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MESSAGES FROM THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
1963-1986
*************************************
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+i
MESSAGES FROM THE
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
1963-1986
THE THIRD EPOCH OF THE FORMATIVE AGE
+ii
INTENTIONALLY BLANK
+iii
MESSAGES FROM THE
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
1963-1986
THE THIRD EPOCH OF THE FORMATIVE AGE
compiled by Geoffry W. Marks
Bahá'í Publishing Trust
Wilmette, Illinois 60091
+iv
Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois 60091-2844
Copyright @ 1996 by the National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá'ís of the United States
All rights reserved. Published 1996
Printed in the United States of America
99 98 97 96 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Messages from the universal house of justice, 1963-1986 : the
third epoch of the formative age / compiled by Geoffry W.
Marks.
ISBN 0-87743-239-2
1. Bahá'í Faith. I. Marks, Geoffry W., 1949-
BP320.M47 1996
297'.93-DC20
96-43430
+v
OCCASION WORLDWIDE CELEBRATIONS MOST GREAT JUBILEE
COMMEMORATING CENTENARY ASCENSION BAHA'U'LLAH THRONE HIS
SOVEREIGNTY WITH HEARTS OVERFLOWING
GRATITUDE HIS UNFAILING PROTECTION OVERFLOWING BOUNTIES
JOYOUSLY ANNOUNCE FRIENDS EAST WEST ELECTION SUPREME
LEGISLATIVE BODY ORDAINED BY HIM IN HIS MOST HOLY
BOOK PROMISED BY HIM RECEIVE HIS INFALLIBLE GUIDANCE. MEMBERS
FIRST HISTORIC HOUSE JUSTICE DULY ELECTED BY DELEGATES
COMPRISING MEMBERS FIFTY-SIX NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES ARE
CHARLES WOLCOTT ALI NAKHJAVANI H BORRAH KAVELIN IAN SEMPLE
LUTFU'LLAH HAKIM DAVID HOFMAN HUGH CHANCE AMOZ
GIBSON HUSHMAND FATHFAZAM. TO JUBILATION ENTIRE BAHA'I
WORLD VICTORIOUS COMPLETION BELOVED GUARDIAN'S UNIQUE
CRUSADE NOW ADDED HUMBLE GRATITUDE PROFOUND THANKSGIVING
FOLLOWERS BAHA'U'LLAH FOR ERECTION UNIVERSAL
HOUSE JUSTICE AUGUST BODY TO WHOM ALL BELIEVERS MUST
TURN WHOSE DESTINY IS TO GUIDE UNFOLDMENT HIS EMBRYONIC
WORLD ORDER THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS PRESCRIBED BY
BAHA'U'LLAH ELABORATED BY `ABDU'L-BAHÁ LABORIOUSLY ERECTED BY
SHOGHI EFFENDI AND ENSURE EARLY DAWN
GOLDEN AGE FAITH WHEN THE WORD OF THE LORD WILL COVER
THE EARTH AS THE WATERS COVER THE SEA.
HAIFA, 22 APRIL 1963 HANDSFAITH
+vi
INTENTIONALLY BLANK
[Pages vii. to xxv. (the Table of Contents) have been moved.]
+xxvi
PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK
+xxvii
Foreword
On 21 April 1963, one hundred years after Bahá'u'lláh's public
declaration of His world-redeeming mission, the first
International Bahá'í Convention was held on the majestic
slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. The purpose of this
momentous gathering was to elect, for the first time, the
Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing and
legislative body of the Bahá'í Faith.
The election of the Universal House of Justice was greeted
with great joy by the worldwide Bahá'í community, for it
ensured the continuation of divine guidance until the advent
of the next Manifestation of God, thereby fulfilling the
prophecy that there would come a "Day which shall not be
followed by night."
The continuation of divine guidance-the primary theme of this
Book is a unique feature of the Bahá'í Faith. Unlike any of
the Manifestations of God Who preceded Him, Bahá'u'lláh, the
Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, made a Covenant with His
followers to direct and channel the forces released by His
Revelation, guaranteeing the continuity of infallible guidance
after His death through institutions to which all of His
followers must turn. In His will and testament Bahá'u'lláh
designated His eldest son, Abdu'l-Baha, His successor, the
authoritative Interpreter of His writings, and the Center of
His Covenant. In His own will and testament 'Abdu'l-Bahá
perpetuated the Covenant through the Administrative Order
ordained in Bahá'u'lláh's writings. 'Abdu'l-Bahá appointed as
His twin successors the institutions of the Guardianship and
the Universal House of Justice. He named His eldest grandson,
Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Cause of God and expounder
of the Word of God, while giving the Universal House of
Justice the role of legislating on matters not explicitly
revealed in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá or
dealt with by Shoghi Effendi.
Writing about the Universal House of Justice, Bahá'u'lláh
explained that, "Inasmuch as for each day there is a new
problem and for every problem an expedient solution, such
affairs should be referred to the Ministers of the House of
Justice that they may act according to the needs and
Requirements of the time.... It is incumbent upon all to be
obedient unto them." Moreover,
+xxviii
FOREWORD 'Abdu'l-Bahá asserts in His Will and
Testament that "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."
Thus the fundamental purpose of the Universal House of Justice
is to ensure the continuity of the divine guidance that flows
from the Source of the Faith, to safeguard the unity of its
followers, and to maintain the integrity and flexibility of
its teachings. Its origin, its authority, its duties, and its
sphere of action are all derived from the writings of
Bahá'u'lláh. His writings, along with those of Abdu'l-Baha and
of Shoghi Effendi constitute its bedrock foundation and its
binding terms of reference.
Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986. - The
Third Epoch of the Formative Age brings together letters,
cables, telexes, and electronic mail messages sent to Bahá'í
institutions and individuals during a twenty-three-year period
that the Universal House of Justice has called the Third Epoch
of the Formative Age of the Faith. The Formative Age stands
between the Heroic Age (1844-1921), which is associated with
the ministries of the Bab (the Prophet-Herald of the Bahá'í
Faith), Bahá'u'lláh, and Abdu'l-Baha, and the Golden Age,
which will witness the dawning of the Most Great Peace, the
emergence of a commonwealth of all the nations of the world,
and the advent of the Kingdom of God on earth.
The First Epoch of the Formative Age (1921-44/46) saw the
birth of the Bahá'í Administrative Order and the primary
stages in the erection of its framework. This epoch was
characterized by its focus on forming local and national
institutions in all the continents, thereby laying the
foundation needed to support future systematic teaching
activities.
The First Epoch also witnessed the initiation of the first
Seven Year Plan (1937-44), at the direction of Shoghi Effendi,
by the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. This plan,
inspired by 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan,
constituted the Bahá'í community's first systematic teaching
campaign and began the initial stage of carrying out
'Abdu'l-Bahá's Divine Plan in the Western Hemisphere.
