciple. The Báb gave him
the title of Bábu’l-Báb, which means “Gate of the Gate”. That
night [May 23rd 1844] was the beginning of a new era. The
Bahá’í calendar starts from that year.

It was not long before many people came to believe in the
Báb. Some met Him, some read His Holy Writings, while others recognized Him
through dreams and visions.
The Message of the Báb was first given to the people of Iran. But
the Muslims of other countries did not yet know that their Promised One had
come. Therefore, when thousands of Muslims from
all countries gathered in Mecca for pilgrimage, the Báb journeyed to this
holiest spot of Islám to tell them that the object of
their adoration had come and that He was their Promised One.
Nobody listened to Him; but the Báb had completed His announcement.
When the Báb returned to His native land, He was met by a
group of soldiers who had come to arrest Him because the fanatical
Mullás did not want the new Faith to spread. These Mullás
made every effort to put out the Light of God which was burning in the breast
of the Blessed Báb. From that day the Báb had
to undergo many hardships. His short but brilliant life was mostly
spent in prison after He had made His Declaration. Twice He was
sent to prisons built on very cold and forbidding mountains.
But no chains or prisons could ever prevent the Call of God
from spreading. When the Báb was in prison, His faithful followers spread His
Message throughout the country, and during
that brief time thousands of people gave their lives for His
Cause.
The Báb was still young, about 31 years of age, when they
[His enemies] decided to kill Him. The Báb knew that He
would be martyred in the path of God. He was glad to give His
life so that the people of the world might come to understand
the purpose of their lives and turn to God and His eternal
Kingdom. The day of His martyrdom was the 9th of July, 1850.
...
The Báb was a great Manifestation of God. In all His Writings He said that
the main purpose of His coming was to give the
glad-tidings that very soon the Promised One of all ages would
appear. He warned His followers to beware lest they failed to
recognize “Him Whom God will make manifest”. He said that
they should lay aside everything else and follow Him as soon as
they heard His Message. The Báb wrote many prayers beseeching
God that His own life might be accepted as a sacrifice to the
Beloved of His heart, the One “Whom God will make manifest”.
He even referred in His Writings to the Order of Bahá’u’lláh,
and said: “. . . Well is it with him who fixeth his gaze upon the
Order of Bahá’u’lláh, and rendereth thanks unto his Lord. For
He will assuredly be made manifest. God hath indeed irrevocably
ordained it in the Bayán. . . .”—God Passes By, p.25
[From: The New Garden, pp. 32-37]

Bahá’u’lláh:

