# Women

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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'u'lláh, Women, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> Women
> 
> Women
> Compiled by the
> Research Department of the Universal House of Justice
> January 1986
> 
> also published in Compilation of Compilations vol. 2, pp. 355-407
> 
> Table of Contents
> I. The Bahá'í concept of equality
> II. The role of education in the development of women
> III. Application of the principle of equality to family life
> IV. Women in the world at large
> V. Fostering the development of women
> VI. Bibliography
> 
> I. The Bahá'í Concept Of Equality
> 
> Extracts from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
> 1. O Children of Men! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one
> should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since
> We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul,
> to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your
> inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may
> be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye
> may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.
> (The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh, Arabic no. 68, rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1985), p. 20)
> 
> 2. Exalted, immensely exalted is He Who hath removed differences and established harmony.
> Glorified, infinitely glorified is He Who hath caused discord to cease, and decreed solidarity and
> unity. Praised be God, the Pen of the Most High hath lifted distinctions from between His
> servants and handmaidens, and, through His consummate favours and all-encompassing mercy,
> hath conferred upon all a station and rank of the same plane. He hath broken the back of vain
> imaginings with the sword of utterance and hath obliterated the perils of idle fancies through the
> pervasive power of His might.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 3. This Wronged One hath heard thy voice and that which thy inner and outer tongue hath uttered in
> praise of thy Lord. By the righteousness of God! That which the people possess, and the treasures
> of the earth, and that which the rulers and kings own, are not equal in this day to the singing of
> His praise. The Lord of the Kingdom beareth witness unto this at this glorious moment. And
> having heard thy groaning and lamentation, We are responding with a Tablet which calleth out
> betwixt earth and heaven and maketh mention of thee with words that immortalize what hath
> appeared from thee in His love, in His service, in His remembrance and in His praise. And He
> hath made that which hath issued forth from thy mouth a trust with Him for thee. He is verily the
> Most Bounteous, the Most Generous. If thou truly givest ear to that which hath been revealed for
> Women
> 
> thee from My Supreme Pen at this moment, thou shalt soar with the wings of eagerness in the
> heaven of love for the Lord of the Day of the Covenant, and wilt say during all the days of thy
> life: Thanks be unto Thee, O Thou the Desire of the world, and praise be unto Thee, O Thou the
> Beloved of the people of understanding. May all existence be a sacrifice for Thy favour, and all
> that hath been and will ever be, a ransom for Thy Word, O Thou the Wronged One amongst the
> people of enmity, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all who are in heaven and on earth....
> In this Day the Hand of divine grace hath removed all distinctions. The servants of God and His
> handmaidens are regarded on the same plane. Blessed is the servant who hath attained unto that
> which God hath decreed, and likewise the leaf moving in accordance with the breezes of His will.
> This favour is great and this station lofty. His bounties and bestowals are ever present and
> manifest. Who is able to offer befitting gratitude for His successive bestowals and continuous
> favours?
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic)
> 
> 4. By My Life! The names of handmaidens who are devoted to God are written and set down by the
> Pen of the Most High in the Crimson Book. They excel over men in the sight of God. How
> numerous are the heroes and knights in the field who are bereft of the True One and have no
> share in His recognition, but thou hast attained and received thy fill.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 5. Verily the Pen of the Most High hath borne witness unto thy recognition of Him, thy love for Him
> and thy turning towards the Ancient Countenance at a time when the world hath rejected Him,
> save those whom God, the Most High, hath willed....
> Well is it with thee for having adorned thyself with the ornament of the love of God and for
> having been enabled to make mention of Him and utter His praise. Divine grace, in its entirety, is
> in the mighty grasp of God, exalted be He. He conferreth it upon whomsoever He willeth. How
> many a man considered himself a celebrated divine and a repository of heavenly mysteries, and
> yet when the slightest test visited him, he arose with such opposition and denial as to cause the
> Concourse on high to moan and lament. Through the bestowals of the Lord, however, and His
> infinite favour, thou hast attained unto the hidden secret and the well-guarded treasure. Preserve
> then, in the name of God, this lofty station and conceal it from the eyes of betrayers. The glory
> shining from the horizon of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon every handmaiden who hath
> attained the splendours of My sublime Throne.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic)
> 
> 6. We beseech God to aid all the leaves to attain the knowledge of the Tree and deprive them not of
> the ocean of His generosity. In this day no regard is paid to loftiness or lowliness, to poverty or
> wealth, to nobility and lineage, to weakness or might. Whosoever recognizeth the incomparable
> Beloved is the possessor of true wealth and occupieth a divine station. Today, in the court of the
> True One, the queen of the world and her like are not worth a mustard seed, because although she
> may speak in the name of God, invoke the Lord of creation every day in the temple of her body,
> and spend large sums of earthly wealth for the development of her nation, she is deprived of
> recognition of the Sun of His Manifestation and is barred from the True One in Whose
> remembrance she is engaged.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic)
> 
> 7. Throughout the centuries and ages many a man hath waited expectant for God's Revelation, and
> yet when the Light shone forth from the horizon of the world, all but a few turned their faces
> away from it. Whosoever from amongst the handmaidens hath recognized the Lord of all Names
> is recorded in the Book as one of those men by the Pen of the Most High. Offer thou praise to the
> Beloved of the world for having aided thee to recognize the Dayspring of His Signs and the
> Revealer of the evidences of His Glory. This is a great bounty, a bounteous favour. Preserve it in
> the name of the True One....
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic)
> Women
> 
> Extracts from the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> 8. From the beginning of existence until the Promised Day men retained superiority over women in
> every respect. It is revealed in the Qur'án: “Men have superiority over women.” But in this
> wondrous Dispensation, the supreme outpouring of the Glorious Lord became the cause of
> manifest achievements by women. Some handmaidens arose who excelled men in the arena of
> knowledge. They arose with such love and spirituality that they became the cause of the
> outpouring of the bounty of the Sovereign Lord upon mankind, and with their sanctity, purity and
> attributes of the spirit led a great many to the shore of unity. They became a guiding torch to the
> wanderers in the wastes of bewilderment, and enkindled the despondent in the nether world with
> the flame of the love of the Lord. This is a bounteous characteristic of this wondrous Age which
> hath granted strength to the weaker sex and hath bestowed masculine might upon womanhood....
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 9. O handmaid of God! In this wondrous dispensation in which the Ancient Beauty and the Manifest
> Light—may my spirit be sacrificed for His loved ones—hath risen from the horizon of age-old
> hopes, women have assumed the attributes of men in showing forth steadfastness in the Cause of
> God, and revealing the heroism and might of fearless men. They invaded the arena of mystic
> knowledge and hoisted aloft the banner on the heights of certitude. Thou, too, must make a
> mighty effort and show forth supreme courage. Exert thyself and taste of the sweetness of a
> heavenly draught, for the sweet taste of the love of God will linger on to the end that hath no end.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 10. Render thanks to the Lord that among that race thou art the first believer, 1 that thou hast engaged
> in spreading sweet-scented breezes, and hast arisen to guide others. It is my hope that through the
> bounties and favours of the Abhá Beauty thy countenance may be illumined, thy disposition
> pleasing, and thy fragrance diffused, that thine eyes may be seeing, thine ears attentive, thy
> tongue eloquent, thy heart filled with supreme glad-tidings, and thy soul refreshed by divine
> fragrances, so that thou mayest arise among that race and occupy thyself with the edification of
> the people, and become filled with light. Although the pupil of the eye is black, it is the source of
> light. Thou shalt likewise be. The disposition should be bright, not the appearance. Therefore,
> with supreme confidence and certitude, say: “O God! Make me a radiant light, a shining lamp,
> and a brilliant star, so that I may illumine the hearts with an effulgent ray from Thy Kingdom of
> Abhá....”
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 11. The establishment of a women's assemblage for the promotion of knowledge is entirely
> acceptable, but discussions must be confined to educational matters. It should be done in such a
> way that differences will, day by day, be entirely wiped out, not that, God forbid, it will end in
> argumentation between men and women. As in the question of the veil, nothing should be done
> contrary to wisdom. The individual women should, today, follow a course of action which will be
> the cause of eternal glory to all womankind, so that all women will be illumined. And that lieth in
> gathering to learn how to teach, in holding meetings to recite the verses, to offer supplications to
> the kingdom of the Lord of evident signs, and to institute education for the girls. Ponder the
> manner in which Jinab-i-Táhirih used to teach. She was free from every concern, and for this
> reason she was resplendent.
> Now the world of women should be a spiritual world, not a political one, so that it will be radiant.
> The women of other nations are all immersed in political matters. Of what benefit is this, and
> what fruit doth it yield? To the extent that ye can, ye should busy yourselves with spiritual
> matters which will be conducive to the exaltation of the Word of God and of the diffusion of His
> 
> 1   This Tablet was addressed to one Mrs. Pocohontas in Washington. According to Fadil Mazandarani, the recipient of the Tablet was a
> black woman. See Tarikh-i-Zuhuru'l-Haq, vol. 8, part 2, p. 1209 (Tihrán: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 132 B.E.). Additional information
> provided by the Archives of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States indicates that Mr. Louis Gregory, in a history of the
> Washington, D.C. Bahá'í community, mentions a black Bahá'í, Mrs. Pocohontas Pope, who is likely the same person. Mrs. Pope learned
> of the Bahá'í Faith through Alma and Fanny Knobloch and Joseph and Pauline Hannen. There is, at present no other information on
> Mrs. Pope.
> Women
> 
> fragrances. Your demeanour should lead to harmony amongst all and to coalescence and the
> good-pleasure of all....
> I am endeavouring, with Bahá'u'lláh's confirmations and assistance, so to improve the world of
> the handmaidens that all will be astonished. This progress is intended to be in spirituality, in
> virtues, in human perfections and in divine knowledge. In America, the cradle of women's
> liberation, women are still debarred from political institutions because they squabble. They are
> yet to have a member in the House of Representatives. Also Bahá'u'lláh hath proclaimed: “O ye
> men of the House of Justice.” Ye need to be calm and composed, so that the work will proceed
> with wisdom, otherwise there will be such chaos that ye will leave everything and run away.
> “This newly born babe is traversing in one night the path that needeth a hundred years to tread.”
> In brief, ye should now engage in matters of pure spirituality and not contend with men. 'Abdu'l-
> Bahá will tactfully take appropriate steps. Be assured. In the end thou wilt thyself exclaim, “This
> was indeed supreme wisdom!” I appeal to you to obliterate this contention between men and
> women....
