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Abstract: Transcripts of six talks given at a week-long course on the World Order of Baha'u'llah, sponsored by the NSA of Italy. Document includes compilation and outline. Notes: This text, excluding the quotations section, was earlier published in 2004 under the title Towards World Order by Casa Editrice Baha'i (Acuto, 2004). In the 2007 edition a chapter on "The Covenant" and a chart "Towards Bahá'í World Civilisation" were added. A participant [email on file] writes: "Mr Nakhjavani gave these talks in February of 2004. It was a wonderful experience - he gave one talk every morning for six days, and was available during the rest of the time for questions and discussions with the youth. Bahiyyih Nakhjavani also gave talks on Shoghi Effendi's use of language in the mornings. In the afternoons, we had workshops to discuss various specific points of the morning's talk, and to prepare presentations. We reconvened in the late afternoon, compared notes, and asked questions. Then in the evening Mrs Violette Nakhjavani shared her experiences traveling with Ruhiyyih Khanum." Also downloaded book as a PDF. Classified in Notable Talks and Study Guides. |
World Order of Baha'u'llah:
Six Talks on the Various Aspects of
by Ali Nakhjavani
2007| single page | chapter 1 |  |
Foreword
Sixty young Bahá’ís from 24 countries in Europe gathered in Acuto for a week long course on the study of various aspects of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. This course was arranged by the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy, in consultation with the Board of Counsellors in Europe.The attached notes are transcripts of the six presentations made during the week. The reader will find some overlapping of issues in one or more of the talks. Such repetitions have not been eliminated, in order to keep the text of the talks, as presented to the class. The questions asked and the answers given have been sorted according to the themes of the presentation each day, and appear at the end of the text of each of the six talks.
The points raised in these notes are for the most part based on the Writings of our Faith, as I have understood them. Shoghi Effendi has warned the friends that the future will witness attacks on the Administrative Order. It is hoped that the themes presented and the conclusions drawn in these notes will assist the participants of this course to defend the Cause against these attacks in the days to come.
A. N.
BULLET POINTS FOR THE FOLLOWING SIX TALKS
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Two processes of integration and disintegration characterize the
world today.
-The integration process refers to the expansion of the Faith.
-The disintegration process is the dismantling of the old world order that has existed up till now.
-A third process of integration follows the advancement of the world in general towards the Most Great Peace, independent of the direct influence of the Bahá'í community.
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One of the consequences of the third integration process will be the Lesser
Peace. Distinctive features of the Lesser Peace:
-It will be established by the nations of the world of their own accord.
-It will be a secular peace, not a religious one.
-It will include a form of world government, comprising "a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men," topped by an "international executive."
-It will involve the underlying recognition that the world is one.
-It is not dependant on the direct efforts of the Bahá'í community.
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Abdul-Baha sets out Seven Candles of Unity, five of which are preliminary
steps to the establishment of the Lesser Peace:
-Unity in the political realm (League of Nations, UN)
-Unity of thought in world undertakings (international initiatives)
-Unity in freedom (end of communism, colonialism, etc)
-Unity of nations (the idea of the world as common fatherland)
-Unity of language
Those that will be established by the Most Great Peace are:
-Unity of race
-Unity of religion
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Bahá'u'lláh uses three terms (Sulh-i-Asghar, Sulh-i-Akbar, Sulh-i-A'zam)
to refer to the levels of unification of the world.
-Whenever reference is made simply to reducing armaments, peace in the political sphere, etc, Shoghi Effendi translates this as Lesser Peace.
-Whenever the context is broader and includes the idea of mass conversion, Shoghi Effendi translates it as Most Great Peace.
-Whenever the context points to an intermediate stage between the two, Shoghi Effendi calls this the Greater Peace or the Great Peace.
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Distinctive features of the Greater Peace:
-It is a period of gradual evolution towards a truly spiritual civilization.
-It includes the creation of a world "super-state," which has binding power on a world federation of nations (as opposed to simply an advisory system like the UN.)
-This super-state will be secular in form.
-The secular world polity and the Bahá'í system will develop
separately and in parallel.
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Shoghi Effendi lists 'seven stages' the Bahá'í faith will pass through in the
nations of the world before the Most Great Peace can be established. Some
countries may skip certain stages altogether. So far stage 4 has been the highest
stage attained by the Bahá'í's in any country.
1) Obscurity. During this stage the Faith is unknown in the country.
2) Repression. We see clear examples of this in Iran.
3) Emancipation. Freedom from oppression by religious orthodoxy.
4) Recognition. Official status in a country as a recognized religious organization, empowered to perform its own marriages, etc.
5) State religion. Official acceptance of the Bahá'í Faith as the state religion of a country, if the population has become majority Bahá'í.
6) The Bahá'í State. A merger between the civil system and the Bahá'í administration of a particular country (if majority Bahá'í.)