On April 21st 1863, Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed to the world that
“The Revelation which, from time immemorial, hath been acclaimed as the
Purpose and Promise of all the Prophets of God,
and the most cherished Desire of His Messengers, hath now. . .
been revealed unto men. . . .”—Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh, III p. 5
When Bahá’u’lláh made this wonderful announcement, He
was a prisoner at the hands of two powerful monarchs, and He
was being exiled to ‘Akká (Acre), “. . . the most desolate of the
cities of the world . . .”—God Passes By, p. 186
About 46 years before this announcement, Bahá’u’lláh was
born in the house of a distinguished Minister of the royal court
of Iran. From the days of His childhood everybody could notice
that Bahá’u’lláh was different from other children, but no one
actually knew that this wonderful Boy was soon to change the
whole destiny of mankind. When He was 14 years old,
Bahá’u’lláh was already famous in the court for His learning and
wisdom. He was 22 years of age when His father died. The
government wished Him to take over the position His father
had occupied. They thought this gifted young man would make
a very good minister, but Bahá’u’lláh had no intention of wasting His
time in the management of worldly affairs. Being a man
of God, He took no interest in the royal life which was offered
to Him. He left the court and its ministers to follow the path set
for Him by the Almighty.
When the Báb declared His Mission, Bahá’u’lláh was 27 years
old. He immediately accepted the Báb as the Manifestation of
God and soon became one of His most powerful and famous
followers.
At the time when the Government and fanatical Mullás persecuted the followers
of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh was not spared in
any way. He was twice imprisoned, and once He was beaten so
severely with whips and canes that the soles of His feet started
bleeding. Nine years after the Báb’s Declaration, Bahá’u’lláh
was thrown into a dark dungeon. This was a terrible underground room which had
no window or other opening except the
door through which they entered. In this dungeon Bahá’u’lláh
was imprisoned with about 150 murderers, highway robbers and
other such criminals. The chains that were put around His neck
were so heavy that He could not lift up His head. Here
Bahá’u’lláh spent four terrible months of suffering, yet it was in
this same dungeon that the Glory of God filled His soul. He
writes that one night in a dream He heard the following words
vibrating from all sides:
“Verily, We shall render Thee victorious by Thyself and by
Thy Pen. . . .”—Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 21
Bahá’u’lláh endured all these hardships for our sake and for
the sake of generations to come. He bore chains around His
blessed neck in order to free us from the chains and fetters of
prejudice, bigotry and enmity.
At last Bahá’u’lláh and His family were deprived of all their
ancestral riches and ordered to leave the country. They were
exiled to Baghdád in the bitter cold of winter. The road lay
along mountainous parts of Iran where thick snow and ice covered the ground.
Bahá’u’lláh, His wife and young children had
to walk hundreds of miles to their destination and the fact that
they did not have proper clothing made the journey even more
difficult to endure. At last they reached Baghdád but Bahá-
’u’lláh’s sufferings did not come to an end in that city. However, had
Bahá’u’lláh been afraid of hardships and difficulties,
He could have enjoyed a luxurious life in the court of the king
of Iran. He was prepared to endure any amount of suffering in
the path of God.
The fame of Bahá’u’lláh soon spread throughout Baghdád and
other cities of Iraq, and many people came to the door of this
exiled Prisoner to receive His blessings. The followers of the Báb
gathered around Him from different parts of Iran and Iraq seeking
guidance and inspiration. But there were some who became jealous
of His fame. Among them was His own brother Yahyá, who was
living under Bahá’u’lláh’s loving care and guidance. Yahyá
thought that, because he was respected by the followers of the
Báb, he might be accepted as their leader if he should denounce
Bahá’u’lláh. He did not realize that by turning against the
Manifestation of God, he was bringing about his own doom.
For when a Manifestation appears, only those who accept His
servitude can hope for true greatness. Even His closest relatives
are no exception, because a Manifestation of God stands apart
from all other human beings and has a station which no one else
can share. All the past Manifestations have had brothers and
sisters or other relatives, but even their names have now been
forgotten.
Yahyá’s plotting caused disunity among the followers of the
Báb and this made Bahá’u’lláh very sad. One night without
telling anybody, He left His home and went into the mountains
of Kurdistán. He spent two years of secluded life in these mountains giving
all His time to prayer and meditation. He stayed in a
small cave and lived on very simple food. Nobody knew His name.
Nobody knew where He had come from. But soon, like a moon in
a dark night, His light shed over all Kurdistán and everybody heard
of the “Nameless One”. All this time His family and friends in
Baghdád who were heart-broken by His departure did not know
where He was. Then they too heard about the “Nameless One”, the
great Saint who was known to have inherent knowledge bestowed
upon Him by God. Bahá’u’lláh’s son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, immediately
knew that this could be no one but His beloved Father. He
sent letters and a special messenger entreating Him to return
because not only His own family but all the followers of the Báb
were suffering from His absence.
Thus, after spending two years in prayer and meditation,
Bahá’u’lláh returned to Baghdád and with Him returned the joy
of all the Báb’s followers. The only people who were angry
about His return were the fanatical Mullás and His treacherous
and jealous brother Yahyá. The Mullás did not want Bahá’u’lláh to
stay in Baghdád because He was too close to certain sacred
places belonging to the Muslims, and pilgrims who came to visit
these places were often attracted by Bahá’u’lláh’s charm and
personality. These Mullás kept on complaining until the Government of Iran
joined hands with the authorities of the Turkish Empire to remove
Bahá’u’lláh to a more distant
place—Istanbul. The same thing happened in Istanbul, which
was the seat of the Muslim Caliphs. Bahá’u’lláh’s great wisdom
and personal charm attracted many people. “He must not stay in
Istanbul any longer,” said the fanatical Mullás, so once more He
was sent to a smaller town, Adrianople. From there He was
again exiled, but this time to ‘Akká in the Holy Land, which was
then a special penal colony reserved for murderers, thieves and
highway robbers undergoing life imprisonment. It was a terrible
place and for the first few days after their arrival even water was
denied to Bahá’u’lláh, His family and friends. The hardships
and sufferings of Bahá’u’lláh in ‘Akká are too many to describe.
In the beginning He was imprisoned in a lonely cell where even
His children were not permitted to see Him. He lacked every
means of comfort, and was surrounded by enemies day and
night. Yet it was from ‘Akká that He sent His famous letters to
the most powerful kings and rulers of His day, calling upon
them to listen to the Message of God and obey the Commandments of the King of
kings. No one but a Manifestation of God
could dare to address those who had imprisoned Him, as a king
addresses his vassals.
Bahá’u’lláh raised the banner of universal peace and brotherhood from
His prison walls and though the powers of the world
combined their forces against Him, He was victorious over
them all as God had promised Him in His dream. The Message
of Bahá’u’lláh influenced the hearts of thousands of people and
many of them gave their lives for His Cause. Through the power
of the Word of God and the sacrifices of the followers of
Bahá’u’lláh, now hundreds of thousands of people who were
once divided under various names have become like members of
one family.
Although Bahá’u’lláh was sent to ‘Akká as a prisoner for life, He
chose to leave that fortress city nine years after His arrival. But
this time, His great personal charm had made such friends of all
those around Him—even His hard-hearted jailor—that no one
objected to His leaving His prison. Bahá’u’lláh spent the remaining
years of His life in a place outside the city of ‘Akká where He
passed away to His heavenly Kingdom on May 29th, 1892.
The Message of Bahá’u’lláh spread to different parts of the
world from the Holy Land as had been foretold in the sacred
Books of the past. In Buddhist scriptures the Holy Land is
referred to as a Paradise in the West, the Seat of the Promised
One—Amitabha. To the Jews it is “The Promised Land” from
where the Law of God will once more go out into the world.
The Christians and Muslims too have wonderful prophecies
about this sacred country which has been their Holy Land for
many centuries. Since the time when Bahá’u’lláh was exiled to
‘Akká, the Holy Land of the religions of the past has become the
World Centre of the Bahá’í Faith.
Bahá’u’lláh is that Great Manifestation of God Whose coming all the
Manifestations of the past have foretold. The divine
religions of all ages lead to the same direction and teach the
same goal—the Bahá’í Faith. They are like many rivers that flow
into the ocean. Each river irrigates thousands of acres of land,
but no single river is, by itself, as vast and powerful as the
mighty ocean because the ocean is the meeting place of all these
rivers. In the Bahá’í community followers of all religions have
come together and become united. Even though they are from
the four corners of the earth, they have now joined hands in one
great Brotherhood, one common Faith.
The waters of different Rivers merge into one indeed, when
they pour into the Mighty Ocean!