> No one can on his own achieve anything. 'Abdu'l-Bahá must be well pleased and assist.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 12. Know thou, O handmaid, that in the sight of Bahá, women are accounted the same as men, and
> God hath created all humankind in His own image, and after His own likeness. That is, men and
> women alike are the revealers of His names and attributes, and from the spiritual viewpoint there
> is no difference between them. Whosoever draweth nearer to God, that one is the most favoured,
> whether man or woman. How many a handmaid, ardent and devoted, hath, within the sheltering
> shade of Bahá, proved superior to the men, and surpassed the famous of the earth.
> The House of Justice, however, according to the explicit text of the Law of God, is confined to
> men;2 this for a wisdom of the Lord God's, which will erelong be made manifest as clearly as the
> sun at high noon.
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, rev. ed., (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1982), sec. 38, pp. 79-80)
> 
> 13. And among the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh is the equality of women and men. The world of
> humanity has two wings—one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally
> developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the
> world of women becomes equal to the world of men in the acquisition of virtues and perfections,
> can success and prosperity be attained as they ought to be.
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 227, p. 302)
> 
> 14. Inasmuch as this is the century of light, it is evident that the Sun of Reality, the Word, has
> revealed itself to all humankind. One of the potentialities hidden in the realm of humanity was the
> capability or capacity of womanhood. Through the effulgent rays of divine illumination the
> capacity of woman has become so awakened and manifest in this age that equality of man and
> woman is an established fact....
> In this day man must investigate reality impartially and without prejudice in order to reach the
> true knowledge and conclusions. What, then, constitutes the inequality between man and woman?
> Both are human. In powers and function each is the complement of the other. At most it is this:
> that woman has been denied the opportunities which man has so long enjoyed, especially the
> privilege of education....
> The truth is that all mankind are the creatures and servants of one God, and in His estimate all are
> human. Man is a generic term applying to all humanity. The biblical statement “Let us make man
> in our image, after our likeness” does not mean that woman was not created. The image and
> likeness of God apply to her as well. In Persian and Arabic there are two distinct words translated
> into English as man: one meaning man and woman collectively, the other distinguishing man as
> male from woman the female. The first word and its pronoun are generic, collective; the other is
> 
> 2   From other extracts it is evident that the limitation of membership to men applies only to the Universal House of Justice, and not to the
> National and Local Houses of Justice.
> Women
> 
> restricted to the male. This is the same in Hebrew.
> To accept and observe a distinction which God has not intended in creation is ignorance and
> superstition....
> It is my hope that the banner of equality may be raised throughout the five continents where as
> yet it is not fully recognized and established. In this enlightened world of the West woman has
> advanced an immeasurable degree beyond the women of the Orient. And let it be known once
> more that until woman and man recognize and realize equality, social and political progress here
> or anywhere will not be possible. For the world of humanity consists of two parts or members:
> one is woman; the other is man. Until these two members are equal in strength, the oneness of
> humanity cannot be established, and the happiness and felicity of mankind will not be a reality.
> God willing, this is to be so.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, 2nd. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982), pp. 74-77)
> 
> 15. Today questions of the utmost importance are facing humanity, questions peculiar to this radiant
> century....
> One of these questions concerns the rights of woman and her equality with man. In past ages it
> was held that woman and man were not equal—that is to say, woman was considered inferior to
> man, even from the standpoint of her anatomy and creation. She was considered especially
> inferior in intelligence, and the idea prevailed universally that it was not allowable for her to step
> into the arena of important affairs. In some countries man went so far as to believe and teach that
> woman belonged to a sphere lower than human. But in this century, which is the century of light
> and the revelation of mysteries, God is proving to the satisfaction of humanity that all this is
> ignorance and error; nay, rather, it is well established that mankind and womankind as parts of
> composite humanity are coequal and that no difference in estimate is allowable, for all are human.
> The conditions in past centuries were due to woman's lack of opportunity. She was denied the
> right and privilege of education and left in her undeveloped state. Naturally, she could not and did
> not advance. In reality, God has created all mankind, and in the estimation of God there is no
> distinction as to male and female. The one whose heart is pure is acceptable in His sight, be that
> one man or woman. God does not inquire, “Art thou woman or art thou man?” He judges human
> actions. If these are acceptable in the threshold of the Glorious One, man and woman will be
> equally recognized and rewarded.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 133)
> 
> 16. The world of humanity consists of two parts: male and female. Each is the complement of the
> other. Therefore, if one is defective, the other will necessarily be incomplete, and perfection
> cannot be attained. There is a right hand and a left hand in the human body, functionally equal in
> service and administration. If either proves defective, the defect will naturally extend to the other
> by involving the completeness of the whole; for accomplishment is not normal unless both are
> perfect. If we say one hand is deficient, we prove the inability and incapacity of the other; for
> single-handed there is no full accomplishment. Just as physical accomplishment is complete with
> two hands, so man and woman, the two parts of the social body, must be perfect. It is not natural
> that either should remain undeveloped; and until both are perfected, the happiness of the human
> world will not be realized.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 134)
> 
> 17. The status of woman in former times was exceedingly deplorable, for it was the belief of the
> Orient that it was best for woman to be ignorant. It was considered preferable that she should not
> know reading or writing in order that she might not be informed of events in the world. Woman
> was considered to be created for rearing children and attending to the duties of the household. If
> she pursued educational courses, it was deemed contrary to chastity; hence women were made
> prisoners of the household. The houses did not even have windows opening upon the outside
> world. Bahá'u'lláh destroyed these ideas and proclaimed the equality of man and woman. He
> made woman respected by commanding that all women be educated, that there be no difference
> Women
> 
> in the education of the two sexes and that man and woman share the same rights. In the
> estimation of God there is no distinction of sex. One whose thought is pure, whose education is
> superior, whose scientific attainments are greater, whose deeds of philanthropy excel, be that one
> man or woman, white or colored, is entitled to full rights and recognition; there is no
> differentiation whatsoever.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 166)
> 
> 18. Woman's lack of progress and proficiency has been due to her need of equal education and
> opportunity. Had she been allowed this equality, there is no doubt she would be the counterpart of
> man in ability and capacity. The happiness of mankind will be realized when women and men
> coordinate and advance equally, for each is the complement and helpmeet of the other.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 182)
> 
> 19. He establishes the equality of man and woman. This is peculiar to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, for
> all other religions have placed man above woman.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 455)
> 
> 20. Women have equal rights with men upon earth; in religion and society they are a very important
> element. As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities, so long will
> men be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs.
> (Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912, 10th ed. (London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1979), p.
> 133)
> 
> 21. In the world of humanity.... the female sex is treated as though inferior, and is not allowed equal
> rights and privileges. This condition is due not to nature, but to education. In the Divine Creation
> there is no such distinction. Neither sex is superior to the other in the sight of God. Why then
> should one sex assert the inferiority of the other, withholding just rights and privileges as though
> God had given His authority for such a course of action? If women received the same educational
> advantages as those of men, the result would demonstrate the equality of capacity of both for
> scholarship.
> In some respects woman is superior to man. She is more tender-hearted, more receptive, her
> intuition is more intense.
> (Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912, p. 161)
> 
> 22. Divine Justice demands that the rights of both sexes should be equally respected since neither is
> superior to the other in the eyes of Heaven. Dignity before God depends, not on sex, but on purity
> and luminosity of heart. Human virtues belong equally to all!
> (Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912, p. 162)
> 
> 23. In the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, women are advancing side by side with men. There is no area
> or instance where they will lag behind: they have equal rights with men, and will enter, in the
> future, into all branches of the administration of society. Such will be their elevation that, in every
> area of endeavour, they will occupy the highest levels in the human world. Rest thou assured.
> Look not upon their present state. In future, the world of womankind will shine with lustrous
> brilliance, for such is the will and purpose of Bahá'u'lláh. At the time of elections the right to vote
> is the inalienable right of women, and the entrance of women into all human departments is an
> irrefutable and incontrovertible question. No soul can retard or prevent it.
> But there are certain matters, the participation in which is not worthy of women. For example, at
> the time when the community is taking up vigorous defensive measures against the attack of foes,
> the women are exempt from military engagements. It may so happen that at a given time warlike
> and savage tribes may furiously attack the body politic with the intention of carrying on a
> wholesale slaughter of its members; under such a circumstance defence is necessary, but it is the
> duty of men to organize and execute such defensive measures and not the women—because their
> hearts are tender and they cannot endure the sight of the horror of carnage, even if it is for the
> Women
> 
> sake of defence. From such and similar undertakings the women are exempt.
> As regards the constitution of the House of Justice, Bahá'u'lláh addresses the men. He says: “O ye
> men of the House of Justice!”
> But when its members are to be elected, the right which belongs to women, so far as their voting
> and their voice is concerned, is indisputable. When the women attain to the ultimate degree of
> progress, then, according to the exigency of the time and place and their great capacity, they shall
> obtain extraordinary privileges. Be ye confident on these accounts. His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh has
> greatly strengthened the cause of women, and the rights and privileges of women is one of the
> greatest principles of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Rest ye assured! Ere long the days shall come when the men
> addressing the women, shall say: 'Blessed are ye! Blessed are ye! Verily ye are worthy of every
> gift. Verily ye deserve to adorn your heads with the crown of everlasting glory, because in
> sciences and arts, in virtues and perfections ye shall become equal to man, and as regards
> tenderness of heart and the abundance of mercy and sympathy ye are superior'.
> (From a Tablet to an individual believer - translated from the Persian, published in Paris Talks: Addresses given by
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912, p. 182-84)
> 
> 24. The woman of the East has progressed. Formerly in India, Persia and throughout the Orient, she
> was not considered a human being. Certain Arab tribes counted their women in with the live
> stock. In their language the noun for woman also meant donkey; that is, the same name applied to
> both and a man's wealth was accounted by the number of these beasts of burden he possessed.
> The worst insult one could hurl at a man was to cry out, “Thou woman!”
> From the moment Bahá'u'lláh appeared, this changed. He did away with the idea of distinction
> between the sexes, proclaiming them equal in every capacity.
> In former times it was considered wiser that woman should not know how to read or write; she
> should occupy herself only with drudgery. She was very ignorant. Bahá'u'lláh declares the
> education of woman to be of more importance than that of man. If the mother be ignorant, even if
> the father have great knowledge, the child's education will be at fault, for education begins with
> the milk. A child at the breast is like a tender branch that the gardener can train as he wills.
> The East has begun to educate its women. Some there are in Persia who have become liberated
> through this cause, whose cleverness and eloquence the ulamá cannot refute. Many of them are
> poets. They are absolutely fearless....
> I hope for a like degree of progress among the women of Europe – that each may shine like unto
> a lamp; that they may cry out the proclamation of the kingdom; that they may truly assist the
> men; nay, that they may be even superior to the men, versed in sciences and yet detached, so that
> the whole world may bear witness to the fact that men and women have absolutely the same
> rights. It would be a cause of great joy for me to see such women. This is useful work; by it
> woman will enter into the kingdom. Otherwise, there will be no results.
