# Divorce

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.*

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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, Divorce, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> Divorce
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh
> 
> Abdu'l-Bahá
> 
> Shoghi Effendi
> 
> published in
> 
> Compilation of Compilations
> 
> Volume 1,  pp. 235-244
> 
> 1991
> 
> I.
> 
> Extracts from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
> 
> Truly, the Lord loveth union and harmony and abhorreth
> separation and divorce.
> 
> ("The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, The Most Holy Book, Bahá'u'lláh",
> Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1992, p.
> 44
> )
> 
> At all times hath union and association been well- pleasing
> in the sight of God, and separation and dissension abhorred. Hold fast
> unto that which God loveth and is His command unto you. He, verily, is
> the All-Knowing and the All-Seeing, and He is the All-Wise Ordainer.
> 
> (Bahá'u'lláh, from a Tablet - translated
> from the Persian and Arabic)
> 
> God, exalted be His glory, disliketh divorce...
> 
> (Bahá'u'lláh, from a Tablet - translated
> from the Persian)
> 
> Thou hast asked about affection and reconciliation, in the
> case of Mírzá .... This matter was mentioned in the Holy Presence.
> This is what the tongue of our All-Merciful Lord uttered in response: "This
> is regarded with favour and is well-pleasing. After man's recognition of
> God, and becoming steadfast in His Cause, the station of affection, of
> harmony, of concord and of unity is superior to that of most other goodly
> deeds. This is what He Who is the Desire of the world hath testified at
> every morn and eve. God grant that ye may follow that which hath been revealed
> in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas."
> 
> (Bahá'u'lláh, from a Tablet - translated
> from the Persian)
> 
> II.
> 
> Extracts from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá
> 
> O ye two believers in God! 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,
> 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"
> [rev. ed.], (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1982), sec.
> 92
> ,
> p.
> 122
> )
> 
> Formerly in Persia divorce was very easily obtained. Among
> the people of the past Dispensation a trifling matter would cause divorce.
> However, as the light of the Kingdom shone forth, souls were quickened
> by the spirit of Bahá'u'lláh, then they totally eschewed
> divorce. In Persia now divorce doth not take place among the friends, unless
> a compelling reason existeth which makes harmony impossible. Under such
> rare circumstances some cases of divorce take place.
> 
> Now the friends in America must live and conduct themselves
> in this way. They must strictly refrain from divorce unless something ariseth
> which compelleth them to separate because of their aversion for each other,
> in that case with the knowledge of the Spiritual Assembly they may decide
> to separate. They must then be patient and wait one complete year. If during
> this year, harmony is not re-established between them, then their divorce
> may be realized. It should not happen that upon the occurrence of a slight
> friction or displeasure between husband and wife, the husband would think
> of union with some other woman, or, God forbid, the wife also think of
> another husband. This is contrary to the standard of heavenly value and
> true chastity. The friends of God must so live and conduct themselves,
> and evince such excellence of and conduct, as to make others astonished.
> The love between husband and wife should not be purely physical, nay, rather
> it must be spiritual and heavenly. These two souls should be considered
> as one soul. How difficult it would be to divide a single soul! Nay, great
> would be the difficulty!
> 
> In short, the foundation of the Kingdom of God is based
> upon harmony and love, oneness, relationship and union, not upon differences,
> especially between husband and wife. If one of these two becomes the cause
> of divorce, that one will unquestionably fall into great difficulties,
> will become the victim of formidable calamities and experience deep remorse.
> 
> Upon you be the glory of Abhá!
> 
> (`Abdu'l-Bahá, from a Tablet - translated from
> the Persian)
> 
> III.
> 
> Extracts from Letters Written by Shoghi Effendi
> 
> The recrudescence of religious intolerance, of racial animosity,
> and of patriotic arrogance; the increasing evidences of selfishness, of
> suspicion, of fear and of fraud; the spread of terrorism, of lawlessness,
> of drunkenness and of crime; the unquenchable thirst for, and the feverish
> pursuit after, earthly vanities, riches and pleasures; the weakening of
> family solidarity; the laxity in parental control; the lapse into luxurious
> indulgence; the irresponsible attitude towards marriage and the consequent
> rising tide of divorce; the degeneracy of art and music, the infection
> of literature, and the corruption of the press; the extension of the influence
> and activities of those "prophets of decadence" who advocate companionate
> marriage, who preach the philosophy of nudism, who call modesty an intellectual
> fiction, who refuse to regard the procreation of children as the sacred
> and primary purpose of marriage, who denounce religion as an opiate of
> the people, who would, if given free rein, lead back the human race to
> barbarism, chaos, and ultimate extinction  —  these appear as the outstanding
> characteristics of a decadent society, a society that must either be reborn
> or perish.