The Second Epoch of the Formative Age (1946-63) witnessed the
further development and maturation of the Administrative Order
and the execution of a series of teaching plans that carried
the Faith beyond the confines of the Western Hemisphere and
Europe. Its two most distinguishing characteristics were the
rise and steady consolidation of the World Center of the Faith
in Haifa, including the appointment of the Hands of the Cause
of God, the introduction of the Auxiliary Boards, and the
establishment of the International Bahá'í Council, and the
simultaneous and often spontaneous prosecution of Bahá'í
national plans in both the East and the West. Shoghi Effendi
now used the internally consolidated and administratively
experienced National
+xxix
FOREWORD
Spiritual Assemblies to launch the Ten Year World Crusade
(1953-63) in which he summoned the twelve existing National
Spiritual Assemblies to participate in one concentrated,
united effort to spread the Faith more widely throughout the
world. This enterprise resulted in the opening Of 131
countries to the Faith, the formation of forty-four National
Spiritual Assemblies, and a vast increase in the ethnic
diversity of the Bahá'í community. However, the victorious
completion of the Ten Year World Crusade came with a heavy
price. In 1957, midway through the Crusade, Shoghi Effendi
died unexpectedly of a heart attack. The Bahá'ís were
devastated. Not only were they deprived of their Guardian, but
they were also deprived of their source of divine guidance.
The Guardianship was a hereditary office, and Shoghi Effendi
had left no heir.
How would the unity of the Faith be preserved? How could the
conflict and contention that has divided other religions be
prevented? Clearly, unless the Bahá'í Faith could safeguard
its unity, it could never hope to unify a sorely divided
world. Into this chasm of doubt and despair stepped the Hands
of the Cause of God, whom Shoghi Effendi had appointed and to
whom he had referred as the "Chief Stewards of Bahá'u'lláh's
embryonic World Commonwealth who have been invested by the
unerring Pen of the Center of His Covenant with the dual
function of guarding over the security, and of insuring the
propagation, of His Father's Faith." Through their heroic
stewardship they guided the community along the course Shoghi
Effendi had set. By the end of the nearly six-year interregnum
they had not only preserved the unity of the Faith but also
inspired a surge of sacrificial service leading to the Ten
Year Crusade's victorious conclusion and crowning achievement,
the culminating event of the Second Epoch-the election of the
Universal House of Justice.
The Universal House of Justice proclaimed in a letter dated
October 1963 that the Third Epoch of the Formative Age had
begun. Outlining what would become the distinctive
characteristics of the new epoch, it said the Bahá'í Faith
"must now grow rapidly in size, increase its spiritual
cohesion and executive ability, develop its institutions and
extend its influence into all strata of society." Moreover,
its members, must, by constant study of the life-giving Word,
and by dedicated service, deepen in spiritual understanding
and show to the world a mature, responsible, fundamentally
assured and happy way of life, far removed from the passions,
prejudices and distractions of present day society.
The Third Epoch called the Bahá'ís of the world to a yet more
mature level of functioning that would be consistent with
expected vast increases in the community's size and diversity,
its emergence as a model to humankind, and the extension of
its influence in the world at large.
+xxx
FOREWORD
The nature of individual and community maturity for which the
Universal House of Justice called is evident as one reads the
book. Through the release of translations and compilations of
Bahá'í writings and through a voluminous correspondence in
which perplexing questions about various personal and social
problems are discussed, the Universal House of Justice guides
individuals and communities in their efforts to live a Bahá'í
life. Matters of spiritual growth, sexual morality, relations
between husband and wife, family life, prejudice, politics,
possession of firearms, ranks and stations in the Faith, the
tests of Bahá'í community life, and the suffering of humanity
are a few of the topics of individual and community life that
are addressed. Numerous accounts of the vicious persecution
of the Iranian Bahá'ís and of their efforts and the efforts
of the Bahá'í communities around the world to help them
testify to the spiritual and administrative maturation of the
worldwide Bahá'í community.
The increasing maturity of the worldwide Bahá'í community is
further evidenced as the Universal House of Justice guides the
Bahá'í community to progressively more mature levels of
functioning through three major world teaching plans conducted
during the Third Epoch of the Formative Age: the Nine Year
Plan (1964-73), the Five Year Plan (1974-79), and the Seven
Year Plan (1979-86). Among the results and achievements won
during these three plans are the faiths gradual emergence from
obscurity, its assumption by the Universal House of Justice
of the role of a promoter of world peace, the initiation of
activities intended to foster social and economic development,
the establishment of the Continental Boards of Counselors and
the International Teaching Center, the introduction of
assistants to the Auxiliary Boards, and one of the crowning
events of the Third Epoch-the construction and occupation of
the seat of the Universal House of Justice at the World Center
of the Faith.
The publication of Messages from the Universal House of
Justice, 1963-1986. The Third Epoch of the Formative Age comes
ten years after the inauguration of the Fourth Epoch. Although
the Bahá'í Faith is well into this new stage of development,
and new patterns of growth and change are evident, yet the
study of the messages contained in this volume yields a
treasure of insight, knowledge, and understanding of the
principles guiding the unfoldment of the Bahá'í Faith and the
efforts of individuals and communities as they strive to adopt
the pattern of life prescribed by Bahá'u'lláh. Moreover, the
inclusion of virtually every major message of the Third Epoch
enables one to survey significant developments in the organic
growth of the Bahá'í world community, to follow its increasing
maturity and acquisition of new powers and capacities, to
perceive a continuity in its development, and to detect
patterns in the interplay between the forces of light and
darkness, between crisis and
+xxxi
FOREWORD
victory. Individuals, communities, and institutions will find
the book an important aid in making decisions as they apply
themselves to meeting current challenges and will derive
continual inspiration and encouragement from the majestic
pronouncements, authoritative elucidations, and ennobling,
luminous, and loving counsels of the Universal House of
Justice. The messages themselves are sufficient proof that the
Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh is unbroken, that the channel of
divine guidance remains open, and that "the Day which shall
not be followed by night" has at last dawned upon the world.
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED
STATES
+xxxii
PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK
+xxxiii
A Note from the Compiler
Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986.- The
Third Epoch of the Formative Age brings under one cover 456
letters, cables, telexes, and electronic mail messages from
the Universal House of Justice to Bahá'í institutions, to
Bahá'ís gathered at special events, to individuals, or -- in
one case -- to the peoples of the world.
A volume long overdue, it enlarges upon and replaces two
earlier compilations of messages: Wellspring of Guidance:
Messages, 1963-1968, published in 1969, and Messages from the
Universal House of Justice, 1968-1973, published in 1976. In
preparing the new volume several factors where considered.
First was the need to make available the messages contained
in the first two compilations and to add thirty-six messages
from the 1963 through 1973 period that had not been included.
Second was the need to publish messages received after 1973.
Thus it was decided to publish a new volume that would
encompass and expand upon the first two books.