> ('Abdu'l-Bahá on Divine Philosophy (Boston: Tudor Press, 1918), pp. 81-83)
> 
> 25. The world in the past has been ruled by force, and man has dominated over woman by reason of
> his more forceful and aggressive qualities both of body and mind. But the balance is already
> shifting; force is losing its dominance, and mental alertness, intuition, and the spiritual qualities
> of love and service, in which woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy. Hence the new age will
> be an age less masculine and more permeated with the feminine ideals, or, to speak more exactly,
> will be an age in which the masculine and feminine elements of civilization will be more evenly
> balanced.
> (J. E. Esslemont, Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, 5th rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1987), p. 149)
> 
> Extracts from Letters Written on Behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> 26. If presented properly the position of women in the Bahá'í teachings will surely attract much
> Women
> 
> attention, for it is not only legal but also spiritual and educational. Our ideals are so high and at
> the same time so practicable that all other views will fall short if compared to them.
> (7 January 1931 to the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma)
> 
> 27. As regards your question concerning the membership of the Universal House of Justice: there is a
> Tablet from Abdul-Bahá in which He definitely states that the membership of the Universal
> House is confined to men, and that the wisdom of it will be fully revealed and appreciated in the
> future. In the local as well as the national Houses of Justice, however, women have the full right
> of membership. It is, therefore, only to the International House that they cannot be elected. The
> Bahá'ís should accept this statement of the Master in a spirit of deep faith, confident that there is a
> divine guidance and wisdom behind it which will be gradually unfolded to the eyes of the world.
> (28 July 1936 to an individual believer)
> 
> 28. As regards the membership of the International House of Justice, 'Abdu'l-Bahá states in a Tablet
> that it is confined to men, and that the wisdom of it will be revealed as manifest as the sun in the
> future. In any case the believers should know that, as 'Abdu'l-Bahá Himself has explicitly stated
> that sexes are equal except in some cases, the exclusion of women from the International House
> of Justice should not be surprising. From the fact that there is no equality of functions between
> the sexes one should not, however, infer that either sex is inherently superior or inferior to the
> other, or that they are unequal in their rights.
> (14 December 1940 to the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma)
> 
> Extracts From Letters Written by the Universal House of Justice
> 29. It is apparent from the Guardian's writings that where Bahá'u'lláh has expressed a law as between
> a man and a woman it applies, mutatis mutandis, between a woman and a man unless the context
> should make this impossible. For example, the text of the “Kitáb-i-Aqdas” forbids a man to marry
> his father's wife (i.e. his step-mother), and the Guardian has indicated that likewise a woman is
> forbidden to marry her step-father.
> (28 April 1974 to an individual believer)
> 
> 30. Concerning your questions about the equality of men and women, this, as 'Abdu'l-Bahá has often
> explained, is a fundamental principle of Bahá'u'lláh; therefore the Laws of the “Aqdas” should be
> studied in the light of it. Equality between men and women does not, indeed physiologically it
> cannot, mean identity of functions. In some things women excel men, for others men are better
> fitted than women, while in very many things the difference of sex is of no effect at all. The
> differences of function are most apparent in family life. The capacity for motherhood has many
> far-reaching implications which are recognized in Bahá'í Law. For example, when it is not
> possible to educate all one's children, daughters receive preference over sons, as mothers are the
> first educators of the next generation. Again, for physiological reasons, women are granted
> certain exemptions from fasting that are not applicable to men.
> (24 July 1975 to an individual believer)
> 
> 31. The primary question to be resolved is how the present world, with its entrenched pattern of
> conflict, can change to a world in which harmony and co-operation will prevail.
> World order can be founded only on an unshakeable consciousness of the oneness of mankind, a
> spiritual truth which all the human sciences confirm. Anthropology, physiology, psychology,
> recognize only one human species, albeit infinitely varied in the secondary aspects of life.
> Recognition of this truth requires abandonment of prejudice—prejudice of every kind—race,
> class, colour, creed, nation, sex, degree of material civilization, everything which enables people
> to consider themselves superior to others.
> Acceptance of the oneness of mankind is the first fundamental prerequisite for reorganization and
> administration of the world as one country, the home of humankind. Universal acceptance of this
> Women
> 
> spiritual principle is essential to any successful attempt to establish world peace.
> (October 1985 to the Peoples of the World)
> 
> From Letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> 32. To the general premise that women and men have equality in the Faith, this, as often explained by
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, is a fundamental principle deriving from Bahá'u'lláh and therefore His mention of
> the “Men of Justice” in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas should be considered in light of that principle.
> (29 June 1976 to an individual believer)
> 
> 33. ... 'Abdu'l-Bahá asserts: “In this divine age the bounties of God have encompassed the world of
> women. Equality of men and women, except in some negligible instances, has been fully and
> categorically announced. Distinctions have been utterly removed.” That men and women differ
> from one another in certain characteristics and functions is an inescapable fact of nature; the
> important thing is that He regards such inequalities as remain between the sexes as being
> “negligible”.
> (8 January 1981 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States)
> 
> 34. You are quite right in stating that men and women have basic and distinct qualities. The solution
> provided in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh is not, as you correctly observe, for men to become
> women, and for women to become men. 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave us the key to the problem when He
> taught that the qualities and functions of men and women “complement” each other. He further
> elucidated this point when He said that the “new age” will be “an age in which the masculine and
> feminine elements of civilization will be more properly balanced.”
> (22 April 1981 to an individual believer)
> 
> 35. It may be helpful to stress ... that the Bahá'í principle of the equality of men and women is clearly
> stated in the teachings, and the fact that there is diversity of function between them in certain
> areas does not negate this principle.
> (23 August 1984 to two believers)
> 
> II. The Role of Education in the Development of Women
> 
> Extracts From the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
> 36. It is the bounden duty of parents to rear their children to be staunch in faith.... For every
> praiseworthy deed is born out of the light of religion, and lacking this supreme bestowal the child
> will not turn away from any evil, nor will he draw nigh unto any good.
> (From a Tablet - translated from Persian, published in Bahá'í Education, a compilation, 1976 World Centre edition, p. 6)
> 
> Extracts From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> 37. Praised be God, the women believers have organized meetings where they will learn how to teach
> the Faith, will spread the sweet savours of the Teachings and make plans for training the children.
> ...those present should concern themselves with every means of training the girl children; with
> teaching the various branches of knowledge, good behaviour, a proper way of life, the cultivation
> of a good character, chastity and constancy, perseverance, strength, determination, firmness of
> purpose; with household management, the education of children, and whatever especially
> Women
> 
> applieth to the needs of girls—to the end that these girls, reared in the stronghold of all
> perfections, and with the protection of a goodly character, will, when they themselves become
> mothers, bring up their children from earliest infancy to have a good character and conduct
> themselves well.
> Let them also study whatever will nurture the health of the body and its physical soundness, and
> how to guard their children from disease.
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 94, pp. 123-24)
> 
> 38. Work ye for the guidance of the women in that land, teach the young girls and the children, so
> that the mothers may educate their little ones from their earliest days, thoroughly train them, rear
> them to have a goodly character and good morals, guide them to all the virtues of humankind,
> prevent the development of any behaviour that would be worthy of blame, and foster them in the
> embrace of Bahá'í education. Thus shall these tender infants be nurtured at the breast of the
> knowledge of God and His love. Thus shall they grow and flourish, and be taught righteousness
> and the dignity of humankind, resolution and the will to strive and to endure. Thus shall they
> learn perseverance in all things, the will to advance, high mindedness and high resolve, chastity
> and purity of life. Thus shall they be enabled to carry to a successful conclusion whatsoever they
> undertake.
> Let the mothers consider that whatever concerneth the education of children is of the first
> importance. Let them put forth every effort in this regard, for when the bough is green and tender
> it will grow in whatever way ye train it. Therefore is it incumbent upon the mothers to rear their
> little ones even as a gardener tendeth his young plants. Let them strive by day and by night to
> establish within their children faith and certitude, the fear of God, the love of the Beloved of the
> worlds, and all good qualities and traits. Whensoever a mother seeth that her child hath done well,
> let her praise and applaud him and cheer his heart; and if the slightest undesirable trait should
> manifest itself, let her counsel the child and punish him, and use means based on reason, even a
> slight verbal chastisement should this be necessary. It is not, however, permissible to strike a
> child, or vilify him, for the child's character will be totally perverted if he be subjected to blows
> or verbal abuse.
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 95, pp. 124-25)
> 
> 39. ...it is incumbent upon the father and mother to train their children both in good conduct and the
> study of books; study, that is, to the degree required, so that no child, whether girl or boy, will
> remain illiterate.
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec 101, p. 127)
> 
> 40. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's supreme joy is in observing that a number of leaves from among the handmaidens
> of the Blessed Beauty have been educated, that they are the essence of detachment, and are well-
> informed of the mysteries of the world of being; that they raise such a call in their glorification
> and praise of the Greatest Name as to cause the inmates of the Fanes of the Kingdom to become
> attracted and overjoyed, and that they recite prayers in prose and poetry, and melodiously chant
> the divine verses. I cherish the hope that thou wilt be one of them, wilt cast forth pearls, wilt be
> constantly engaged in singing His praise and wilt intone celestial strains in glorification of His
> attributes....
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 41. ...Thou hast written about the girls' school. What was previously written still holdeth true. There
> can be no improvement unless the girls are brought up in schools and centres of learning, unless
> they are taught the sciences and other branches of knowledge, and unless they acquire the
> manifold arts, as necessary, and are divinely trained. For the day will come when these girls will
> become mothers. Mothers are the first educators of children, who establish virtues in the child's
> inner nature. They encourage the child to acquire perfections and goodly manners, warn him
> against unbecoming qualities, and encourage him to show forth resolve, firmness, and endurance
> under hardship, and to advance on the high road to progress. Due regard for the education of girls
> is, therefore, necessary. This is a very important subject, and it should be administered and
> Women
> 
> organized under the aegis of the Spiritual Assembly....