> 
> (Shoghi Effendi, "The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh:
> Selected Letters" rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust,
> 1982), pp.
> 187
> -
> 88
> )
> 
> Not only must irreligion and its monstrous offspring, the
> triple curse that oppresses the soul of mankind in this day, be held responsible
> for the ills which are so tragically besetting it, but other evils and
> vices, which are, for the most part, the direct consequences of the "weakening
> of the pillars of religion," must also be regarded as contributory factors
> to the manifold guilt of which individuals and nations stand convicted.
> The signs of moral downfall, consequent to the dethronement of religion
> and the enthronement of these usurping idols, are too numerous and too
> patent for even a superficial observer of the state of present-day society
> to fail to notice. The spread of lawlessness, of drunkenness, of gambling,
> and of crime; the inordinate love of pleasure, of riches, and other earthly
> vanities; the laxity in morals, revealing itself in the irresponsible attitude
> towards marriage, in the weakening of parental control, in the rising tide
> of divorce, in the deterioration in the standard of literature and of the
> press, and in the advocacy of theories that are the very negation of purity,
> of morality and chastity  —  these evidences of moral decadence, invading
> both the East and the West, permeating every stratum of society, and instilling
> their poison in its members of both sexes, young and old alike, blacken
> still further the scroll upon which are inscribed the manifold transgressions
> of an unrepentant humanity.
> 
> (Shoghi Effendi, "The Promised Day is Come", rev.
> ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1980), pp.
> 114
> -
> 15
> )
> 
> IV.
> 
> Extracts from Letters Written on Behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> 
> On behalf of the Guardian I wish to acknowledge the receipt
> of your letter dated December 15th, and to express his sorrow at the disharmony
> existing between you and your husband. He is the more grieved to learn
> that the situation has reached such a state as to compel you to ask for
> separation from Mr.... —  a step which, though legally valid from the standpoint
> of the Cause, is nevertheless most sad and painful to you and to those
> concerned.
> 
> The Guardian, however, appreciates the fact that,
> in conformity with the Teachings, you have laid the matter before the Local
> Spiritual Assembly. He sincerely hopes that under the guidance of that
> body, and through your own efforts as well, conditions between you and
> your husband will gradually improve, and that you will not feel it necessary
> to ask for divorce after the one year period of separation has been terminated.
> 
> He is fervently entreating Bahá'u'lláh that
> He may guide you and Mr. Clark in solving this most delicate problem of
> your life, and that the solution reached may be such as to bring peace
> and satisfaction to your heart, and thus bring happiness to you, and also
> protection to the Cause whose interests you have so devotedly served for
> many years.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 14
> January 1936 to an individual believer)
> 
> Regarding the Bahá'í teachings on divorce.
> While the latter has been made permissible by Bahá'u'lláh
> yet he has strongly discouraged its practice, for if not checked and seriously
> controlled it leads gradually to the disruption of family life and to the
> disintegration of society....
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 16 November 1936 to an individual believer)
> 
> Regarding divorce, the Guardian stated that it is discouraged,
> deprecated and against the good pleasure of God. The Assembly must circulate
> among the friends whatever has been revealed from the Pen of `Abdu'l-Bahá
> in this connection so that all may be fully reminded. Divorce is conditional
> upon the approval and permission of the Spiritual Assembly. The members
> of the Assembly must in such matters independently and carefully study
> and investigate each case. If there should be valid grounds for divorce
> and it is found that reconciliation is utterly impossible, that antipathy
> is intense and its removal is not possible, then the Assembly may approve
> the divorce.
> 
> (Shoghi Effendi, from a Tablet to the National
> Spiritual Assembly of Iran - translated from the Persian)
> 
> While he wishes me to assure you that he will pray for the
> solution of your domestic troubles, he would urge you to endeavour, by
> every means in your power, to compose your differences, and not to allow
> them to reach such proportions as to lead to your complete and final separation
> from your husband.
> 
> For while, according to the Bahá'í law,
> divorce is permissible, yet it is highly discouraged, and should be resorted
> to only when every effort to prevent it has proved to be vain and ineffective.