[From: The Renewal of Civilization, pp. 30-34]

‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
May 23rd, 1844, was a significant day in the history of the
world.
On that day in the eastern city of Shíráz, the Báb, the morning star of the
new day, made his declaration.
On that day in the western world, the first telegraphic message to be flashed
along the wires was sent from Baltimore to
Washington. It read, “What hath God wrought.”
On that day was born ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He whom many people,
seeing only the perfect life and the simple majesty, acclaimed as
the Christ. They were wrong; but not so wrong as those who
saw only an elderly man from the east.
How to write of Him? It conveys little to say that He was the
eldest son of Bahá’u’lláh, the centre of His Covenant, the exemplar of
His teachings. Gentle and wise, humorous and just, the
“father of the poor”, a healer to every sick one, a comforter to
every oppressed one, He was known to one and all as the Master.
From the age of eight, until sixty-four, He suffered persecution and
oppression, the last forty years being spent as a prisoner. His hardships
began when, in 1852, Bahá’u’lláh was
thrown into the dungeon in Tihrán. He accompanied the small
band of exiles on all their journeys, and entered the Great Prison
of ‘Akká, a young man of twenty-four. He was to be released
forty years later by the overthrow of those very forces which had
been responsible for the persecutions and calumnies heaped
upon Him and His Beloved Father.
Thereupon, in 1910, He set out to take the message of the
new day to the western world. Egypt, countries of Europe, and
finally America were visited. He came to England twice, in 1911
and 1913, and the newspapers of the time prove that His visits
were not unnoticed.
He chose for Himself the title of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—the servant
of Bahá—and by His life of service to humanity, showed what
true religion meant.
All through the exiles and imprisonments, He was His
Father’s constant companion and devoted son. His love for His
Father was boundless, but this did not deter Him from showing
constant care and attention to others; rather was it the source of
His love for all people. When, shortly after the band of exiles
had arrived in the prison of ‘Akká, dysentery broke out, it was
‘Abdu’l-Bahá who washed and fed and nursed them, until he
too was stricken. He lived the life of Christ among the people,
never caring for Himself but always for them.
During the war of 1914-1918 He was able, by the wise provisions which he had
made, to feed the helpless people of Palestine,
to keep corn from the destruction of the Turks and to provide
General Allenby with food for his army when it eventually conquered the Holy
Land.
The Turkish commander had threatened to crucify ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá on Mount Carmel, but the prompt action of the British
Government averted the tragedy. Through the energy of Lady
Blomfield, a prominent member of the Bahá’í community in
England, a telegram was despatched from the War Office instructing General
Allenby to “extend every protection . . . to
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His family and friends when the British march on
Haifa.” Allenby’s reply a few days later was to the effect, “have
today taken Palestine notify the world ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is safe. . . .”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá loved people to be happy, and He, more than
any other, was the cause of their happiness. He saw immediately
the need and condition of every soul and knew how to answer it.
In His presence prejudices and differences evaporated, and only
unity remained. Jews, Christians, Muhammadans, Hindus, East
and West, old and young, rich and poor, white and coloured, all
were gathered together in the radiance of His universal spirit.
He penetrated beneath the forms and creeds and names; membership of a church
or society meant little to Him. His only
standard was the degree of striving to efface the self and come
nearer to the divine perfection. “Light is good in whatsoever
lamp it shines,” He would say, and in the visitors’ book at
Wandsworth Prison He wrote, “The greatest prison is the prison
of self.”
Throughout His journeys in the West he addressed all kinds
of societies, clubs, churches, giving to each encouragement in
whatever they were doing for the betterment of mankind, but
always stressing the oneness of humanity. He admitted no distinction of
religion, colour, nation or class. The human heart
was, to Him, the home of God, and the exterior circumstances
mattered little.
In spite of His sixty years of exile and imprisonment, educated only by His
Father’s company and the Holy Books, such
as the Bible and the Qur’án, He mixed naturally with scientists,
economists, businessmen, educators, answering their questions
and displaying a knowledge which no schooling could have
given.
People tried to shower Him with gifts. Flowers or fruit He
would accept and distribute among His friends—those assembled at the time.
Money, or valuable gifts, He did not accept. “I came for the hearts,” He
would say.
By the provisions of Bahá’u’lláh’s Will, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was
appointed sole interpreter of the Writings, and His word has the
same validity as Bahá’u’lláh’s own. He explained and amplified
the teachings and His recorded talks and written letters form a
large part of Bahá’í scripture.
He left His earthly frame in 1921, making provision in His
Will and Testament for the future administration of the Faith in
a manner (already outlined by Bahá’u’lláh) which is recognized
to be unique, and which has preserved its unity in the face of
tests and opposition. Today there is no Bahá’í sect, neither is
there any priesthood, ritual or adopted creed.
Rather has the Faith forged ahead under the leadership of its
appointed Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, winning to its ranks
people of all races, classes, religious backgrounds, in all parts of
the world, weathering persecution and establishing its Administrative Order on
a universal foundation.