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 42. ...it is incumbent upon the girls of this glorious era to be fully versed in the various branches of
> knowledge, in sciences and the arts and all the wonders of this pre-eminent time, that they may
> then educate their children and train them from their earliest days in the ways of perfection.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 43. Furthermore, the education of woman is more necessary and important than that of man, for
> woman is the trainer of the child from its infancy. If she be defective and imperfect herself, the
> child will necessarily be deficient; therefore, imperfection of woman implies a condition of
> imperfection in all mankind, for it is the mother who rears, nurtures and guides the growth of the
> child. This is not the function of the father. If the educator be incompetent, the educated will be
> correspondingly lacking. This is evident and incontrovertible. Could the student be brilliant and
> accomplished if the teacher is illiterate and ignorant? The mothers are the first educators of
> mankind; if they be imperfect, alas for the condition and future of the race. …
> It has been objected by some that woman is not equally capable with man and that she is deficient
> by creation. This is pure imagination. The difference in capability between man and woman is
> due entirely to opportunity and education. Heretofore woman has been denied the right and
> privilege of equal development. If equal opportunity be granted her, there is no doubt she would
> be the peer of man. History will evidence this. In past ages noted women have arisen in the affairs
> of nations and surpassed men in their accomplishments. ...
> The purpose, in brief, is this: that if woman be fully educated and granted her rights, she will
> attain the capacity for wonderful accomplishments and prove herself the equal of man. She is the
> coadjutor of man, his complement and helpmeet. Both are human; both are endowed with
> potentialities of intelligence and embody the virtues of humanity. In all human powers and
> functions they are partners and coequals. At present in spheres of human activity woman does not
> manifest her natal prerogatives, owing to lack of education and opportunity. Without doubt
> education will establish her equality with men.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, pp. 133-37)
> 
> 44. In proclaiming the oneness of mankind He taught that men and women are equal in the sight of
> God and that there is no distinction to be made between them. The only difference between them
> now is due to lack of education and training. If woman is given equal opportunity of education,
> distinction and estimate of inferiority will disappear....
> He promulgated the adoption of the same course of education for man and woman. Daughters and
> sons must follow the same curriculum of study, thereby promoting unity of the sexes. When all
> mankind shall receive the same opportunity of education and the equality of men and women be
> realized, the foundations of war will be utterly destroyed.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, pp. 174-75)
> 
> 45. Why should a woman be left mentally undeveloped? Science is praiseworthy—whether
> investigated by the intellect of man or woman. So, little by little, woman advanced, giving
> increasing evidence of equal capabilities with man—whether in scientific research, political
> ability or any other sphere of human activity. The conclusion is evident that woman has been
> outdistanced through lack of education and intellectual facilities. If given the same educational
> opportunities or course of study, she would develop the same capacity and abilities.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 281)
> 
> 46. Bahá'u'lláh has announced that inasmuch as ignorance and lack of education are barriers of
> separation among mankind, all must receive training and instruction. Through this provision the
> lack of mutual understanding will be remedied and the unity of mankind furthered and advanced.
> Universal education is a universal law. It is, therefore, incumbent upon every father to teach and
> instruct his children according to his possibilities. If he is unable to educate them, the body
> Women
> 
> politic, the representative of the people, must provide the means for their education....
> The sex distinction which exists in the human world is due to the lack of education for woman,
> who has been denied equal opportunity for development and advancement. Equality of the sexes
> will be established in proportion to the increased opportunities afforded woman in this age, for
> man and woman are equally the recipients of powers and endowments from God, the Creator.
> God has not ordained distinction between them in His consummate purpose.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 300)
> 
> 47. The education of each child is compulsory.... In addition to this widespread education each child
> must be taught a profession, art, or trade, so that every member of the community will be enabled
> to earn his own livelihood. Work done in the spirit of service is the highest form of worship....
> ('Abdu'l-Bahá on Divine Philosophy, p. 78)
> 
> 48. Devote ye particular attention to the school for girls, for the greatness of this wondrous Age will
> be manifested as a result of progress in the world of women. This is why ye observe that in every
> land the world of women is on the march, and this is due to the impact of the Most Great
> Manifestation, and the power of the teachings of God.
> (From a Tablet - Translated from the Persian, published in Bahá'í Education, a
> compilation, p. 37)
> 49. Our hearts rejoiced at thy letter concerning a school for girls.
> Praised be God that there is now a school of this type in Tihrán where young maidens can,
> through His bounty, receive an education and with all vigour acquire the accomplishments of
> humankind. Erelong will women in every field keep pace with the men.
> Until now, in Persia, the means for women's advancement were non-existent. But now, God be
> thanked, ever since the dawning of the Morn of Salvation, they have been going forward day by
> day. The hope is that they will take the lead in virtues and attainments, in closeness to the Court
> of Almighty God, in faith and certitude—and that the women of the East will become the envy of
> the women of the West.
> (From a Tablet - Translated from the Persian, published in Bahá'í Education, a compilation, p. 48)
> 
> Extract From a Letter Written by the Universal House of Justice
> 50. The cause of universal education, which has already enlisted in its service an army of dedicated
> people from every faith and nation, deserves the utmost support that the governments of the
> world can lend it. For ignorance is indisputably the principal reason for the decline and fall of
> peoples and the perpetuation of prejudice. No nation can achieve success unless education is
> accorded all its citizens. Lack of resources limits the ability of many nations to fulfil this
> necessity, imposing a certain ordering of priorities. The decision-making agencies involved would
> do well to consider giving first priority to the education of women and girls, since it is through
> educated mothers that the benefits of knowledge can be most effectively and rapidly diffused
> throughout society. In keeping with the requirements of the times, consideration should also be
> given to teaching the concept of world citizenship as part of the standard education of every
> child.
> (October 1985 to the Peoples of the World)
> 
> Extracts From Letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> 51. A very important element in the attainment of such equality is Bahá'u'lláh's provision that boys
> and girls must follow essentially the same curriculum in schools.
> (28 December 1980 to the National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand)
> Women
> 
> 52. The House of Justice regards the need to educate and guide women in their primary responsibility
> as mothers as an excellent opportunity for organizing women's activities. Your efforts should
> focus on helping them in their function as educators of the rising generation. Women should also
> be encouraged to attract their husbands and male members of their families to the Faith so that
> the Bahá'í community will be representative of the society of which it forms a part. Gradually the
> spirit of unity and fellowship, as set forth in our teachings, will be reflected in the life of Bahá'í
> families.
> (29 February 1984 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Mariana Islands)
> 
> III. Application of the Principle of Equality to Family Life
> 
> Extracts From the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
> 53. Steadfastness in the Cause is mentioned in the Tablets and set forth by the Pen of the Ancient of
> Days. Render thanks to the Beloved of the world that thou hast set thy heart on Him and art
> uttering His praise. Many a man hath in this day been deprived of making mention of the All-
> Sufficing Lord and of recognizing His truth; and many a woman hath fixed her gaze upon the
> Horizon of the Most High, and hath adorned herself with the garb of the love of the Desire of the
> world. This is God's grace which He bestoweth upon whomsoever He pleaseth. By the Day-Star
> of ancient mysteries! The sweet-scented fragrance of every breath breathed in the love of God is
> wafted in the court of the presence of the Lord of Revelation. The reward of no good deed is or
> ever will be lost. Blessed art thou, doubly blessed art thou! Thou art reckoned amongst those
> handmaidens whose love for their kin hath not prevented them from attaining the shores of the
> Sea of Grace and Mercy. God willing, thou shalt rest eternally neath the shade of the favours of
> the All-Merciful and shalt be assured of His bounties. Engage in the praise of the True One and
> rejoice in His loving-kindness.
> The world passeth away, and that which is everlasting is the love of God. God willing, thou shalt
> circumambulate the True One in every world of His worlds and shalt be free from all else save
> Him.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic)
> 
> 54. All should know, and in this regard attain the splendours of the sun of certitude, and be illumined
> thereby: Women and men have been and will always be equal in the sight of God. The Dawning-
> Place of the Light of God sheddeth its radiance upon all with the same effulgence. Verily God
> created women for men, and men for women. The most beloved of people before God are the
> most steadfast and those who have surpassed others in their love for God, exalted be His glory....
> The friends of God must be adorned with the ornament of justice, equity, kindness and love. As
> they do not allow themselves to be the object of cruelty and transgression, in like manner they
> should not allow such tyranny to visit the handmaidens of God. He, verily, speaketh the truth and
> commandeth that which benefitteth His servants and handmaidens. He is the Protector of all in
> this world and the next.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic)
> 
> Extracts From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> 55. The Lord, peerless is He, hath made woman and man to abide with each other in the closest
> companionship, and to be even as a single soul. They are two helpmates, two intimate friends,
> Women
> 
> who should be concerned about the welfare of each other.
> If they live thus, they will pass through this world with perfect contentment, bliss, and peace of
> heart, and become the object of divine grace and favour in the Kingdom of heaven. But if they do
> other than this, they will live out their lives in great bitterness, longing at every moment for death,
> and will be shamefaced in the heavenly realm.
> Strive, then, to abide, heart and soul, with each other as two doves in the nest, for this is to be
> blessed in both worlds.
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 92, p. 122)
> 
> 56. ...following the precepts of God and the holy Law, suckle your children from their infancy with
> the milk of a universal education, and rear them so that from their earliest days, within their
> inmost heart, their very nature, a way of life will be firmly established that will conform to the
> divine Teachings in all things.
> For mothers are the first educators, the first mentors; and truly it is the mothers who determine
> the happiness, the future greatness, the courteous ways and learning and judgement, the
> understanding and the faith of their little ones.
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 96, p. 126)
> 
> 57. ...it is enjoined upon the father and mother, as a duty, to strive with all effort to train the daughter
> and the son, to nurse them from the breast of knowledge and to rear them in the bosom of
> sciences and arts. Should they neglect this matter, they shall be held responsible and worthy of
> reproach in the presence of the stern Lord.
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 98, p. 127)
> 
> 58. O ye loving mothers, know ye that in God's sight, the best of all ways to worship Him is to
> educate the children and train them in all the perfections of humankind; and no nobler deed than
> this can be imagined.
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 144, p. 139)
> 
> 59. Note ye how easily, where unity existeth in a given family, the affairs of that family are
> conducted; what progress the members of that family make, how they prosper in the world. Their
> concerns are in order, they enjoy comfort and tranquility, they are secure, their position is
> assured, they come to be envied by all. Such a family but addeth to its stature and its lasting
> honour, as day succeedeth day....
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 221, p. 279)
> 
> 60. You have asked whether a husband would be able to prevent his wife from embracing the divine
> light or a wife dissuade her husband from gaining entry into the Kingdom of God. In truth neither
> of them could prevent the other from entering into the Kingdom, unless the husband hath an
> excessive attachment to the wife or the wife to the husband. Indeed when either of the two
> worshippeth the other to the exclusion of God, then each could prevent the other from seeking
> admittance into His Kingdom.
> (From a Tablet - Translated from the Arabic, published in Family Life, a compilation, p. 8)
> 
> 61. Question: What is the attitude of your belief toward the family?