> 
> It is for you, and for Mr.... as well, to ponder carefully
> over the spiritual implications which any act of divorce on either part
> would involve, and strengthened by the power of faith and confident in
> the blessings which strict adherence to the principles and laws of Bahá'u'lláh
> is bound to confer upon every one of His faithful followers, to make a
> fresh resolve to solve your common difficulties and to restore the harmony,
> peace and happiness of your family life.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 11
> September 1938 to an individual believer)
> 
> The situation facing you is admittedly difficult and delicate,
> but no less grave and indeed vital are the responsibilities which it entails
> and which, as a faithful and loyal believer, you should conscientiously
> and thoroughly assume. The Guardian, therefore, while fully alive to the
> special circumstances of your case, and however profound his sympathy may
> be for you in this challenging issue with which you are so sadly faced,
> cannot, in view of the emphatic injunctions contained in the Teachings,
> either sanction your demand to contract a second marriage while your first
> wife is still alive and is united with you in the sacred bonds of matrimony,
> or even suggest or approve that you divorce her just in order to be permitted
> to marry a new one.
> 
> For the Bahá'í Teachings do not only
> preclude the possibility of bigamy, but also, while permitting divorce,
> consider it a reprehensible act, which should be resorted to only in exceptional
> circumstances, and when grave issues are involved, transcending such considerations
> as physical attraction or sexual compatibility and harmony. The institution
> of marriage, as established by Bahá'u'lláh, while giving
> due importance to the physical aspect of marital union, considers it as
> subordinate to the moral and spiritual purposes and functions with which
> it has been invested by an all-wise and loving Providence. Only when these
> different values are given each their due importance, and only on the basis
> of the subordination of the physical to the moral, and the carnal to the
> spiritual can such excesses and laxity in marital relations as our decadent
> age is so sadly witnessing be avoided, and family life be restored to its
> original purity, and fulfil the true function for which it has been instituted
> by God.
> 
> The Guardian will most fervently pray that, inspired and
> guided by such a divine standard, and strengthened by Bahá'u'lláh's
> unfailing assistance and confirmations, you may be able to satisfactorily
> adjust your relations with the persons concerned, and thus reach the one
> right solution to this assuredly challenging problem of your life.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 8
> May 1939 to an individual believer who, having married his first wife out
> of compassion, now wished to be permitted to marry a woman with whom he
> had fallen in love, saying that his wife was agreeable to his taking this
> second wife.)
> 
> As regards the action you contemplate in seeking divorce
> from him: He leaves the final decision in this matter to you and your husband,
> though of course, from the standpoint of the Cause, he thinks it preferable
> for you both not to resort to such drastic action, unless it is absolutely
> unavoidable.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 24 February 1940 to an individual believer)
> 
> Marriage is, in the "Aqdas", set forth as a most sacred and
> binding tie, and the Bahá'ís should realize that divorce
> is viewed as a last resort, to be avoided at all costs if possible and
> not to be lightly granted.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 17 October 1944 to an individual believer)
> 
> Marriage is viewed by Bahá'u'lláh as a very
> sacred tie which should under no circumstances be severed unless the reasons
> are very grave. He hopes and will pray that you and your wife, as believers,
> will reconsider this matter and do your utmost to live together in the
> service of the Cause you both love so dearly.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 17 October 1944 to an individual believer)
> 
> He was very sorry to hear that you and your husband are still
> so unhappy together. It is always a source of sorrow in life when married
> people cannot get on well together, but the Guardian feels that you and
> your husband, in contemplating divorce, should think of the future of your
> children and how this major step on your part will influence their lives
> and happiness.
> 
> If you feel the need of advice and consultation he
> suggests you consult your Local Assembly; your fellow Bahá'ís
> will surely do all they can to counsel and help you, protect your interests
> and those of the Cause.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 16
> November 1945 to an individual believer)
> 
> Shoghi Effendi wishes me to add this note in connection with
> your marriage: he does not feel that any believer, under any circumstances
> whatsoever, can ever use the Cause or service to it as a reason for abandoning
> their marriage; divorce, as we know, is very strongly condemned by Bahá'u'lláh,
> and only grounds of extreme gravity justify it....
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 7 April 1947 to an individual believer)
> 
> As Bahá'u'lláh was so very much against divorce
> (even though He permits it) and considered marriage a most sacred responsibility,
> believers should do everything in their power to preserve the marriages
> they have contracted, and to make of them exemplary unions, governed by
> the noblest motives.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 19 October 1947 to an individual believer)
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh has clearly stated the consent
> of all living parents is required for a Bahá'í marriage.