[From: The New Garden, pp. 45-48]

The Guardian:
Shoghi Effendi was a young boy when the beloved Master
wrote His Will and Testament. He was only 24 years of age
when he became the Guardian of the Cause of God, but because
he was always assisted by Bahá’u’lláh, it did not matter that he
was not old in years. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called Shoghi Effendi the
Sign of God on earth and said that all who obeyed him had
obeyed God. It was through the great wisdom and spiritual
guidance of Shoghi Effendi that the Message of Bahá’u’lláh was
carried to every country of the globe.
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away, Shoghi Effendi was studying in England at
Oxford University. His cherished desire was
to serve the beloved Master throughout his life and to be able to
translate the sacred Writings of the Bahá’í Faith into English for
thousands of believers who could not read them in Persian or
Arabic. The news of the passing away of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was such
a great blow to Shoghi Effendi that he became ill. Before he had
fully recovered from the shock of being so suddenly separated
from the Master he arrived in the Holy Land to find out that
‘Abdu’l-Bahá had given him the crushing responsibility of being
the Guardian of the Cause of God. But when God gives anyone
a task to accomplish in the world, He also gives him the strength
to carry it out. After many weeks spent in meditation and
prayer, Shoghi Effendi was ready to start his great work in life.
And God blessed him with divine wisdom and inspiration in
every step he took for the promotion of His Cause.
During the 36 years of his guardianship, Shoghi Effendi had
no other thought but the progress of the Cause. He worked day
and night, did not spare himself in any way. His personal life was
very simple, he seldom had more than one meal in 24 hours, or
slept more than a few hours every night. The rest of his time was
given to his ever-growing work for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
Those who saw the amount of work he accomplished every day
realized that it was only through the power of God that a simple
man could do so much day after day and year after year. . . .
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away the Bahá’í Faith had spread
to 35 countries, but during the lifetime of the beloved Guardian, the Message
of Bahá’u’lláh was carried to over 251 countries of the world including
all the places mentioned by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets of the Divine Plan. . . .
Shoghi Effendi completed his work by appointing 27 Hands
of the Cause whom he called the “Chief Stewards” of the Faith
and to whom he gave the responsibility of protecting the Cause
and spreading the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. When the Guardian
passed away, the Hands of the Cause elected a body of nine
from among themselves to remain in the Holy Land and see to
the work at the World Centre. These were called the Custodians. The rest of
the Hands scattered throughout the world to
help in completing the Guardian’s Ten-Year Plan.
The end of the Ten-Year Plan in 1963 marked a new milestone
in the history of the Bahá’í Faith. A full century had passed since
the day when Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed His Mission, and the Bahá'ís
of the world elected the first International House of Justice—that
Supreme Body which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has assured us will be under the
direct guidance of God and infallible in all its decisions.
[From: The Bahá’í Faith An Introduction, pp. 108-109]

The Universal House of Justice:
Just as the National Assembly directs and unifies the Local
Assemblies within its jurisdiction, the House of Justice guides
and coordinates the activities of all the various National Assemblies of the
world. The House of Justice gives plans and sets
goals for the whole of the Bahá’í world, and the National Assemblies
unitedly put those plans into action.
A main difference, however, between the House of Justice
and the Assemblies is that Bahá’u’lláh has given this Supreme
International Body the right to enact such laws as are not explicitly given by
Himself. For example, Bahá’u’lláh teaches that
capital should give a percentage of its profits to labour. He does
not, however, say what that percentage should be because the
amount may have to vary from time to time. The House of
Justice, therefore, can decide on what that percentage should be;
and if at some later date the rate of percentage has to be
changed, the House of Justice can make that change. In other
words, the House of Justice cannot alter any of the laws given by
Bahá’u’lláh; but it can legislate on matters He has left for it to
decide on. The House of Justice can also change its own laws
when the necessity arises.
There is another major difference between the House of Justice and all other
Assemblies. Bahá’ís have been promised that
the House of Justice will always be guided by God to make the
right decisions.