> Answer: According to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh the family, being a human unit, must be
> educated according to the rules of sanctity. All the virtues must be taught the family. The integrity
> of the family bond must be constantly considered, and the rights of the individual members must
> not be transgressed. The rights of the son, the father, the mother—none of them must be
> transgressed, none of them must be arbitrary. Just as the son has certain obligations to his father,
> the father, likewise, has certain obligations to his son. The mother, the sister and other members
> of the household have their certain prerogatives. All these rights and prerogatives must be
> conserved, yet the unity of the family must be sustained. The injury of one shall be considered the
> injury of all; the comfort of each, the comfort of all; the honor of one, the honor of all.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United (States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 168)
> Women
> 
> Extracts From Letters Written on Behalf of Shoghi Effendi to individual
> believers unless otherwise cited
> 62. When such difference of opinion and belief occurs between husband and wife it is very
> unfortunate for undoubtedly it detracts from that spiritual bond which is the stronghold of the
> family bond, especially in times of difficulty. The way, however, that it could be remedied is not
> by acting in such wise as to alienate the other party. One of the objects of the Cause is actually to
> bring about a closer bond in the homes. In all such cases, therefore, the Master used to advise
> obedience to the wishes of the other party and prayer. Pray that your husband may gradually see
> the light and at the same time so act as to draw him nearer rather than prejudice him. Once that
> harmony is secured then you will be able to serve unhampered.
> (15 July 1928)
> 
> 63. Shoghi Effendi trusts that as a result of his cable and this letter your wife will be able to devote a
> little more time to her family, but he also hopes that you will be able to assist her in obtaining the
> time and opportunity to serve a Cause that is so dear and near to her heart and in which her
> services are much appreciated.
> (19 June 1931)
> 
> 64. The Guardian, in his remarks ... about parents' and children's, wives' and husbands' relations in
> America, meant that there is a tendency in that country for children to be too independent of the
> wishes of their parents and lacking in the respect due to them. Also wives, in some cases, have a
> tendency to exert an unjust degree of domination over their husbands, which, of course, is not
> right, any more than that the husband should unjustly dominate his wife.
> (22 July 1943)
> 
> 65. It is one of the essential teachings of the Faith that unity should be maintained in the home. Of
> course this does not mean that any member of the family has a right to influence the faith of any
> other member; and if this is realized by all the members, then it seems certain that unity would be
> feasible.
> (6 July 1952)
> 
> 66. The Guardian fully appreciates your desire to go forth as a pioneer at this time, and to help
> establish the Faith in the virgin areas, but you should not go against the wishes of your husband,
> and force him to give up everything in order that you might serve the Faith in this manner. We
> must bear in mind the wishes and the rights of those who are closely connected in our lives.
> If your husband wishes you to remain where you are, certainly there is a vast field for teaching
> there.
> (31 July 1953)
> 
> 67. Wherever there is a Bahá'í family, those concerned should by all means do all they can to
> preserve it, because divorce is strongly condemned in the Teachings, whereas harmony, unity and
> love are held up as the highest ideals in human relationships. This must always apply to the
> Bahá'ís, whether they are serving in the pioneering field or not.
> (9 November 1956 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America)
> 
> Extracts From letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice to
> individual believers unless otherwise cited
> 68. That the first teacher of the child is the mother should not be startling, for the primary orientation
> of the infant is to its mother. This provision of nature in no way minimizes the role of the father
> in the Bahá'í family. Again, equality of status does not mean identity of function.
> (23 June 1974)
> 
> 69. In considering the problems that you and your wife are experiencing, the House of Justice points
> out that the unity of your family should take priority over any other consideration. Bahá'u'lláh
> Women
> 
> came to bring unity to the world, and a fundamental unity is that of the family. Therefore, we
> must believe that the Faith is intended to strengthen the family, not weaken it. For example,
> service to the Cause should not produce neglect of the family. It is important for you to arrange
> your time so that your family life is harmonious and your household receives the attention it
> requires.
> Bahá'u'lláh also stressed the importance of consultation. We should not think this worthwhile
> method of seeking solutions is confined to the administrative institutions of the Cause. Family
> consultation employing full and frank discussion, and animated by awareness of the need for
> moderation and balance, can be the panacea for domestic conflict. Wives should not attempt to
> dominate their husbands, nor husbands their wives.
> (1 August 1978)
> 
> 70. Noting that you and your husband have consulted about your family problems with your Spiritual
> Assembly but did not receive any advice, and also discussed your situation with a family
> counsellor without success, the House of Justice feels it most essential for your husband and you
> to understand that marriage can be a source of well-being, conveying a sense of security and
> spiritual happiness. However, it is not something that just happens. For marriage to become a
> haven of contentment it requires the cooperation of the marriage partners themselves, and the
> assistance of their families.
> (24 June 1979)
> 
> 71. The members of a family all have duties and responsibilities towards one another and to the
> family as a whole, and these duties and responsibilities vary from member to member because of
> their natural relationships. The parents have the inescapable duty to educate their children—but
> not vice versa; the children have the duty to obey their parents—the parents do not obey the
> children; the mother—not the father—bears the children, nurses them in babyhood, and is thus
> their first educator; hence daughters have a prior right to education over sons and, as the
> Guardian's secretary has written on his behalf, “The task of bringing up a Bahá'í child, as
> emphasized time and again in Bahá'í Writings, is the chief responsibility of the mother, whose
> unique privilege is indeed to create in her home such conditions as would be most conducive to
> both his material and spiritual welfare and advancement. The training which a child first receives
> through his mother constitutes the strongest foundation for his future development...” A corollary
> of this responsibility of the mother is her right to be supported by her husband—a husband has no
> explicit right to be supported by his wife....
> In any group, however loving the consultation, there are nevertheless points on which, from time
> to time, agreement cannot be reached. In a Spiritual Assembly this dilemma is resolved by a
> majority vote. There can, however, be no majority where only two parties are involved, as in the
> case of a husband and wife. There are, therefore, times when a wife should defer to her husband,
> and times when a husband should defer to his wife, but neither should ever unjustly dominate the
> other. In short, the relationship between husband and wife should be as held forth in the prayer
> revealed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá which is often read at Bahá'í weddings: “Verily, they are married in
> obedience to Thy command. Cause them to become the signs of harmony and unity until the end
> of time.”
> These are all relationships within the family, but there is a much wider sphere of relationships
> between men and women than in the home, and this too we should consider in the context of
> Bahá'í society, not in that of past or present social norms. For example, although the mother is the
> first educator of the child, and the most important formative influence in his development, the
> father also has the responsibility of educating his children, and this responsibility is so weighty
> that Bahá'u'lláh has stated that a father who fails to exercise it forfeits his rights of fatherhood.
> Similarly, although the primary responsibility for supporting the family financially is placed upon
> the husband, this does not by any means imply that the place of woman is confined to the home.
> (28 December 1980 to the National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand)
> 
> 72. You have asked, however, for specific rules of conduct to govern the relationships of husbands
> and wives. This the House of Justice does not wish to do, and it feels that there is already
> Women
> 
> adequate guidance included in the compilation on this subject. For example the principle that the
> rights of each and all in the family unit must be upheld, and the advice that loving consultation
> should be the keynote, that all matters should be settled in harmony and love, and that there are
> times when the husband and the wife should defer to the wishes of the other. Exactly under what
> circumstances such deference should take place, is a matter for each couple to determine.
> (16 May 1982)
> 
> 73. You ask about the admonition that everyone must work, and want to know if this means that you,
> a wife and mother, must work for a livelihood as your husband does. We are requested to enclose
> for your perusal an excerpt, “The Twelfth Glad-Tidings”, from Bahá'u'lláh's “Tablet of Bishárát”. 3
> You will see that the directive is for the friends to be engaged in an occupation which will be of
> benefit to mankind. Homemaking is a highly honourable and responsible work of fundamental
> importance for mankind.
> (16 June 1982)
> 
> 74. With regard to your question whether mothers should work outside the home, it is helpful to
> consider the matter from the perspective of the concept of a Bahá'í family. This concept is based
> on the principle that the man has primary responsibility for the financial support of the family,
> and the woman is the chief and primary educator of the children. This by no means implies that
> these functions are inflexibly fixed and cannot be changed and adjusted to suit particular family
> situations, nor does it mean that the place of the woman is confined to the home. Rather, while
> primary responsibility is assigned, it is anticipated that fathers would play a significant role in the
> education of the children and women could also be breadwinners. As you rightly indicated,
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá encouraged women to “participate fully and equally in the affairs of the world”.
> In relation to your specific queries, the decision concerning the amount of time a mother may
> spend in working outside the home depends on circumstances existing within the home, which
> may vary from time to time. Family consultation will help to provide the answers....
> (9 August 1984)
> 
> 75. The great importance attached to the mother's role derives from the fact that she is the first
> educator of the child. Her attitude, her prayers, even what she eats and her physical condition
> have a great influence on the child when it is still in the womb. When the child is born, it is she
> who has been endowed by God with the milk which is the first food designed for it, and it is
> intended that, if possible, she should be with the baby to train and nurture it in its earliest days
> and months. This does not mean that the father does not also love, pray for, and care for his baby,
> but as he has the primary responsibility of providing for the family, his time to be with his child is
> usually limited, while the mother is usually closely associated with the baby during this intensely
> formative time when it is growing and developing faster than it ever will again during the whole
> of its life. As the child grows older and more independent, the relative nature of its relationship
> with its mother and father modifies and the father can play a greater role.
> (23 August 1984 to two believers)
> 
> IV. Women in the World at Large
> 
> Extract From the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
> 76. It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation, such as crafts, trades
> and the like. We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship
> 
> 3   This passage appears in the present compilation under Section IV., page 21. (ed. note : see item 76)
> Women
> 
> unto God, the True One. Ponder ye in your hearts the grace and the blessings of God and render
> thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn. Waste not your time in idleness and sloth. Occupy
> yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others. Thus hath it been decreed in this
> Tablet from whose horizon the day-star of wisdom and utterance shineth resplendent.
> The most despised of men in the sight of God are those who sit idly and beg. Hold ye fast unto
> the cord of material means, placing your whole trust in God, the Provider of all means. When
> anyone occupieth himself in a craft or trade, such occupation itself is regarded in the estimation
> of God as an act of worship; and this is naught but a token of His infinite and all-pervasive
> bounty.