The time frame of the new volume became clear in January 1986
when the Universal House of justice announced the closing of
the Third Epoch (1963-1986) and the inception of the Fourth
Epoch, signaled by new developments in the maturation of the
institutions of the Faith. Hence Messages from the Universal
House of Justice, 1963-1986 enables the reader to survey the
full sweep of the Third Epoch, beginning with the first
message issued by the Universal House of Justice after its
establishment in 1963 and ending with the annual Ridvan
message of 1986. The messages record the progress of the Faith
through the Nine, Five, and Seven Year Plans, chronicling
extraordinary advances in proclamation, expansion, and
consolidation. They reach a climax in the last two years of
the Seven Year Plan with the Faith's emergence from obscurity,
the release of a statement on peace addressed to the peoples
of the world, and the inception of the Fourth Epoch of the
Formative Age. These and countless other achievements stand
in marked contrast to the contemporaneous persecution of the
Bahá'ís of Iran, throwing into sharp relief the interplay
between crisis and victory. The dynamic interaction between
these two forces is a chief characteristic of the unfoldment
of the Bahá'í Faith and a prominent theme in this volume.
Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986
includes numerous features that have been introduced for the
reader's convenience. A table of epochs of the Heroic and
Formative Ages of the Bahá'í Faith and a list of significant
+xxxiv
A NOTE FROM THE COMPILER
milestones, anniversaries, and events in the Third Epoch offer
a brief overview of recent Bahá'í history. Each message has
been given a heading and assigned a number, and the paragraphs
or other divisions of text within the messages have been
numbered to facilitate reference. An extensive index is
included, its locators corresponding to the numbering system
used in the text. Subheadings have been added to many longer
messages; spellings have been Americanized; and, for
consistency, dates have been given in a day-month year format.
Addressees, salutations, and complimentary closings have been
retained, except for a few cases in which confidentiality
required their omission. Because the compilation of messages
covers almost a quarter of a century, footnotes have been
added to explain historical details, allusions, technical
terms, sources of most quotations, cross references to other
messages on the same topic, and references to further details
in the glossary or in other books. To help keep the notes as
brief as possible, the titles of many Bahá'í books were
abbreviated. A list of abbreviations and the titles they stand
for appears at the front of the book. A glossary has been
included to give background information and define technical
Bahá'í terms. A bibliography provides information about books
and compilations referred to in the text and footnotes.
No changes have been made to the texts of the messages without
explicit permission from the Universal House of Justice.
Extracts from the writings of Bahá'u'lláh, the Bab, and
Abdu'l-Baha that are quoted in the messages have been checked
against authenticated sources and authorized translations and
have been updated accordingly where appropriate. Noticeable
changes in the translations of such extracts are footnoted.
The dates of certain cables may differ slightly from those of
the same cables published elsewhere because cables of general
interest that were addressed to a specific National Spiritual
Assembly were usually conveyed to other National Spiritual
Assemblies by mail a few days later. In such cases the date
of the original cable is used.
Occasionally the reader will encounter references to
enclosures or attachments, such as compilations and lists of
pioneer assignments given to National Spiritual Assemblies.
Such enclosures have been omitted because of space
limitations. Most of the compilations have already been
published, and, wherever possible, a reference to the
published work is given.
We would like to express our deepest appreciation to the
Universal House of Justice for its assistance in making
available many messages that were previously unpublished and
particularly for its direction in all phases of the production
of this volume. Thanks are due to Ivor Stoakley, Diane
Taherzadeh, and Lewis Walker for their assistance with
footnotes and glossary entries; to John Walbridge for helpful
comments on the glossary; to Dr. Manuchihr Derakhshani for
assistance with Persian and Arabic transliterations; to Dr.
Betty
+xxxv
A NOTE FROM THE COMPILER
J. Fisher and Terry J. Cassiday of the Bahá'í Publishing Trust
whose insights, scholarship, hard work, and close attention
to detail have been invaluable; and to my wife, Amy, for her
unwavering encouragement and support. We hope this book will
prove to be a useful and convenient source of guidance and
inspiration for both individuals and institutions the world
over as they strive to serve the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh and
carry the healing balm of His teachings to all humanity.
GEOFFRY W. MARKS
+xxxvi
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK
+xxxvii
List of Abbreviations
ABL 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London ADJ The Advent of Divine Justice,
1990 ed. BA Bahá'í Administration BN Bahá'í News BNE
Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era BP Bahá'í Prayers, 1991 U.S. ed.
BW 9 The Bahá'í World, Volume IX BW 13 The Bahá'í Work Volume
XIII BW 14 The Bahá'í World, Volume XIV BW 15 The Bahá'í
World, Volume XV BW 16 The Bahá'í World, Volume XVI BW 17 The
Bahá'í World, Volume XWI BW 18 The Bahá'í World, Volume XVIII
BW 19 The Bahá'í World, Volume XIX CC The Compilation of
Compilations
CF Citadel of Faith
CUHJ Constitution of the Universal House of Justice
DB The Dawn-Breakers
DND Dawn of a New Day
ESW Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
FSTS From Strength to Strength
GPB God Passes By
GWB Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
KA The Kitab-i-Aqdas
KI The Kitab-i-Iqan
LFG Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand
LG Lights of Guidance
MA Messages to America
MBW Messages to the Bahá'í World
+xxxviii
ABBREVIATIONS
MC Messages to Canada MF Memorials of the Faithful PB The
Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh PDIC The Promised Day Is Come,
1996 ed. PM Prayers and Meditations PP The Priceless Pearl PT
Paris Talks PUP The Promulgation of Universal Peace, 1982 ed.
SAQ Some Answered Questions, 1984 ed. SBS Selections from
Bahá'í Scriptures SC Synopsis and Codification of the
Kitab-i-Aqdas SDC The Secret of Divine Civilization SWAB
Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha TABA Tablets of
Abdu'l-Baha Abbas TB Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the
Kitab-i-Aqdas TDP Tablets of the Divine Plan, 1992 ed. TN A
Travelers Narrative UD Unfolding Destiny WOB The World Order
of Bahá'u'lláh WT Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha
+xxxix
Epochs of the Heroic Age
1844-1853 The First Epoch
The Babi Dispensation
1853-1892 The Second Epoch
The Ministry of Bahá'u'lláh
1892-1921 The Third Epoch
The Ministry of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
___ 1. Based on the attachment to the letter dated 5 February
1986 from the Universal House of Justice to all National
Spiritual Assemblies. See message no. 451.