Word Meanings:

time immemorial:      since time began.
dungeon:              an underground prison.
render:               to make.
victorious:           to emerge as the winner; to overcome
all obstacles.
endured:              to live through with difficulty.
bore:                 carried.
bigotry:              intolerance of other’s ideas, thoughts
or religion.
luxurious:            being surrounded by wealth and
riches and having all needs met.
denounce:             to make someone appear bad in the
eyes of others.
secluded:             hidden away; isolated.
inherent:             an essential part of something,
existing within it since creation.
fanatical:            taking something beyond moderation,
usually religious enthusiasm.
wrought:              done; shaped; caused.
exemplar:             an example.
calumnies:            false accusations.
crucify:              to put to death by nailing to a cross.
evaporated:           disappeared, like water which dries up.
penetrated:           to go deeper.
efface:               to wipe away.
sole interpreter:     the only one allowed to say what a
passage or verse means.
validity:             truth
amplified:            to make more clear.
Will and Testament:   one’s wishes, in writing, to be
carried out after death.
7. Questions: History of the Bahá’í Faith

7. a. What does the Báb mean?
7. b. What happened on 21 April 1863?
7. c. Who was Bahá’u’lláh’s father?
7.d. What are the two first cities where Bahá’u’lláh was first
exiled?
7. e. Where did Bahá’u’lláh retreat to of His own will for 2
years?
7. f. Who was Yahya?
7. g. What does the date 23 May 1844 remind you of?
7.h. When did the trials of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá start?
7. i. What does ‘Abdu’l-Bahá mean?
7. j. Give some examples of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s good deeds.
7. k. Who was the authorized interpreter of the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh?
7. l. Who was the Guardian?
7.m. What was his duty?
7.n. Who took care of the Faith at the World Centre when the
Guardian passed away?

8. BAHÁ’Í ADMINISTRATION

[From: The New Garden, pp. 87-91]

There was a time when it was necessary to have a group of
people in society to be in charge of religious affairs. Ordinary
people were either illiterate or did not have time to make a
proper study of their religion. They therefore engaged a number
of people who had no other task or profession in life except to
study religion and to see that people observed its laws. That is
why we find Brahmins among the Hindus; Bhikkhus among the
Buddhists, Priests among the Christians and Mullás among the
Muslims.
In the Bahá’í Faith professional priesthood is abolished and
this is one of the distinctions of our religion. Bahá’u’lláh says
that although it was necessary to have priests in the past, they
are no more needed in our age. He has called upon every one of
us to search after Truth for himself so that we may see with our
own eyes and not with the eyes of others, and hear with our own
ears and understand with our own power of understanding. In
searching after Truth, Bahá'ís acquire sufficient knowledge
about their Faith which is not the case with people of other
religions who expect to receive instructions from clergymen.
Every Bahá’í has to pray for himself and cannot pay another
man to pray for him as is done by many people in other religions. A Bahá’í
asks for God’s grace and forgiveness himself and
does not need a priest to do it for him through man-made
rituals and ceremonies. Every Bahá’í can establish contact with
God through His Manifestation, and no medium is required
between us and Bahá’u’lláh.
Although there have been many good priests in every religion,
a lot of harm which has been done in the name of religion has
been due to the priests in every age. Two priests living in one
neighbourhood did not always agree on religious problems, and
their disagreement brought about a great deal of trouble in the
world. Some people thought this priest was right, while others
believed that one’s view was correct, and so, disunity and divisions arose
in every religion. Gradually many sects were formed
and men quarrelled with each other over different interpretations of their
sacred writings, and this became the cause of wars
and bloodshed.
Such things cannot happen in the Bahá’í Faith. First of all
there are no priests or other personalities in the Faith who can
form a following from among the believers. All are equal in the
Faith. Secondly, nobody has the right to interpret the teachings
and Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. This authority was given only to
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, by Bahá’u’lláh Himself, and after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
the right of interpretation was given to Shoghi Effendi alone.
It is dangerous to be able to earn a living through religion
because many insincere people may be attracted to this profession for no other
reason than that they want to live an easy life
or have a good income. Such people have always misled others
in the garb of priesthood, and have committed many crimes in
the name of religion so as to serve their own selfish interests.
Bahá’u’lláh has abolished the institution of priesthood so that
no one can ever hope to misuse religion in order to serve his
own selfish and worldly desires.
The history of the past shows that whenever a Manifestation
of God appeared in the world, priests of the previous religions
were the first to oppose Him. Why? Because those priests knew
that by believing in the new Manifestation, they would have to
sacrifice their position, their wealth and material comforts.
They therefore tried their best to uproot the new religion as
soon as it appeared among them. Buddhism was pushed out of
India by the priests of the time. Christ was crucified because the
Jewish priests opposed Him. The Báb was martyred because
Muslim priests did not want people to believe in Him.
Bahá’u’lláh suffered all His life chiefly because the Mullás instigated
the government and the people of their time to rise against
the new Cause of God.
There were exceptions of course. Many learned priests who
lived at the time of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh believed in Them,
and some even shed their blood in the path of God. But when
they believed in the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, they no longer remained
priests. They became Bahá'ís—humble servants of the
Cause of God. They took up other professions with which to
earn their livelihood. They did not mingle money with religion
or a worldly profession with the Faith of God.
Instead of having priests to see to religious affairs in the
community, Bahá’u’lláh laid down the foundation of a wonderful system of
administration through which all of us can work
together for the progress of the Faith and the spiritual welfare of
the community. Bahá’í administration, like all other teachings
of Bahá’u’lláh, is divine in origin. . . .
If there is a river on one side and a stretch of farmland on the
other, how would we bring water to the various fields we wish to
grow? We would first dig a canal which is large enough to bring
sufficient water from the river to irrigate the whole area. Then
we would dig smaller canals which would take water from the
large canal to different sections of the land. And lastly, we
would require a multitude of small streams to take water from
these canals to every single field. When our system of canals and
streams is completed, the river will be able to irrigate all the
farmland.
Bahá’í administration, Shoghi Effendi has told us, is like a
system of canals and streams “through which. . . the Holy Spirit
of the Cause pours forth to the Bahá’í communities scattered
throughout the entire world.”
In previous ages the priests were expected to bring the water
of life from its Fountainhead to the people of the time. But their
power was limited. They could carry a handful of this water,
and that too, only as long as they had the strength and the zeal
to do so.
But Bahá’u’lláh has not entrusted this task to individuals. He
has planned a wonderful network of channels through which the
water of life is brought to the field of existence. This plan is
called the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, and Bahá’í administration is
a part of it.
The good news of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh was first
proclaimed by the Báb when He said:
“Well is it with him who fixeth his gaze upon the Order of
Bahá’u’lláh, and rendereth thanks unto his Lord. For He will
assuredly be made manifest. . . .”—God Passes By, p. 25
Bahá’u’lláh has laid the foundation for this World Order, and
drafted its plan. Later, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained this divine plan,
gave us its details and started its construction. But it was
through the lifelong efforts of Shoghi Effendi that the Bahá’í
administration was gradually built up, joining far-flung communities together
and making them parts of a unified whole.
Bahá’í administration is different from every other form of
religious order because it is not man-made. It is the Plan of God
for this age, given to us through His Manifestation, Bahá’u’lláh,
and destined to establish order and peace among all the various
peoples of the earth.
Bahá’í administration is composed of many parts, all connected together.
It consists of Local Spiritual Assemblies which
are elected by Bahá'ís of villages or towns, National Spiritual
Assemblies elected by the Bahá'ís of countries, and the Universal
House of Justice, elected by all the Bahá'ís of the world through
their National Spiritual Assemblies.
If we think of the Local Spiritual Assemblies as streams which
bring water from canals to different fields, the National Spiritual Assemblies
will be the canals that connect these streams to
the one large canal into which water flows from the river itself;
and the Supreme House of Justice is that main canal. It is
through the Universal House of Justice that God’s guidance
flows out into all parts of the world.