> (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, rev. ed., (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1982), p. 26)
> 
> Extracts From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> 77. The handmaidens of God and the bondsmaids in His divine Court should reveal such attributes
> and attitudes amongst the women of the world as would cause them to stand out and achieve
> renown in the circles of women. That is, they should associate with them with supreme chastity
> and steadfast decency, with unshakeable faith, articulate speech, an eloquent tongue, irrefutable
> testimony and high resolve. Beseech God that thou mayest attain unto all these bounties.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 78. Until the reality of equality between man and woman is fully established and attained, the highest
> social development of mankind is not possible. Even granted that woman is inferior to man in
> some degree of capacity or accomplishment, this or any other distinction would continue to be
> productive of discord and trouble. The only remedy is education, opportunity; for equality means
> equal qualification....
> ... And let it be known once more that until woman and man recognize and realize equality, social
> and political progress here or anywhere will not be possible.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, pp. 76-77)
> 
> 79. ...the principle of religion has been revealed by Bahá'u'lláh that woman must be given the
> privilege of equal education with man and full right to his prerogatives. That is to say, there must
> be no difference in the education of male and female in order that womankind may develop equal
> capacity and importance with man in the social and economic equation. Then the world will
> attain unity and harmony. In past ages humanity has been defective and inefficient because it has
> been incomplete. War and its ravages have blighted the world; the education of woman will be a
> mighty step toward its abolition and ending, for she will use her whole influence against war.
> Woman rears the child and educates the youth to maturity. She will refuse to give her sons for
> sacrifice upon the field of battle. In truth, she will be the greatest factor in establishing universal
> peace and international arbitration. Assuredly, woman will abolish warfare among mankind.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 108)
> 
> 80. Again, it is well established in history that where woman has not participated in human affairs the
> outcomes have never attained a state of completion and perfection. On the other hand, every
> influential undertaking of the human world wherein woman has been a participant has attained
> importance. This is historically true and beyond disproof even in religion. Jesus Christ had twelve
> disciples and among His followers a woman known as Mary Magdalene. Judas Iscariot had
> become a traitor and hypocrite, and after the crucifixion the remaining eleven disciples were
> wavering and undecided. It is certain from the evidence of the Gospels that the one who
> comforted them and reestablished their faith was Mary Magdalene....
> The most momentous question of this day is international peace and arbitration, and universal
> peace is impossible without universal suffrage....
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 134)
> Women
> 
> 81. Question: Is it not a fact that universal peace cannot be accomplished until there is political
> democracy in all the countries of the world?
> Answer: It is very evident that in the future there shall be no centralization in the countries of the
> world, be they constitutional in government, republican or democratic in form. The United States
> may be held up as the example of future government—that is to say, each province will be
> independent in itself, but there will be federal union protecting the interests of the various
> independent states. It may not be a republican or a democratic form. To cast aside centralization
> which promotes despotism is the exigency of the time. This will be productive of international
> peace. Another fact of equal importance in bringing about international peace is woman's
> suffrage. That is to say, when perfect equality shall be established between men and women,
> peace may be realized for the simple reason that womankind in general will never favor warfare.
> Women will not be willing to allow those whom they have so tenderly cared for to go to the
> battlefield. When they shall have a vote, they will oppose any cause of warfare. Another factor
> which will bring about universal peace is the linking together of the Orient and the Occident.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 167)
> 
> 82. When all mankind shall receive the same opportunity of education and the equality of men and
> women be realized, the foundations of war will be utterly destroyed. Without equality this will be
> impossible because all differences and distinction are conducive to discord and strife. Equality
> between men and women is conducive to the abolition of warfare for the reason that women will
> never be willing to sanction it.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada
> in 1912, p. 175)
> 
> 83. Woman must especially devote her energies and abilities toward the industrial and agricultural
> sciences, seeking to assist mankind in that which is most needful. By this means she will
> demonstrate capability and ensure recognition of equality in the social and economic equation.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 283)
> 
> 84. Therefore, strive to show in the human world that women are most capable and efficient, that
> their hearts are more tender and susceptible than the hearts of men, that they are more
> philanthropic and responsive toward the needy and suffering, that they are inflexibly opposed to
> war and are lovers of peace. Strive that the ideal of international peace may become realized
> through the efforts of womankind, for man is more inclined to war than woman, and a real
> evidence of woman's superiority will be her service and efficiency in the establishment of
> universal peace.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 284)
> 
> 85. ...imbued with the same virtues as man, rising through all the degrees of human attainment,
> women will become the peers of men, and until this equality is established, true progress and
> attainment for the human race will not be facilitated.
> The evident reasons underlying this are as follows: Woman by nature is opposed to war; she is an
> advocate of peace. Children are reared and brought up by the mothers who give them the first
> principles of education and labor assiduously in their behalf. Consider, for instance, a mother who
> has tenderly reared a son for twenty years to the age of maturity. Surely she will not consent to
> having that son torn asunder and killed in the field of battle. Therefore, as woman advances
> toward the degree of man in power and privilege, with the right of vote and control in human
> government, most assuredly war will cease; for woman is naturally the most devoted and staunch
> advocate of international peace.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 375)
> 
> 86. According to the spirit of this age, women must advance and fulfill their mission in all
> departments of life, becoming equal to men. They must be on the same level as men and enjoy
> Women
> 
> equal rights. This is my earnest prayer and it is one of the fundamental principles of Bahá'u'lláh.
> (J. E. Esslemont, Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, p. 147)
> 
> 87. The woman is indeed of the greater importance to the race. She has the greater burden and the
> greater work. Look at the vegetable and the animal worlds. The palm which carries the fruit is the
> tree most prized by the date grower. The Arab knows that for a long journey the mare has the
> longest wind. For her greater strength and fierceness, the lioness is more feared by the hunter than
> the lion.
> ... The woman has greater moral courage than the man; she has also special gifts which enable her
> to govern in moments of danger and crisis.
> ('Abdu'l-Bahá in London: Addresses, and Notes of Conversations (London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982), pp. 102-3)
> 
> Extracts From Letters Written on Behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> 88. Concerning Bahá'í representation at the All-Asian Women's Conference: this is undoubtedly a
> most commendable thing to do especially as the Cause has so much concerning the position of
> women in society. Shoghi Effendi hopes that the National Assembly will do its best to win the
> admiration of all the assembled delegates for the teachings of the Cause along that line. We
> should always take such opportunities that present themselves. Maybe we would succeed to
> render some service to society and alleviate its ills.
> (10 November 1930 to the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma)
> 
> 89. What 'Abdu'l-Bahá meant about the women arising for peace is that this a matter which vitally
> affects women, and when they form a conscious and overwhelming mass of public opinion
> against war there can be no war. The Bahá'í women are already organized through being members
> of the Faith and the Administrative Order. No further organization is needed. But they should,
> through teaching and through the active moral support they give to every movement directed
> towards peace, seek to exert a strong influence on other women's minds in regard to this essential
> matter.
> (24 March 1945 to an individual believer)
> 
> Extract From a Letter Written by the Universal House of Justice
> 90. The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality between the sexes, is one of the
> most important, though less acknowledged prerequisites of peace. The denial of such equality
> perpetrates an injustice against one half of the world's population and promotes in men harmful
> attitudes and habits that are carried from the family to the workplace, to political life, and
> ultimately to international relations. There are no grounds, moral, practical, or biological, upon
> which such denial can be justified. Only as women are welcomed into full partnership in all fields
> of human endeavour will the moral and psychological climate be created in which international
> peace can emerge.
> (October 1985 to the Peoples of the World)
> 
> Extracts From Letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> 91. ...there is a much wider sphere of relationships between men and women than in the home, and
> this too we should consider in the context of Bahá'í society, not in that of past or present social
> norms. For example, although the mother is the first educator of the child, and the most important
> formative influence in his development, the father also has the responsibility of educating his
> children, and this responsibility is so weighty that Bahá'u'lláh has stated that a father who fails to
> exercise it forfeits his rights of fatherhood. Similarly, although the primary responsibility for
> Women
> 
> supporting the family financially is placed upon the husband, this does not by any means imply
> that the place of woman is confined to the home. On the contrary, 'Abdu'l-Bahá has stated:
> In the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, women are advancing side by side with men.
> There is no area or instance where they will lag behind: they have equal rights with
> men, and will enter, in the future, into all branches of the administration of society.
> Such will be their elevation that, in every area of endeavour, they will occupy the
> highest levels in the human world....4
> and again:
> So it will come to pass that when women participate fully and equally in the affairs of
> the world, when they enter confidently and capably the great arena of laws and
> politics, war will cease...
> The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 135
> In the Tablet of the World, Bahá'u'lláh Himself has envisaged that women as well as men would
> be breadwinners in stating:
> Everyone, whether man or woman, should hand over to a trusted person a portion of
> what he or she earneth through trade, agriculture or other occupation, for the training
> and education of children, to be spent for this purpose with the knowledge of the
> Trustees of the House of Justice.
> (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 90)
> (28 December 1980 to the National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand)
> 
> 92. The duty of women in being the first educators of mankind is clearly set forth in the Writings. It
> is for every woman, if and when she becomes a mother, to determine how best she can discharge
> on the one hand her chief responsibility as a mother and on the other, to the extent possible, to
> participate in other aspects of the activities of the society of which she forms a part....
> (22 April 1981 to an individual believer)
> 
> V. Fostering the Development of Women
> 
> Extracts From the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
> 93. In this Day the Blessed Tree of Remembrance speaketh forth in the Kingdom of Utterance
> saying: Well is it with the servant who hath turned his face towards Him, and embraced His truth,
> and with the handmaiden who hath hearkened to His Voice and become of the blissful. Verily, she
> is a champion of the field of true understanding. To this the Tongue of Truth beareth witness from
> His exalted Station.
> O My leaf, blessed art thou for having responded to My call when it was raised in the name of the
> True One. Thou didst recognize My Revelation when men of renown were immersed in manifest
> idle fancies. Thou hast verily attained the mercy of thy Lord time and again. Render thanks unto
> Him and glorify Him with thy Praise. He is, in truth, with His handmaidens and servants who
> have turned towards Him. The shining glory from the Horizon of My Kingdom be upon thee and
> upon the one who hath guided thee to My straight path.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic)
> 
> 94. We beseech the True One to adorn His handmaidens with the ornament of chastity, of
> trustworthiness, of righteousness and of purity. Verily, He is the All-Bestowing, the All-Generous.
> 
> 4   The quotation in the original letter which was taken from "Paris Talks", p. 182, has been replaced by this revised translation.