+xl
PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK
+xli
Epochs of the Formative Age
1921-1944/46 The First Epoch
1921-1936 Period of Preparation 1937-1944 The first Seven Year
Plan of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada 1944-1946
Consolidation of victories
1946-1963 The Second Epoch
1946-1953 The second Seven Year Plan of the Bahá'ís of the
United States and plans of varying duration pursued by nine
other regional and national Bahá'í communities (Canada;
Central America and South America; Australia and New Zealand;
India, Pakistan, and Burma; the British Isles; Germany and
Austria; Persia; Egypt; Iraq)2
1953-1963 The Ten Year World Crusade
1963-1986 The Third Epoch
1963-1964...........Year of Preparation 1964-1973
...........Nine Year Plan 1973-1974............Year of
Preparation 1974-1979............Five Year Plan 1979-1986
............Seven Year Plan
___ 1. Based on the attachment to the letter dated 5 February
1986 from the Universal House of Justice to all National
Spiritual Assemblies. See message no. 451.
2. See FSTS, pp.
33-38.
+xlii
EPOCHS OF THE FORMATIVE AGE
1986- The Fourth Epoch
1986-1992 ...Six Year Plan 1992-1993 ...Holy Year
Commemorating the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh and the
Inauguration of His Covenant 1993-1996 ...Three Year Plan
1996-2000.... Four Year Plan
+xliii
The Third Epoch Significant Milestones, Anniversaries, and
Events
Milestones
Ridvan 1963 First election of the Universal House of Justice
April 28-May 2 1963 First Bahá'í World Congress commemorating
Bahá'u'lláh's declaration of His mission and the victorious
consummation of the Ten Year World Crusade Ridvan 1964
Inauguration of the Third Epoch with the launching of the Nine
Year Plan
Ridvan 1973 End of the Nine Year Plan
Naw-Ruz 1974 Beginning of the Five Year Plan Ridvan 1979 End
of the Five Year Plan Beginning of the Seven Year Plan
January 1986 Inauguration of the Fourth Epoch Ridvan 1986 End
of the Seven Year Plan Beginning of the Six Year Plan
Significant Anniversaries
26 March 1966 Fiftieth anniversary of the revelation of the
first Tablets of the Divine Plan
April 1963 Centenary of Bahá'u'lláh's public declaration of
His Mission
September/ Celebration of the centenary of Bahá'u'lláh's
October 1967 proclamation to the Kings
27 September 1967 Celebration of the centenary of the
revelation of the Suriy-i-Muluk
12 November 1967 Sesquicentennial of the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh
31 August 1968 Centenary of the arrival of Bahá'u'lláh in the
Holy Land
23 June 1968 Centenary of the passing of Mirza Mihdi, the
Purest Branch
+xliv
THE THIRD EPOCH * MILESTONES, ANNIVERSARIES, AND EVENTS
28 November 1971 Fiftieth anniversary of the passing of
'Abdu'l-Bahá 1973 Centenary of the revelation of the
Kitab-i-Aqdas June 1977 Centenary of the termination of
Bahá'u'lláh's confinement in 'Akka July 1982 Fiftieth
anniversary of the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf 4
November 198-2 Twenty-fifth anniversary of the passing of
Shoghi Effendi
Significant Events Ridvan 1963 Convening of 1st International
Bahá'í Convention, Haifa, and election of the Universal House
of Justice Ridvan 1964 Launching of the Nine Year Plan
July 1964 Dedication of the Mother Temple of Europe,
Langenhain, near Frankfurt am Main, Germany November 1965
Purification of the Most Holy Tomb October 1967 Opening of a
period of proclamation inaugurated by the presentation by the
Universal House of Justice to 140 heads of state of a special
edition of The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh Commemoration of
the centenary of Bahá'u'lláh's proclamation to the kings with
the holding of six intercontinental conferences in Panama
City, Panama; Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.; Sydney, Australia;
Kampala, Uganda; Frankfurt am Main, Germany; and New Delhi,
India Assumption by the Universal House of Justice of
representation of the Bahá'í International Community at the
United Nations October 1967 Laying of the foundation stone of
the Mother Temple of Latin America, Panama City, Panama
February 1968 Embracing of the Faith by His Highness Malietoa
Tanumafili II of Western Samoa Ridvan 1968 Convening of the
2nd International Bahá'í Convention, Haifa, and election of
the Universal House of Justice June 1968 Establishment of the
Continental Boards of Counsellors August 1968 Commemoration
of the centenary of Bahá'u'lláh's arrival in the Holy Land
with the holding of First Oceanic Conference, Palermo, Sicily
+xlv
THE THIRD EPOCH - MILESTONES, ANNIVERSARIES, AND EVENTS
February 1970 Bahá'í International Community's attainment of
consultative status with the United Nations Economic and
Social Council August 1970-Holding of eight oceanic and
continental conferences September 1971 in La Paz, Bolivia;
Rose Hill, Mauritius; Monrovia, Liberia; Djakarta, Indonesia;
Suva, Fiji; Kingston, Jamaica; Sapporo, Japan; Reykjavik,
Iceland
April 28 - May 2 1972 Dedication of the Mother Temple of Latin
America, Panama City, Panama June 1972 Announcement of the
decision to build the Seat of the Universal House of Justice
September 1972 Murder of three Iranian Bahá'í students in the
Philippine Islands November 1972 Adoption of the Constitution
of the Universal House of Justice March 1973 Purchase of the
Mazra'ih Mansion
Ridvan 1973 Convening of the 3rd International Bahá'í
Convention, Haifa, and election of the Universal House of
Justice Publication of A Synopsis and Codification of the Laws
and Ordinances of the Kitab-i-Aqdas May 1973 Announcement of
the embracing of the Bahá'í Faith by His Highness Malietoa
Tanumafili II of Western Samoa
June 1973 Establishment of the International Teaching Center
February 1974 Acceptance of the design for the seat of the
Universal House of Justice Ridvan 1974 Launching of the Five
Year Plan January 1975 Acquisition of the House of Abdu'llah
Pasha in 'Akka
April 1975 Excavation of the site of the seat of the Universal
House of justice
July 1976 Holding of eight international teaching conferences
January 1977 in Helsinki, Finland; Anchorage, Alaska; Paris,
France; Nairobi, Kenya; Hong Kong; Auckland, New Zealand;
Bahá'í, Brazil; and Merida, Mexico. September 1976 Visit of
His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II to the resting-place of
Shoghi Effendi in London, England
May 1977 Murder of Ruhu'llah Taymuri-Muqaddam, an Iranian
homefront pioneer, in his home by fanatics
+xlvi
THE THIRD EPOCH - MILESTONES, ANNIVERSARIES, AND EVENTS
October 1977 Laying of foundation stone for Mother Temple of
Indian subcontinent, New Delhi, December 1977 Initiation of
broadcasting by the first Bahá'í radio station, Otavalo,
Ecuador Ridvan 1978 Convening of the 4th International Bahá'í
Convention, Haifa, and election of the Universal House of
Justice August 1978 Inauguration of Radio Bahá'í Ecuador
December 1978 - Intensification of the persecution of January
1979 the Bahá'ís in Iran January 1979 Laying of the foundation
stone of the Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands Naw-Ruz 1979
Launching of the Seven Year Plan June 1979 Fixing of
Counselors' term of service at five years June-July 1979
Numerous appeals made by Local Spiritual Assemblies around the
world to Ayatollah Khomeini, asking him to stop the
persecution of the Bahá'ís of June-August 1979 Addresses by
H. Borrah Kavelin, representative of the Universal House of
Justice, at a series of significant meetings in North America