Word Meanings:

stewards: managers, those who look after something.
infallible: never wrong.
illiterate: cannot read or write.
abolished: gotten rid of.
sect:       a group which believes the same as others, in
general, but whose beliefs differ in essential matters.
garb:       appearance of; clothed like.
martyred: killed by others who do not share one’s own
principles.

8. Questions: Bahá’í Administration

8. a. Why isn’t there any professional clergy in the Bahá’í Faith?
8. b. Bahá’u’lláh says that priests are not necessary for this age.
What should we do to know our Faith?
8. c. What does personal search for truth mean for Bahá’ís?
8.d. What was the cause of many religious wars?
8. e. What was the image that Shoghi Effendi gave about the
Bahá’í Administration?
8. f. What are the particulars of Bahá’í Administration compared with
other religious systems?

9. THE COVENANT

[From: The Covenant for Young People, pp. 23-27]

. . . the nature of the Covenant is to give spiritual life to the
Bahá'ís. One purpose of the Covenant, then, is to keep the
Bahá'ís spiritually alive. That is, the Covenant keeps the Bahá'ís
close to God and helps them to do what God wants.
Another purpose of the Covenant is to keep the Bahá'ís
united. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, “The purpose of the Covenant
was simply to ward off disunion and differences so that no one
might say, ‘My opinion is the true and valid one.’ ”—The Promulgation
of Universal Peace, p. 386
The unity of the Bahá’í Faith is kept because when people do
not agree, they find out what is right by turning to the Centre of
the Covenant. No one can say, “My way is right and yours is
wrong” because only the Centre of the Covenant can say for
certain which way is the right way.
. . . the purpose of the Covenant is to make sure that the
Bahá’í Faith remains united and one. This purpose is fulfilled
through the nature of the Covenant. It is also fulfilled through
the power of the Covenant.
The Covenant is very strong. It has the ability to keep people
together, to keep them united. We cannot see this power and it
is hard to understand. However, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says that “it
moves the hearts” and “dashes into a thousand pieces all the
forces of opposition.” “It creates new spiritual worlds.”—The
Covenant, p. 70
Sometimes a person tries to stand against the Covenant, to
resist it by insisting on his or her own point of view. Sometimes
a person tries to do something which the Centre of the Covenant says is not
right. These people sometimes try to divide the
Bahá’í Faith. But the Covenant is so strong that this cannot
happen. The power of the Covenant makes certain that those
who try to divide the Bahá’í Faith and make sects in it will not
succeed.
It is not enough simply to know what the Covenant is, to
know what its purpose is and to understand its power. We must
be firm in keeping to our part of the Covenant. That is, we must
not be moved away from our acceptance of the Centre of the
Covenant by people who try to harm the Bahá’í Faith. We must
be very strong and do exactly what the Centre of the Covenant
tells us to do.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá said that “firmness in the Covenant means obedience so
that no one may say, ‘This is my opinion’. . .”—The
Power of the Covenant, p. 33
In the beginning, we might not find it easy to be obedient.
We may simply accept that we have to be obedient to the Covenant without being
joyful about it. We are obedient with “dull
resignation”. But as we become more perfect, we begin to find
joy in being obedient to the Covenant. We have “radiant acquiescence”.