> Women
> 
> We make mention of the handmaidens of God at this time and announce unto them the glad-
> tidings of the tokens of the mercy and compassion of God and His consideration for them,
> glorified be He, and We supplicate Him for all His assistance to perform such deeds as are the
> cause of the exaltation of His Word. He verily speaketh the truth and enjoineth upon His servants
> and His handmaidens that which will profit them in every world of His worlds. He, verily, is the
> All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic)
> 
> Extracts From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> 95. The effulgence of the rays of the Sun of Truth is abundant and the favours of the Blessed Beauty
> surround the women believers and the handmaidens who have attained unto certitude. At every
> moment a bounteous bestowal is revealed. The handmaidens of the Merciful should seize the
> opportunities afforded in these days. Each one should strive to draw nigh unto the divine
> Threshold and seek bounties from the Source of existence. She should attain such a state and be
> confirmed with such a power as to make, with but the utterance of one word, a lowly person to be
> held in reverence, initiate him who is deprived into the world of the spirit, impart hope to the
> despondent, endow the portionless one with a share of the great bestowal, and confer knowledge
> and insight upon the ignorant and the blind, and alertness and vigilance on the indolent and
> heedless. This is the attribute of the handmaidens of the Merciful. This is the characteristic of the
> bondsmaids of God's Threshold.
> O ye leaves who have attained certitude! In the countries of Europe and America the
> maidservants of the Merciful have won the prize of excellence and advancement from the arena
> of men, and in the fields of teaching and spreading the divine fragrances they have shown a
> brilliant hand. Soon they will soar like the birds of the Concourse on high in the far corners of the
> world and will guide the people and reveal to them the divine mysteries. Ye, who are the blessed
> leaves from the East, should burn more brightly, and engage in spreading the sweet savours of the
> Lord and in reciting the verses of God. Arise, therefore, and exert yourselves to fulfill the
> exhortations and counsels of the Blessed Beauty, that all hopes may be realized and that the plain
> of streams and orchards may become the garden of oneness.
> Upon ye, men and women, be the glory of glories.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 96. In this great Cycle and wondrous Dispensation some women have been raised up who were the
> emblems of unity and ensigns of oneness, for the revelation of divine bestowals is received by
> men and women in equal measure. “Verily the most honoured in the sight of God is the most
> virtuous amongst you”5 is applicable to both men and women, to servants and handmaidens. All
> are under the shadow of the Word of God and all derive their strength from the bounties of the
> Lord. Therefore, do not consider thyself to be insignificant by doubting what a handmaiden living
> behind the veil can do....
> With a firm heart, a steadfast step and an eloquent tongue arise to spread the Word of God and
> say: “O God, although I am sitting concealed behind the screen of chastity and am restricted by
> the veil and exigencies of modesty, my cherished hope is to raise the banner of service and to
> become a maidservant at Thy Holy Threshold; to ride on a charger and penetrate the army of the
> ignorant, defeat the mighty regiments and subvert the foundations of error and violation. Thou art
> the Helper of the weak, Thou art the Sustainer of the poor, Thou art the Succourer of the
> handmaidens. Verily, Thou art the Almighty and All-Powerful.”
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 97. Confirmations from the kingdom of God will assuredly be received, enabling some radiant leaves
> to appear resplendent in the assemblage of this world with clear proofs and convincing reasons,
> 
> 5   Qur'án 49:13
> Women
> 
> which will adorn the cause of womanhood. They will prove that in this cycle women are equal to
> men, nay, in certain respects they will excel. Ponder ye: in this wonderful Cause numerous were
> the men who scaled the heights of knowledge; they had a brilliant utterance, a convincing proof,
> an eloquent tongue and magnificent speech, but the blessed leaf, Jinab-i-Táhirih, because she was
> a woman, emerged with immense splendour and dumbfounded all the people. If she were a man,
> this would not have been so at all. Therefore, ye should know that the greatness of the Cause hath
> penetrated the nerves and veins of the world in such wise that if one of the leaves is attracted and
> gains mastery in demonstrating reasons and proofs and in uttering convincing evidences, she will
> shine resplendently. O radiant leaves, I swear by the Beauty of the Desired One and the Mystery
> of Existence that if ye work actively in this realm, the outpourings of the Blessed Beauty will
> reflect as the sun in the mirrors of the hearts. Your progress will astonish all.
> The attracted leaves should not, when associating with each other, talk merely about the
> temperature of the weather, the coldness of the water, the beauty of the flowers and gardens, the
> freshness of the grass and the flowing water. They should rather restrict their discussions to
> glorification and praise and the uttering of proofs and reasons, to quoting verses and traditions
> and putting forth clear testimonies, so that all the homes of the loved ones will be converted into
> gathering places for lessons on teaching the Cause.
> If ye do so, in a short while the outpourings of the Kingdom will be so manifested that each one
> of the handmaidens of the Merciful will become a perspicuous book revealing the mysteries of
> the Lord of Mercy.
> Upon you be the glory of glories.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 98. In this wondrous Dispensation the favours of the Glorious Lord are vouchsafed unto the
> handmaidens of the Merciful. Therefore, they should, like unto men, seize the prize and excel in
> the field, so that it will be proven and made manifest that the penetrative influence of the Word of
> God in this new Dispensation hath caused women to be equal with men, and that in the arena of
> tests they will outdo others. Therefore, the true bondsmaids of the Blessed Beauty must be
> revived by the spirit of detachment, and refreshed by the breezes of attraction. With hearts
> overflowing with the love of God, with souls gladdened by the heavenly glad-tidings, and with
> extreme humility and lowliness, let them speak out with eloquent speech, and praise and glorify
> the Great Lord, for they are the manifestations of His bounty and adorned with the crown of
> splendour.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 99. Blessed, blessed are ye for ye have arranged spiritual meetings and engaged in propounding
> divine proofs and evidences. Ye are intent on vindicating truth in support of the manifest Light of
> the Cause, through conclusive arguments and proofs based on the sacred scriptures of the past.
> This is a very noble aim, and this cherished hope a cause of the illumination of all peoples and
> nations.
> From the beginning of existence until the present day, in any of the past cycles and dispensations,
> no assemblies for women have ever been established and classes for the purpose of spreading the
> teachings were never held by them. This is one of the characteristics of this glorious Dispensation
> and this great century. Ye should, most certainly, strive to perfect this assemblage and increase
> your knowledge of the realities of heavenly mysteries, so that, God willing, in a short time,
> women will become the same as men; they will take a leading position amongst the learned, will
> each have a fluent tongue and eloquent speech, and shine like unto lamps of guidance throughout
> the world. In some respects, women have astonishing capacities; they hasten in their attraction to
> God, and are intense in their fiery ardour for Him.
> In brief, spend your nights and days in the study of the holy Utterances and in acquiring
> perfections. Occupy yourselves always in discussing these matters. When ye meet each other,
> convey the glad-tidings and impart hope to one another because of the confirmations and bounties
> of the Ancient and Ever-Living Lord. Let each set forth proofs and evidences, and talk about the
> Women
> 
> mysteries of the Kingdom, so that the true and divine Spirit may permeate the body of the
> contingent world and the secrets of all things, whether of the past or of the future, may become
> openly manifest and resplendent.
> O loved handmaidens of God! Consider not your present merits and capacities, rather fix your
> gaze on the favours and confirmations of the Blessed Beauty, because His everlasting grace will
> make of the insignificant plant a blessed tree, will turn the mirage into cool water and wine; will
> cause the forsaken atom to become the very essence of being, the puny one erudite in the school
> of knowledge. It enableth a thorny bush to give forth blossoms, and the dark earth to produce
> fragrant and rich hyacinths. It will transmute the stone into a ruby of great price, and fill the sea
> shells with brilliant pearls. It will assist a fledgling schoolchild to become a learned teacher and
> enable a frail embryo to reveal the reality of the verse: “Hallowed be the Lord, the Most Excellent
> of all creators.”6 Verily, my Lord is powerful over things.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 100. In this day the duty of everyone, whether man or woman, is to teach the Cause. In America, the
> women have outdone the men in this regard and have taken the lead in this field. They strive
> harder in guiding the peoples of the world, and their endeavours are greater. They are confirmed
> by divine bestowals and blessings. It is my hope that in the East the handmaids of the Merciful
> will also exert such effort, reveal their powers, and manifest their capacities....
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 101. Now is the time to speak forth and to deliver speeches, the time to teach and to give testimony.
> Loosen thy tongue, expound the truths, and establish the validity of the verse: “The All-Merciful
> hath taught the Qur'án.”7 The Holy Spirit speaketh through the innermost essence of the human
> tongue, God's Spirit which desireth communion with the human soul unfoldeth the truths, the
> Faithful Spirit writeth down and the Spirit of the Ancient of Days confirmeth.
> I swear by that Peerless Beauty, Who is in the Unseen Kingdom, that when the leaves loose their
> tongues in praise and glorification of the All-Loving Lord, and in teaching the Cause of the Kind
> Lord, the concourse of the Kingdom and the inmates of the Unseen Realms will give ear, and cry
> out with exclamations of extreme joy and jubilation.
> Glory be upon thee and upon every handmaiden who is steadfast in the Covenant.
> (From a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
> 
> 102. O handmaid of God!... To the mothers must be given the divine Teachings and effective counsel,
> and they must be encouraged and made eager to train their children, for the mother is the first
> educator of the child. It is she who must, at the very beginning, suckle the new-born at the breast
> of God's Faith and God's Law, that divine love may enter into him even with his mother's milk,
> and be with him till his final breath.
> So long as the mother faileth to train her children, and start them on a proper way of life, the
> training which they receive later on will not take its full effect. It is incumbent upon the Spiritual
> Assemblies to provide the mothers with a well-planned programme for the education of children,
> showing how, from infancy, the child must be watched over and taught. These instructions must
> be given to every mother to serve her as a guide, so that each will train and nurture her children in
> accordance with the Teachings.
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, rev. ed., (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1982), sec. 113, p. 138)
> 
> 103. ...we must not make distinctions between individual members of the human family. We must not
> consider any soul as barren or deprived. Our duty lies in educating souls so that the Sun of the
> bestowals of God shall become resplendent in them, and this is possible through the power of the
> oneness of humanity. The more love is expressed among mankind and the stronger the power of
> unity, the greater will be this reflection and revelation, for the greatest bestowal of God is love.
> Love is the source of all the bestowals of God. Until love takes possession of the heart, no other
> 
> 6    Qur'án 23:14
> 7    Qur'án 55:2
> Women
> 
> divine bounty can be revealed in it.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 15)
> 
> 104. In brief, the assumption of superiority by man will continue to be depressing to the ambition of
> woman, as if her attainment to equality was creationally impossible; woman's aspiration toward
> advancement will be checked by it, and she will gradually become hopeless. On the contrary, we
> must declare that her capacity is equal, even greater than man's. This will inspire her with hope
> and ambition, and her susceptibilities for advancement will continually increase. She must not be
> told and taught that she is weaker and inferior in capacity and qualification. If a pupil is told that
> his intelligence is less than his fellow pupils, it is a very great drawback and handicap to his
> progress. He must be encouraged to advance by the statement, “You are most capable, and if you
> endeavour, you will attain the highest degree.”