7) Bahá'í Commonwealth. All Bahá'í states join in the initial stages of the Most Great Peace.
Day Two- The Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice under the provisions of the Kitab-i-Aqdas and Abdul-Baha's Will and Testament.
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The basis for the institution of Guardianship and the provisions for the
succession of headship in the Faith is first made by Bahá'u'lláh in the Kitab-i-Aqdas:
"Endowments dedicated to charity revert to God... None hath the right to dispose of them without leave from Him Who the Dawning-place of Revelation. After Him this authority shall pass to the Aghsáns [male heirs of Bahá'u'lláh] and after them to the House of Justice-should it be established in the world by them..."
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Functions of the Guardian:
-Headship of the Faith
-Authoritative interpretation of the sacred texts
-Protection and propagation of the Faith (in which he is aided by Hands of the Cause.)
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In His Will and Testament, Abdul-Baha stipulated the conditions for the appointment
of a new Guardian:
-The Guardian must appoint his successor within his lifetime.
-The choice must be approved by the nine elected Hands of the Cause of God in Haifa.
- In addition to being an Aghsan, the future Guardian must be "he whom God would indicate," ie possessing a good character, not a covenant breaker.
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Bahá'u'lláh also makes provision in the same passage from the Kitab-i-Aqdas for
the time when there will be no more appointed Aghsans, and the headship
of the Faith will pass on to the House of Justice:
"...After Him this authority shall pass to the Aghsans and after them to the House of Justice-should it be established in the world by them..."
- In the Will and Testament, Abdul-Baha states that "unto the Most Holy Book [the Kitab-i-Aqdas] every one must turn, and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice..." In a Tablet to one of the relatives of the Bab in Iran, Abdul-Baha gave instructions that if he died while Shoghi Effendi was too young to succeed to the Guardianship, the Universal House of Justice should be elected. This set the groundwork for succession should there be no appointed Guardian.
- The clear succession of headship is a function of the unique written Covenant of the Bahá'í Faith, as set out by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdul-Baha.
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Functions of the Universal House of Justice:
-Headship of the Faith
-Legislation to cover issues not specifically covered in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and the timing and application of all laws
-Elucidation of obscure questions in the Writings (NOT interpretation.)
-Protection, propagation and administration
-Ensuring integrity, flexibility and unity of Faith.
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Infallibility. Abdul-Baha speaks specifically about the House of Justice
in the Will and Testament:
"Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn, and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath shown forth malice, and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant."
- Shoghi Effendi likens the two institutions of the Guardianship and the House of Justice to pillars in the structure of the Administrative Order, and makes it clear that one cannot function without the other. Thirty-six years of Shoghi Effendi's ministry now provide lasting guidance in the form of his authoritative interpretations.
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Why the Guardian left no Will. This was a conscious decision on Shoghi-Effendi's
part, not an accident. The Guardian's primary concern was the protection of the
Faith, and its future development. The House of Justice later wrote:"in his
very silence there is a wisdom and a sign of his infallible guidance."
Day Three- The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice
- All claims to power, authority and responsibility the Universal House of Justice set out in this document were exhaustively researched in the texts of Bahá'u'lláh, of Abdul-Baha and of Shoghi Effendi. The content of the Declaration is, without any exception, based on these texts.
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THE DECLARATION OF TRUST deals with the following points:
-The authority of Bahá'u'lláh as Manifestation of God for this age.
-The vital function of the Covenant in canalizing the forces of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh.
-The station of the Universal House of Justice as one of the two successors of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdul-Baha, under that same Covenant.
- The precepts and principles at the core of the Bahá'í Faith, and its fundamental purpose. This is "to safeguard and promote the unity of the human race" and "foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men."
-The sphere of responsibility of the Universal House of Justice, namely to decide on "all that is not expressly recorded" in the Most Holy Book, and the Body to which "everyone must turn."
-The foundation of the Universal House of Justice on "the revealed Word of Bahá'u'lláh" and "the interpretations and expositions" recorded by Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi.
-Limiting the authority for interpretation of Bahá'í scripture solely to Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi.
-The authority of these Texts is absolute until the advent of the new Manifestation in one thousand years.
-With the passing of Shoghi Effendi, The Universal House of Justice is now Head of the Faith and Its Supreme Institution.
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Shoghi Effendi gives an important description of the NATURE OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE
OF JUSTICE:
-The members of the House are not responsible to those they represent. They are to "follow, in a prayerful attitude, the dictates and promptings of their own conscience."
-The House members, to counter-balance to the first point, have the duty to "acquaint themselves with the conditions prevailing among the community."
-It is the Universal House of Justice, not those who elect it, is the recipient of divine guidance.