9. The Covenant

9. a. What is the Covenant?
9. b. What is the role of the Covenant?
9. c. Why do we need a Covenant?
9.d. According to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, how does the power of the
Covenant operate?
9. e. How do we avoid the making of sects in the Bahá’í Faith?
9. f. Who is the Centre of the Covenant?
9. g. State two things the Covenant does.
9.h. What helps us to be closer to God?

10. QUOTATIONS FROM THE WRITINGS

1. . . . Every true Prophet hath regarded His Message as fundamentally the
same as the Revelation of every other Prophet
gone before Him. If any man, therefore, should fail to comprehend this truth,
and should consequently indulge in vain and
unseemly language, no one whose sight is keen and whose understanding is
enlightened would ever allow such idle talk to
cause him to waver in his belief.
The measure of the revelation of the Prophets of God in
this world, however, must differ. Each and every one of them
hath been the Bearer of a distinct Message, and hath been commissioned to
reveal Himself through specific acts. It is for this
reason that they appear to vary in their greatness. . . .—Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, XXXIV, pp. 78

2. . . . The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God
and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the
unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and
fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of
dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. . . .—Gleanings from
the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CX, p. 214

3. The time foreordained unto the peoples and kindreds of
the earth is now come. The promises of God, as recorded in the
holy Scriptures, have all been fulfilled. . . .—Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, X, pp. 12-13

4. . . . This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past,
eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to
him that hath refused to seek it—verily, God is Self-Sufficient,

above any need of His creatures.—Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh, LXX, p. 136

5. . . . How lofty is the station which man, if he but chooseth to
fulfil his high destiny, can attain! To what depths of degradation
he can sink, depths which the meanest of creatures have never
reached! Seize, O friends, the chance which this Day offereth
you, and deprive not yourselves of the liberal effusions of His
grace. . . . —Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CI, p. 205

6. Consider the pettiness of men’s minds. They ask for that
which injureth them, and cast away the thing that profiteth
them. . . . We find some men desiring liberty, and priding
themselves therein. Such men are in the depths of ignorance.
Liberty must, in the end, lead to sedition, whose flames none
can quench. . . . Know ye that the embodiment of liberty and its
symbol is the animal. That which beseemeth man is submission
unto such restraints as will protect him from his own ignorance,
and guard him against the harm of the mischief-maker. . . .—
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CLIX, p. 334

7. Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be
worthy of the trust of thy neighbour, and look upon him with a
bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an
admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a
preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgement,
and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all
meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in
darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for
the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let
integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts.
Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of
strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding
light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth,
a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the
temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind,
an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of
virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean
of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the
diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy
generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.—Gleanings from
the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXXX, p. 284
8. Consort with all men, O people of Bahá, in a spirit of
friendliness and fellowship. If ye be aware of a certain truth, if
ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with
them in a language of utmost kindliness and good-will. If it be
accepted, if it fulfil its purpose, your object is attained. If any
one should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God
to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with him. . . .—
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXXXII, p. 287-288

9. . . . Blessed are the learned that pride not themselves on
their attainments; and well is it with the righteous that mock
not the sinful, but rather conceal their misdeeds, so that their
own shortcomings may remain unveiled to men’s eyes.—Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CLXV, p. 314

10. . . . The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.—Gleanings
from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXVII, p.

11. O contending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your
faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon
you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God resolve to root
out whatever is the source of contention amongst you. . . .—
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXI, p. 216
12. All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing
civilization. . . . To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of
man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance, mercy,
compassion and loving-kindness towards all the peoples and
kindreds of the earth. . . .—Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh, CIX, p. 214

13. . . . It is incumbent upon them who are in authority to
exercise moderation in all things. Whatsoever passeth beyond
the limits of moderation will cease to exert a beneficial influence. Consider
for instance such things as liberty, civilization
and the like. However much men of understanding may
favourably regard them, they will, if carried to excess, exercise a
pernicious influence upon men. . . . How long will humanity
persist in its waywardness? How long will injustice continue?
How long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst men? How
long will discord agitate the face of society? . . . The winds of
despair are, alas, blowing from every direction . . . The signs of
impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the
prevailing order appeareth to be lamentably defective. . . .—Gleanings from
the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CX, p. 215

14. A new life is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of
the earth; and yet none hath discovered its cause or perceived its
motive. . . .
O friends! Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have
been endowed, neither be neglectful of your high destiny. Suffer
not your labours to be wasted through the vain imaginations
which certain hearts have devised. Ye are the stars of the heaven
of understanding, the breeze that stirreth at the break of day, the
soft-flowing waters upon which must depend the very life of all
men. . . .