and Europe about the importance of redeeming the Iranian
Bahá'ís sacrifices through service to the Faith September 1979
Demolition of the House of the Bab in November 1979 Arrest of
a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of
December 1979 Commencement of excavation of the site of the
Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands, Apia, Western Samoa July
1980 Commencement of construction of Mother Temple of the
Indian Subcontinent, New Delhi, India August 1980 Arrest of
all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran
and two Auxiliary Board members November 1980 Appointment of
a new contingent of Continental Counselors to a five-year term
of service January 1981 Execution of chairman of National
Spiritual Assembly of Iran May 1981 Establishment of a
European Branch Office of the Bahá'í International Community
August 1981 Increase in the severity of the persecution of the
Bahá'ís of Iran
+xlvii
THE THIRD EPOCH - MILESTONES, ANNIVERSARIES, AND EVENTS
November 1981 Arrest of six members of National Spiritual
Assembly of Iran Inauguration of Radio Bahá'í Peru December
1981 Demolition of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Takur Arrest
and execution of eight members of the National Spiritual
Assembly
May-September 1982 Holding of five international conferences
in Lagos, Nigeria; Montreal, Canada; Quito, Ecuador; Dublin,
Ireland; and Canberra, Australia July 1982 By-election to
replace one member of the Universal House of Justice December
1982 Establishment of first Bahá'í radio station in North
America January 1983 Occupation by the Universal House of
Justice of its permanent seat April 19830pening of the House
of Abdu'11ah Pasha to pilgrims Ridvan 1983Convening of the 5th
International Bahá'í Convention, Haifa, and election of the
Universal House of Justice May 1983 Increase in the
responsibilities of the International Teaching Center Public
defense of the Bahá'ís of Iran by the President of the United
States June 1983 Execution of seventeen Bahá'ís in Shiraz,
including ten women Call for the youth of the world to
vindicate the martyred youth of Shiraz August 1983 Banning of
Bahá'í administration in Iran September 1983 Sending of an
open letter from the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran to
the authorities responding to the false charges made against
the Bahá'í community October 1983Call for Bahá'í involvement
in social and economic development activities April
1984Attempt to achieve false confessions from the Bahá'ís of
Iran by use of torture Inauguration of Radio Bahá'í Bolivia
August 1984 Dedication of the Mother Temple of the Pacific
Islands, Apia, Western Samoa
+xlviii
THE THIRD EPOCH - MILESTONES, ANNIVERSARIES, AND EVENTS
July 1985 Release of compilation on the Law of Huququ'llah
Establishment of Public Information Office at the Bahá'í World
Centre October 1985 Release by the Universal House of Justice
of a statement on peace addressed to the peoples of the world
Appointment of a new and expanded contingent of members of the
Continental Boards of Counsellors November 1985 Presentation
of the peace statement to the Secretary General of the United
Nations December 1985 Emergence of the Bahá'í Faith from
obscurity signaled by adoption of a resolution by the United
Nations General Assembly supporting the Iranian Bahá'í
community
December 1985 - Conference of the Continental Boards of
Counselor January 1986 in the Holy Land with Hands of the
Cause of God, members of the Universal House of Justice, and
the International Teaching Center January 1986Announcement of
the beginning of the Fourth Epoch of the Formative Age by the
Universal House of Justice in a letter to the Bahá'ís of the
world Inauguration of Radio Bahá'í Pan February 1986 Setting
of date for dedication of Mother Temple of the Indian
Subcontinent, New Delhi, India Invitation from the Universal
House of Justice to National Spiritual Assemblies and
Continental Counselors to consult about national goals within
the framework of the major objectives of the Six Year Plan set
by the Universal House of Justice Ridvan 1986 Review by the
Universal House of justice of achievements of the Seven Year
Plan, comments on the Faith's emergence from obscurity and the
maturation of the institutions of the Cause and announcement
of World Center goals of publishing an English translation of
the Kit6b-i-Aqdas, education ofthe Bahá'ís about the law of
Huququ'llah, planning for the completionof the remaining
buildings on the Arc, and broadening the basis ofthe
international relations of the Faith Launching of the Six Year
Plan
+1
MESSAGES FROM THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
1963-1986
+2
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK
+3
1963-1964
A Year of Preparation
+4
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK
+5
Statement of the Universal House of Justice to the First
Bahá'í World Congress' 30 APRIL 1963
1.1 "All praise, O my God, be to Thee Who art the Source 0f
all glory and majesty, 0f greatness and honor, of sovereignty
and dominion. 0f loftiness and grace, of awe and power.
Whomsoever Thou wiliest Thou causest to draw nigh unto the
Most Great Ocean. and on whomsoever Thou desirest Thou
conferrest the honor of recognizing Thy Most Ancient Name, Of
all who are in heaven and on earth. none can withstand the
operation of Thy sovereign Will. From all eternity Thou didst
rule the entire creation. and Thou wilt continue for evermore
to exercise Thy dominion over all created things. There is
none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the
All-Powerful, the All Wise."2
1.2 Beloved friends: On this glorious occasion, the
celebration of the Most Great Jubilee, we raise our grateful
thanks to Bahá'u'lláh for all His bounties showered upon the
friends throughout the world. This historic moment marks at
one and the same time the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy.
the Hundredth Anniversary of the Declaration of the Promised
One of all ages, the termination of the first epoch of the
Divine Plan 0f `Abdu'l-Baha designed to establish the Faith
of God in all the world. and the successful conclusion of our
bel0ved Guardian's world encircling Crusade, enabling his
lovers and loved ones everywhere to lay this glorious harvest
of victory in his name at the feet of the Blessed Beauty.3
This Most Great Jubilee is the crowning victory of the
lifework of Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Cause of God. He
it was. and he alone, who unfolded the potentialities of the
widely scattered, numerically small. and largely unorganized
Bahá'í community which had been called into
___ 1-1. The statement was presented by Mr. David Hofman, a
member of the Universal House of Justice, to the Bahá'ís
assembled in Royal Albert Hall, London, 28 April-2 May 1963,
at the Bahá'í World Congress, which commemorated the Most
Great Jubilee, the one hundredth anniversary of Bahá'u'lláh's
declaration of His mission, and also marked the victorious
completion of the Ten Year Crusade launched by Shoghi Effendi
in April 1953 1-2. Bahá'u'lláh, in BP, p. 120. 1-3.
'Abdu'l-Bahá explained that Daniel's prophecy ("Blessed is he
who cometh unto the thousand three hundred and thirty five
days," Dan. 12:12) points to one century after Bahá'u'lláh's
appearance and declaration of His mission in 1863 and refers
to the spread of the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith across the
world.