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In the future, the legislative, executive and judiciary functions of theHouse
of Justice will be separated into three distinct arms.
Day Four- The Bahá'í Administrative Order in contrast to other religious and secular systems.
What is new about the Baha'I Faith? What can stop its administration from succumbing to the same evils that corrupted religious organizations in the past?
- The Bahá'í Administrative Order is unique and innovative. Unlike past religious organizations, it is protected from schism by a written Covenant. No previous Manifestation left such explicit written instructions as to the succession of headship and administration. Shoghi Effendi writes: "No Prophet before Bahá'u'lláh... has established, authoritatively and in writing, anything comparable to the Administrative Order..."
- The three main types of political organization- democracy, autocracy and aristocracy- are all present in the workings of the Administrative Order. Good aspects of one system balance out the undesirable aspects of the others. The various political forms are often incorporated as principles of function, rather than actual positions of power (for example, there is no autocratic position of papacy, but there is the absolute authority of the revealed texts.)
-
The Bahá'í administration is evolutionary in nature, and will change and
develop as need arises. For example:
Shoghi Effendi points out that the way the Administrative Order functions makes it "inclined to democratic methods." But with a living Guardian at the Head of the Faith, and the absolute powers he wields, it is possible that the Faith would be inclined to autocratic methods. In light of this, Abdul-Baha may have envisaged two stages in the development of the Administrative Order after Him:
-A temporary stage, with the Guardian as living Head of the Faith, and autocracy as its dominant characteristic;
-A subsequent stage, with the Universal House of Justice as Supreme Organ, and democracy as the dominant characteristic.
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DEMOCRATIC ASPECTS of the Bahá'í Administrative Order.
-The Bahá'í electoral system determining the membership of the local, national and international administrative bodies.
-The feature of parliamentary debate incorporated into Bahá'í consultation.
-The degree of autonomy provided to elected councils at the local and national levels.
Dissimilarities: under the Bahá'í system the elected are not responsible to those who elect them, but must follow the dictates of their own conscience. Partisanship and campaigning for office are likewise forbidden.
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ARISTOCRATIC ASPECTS of the Bahá'í Administrative Order.
-The appointed branch of the administration, comprising the institution of the Counsellors on the international and continental levels, and the Auxiliary Board members and their Assistants.
-The principle of freedom from outside control that governs the functioning of the Universal House of Justice.
Dissimilarities: The Counsellors and Auxiliary Board Members are not appointed for life, but for a fixed term. They also do not possess decision-making authority, as this power is vested in the elected branch. No position now existing in the Administrative Order is based on birth and its inherited privileges.
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AUTOCRATIC ASPECTS of the Bahá'í Administrative Order.
-The absolute and binding authority given to the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, and his two authorized Interpreters, Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi.
Dissimilarities: Flexibility is guaranteed by the fact that there is an unlimited field of legislation to implement, and supplement in subsidiary matters, the Laws revealed by Bahá'u'lláh. This responsibility is discharged by an elected body, the Universal House of Justice.
Day Five- The role of the American Bahá'í community in the emergence of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
- Geographical definitions used in the Writings. The West: Europe and North America. The Americas, American continent, or Western Hemisphere: North and South American continents and Carribean. North America: United States and Canada. America: United States.
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Baha'ullah addresses the "Rulers of America and the Presidents of the Republics
therein" specifically in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. "Bind ye the broken with
the hands of justice, and crush the oppressor who flourisheth with the rod of
the commandments of your Lord." He identifies three obligations
for the West:
-Protecting the persecuted.
-Opposing the oppressor.
-Championing the Faith.
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THE DESTINY OF THE AMERICAN BAHA'I COMMUNITY
The Tablets of the Divine Plan invested the North American Bahá'í community with a unique spiritual primacy. This was in contrast to the patent evils present in the society around it. (The same principle of contrast governed the Faith's appearance in Persia in the 19th century.) Shoghi Effendi identifies the evils of Western society in general as:
-Immersion in a sea of materialism.
-Being prey to one of the most virulent and long-standing forms of racial prejudice.
-Being a victim of political corruption, lawlessness and laxity in moral standards.
- A historical overview of Shoghi Effendi's ministry, and the first three epochs of the Formative Age of the Faith (1921-1963) show how the plans for developing the administrative order in America became a blueprint for its development elsewhere. 1921 to 1937: the Guardian consolidated the Administrative Order, concentrating on North America. 1937-1944: the first Seven Year Plan of the North American community. 1944/45 other teaching plans develop around the world, including a second Seven Year Plan in America. 1953: the Ten Year Crusade, where lion share of goals go to North American community.
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THE DESTINY OF THE AMERICAN NATION IN GENERAL
Abdul-Baha states: "May this American democracy be the first nation to establish the foundation of international agreement. May it be the first nation to proclaim the unity of mankind. May it be the first to unfurl the standard of the Most Great Peace."