Be ye guided by wisdom in all your doings, and cleave
tenaciously unto it. Please God ye may all be strengthened to
carry out that which is the Will of God, and may be graciously
assisted to appreciate the rank conferred upon such of His loved
ones as have arisen to serve Him and magnify His name. . . .—
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, XCVI, p. 195-196

15. Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is endowed with such
potency as can instill new life into every human
frame, if ye be of them that comprehend this truth. All the wondrous works ye
behold in this world have been manifested through
the operation of His supreme and most exalted Will, His wondrous
and inflexible Purpose. . . . In the days to come, ye will, verily,
behold things of which ye have never heard before. . . .—Gleanings
from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, LXXIV, p. 141

16. O Son of Spirit! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure,
kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient,
imperishable and everlasting.—The Hidden Words (Arabic), No. 1

17. O Son of Spirit! The best beloved of all things in My sight
is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and
neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid though shalt
see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and
shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy
neighbour. Ponder this in thy heart; how it
behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is my gift to thee and the
sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.—The
Hidden Words (Arabic), No. 2

18. O Son of Man! Be thou content with Me and seek no other
helper. For none but Me can ever suffice thee.—The Hidden
Words (Arabic), No. 17
19. O Son of the Supreme! To the eternal I call thee, yet thou
dost seek that which perisheth. What hath made thee turn away
from Our desire and seek thine own?—The Hidden Words (Arabic), No. 23

20. O Son of Man! Breathe not the sins of others so long as
thou art thyself a sinner. Shouldst thou transgress this command, accursed
wouldst thou be, and to this I bear witness.—
The Hidden Words (Arabic), No. 27

21. O Son of Being! Ascribe not to any soul that which thou
wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou
doest not. This is My command unto thee, do thou observe
it.—The Hidden Words (Arabic), No. 29

22. O Son of Being! Bring thyself to account each day ere thou
art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come
upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy
deeds.—The Hidden Words (Arabic), No. 31
23. O Son of Spirit! With the joyful tidings of light I hail thee:
rejoice! To the court of holiness I summon thee; abide therein
that thou mayest live in peace for evermore.—The Hidden
Words (Arabic), No. 33

24. O Son of Man! Wert thou to speed through the immensity
of space and traverse the expanse of heaven, yet thou wouldst
find no rest save in submission to Our command and humbleness before Our
Face.—The Hidden Words (Arabic), No. 40

25. O Son of Being! Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My
descent. Thy spirit is My place of revelation; cleanse it for My
manifestation.—The Hidden Words (Arabic), No. 59

26. O Son of Man! Many a day hath passed over thee whilst
thou hast busied thyself with thy fancies and idle imaginings.
How long art thou to slumber on thy bed? Lift up thy head from
slumber, for the Sun hath risen to the zenith, haply it may shine
upon thee with the light of beauty.—The Hidden Words (Arabic), No. 62

A PRAYER

O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants,
and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy
commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in
their endeavors, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God!
Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light
of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily,
Thou art their Helper and their Lord.—Bahá’í Prayers, BPT
(U.S.), 1991 ed., p. 204

Word Meanings:

fundamentally:   basically.
indulge:         take pleasure in.
waver:           to go between doubt and assurance.
commissioned:    given the task of doing something.
dissension:      disagreeing in opinion.
discord:         lack of agreement or harmony.
enmity:          hatred.
degradation:     low rank and degree.
pettiness:       narrow-mindedness; concentrating
on things that matter little.
embodiment:      physical form.
prosperity:      good fortune.
adversity:       bad times.
admonisher:      one who warns gently.
sanctity:        godliness; sacredness; good word.
pledge:          promise.
meekness:        patience and long-suffering.
fugitive:        one who is running away or trying to
escape something.
countenance:     face.
fidelity:        belief.
ensign:          flag representing an army.
luminary:        one who gives light.
diadem:          crown.
firmament:       the blackness in which the stars
appear; the background.
ponder:          think about.
accursed:        being under a curse.
ascribe:         to blame someone for something.
immensity:       hugeness; the whole of.
traverse:        to cross; to travel.
zenith:                 highest point in the sky; midday.
contention:             argument; division.
cease:                  stop.
pernicious:             very destructive.
chaos:                  disorder.
agitate:                to shake; to stir up.
lamentably defective:   not working properly and thereby
causing sadness.
potency:                strength; power.
    — A Brief Course on the Baha'i Faith (Used by permission of the curator)