The first epoch of the Divine Plan, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's program of
action for the worldwide propagation of the Faith, began in
1937 and ended in 1963, with the conclusion of the Ten Year
Crusade (1953-63). For further information, see glossary
entries on Divine Plan; Crusade, Ten Year World; Epochs;
Plans; Tablets of the Divine Plan.
"Blessed Beauty' refers to Bahá'u'lláh.
+6
being during the Heroic Age of the Faith.4 He it was who
unfolded the grand design of God's Holy Cause, set in motion
the great plans of teaching already outlined by 'Abdu'l-Bahá,
established the institutions and greatly extended the
endowments at the World Center, and raised the Temples of
America, Africa, Australasia and Europe, developed the
Administrative Order of the Cause throughout the world, and
set the Ark of the Cause true on its course. He appointed the
Hands of the Cause of God.
1.3 The paeans of joy and
gratitude, of love and adoration which we now raise to the
throne of Bahá'u'lláh would be inadequate, and the
celebrations of this Most Great Jubilee in which, as promised
by our beloved Guardian, we are now engaged, would be marred
were no tribute paid at this time to the Hands of the Cause
of God. For they share the victory with their beloved
commander, he who raised them up and appointed them. They kept
the ship on its course and brought it safe to port. The
Universal House of Justice, with pride and love, recalls on
this supreme occasion its profound admiration for the heroic
work which they have accomplished.
We do not wish to dwell on the appalling dangers which faced
the infant Cause when it was suddenly deprived of our beloved
Shoghi Effendi, but rather to acknowledge with all the love
and gratitude of our hearts the reality of the sacrifice, the
labor, the self-discipline, the superb stewardship of the
Hands of the Cause of God. We can think of no more fitting
words to express our tribute to these dearly loved and valiant
souls than to recall the Words of Bahá'u'lláh Himself: "Light
and glory, greeting and praise be upon the Hands of His Cause,
through whom the light of fortitude hath shone forth and the
truth hath been established that the authority to choose rests
with God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained, through
whom the ocean of bounty hath surged and the fragrance of the
gracious favors of God, the Lord of mankind, hath been
diffused."5
1.4 The members of the Universal House of Justice,
all being in Haifa at the time of the election, were able to
visit the Holy Shrines of Bahá'u'lláh, the Bab and of
Abdu'l-Baha where they prostrated themselves at the Sacred
Thresholds and humbly sought strength and assistance in the
mighty task before them. Later in London they have paid homage
at the resting-place of Shoghi Effendi, the blessed and sacred
bough of the Tree of Holiness.
1.5 As soon as the House of
Justice is able to organize its work and deploy its forces it
will examine carefully all the conditions of the Cause of God,
and
1-4. The Heroic Age, the first of three Ages of the Bahá'í
Dispensation, began in 1844 with the Declaration of the Bab,
ended in 1921 with the passing of Abdu'l-Baha, and spanned the
ministries of the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá. It was
followed by the Formative Age, which in turn will be followed
by the Golden Age. For a fuller discussion of the Ages of the
Bahá'í Dispensation, see the glossary. 1-5. TB, P. 83.
+7
communications will be made to the friends. At this time we
call upon the believers everywhere to follow up vigorously the
opportunities opened up by the World Crusade. Consolidation
and deepening must go hand in hand with an eager extension of
the teaching work so that the onward march of the Cause may
continue unabated in preparation for future plans.
2.1 Now that
the attention of the public is becoming more and more drawn
to the Cause of God the friends must brace themselves and
prepare their institutions to sustain the gaze of the world,
whether it be friendly or hostile, eager or idle.
The Universal House of Justice greets you all lovingly and
joyfully at this 1.6 time, and asks you to pray fervently for
its speedy development and the spiritual strengthening of its
members.
2 Message to National Conventions 1963 7 MAY 1963
To the annual National Conventions of the Bahá'í World
Beloved Friends,
The marvelous happenings which have transpired during and
immediately after the twelve days of Ridvan attest the
greatness of the Cause of God, and fill every Bahá'í heart to
overflowing with joy and gratitude., It was in obedience to
the summons of the Lord of Hosts Himself that the elected
representatives of the fifty-six national and regional
communities of the Bahá'í world were called to elect, in the
shadow of God's Holy Mountain and in the house of the Center
of His Covenant, the members of the Universal House of
justice. - It was the Sign of God on Earth, the Dayspring of
Divine Guidance
___ 2-1. The happenings referred to were the First
International Bahá'í Convention held 21-23 April 1963 at the
Bahá'í World Center, during which the Universal House of
Justice was first elected, and the first Bahá'í World
Congress, held in London 28 April through 2 May 1963.
Immediately following the World Congress the Universal House
of Justice met for several days in the council room of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British
Isles at 27 Rutland Gate, dealing with essential matters
concerning its establishment and initial functioning. At the
same time, the Hands of the Cause of God were meeting in
conclave in another room of the same Haziratu'l-Quds,
preparing a first draft of the next teaching plan for
submission to the Universal House of Justice and arranging the
future disposition of their own work. For the message issued
by the Hands of the Cause of God announcing the results of the
election of the Universal House of Justice, see the epigraph.
2-2. Bahá'u'lláh wrote, in Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh (pp. 27,
68): "Inasmuch as for each day there is a new problem and for
every problem an expedient solution, such affairs should be
referred to the Ministers of the House of Justice that they
may act according to the needs and requirements of the
time.... It is incumbent upon all to be obedient unto them."
"It is incumbent upon the Trustees of the House of Justice to
take counsel together regarding those things which have not
outwardly been revealed in the Book, and to enforce that which
is agreeable to them.
+8
the Guardian of the Cause of God, who gathered more than six
thousand Bahá'ís from all parts of the earth to the
celebration of the Most Great jubilee in London. Events of
Spiritual and Administrative Significance
2.2 The first of
these historic occasions was marked by events of extreme
spiritual and administrative significance at the World Center
of the Faith. The daily visits of large groups of believers,
of many varying backgrounds, to the sacred Shrines in the twin
holy CitieS;3 the holding of the First International Bahá'í
Convention and the successful accomplishment of its main task;
the celebration of the Ridvan Feast by some three hundred
believers in the company of the Hands of the Cause of God in
the precincts of the Haram-i-Aqdas,4 are events of unique
character and untold significance in the history of our
beloved Faith.