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, pp. 76-77)
> 
> 105. The purpose, in brief, is this: that if woman be fully educated and granted her rights, she will
> attain the capacity for wonderful accomplishments and prove herself the equal of man. She is the
> coadjutor of man, his complement and helpmeet.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 136)
> 
> 106. The realities of things have been revealed in this radiant century, and that which is true must
> come to the surface. Among these realities is the principle of the equality of man and woman—
> equal rights and prerogatives in all things appertaining to humanity. Bahá'u'lláh declared this
> reality over fifty years ago. But while this principle of equality is true, it is likewise true that
> woman must prove her capacity and aptitude, must show forth the evidences of equality. She
> must become proficient in the arts and sciences and prove by her accomplishments that her
> abilities and powers have merely been latent. Demonstrations of force, such as are now taking
> place in England, are neither becoming nor effective in the cause of womanhood and equality.
> Woman must especially devote her energies and abilities toward the industrial and agricultural
> sciences, seeking to assist mankind in that which is most needful. By this means she will
> demonstrate capability and ensure recognition of equality in the social and economic equation.
> Undoubtedly God will confirm her in her efforts and endeavours, for in this century of radiance
> Bahá'u'lláh has proclaimed the reality of the oneness of the world of humanity and announced
> that all nations, peoples and races are one.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, pp. 283-84)
> 
> 107. Equality of the sexes will be established in proportion to the increased opportunities afforded
> woman in this age, for man and woman are equally the recipients of powers and endowments
> from God, the Creator. God has not ordained distinction between them in His consummate
> purpose.
> (The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His Visit to the United States and
> Canada in 1912, p. 300)
> 
> 108. Woman must endeavour then to attain greater perfection, to be man's equal in every respect, to
> make progress in all in which she has been backward, so that man will be compelled to
> acknowledge her equality of capacity and attainment.
> In Europe women have made greater progress than in the East, but there is still much to be done!
> When students have arrived at the end of their school term an examination takes place, and the
> result thereof determines the knowledge and capacity of each student. So will it be with woman;
> her actions will show her power, there will no longer be any need to proclaim it by words.
> It is my hope that women of the East, as well as their Western sisters, will progress rapidly until
> humanity shall reach perfection.
> God's Bounty is for all and gives power for all progress. When men own the equality of women
> there will be no need for them to struggle for their rights! One of the principles then of
> Women
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh is the equality of sex.
> Women must make the greatest effort to acquire spiritual power and to increase in the virtue of
> wisdom and holiness until their enlightenment and striving succeeds in bringing about the unity
> of mankind. They must work with a burning enthusiasm to spread the Teaching of Bahá'u'lláh
> among the peoples, so that the radiant light of the Divine Bounty may envelop the souls of all the
> nations of the world!
> (Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912, pp. 162-63)
> 
> Extracts From Letters Written by Shoghi Effendi
> 109. Regarding the position of the Bahá'í women in India and Burma, and their future collaboration
> with the men in the administrative work of the Cause, I feel that the time is now ripe that those
> women who have already conformed to the prevailing custom in India and Burma by discarding
> the veil should not only be given the right to vote for the election of their local and national
> representatives, but should themselves be eligible to the membership of all Bahá'í Assemblies
> throughout India and Burma, be they local or national.
> This definite and most important step, however, should be taken with the greatest care and
> caution, prudence and thoughtfulness. Due regard must be paid to their actual capacity and
> present attainments, and only those who are best qualified for membership, be they men or
> women, and irrespective of social standing, should be elected to the extremely responsible
> position of a member of the Bahá'í Assembly.
> This momentous decision, I trust, will prove to be a great incentive to the women Bahá'ís
> throughout India and Burma who, I hope, will now bestir themselves and endeavour to the best of
> their ability to acquire a better and more profound knowledge of the Cause, to take a more active
> and systematic part in the general affairs of the Movement, and prove themselves in every way
> enlightened, responsible and efficient co-workers to their fellow-men in their common task for
> the advancement of the Cause throughout their country.
> May they fully realize their high responsibilities in this day, may they do all in their power to
> justify the high hopes we cherish for their future, and may they prove themselves in every respect
> worthy of the noble mission which the Bahá'í world is now entrusting to their charge.
> (27 December 1923 to the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma)
> 
> 110. Full rights have been accorded to Bahá'í women residing in the cradle of the Faith, to participate
> in the membership of both national and local Bahá'í Spiritual Assemblies, removing thereby the
> last remaining obstacle to the enjoyment of complete equality of rights in the conduct of the
> administrative affairs of the Persian Bahá'í Community.
> (April 1954, published in "Messages to the Bahá'í World 1950-1957", (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1971), p. 65)
> 
> 111. That the members of this community, of either sex and of every age, of whatever race or
> background, however limited in experience, capacity and knowledge, may arise as one man, and
> seize with both hands the God-given opportunities now presented to them through the
> dispensations of an all-loving, ever-watchful, ever-sustaining Providence, and lend thereby a
> tremendous impetus to the propelling forces mysteriously guiding the operations of this newly-
> launched, unspeakably potent, world-encompassing Crusade, is one of the dearest wishes which a
> loving and longing heart holds for them at this great turning point in the fortunes of the Faith of
> Bahá'u'lláh in the American continent.
> (20 June 1954 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, published in Citadel of Faith: Messages to America
> 1947-1957, (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1980), p. 132)
> 
> Extracts From Letters and a Telex Written by the Universal House of Justice
> 112. Concerning the point you raised in your letter ... that the women's liberation movement in ... is
> Women
> 
> assuming extreme positions which are having some influence on impressionable Bahá'í young
> women, we feel it would be helpful if your Assembly were to stress the unique position that
> women occupy by being members of the Bahá'í Faith particularly through participation in the
> administration of its affairs on both a local and national scale.
> (9 April 1971 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States)
> 
> 113. 'Abdu'l-Bahá has pointed out that “Among the miracles which distinguish this sacred
> dispensation is this, that women have evinced a greater boldness than men when enlisted in the
> ranks of the Faith.” Shoghi Effendi has further stated that this “boldness” must, in the course of
> time, “be more convincingly demonstrated, and win for the beloved Cause victories more stirring
> than any it has as yet achieved.” Although obviously the entire Bahá'í world is committed to
> encouraging and stimulating the vital role of women in the Bahá'í community as well as in
> society at large, the Five Year Plan calls specifically on eighty National Spiritual Assemblies to
> organize Bahá'í activities for women. In the course of the current year which has been designated
> “International Women's Year” as a world-wide activity of the United Nations, the Bahá'ís,
> particularly in these eighty national communities, should initiate and implement programs which
> will stimulate and promote the full and equal participation of women in all aspects of Bahá'í
> community life, so that through their accomplishments the friends will demonstrate the
> distinction of the Cause of God in this field of human endeavour.
> (25 May 1975 to all National Spiritual Assemblies)
> 
> 114. PARTICULARLY CALL UPON BAHA'I WOMEN, WHOSE CAPACITIES IN MANY LANDS STILL
> LARGELY UNUSED, AND WHOSE POTENTIAL FOR SERVICE CAUSE SO GREAT, TO ARISE
> AND DEMONSTRATE IMPORTANCE PART THEY ARE TO PLAY IN ALL FIELDS SERVICE
> FAITH.
> (24 March 1977 To All National Spiritual Assemblies)
> 
> 115. The youth have long been in the forefront of the teaching work, and now our hearts rejoice to see
> the women, in so many lands where previously their capacities were largely left unused, devoting
> their capable services to the life of the Bahá'í community.
> (Ridván 1978 to the International Bahá'í Convention)
> 
> 116. At the heart of all activities, the spiritual, intellectual and community life of the believers must be
> developed and fostered, requiring: the prosecution with increased vigour of the development of
> Local Spiritual Assemblies so that they may exercise their beneficial influence and guidance on
> the life of Bahá'í communities; the nurturing of a deeper understanding of Bahá'í family life; the
> Bahá'í education of children, including the holding of regular Bahá'í classes and, where
> necessary, the establishment of tutorial schools for the provision of elementary education; the
> encouragement of Bahá'í youth in study and service; and the encouragement of Bahá'í women to
> exercise to the full their privileges and responsibilities in the work of the community—may they
> befittingly bear witness to the memory of the Greatest Holy Leaf, the immortal heroine of the
> Bahá'í Dispensation, as we approach the fiftieth anniversary of her passing.
> (Naw-Ruz 1979 to the Bahá'ís of the World)
> 
> 117. The equality of men and women is not, at the present time, universally applied. In those areas
> where traditional inequality still hampers its progress we must take the lead in practicing this
> Bahá'í principle. Bahá'í women and girls must be encouraged to take part in the social, spiritual
> and administrative activities of their communities.
> (Ridván 1984 to the Bahá'ís of the World)
> 
> 118. Calling upon local and national Bahá'í communities to sponsor a wide range of activities which
> will engage the attention of people from all walks of life to various topics relevant to peace, such
> as: the role of women...
> (23 January 1985 to all National Spiritual Assemblies)
> Women
> 
> Extracts From Letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> 119. The House of Justice regards the need to educate and guide women in their primary responsibility
> as mothers as an excellent opportunity for organizing women's activities. Your efforts should
> focus on helping them in their function as educators of the rising generation.
> (29 February 1984 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Mariana Islands)
> 
> 120. The princip1e of the equality between women and men, like the other teachings of the Faith, can
> be effectively and universally established among the friends when it is pursued in conjunction
> with all the other aspects of Bahá'í life. Change is an evolutionary process requiring patience with
> one's self and others, loving education and the passage of time as the believers deepen their
> knowledge of the principles of the Faith, gradually discard long-held traditional attitudes and
> progressively conform their lives to the unifying teachings of the Cause.
> (25 July 1984 to an individual believer)
> 
> VI. Bibliography
> Bahá'u'lláh The Hidden Words. London: National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles, 1949
> Bahá'u'lláh Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre,
> 1978
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1978
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá During His
> Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912. Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust,
> 1982
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912. London: Bahá'í
> Publishing Trust, 1961
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London: Addresses, and Notes of Conversations. London: Bahá'í
> Publishing Trust, 1982
> Shoghi Effendi Messages to the Bahá'í World, 1950-1957. Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1971
> Shoghi Effendi Citadel of Faith. Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1980
> Bahá'í Education a compilation. Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1976
> Family Life 1982 U.K. Publishing Trust, p. 8
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá on Divine Philosophy, compiled by Isobel F. Chamberlain, Boston: The Tudor Press, 1917
> Esslemont, John Ebenezer. Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1976.
> Revised July 1990
>
> — *Women (Used by permission of the curator)*