> This applies whether the parents are Bahá'ís or non-Bahá'ís,
> divorced for years or not. This great law He has laid down to strengthen
> the social fabric, to knit closer the ties of the home, to place a certain
> gratitude and respect in the hearts of children for those who have given
> them life and sent their souls out on the eternal journey towards their
> Creator. We Bahá'ís must realize that in present-day society
> the exact opposite process is taking place: young people care less and
> less for their parents' wishes, divorce is considered a natural right,
> and obtained on the flimsiest and most unwarrantable and shabby pretexts.
> People separated from each other, especially if one of them has had full
> custody of the children, are only too willing to belittle the importance
> of the partner in marriage also responsible as a parent for bringing those
> children into this world. The Bahá'ís must, through rigid
> adherence to the Bahá'í laws and teachings, combat these
> corrosive forces which are so rapidly destroying home life and the beauty
> of family relationships, and tearing down the moral structure of society.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 25 October 1947 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States
> and Canada)
> 
> He wishes me to tell you that he regrets extremely the sorrow
> that has come into your life, and that he agrees with all you have stated
> in general on the subject of divorce.
> 
> There is no doubt about it that the believers in America,
> probably unconsciously influenced by the extremely lax morals prevalent
> and the flippant attitude towards divorce which seems to be increasingly
> prevailing, do not take divorce seriously enough and do not seem to grasp
> the fact that although Bahá'u'lláh has permitted it, He has
> only permitted it as a last resort and
> strongly condemns it
> .
> 
> The presence of children, as a factor in divorce, cannot
> be ignored, for surely it places an even greater weight of moral responsibility
> on the man and wife in considering such a step. Divorce under such circumstances
> no longer just concerns them and their desires and feelings but also concerns
> the children's entire future and their own attitude towards marriage.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 19
> December 1947 to an individual believer)
> 
> Divorce should be avoided most strictly by the believers,
> and only under rare and urgent circumstances be resorted to. Modern society
> is criminally lax as to the sacred nature of marriage, and the believers
> must combat this trend assiduously.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 5 January 1948 to an individual believer)
> 
> He will pray for your husband and son and your daughter-in-law,
> that, through drawing near to Bahá'u'lláh, they may be united
> and uplifted into a happier and more harmonious atmosphere, for the Cause
> can heal friction if people will let it and make the effort themselves
> as well.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 11 June 1948 to an individual believer)
> 
> He was very sorry to hear that you are contemplating separation
> from your husband. As you no doubt know, Bahá'u'lláh considers
> the marriage bond very sacred; and only under very exceptional and unbearable
> circumstances is divorce advisable for Bahá'ís.
> 
> The Guardian does not tell you that you must not divorce
> your husband; but he does urge you to consider prayerfully, not only because
> you are a believer and anxious to obey the laws of God, but also for the
> sake of the happiness of your children, whether it is not possible for
> you to rise above the limitations you have felt in your marriage hitherto,
> and make a go of it together.
> 
> We often feel that our happiness lies in a certain direction;
> and yet, if we have to pay too heavy a price for it in the end we may discover
> that we have not really purchased either freedom or happiness, but just
> some new situation of frustration and disillusion.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 5
> April 1951 to an individual believer)
> 
> As regards the problem of your marriage, you are free to
> refer this to the National Spiritual Assembly. As both you and your wife
> know, however, Bahá'u'lláh was not in favour of divorce,
> and the friends should make every effort to avoid bringing it about. If
> it is absolutely impossible, they then are free to divorce, but they should
> bear in mind the will of God in such matters.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 13 March 1953 to an individual believer)
> 
> He has been very sorry to hear that your marriage seems to
> have failed utterly. I need not tell you as a Bahá'í that
> every effort should be made by any Bahá'í to salvage their
> marriage for the sake of God, rather than for their own sake. In the case
> of pioneers, it is even more important, because they are before the public
> eye. However, in such matters it is neither befitting nor right that the
> Guardian should bring pressure on individuals. He can only appeal to you
> and...to try again; but if you cannot rise to this test, that is naturally
> a personal matter.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 13 January 1956 to an individual believer)
> 
> 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.
> 
> (In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
> 9 November 1956 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America)
> 
> Endnote
> 
> i       A newer translation of this passage
> has been substituted for the translation originally included.
> 
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> — *Divorce (Used by permission of the curator)*