2.3 The celebration of the Most Great Jubilee
in London must be described elsewhere. Suffice it to say now
that this greatest gathering of Bahá'ís ever held in one place
was permeated by a spirit of such bliss as could only have
come from the outpourings of the Abha Kingdom. The review of
the progress of the Cause, the presentation of believers from
the new races and countries of the world brought within the
pale of the Faith during the Beloved Guardian's Ten Year
Crusade, of the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh, those valiant souls
who carried the banner of Bahá'u'lláh to the unopened and
often inhospitable regions of the earth, the spontaneous
outbursts of singing of "Allah-u-Abha," the informal
gatherings, the constant greetings of Bahá'u'lláh's warriors
known to each other only by name and service, the youth
gatherings, the unprecedented publicity in the press, on radio
and television, the daily stream of visitors to the beloved
Guardian's resting-place, the radiant faces and heightened
awareness of the true and real brotherhood of the human race
within the Kingdom of the Everlasting Father, are among the
outstanding events of this supreme occasion, the crowning
victory of the lifework of Shoghi Effendi. Reaffirmation of
Tribute to the Hands of the Cause of God
2.4 The Universal
House of Justice wishes to reaffirm at this time the tribute
which it felt moved to pay to the Hands of the Cause of God
at the World
God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth, and
He, verily, is the Provider, the Omniscient." Abdu'l-Baha, in
His Will and Testament (p. 19), wrote: "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." The election of the Universal House of Justice was
held in the House of Abdu'l-Baha in Haifa, 7 Haparsim Street,
at the foot of Mount Carmel, on 21 April 1963. The results of
the election were announced to the delegates the following
day, and the Hands of the Cause of God announced the results
in a cable to the Bahá'í world (see epigraph). 2-3. Haifa and
Akka. 2-4. Haram-i-Aqdas (the Most Holy Court) is a
designation Shoghi Effendi gave to the northwestern quadrant
of the garden surrounding the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Bahji.
+9
Congress, those precious souls who have brought the Cause
safely to victory in the name of Shoghi Effendi. We wish also
to remember the devoted work of their Auxiliary Board members,
as well as the services of the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh, of the
army of pioneers, the members of the National and Regional
Spiritual Assemblies, the services and prayers and sacrifices
of the believers everywhere, all of which in the sum total
have attracted such bounties and favors from Bahá'u'lláh.
2.5 The
Universal House of Justice, in several sessions held in the
Holy Land and in London, has been able to initiate its
work and to make arrangements for the establishment of the
Institution in Haifa. It has no officers, and henceforth its
communications to the Bahá'í World will be signed Universal
House of Justice over an embossed seal.
2.6 Second Epoch of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Divine Plan The Cause of
God, launched on the sea of the Divine Plan of 'Abdu'l-Bahá,
has achieved, under the superb leadership of its beloved
Guardian, a spread throughout the world and a momentum which
must now carry it forward on the next stage of its
world-redeeming mission, the second epoch of the Divine Plan.5
The Universal House of Justice, in close consultation with the
Hands of the Cause, is examining the vast range of Bahá'í
activity and growth in order to prepare a detailed plan of
expansion for the whole Bahá'í community, to be launched at
Ridvan 1964.
2.7 But there are some objectives to be achieved at
once.
immediate Objectives The consolidation of the goals and new
communities of the Bahá'í world is an urgent and immediate
task facing the fifty-six National Spiritual Assemblies, and
an essential preparation for the launching of the new plans.
Pioneers must be maintained at their posts and all the Local
Spiritual Assemblies strengthened through a firm establishment
of Bahá'í community life and an active teaching program. Those
National Spiritual Assemblies which rest on the basis of a
small number of Local Spiritual Assemblies must make great
efforts to insure that this number will be increased at Ridvan
1964. Pioneers ready to go to consolidation areas, as well as
those eager to open new territories, should make their offers
through their National Spiritual Assembly. The great work of
teaching must be extended, not only in those areas where 2.8
mass conversion is beginning, but everywhere. The high
intensity of teaching activity reached at the end of the World
Crusade, far from slackening, must now be increased as the
friends everywhere draw on the vast spiritual powers released
as a result of the celebration of the Most Great jubilee and
the emergence of the Universal House of Justice.
2- 5. For information on the epochs of the Divine Plan, see
message no. 451.
+10
2.9 The Ten Year Crusade witnessed the completion of the
structure of the Mother Temple of Europe.6 It is now
imperative to complete, without delay, the interior
decoration, to install utilities and lay access roads, to
landscape grounds and to construct the caretaker's house. This
work will cost not less than $210,000_00, but if delayed it
will cost considerably more. The House of Justice calls upon
the National Spiritual Assemblies to allocate substantial
budgets for the immediate completion of this work. Preview of
the New Plan
2.10 The plan to be embarked upon next Ridvan,
the details of which will be announced during the coming year,
will include such projects as the extension and embellishment
of the endowments at the World Center; collation of the
Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi;
continual reinforcement of the ties binding the Bahá'í World
to the United Nations;' formation of many more National
Spiritual Assemblies, both by division of existing Regional
Spiritual Assemblies and the development of new Bahá'í
communities, together with the purchase of national
Haziratu'l-Quds, Temple sites and national endowments; the
opening of new territories to the Faith; detailed plans for
National Spiritual Assemblies involving, in some areas,
consolidation goals, in others the multiplication of Bahá'í
institutes and schools, in others a great enrichment of Bahá'í
literature, and in all a vast increase in the number of
Bahá'ís, and the holding of oceanic and intercontinental
conferences.
2.11 All such expansion and development of the
Faith will be dependent upon the Bahá'í Fund. The Universal
House of Justice calls the attention of every believer to this
vital and pressing matter, and asks the National Spiritual
Assemblies to pay special attention to the principle of
universal participation, so that every single follower of
Bahá'u'lláh may make his offering, however small or great, and
thereby identify himself with the work of the Cause
everywhere. It is our hope that a constant flow of
contributions to the International Fund will make it possible
to build up sufficient reserves for the launching of the new
plan in 1964.
2.12 Beloved friends, we enter the second epoch
of the Divine Plan blessed beyond compare, riding the crest
of a great wave of victory produced for us by our beloved
Guardian. The Cause of God is now firmly rooted in the
2-6. The Mother Temple of Europe is the Bahá'í House of
Worship in Langenhain, near Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Its
cornerstone was laid on 20 November 1960; construction was
completed in the spring of 1963. It was dedicated in July 1964
(see message no. 17). 2-7. The Nine Year Plan, 1964-73. 2-8.
For more details on the development of the relationship
between the Bahá'í community and the United Nations, see
messages no. 49, 78, 263, 283.
+11
world.
3.1 Forward then, confident in the power and protection of
the Lord of Hosts, who will, through storm and trial, toil and
jubilee, use His devoted followers to bring to a despairing
humanity, the life-giving waters of His supreme Revelation.