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Principle of Federalism in American republics applied to the world. Abdul-Baha
answered an official in the US government, who had asked Him how best he could
serve his country, by saying: "You can best serve your country, if you strive,
in your capacity as citizen of the world, to assist in the eventual application
of the principle of federalism underlying the government of your own country to
the relationships now existing between the peoples and nations of the world."
This shows two things:
-The structure of federalism, as conceived and practiced in the United States, with autonomy given to the federated states of the country, is, in Abdul-Baha's estimation, an acceptable system of organisation for the world.
-The best way to promote the interests of the part is for that part to uphold the interests of the whole.
- Shoghi Effendi goes on to expand on the welfare of the part affecting the welfare of the whole: "The world is contracting into a neighbourhood. America, willingly or unwillingly, must face and grapple with this new situation. For purposes of national security, let alone any humanitarian motive, she must assume the obligations imposed by this newly created neighbourhood."
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Conditions of destiny. Shoghi Effendi confidently assures us that America
will: "raise its voice in the councils of the nations, itself
lay the cornerstone of a universal and enduring peace, proclaim
the solidarity, the unity, and maturity of mankind, and assist in
the establishment of the promised reign of righteousness on earth." After
enumerating the above conditions, he adds: "Then, and only then, will the American
nation... be able to fulfil the unspeakably glorious destiny ordained for it by
the Almighty."
Day Six- The Evolution of the Bahá'í Administrative Order- its spirit and form (the Rulers and the Learned.)
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The Heroic Age (1844-1921.) During the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh and Abdul-Baha's
ministries, the embryonic Administrative Order incorporated the following elements:
-The establishment of the first Spiritual Assemblies
-The institution of the Hands of the Cause.
-The Bahá'í Fund.
-The Bahá'í Temple Unity in the US and the purchase of property dedicated to the Faith and its future institutions.
-The founding of publishing houses for printing of Baha'I literature.
-The construction of the Bab's mausoleum.
-The institution of hostels for itinerant teachers and pilgrims.
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The Formative Age (1921-today.) Under the guidance of the Guardian, the
fledgling institutions of the Faith were nurtured and developed in preparation
for the establishment of the Universal House of Justice. The Guardian had two
over-riding objectives:
-To strengthen the administrative structure of the Faith, through the establishment of Local Assemblies, its "foundation", through to National Assemblies, the "columns" of the administrative structure, leading up to the creation of the "dome", the Universal House of Justice.
-To use these administrative institutions to promote the teaching work of the Faith in a united and systematic manner, using the Tablets of the Divine Plan.
- The Embryonic World Order. For the first sixteen years of his ministry, Shoghi Effendi termed it the Bahá'í administration. After that, he called it the Administrative Order. Only later will this develop inot the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. The main objective of the Faith is the Most Great Peace, and the birth of Bahá'í Civilization. The Administrative Order is only a preliminary stage in this process. Shoghi Effendi described the Administrative Order as being the embryonic form of the World Order. Signs of incongruity and imperfection are only natural to this stage of development.
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The Spirit of the Institutions. The Guardian set out the spiritual obligations
of the elected representatives as follows:
-They should not dictate, but consult.
-They should never think of themselves as "central ornaments"
-They should approach their task with extreme humility, open-mindedness, a high sense of justice and duty, candour, modesty, and devotion.
-They must win the genuine support of those they serve.
-They must rid themselves of the spirit of exclusiveness, the atmosphere of secrecy, or a domineering attitude.
-They must banish all forms of prejudice and passion from their deliberations.
-They should, within the limits of discretion, take the friends into their confidence.
-When they must make a decision they should, "after dispassionate, anxious and cordial consultation, turn to God in prayer."
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The Rulers and the Learned. Bahá'u'lláh, in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, writes:
"Blessed are the rulers and the learned among the people of Baha."
- Shoghi Effendi explains that the Learned are the Hands of the Cause, the Counsellors, Auxiliary Board members and their assistants, while the Rulers are the Local, National and International Houses of Justice.
-The House of Justice states, "the proper functioning of human society requires the preservation of ranks and classes."
-There is a safeguard in the Bahá'í Faith against the rigidity of academia and the abuse of priests. Shoghi Effendi writes: "the Pen of Glory has done away with the unyielding and dictatorial views of the learned and the wise... and ordained that all matters be referred to authorized centers and specific Assemblies."
-There is a difference between being appointed to a rank, and seeking to be so appointed. Bahá'u'lláh writes: "Ever since the seeking of preference and distinction came into play, the world hath been laid waste."
-The House also writes: "The true spiritual station of any soul is known only to God. This is quite a different thing from the ranks and stations that men and women occupy in the various sectors of society."
Day One- The Lesser Peace and the Most Great Peace
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