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
3 Seat of the Universal House of Justice; New Arrangements for
Pilgrims 16 JUNE 1963
3.2
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Friends,
The Universal House of Justice has been deeply moved and its
hopes have been raised high by the many messages of love,
devotion and eager anticipation which have been received from
National Conventions and National Spiritual Assemblies. Two
decisions have been taken by the Universal House of Justice
involving a further development of the institutions at the
World Center. The former offices of the International Bahá'í
Council at 10, Haparsim Street being inadequate for the far
greater volume of work facing the Universal House of Justice,
it has been decided to take over the whole of this building
(until now called the Western Pilgrim House) as the seat, for
the present time, of the Universal House of Justice.,
3.3 This decision made it necessary to find other
accommodation for the western pilgrims and led directly to the
second decision. After careful consideration of the
alternatives the House of Justice has decided that the time
has come to take the significant step, anticipated by our
beloved Guardian, of housing all pilgrims in one place.2 It
was found possible, by slight alterations, to accommodate all
pilgrims, without lessening the number, in the former Eastern
Pilgrim House and its adjacent buildings. We have therefore
established one Pilgrim House, at the Bahá'í Gardens on Mount
Carmel. The friends should note that this is where they should
go on arrival
3-L The International Bahá'í Council, a body first appointed
by Shoghi Effendi in 1951 and elected in 1961 after his
passing by members of National Spiritual Assemblies, ceased
to exist upon the election of the Universal House of Justice
in 1963. The Universal House of Justice made 10 Haparsim
Street its seat until i February 1983; the building now houses
the International Teaching Center. For more information on the
International Bahá'í Council, see the glossary. 3-2. In April
1969, during the Nine Year Plan, the Universal House of
Justice took a new action, opening the door of pilgrimage to
a greater number of believers and instructing the National
Spiritual Assemblies in procedures to be followed. See the
Ridvan 126 (1969) message, no. 68.
+12
3.4 All friends whose pilgrimages have been confirmed for
1963-64 are therefore expected. There are still vacancies
after December 1963, but only a very few before that date.
3.5
We have asked the Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy Land
to continue to be responsible for the program of the pilgrims
while they are here, but letters requesting permission to come
should be addressed to the Universal House of Justice. With
loving greetings, In His Service, THE UNIVERSAL house OF
JUSTICE
4 Destruction of the Ishqabad Temple 25 AUGUST 1963
To the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'í World
Dear Bahá'í Friends,
4:1 The whole Bahá'í World will be grief-stricken at the news
of the sad fate which has overtaken the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in
'Ishqabad, the first Temple raised to the glory of
Bahá'u'lláh., Due to its unsafe condition, resulting from
earthquakes, the building has been entirely demolished and the
site cleared.
4.2 The building of this edifice, the only
structure of its kind to be raised and completed in the
lifetime of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, was described by the beloved
Guardian as "a lasting witness to the fervor and the
self-sacrifice of the Oriental believers." This "enterprise,"
the Guardian further wrote, "must rank not only as the first
major undertaking launched through the concerted efforts of
His followers in the Heroic Age of His Faith, but as one of
the most brilliant and enduring achievements in the history
of the first Bahá'í century."2
4.3 The Bahá'í center in
'Ishqabad was founded in the days of Bahá'u'lláh. Already
during His lifetime preliminary steps had been adopted by the
friends of that community to build, in accordance with the
provisions of the Most Holy Book, a Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
4.4
However, the project had to be postponed until 1902, at the
end of the first decade of the Ministry of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, when
He initiated its construction, called on the friends in the
East to offer their contributions towards the
V. The temple was located in Turkmenistan, near the Iranian
border, north of the Iranian province of Khurasan. 4-2. GPB,
P. 300. The first Bahá'í century ended in 1944. 4-3. The Most
Holy Book is the Kitab-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh's book of laws.
+13
fulfillment of this goal, and personally encouraged and
directed its development at every stage. The Bab's cousin,
the venerable Haji Mirza Muhammad Taqi, the Vakilu'd-Dawlih,
offered his total wealth towards this meritorious enterprise,
established his residence in that city, and personally
supervised its construction.
4.5 The laying of the cornerstone of
this edifice at a ceremony attended by the delegate of the
Czar -- the Governor-General of Turkistan -- and the initial
steps taken to raise this first House of Worship of the Bahá'í
World, inspired the friends in America, who, in 1903, eager
to demonstrate the quality of their faith, petitioned
'Abdu'l-Bahá for permission to erect the first
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the West.
4.6 In addition to the Temple
itself, two schools, one for boys and one for girls, and
a pilgrim house were built. The local community, and the
activities of the friends throughout the provinces of
Turkistan expanded and developed in stature until 1928, when
the law expropriating religious edifices was applied to this
Temple. However, under the terms of two five-year leases, the
Bahá'í community was permitted to continue to use the building
as a house of worship. In 1938 the Temple was completely
expropriated and converted into an art gallery.
4.7 In 1948
violent earthquakes shook the whole town causing devastation
and ruin. The building was seriously damaged. The only
section which remained relatively secure was the central
rotunda. Heavy yearly rains further weakened the structure to
such a degree as to endanger the safety of houses in the
vicinity. It was at this point that the authorities decided
to demolish the remaining edifice and clear the site.
4.8 A
reliable report, recently received, indicates that had the
Temple been restored to us at this point, we should have
had no option but to raze the building ourselves. Please share
this news with the friends but we do not wish National
Assemblies, Local Assemblies or individual believers to take
any action.
With loving greetings,
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
+14
5
The Guardianship 6 OCTOBER 1963
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Beloved Friends,
5.1 We wish to share with you the text of the
following resolution:
After prayerful and careful study of the Holy Texts bearing
upon the question of the appointment of the successor to
Shoghi Effendi as Guardian of the Cause of God, and after
prolonged consideration of the views of the Hands of the Cause
of God residing in the Holy Land, the Universal House of
Justice finds that there is no way to appoint or to legislate
to make it possible to appoint a second Guardian to succeed
Sh
05.2 Please share this message with the friends in your
jurisdiction.
With loving greetings,
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
6 Announcement of the Nine Year Plan OCTOBER 1963
To the Followers of Bahá'u'lláh throughout the World Fellow
believers in the Cause of God,
6.1 Six years ago when nearing
the midway point of the Ten Year Crusade, the Bahá'í World
found itself abruptly deprived of the guiding hand of its
beloved Guardian. The anguish which then seized our hearts,
far from paralyzing the progress of the Cause, stiffened our
resolve and fired our zeal to complete the tasks which God,
through His Chosen Branch, had laid upon us.' The august
institution of the Hands of the Cause of God which he had, but
recently, in compliance with the instructions of the Master's
Will, raised up, kept the people of this Cause faithfully to
the path which had been shown to us by the pen of divine
guidance, and brought us not only to the triumphal conclusion
of that Crusade but to the culminating point of the
construction of the framework of Bahá'u'lláh's World Order.,
6-1. The Chosen Branch is Shoghi Effendi, Bahá'u'lláh's
great-grandson. 6-2. 'Abdu'l-Bahá included in His Will and
Testament a provision for the appointment of Hands of the
Cause of God (see WT, pp. 12-13).
+15
In March 1930 Shoghi Effendi wrote that Bahá'u'lláh and
'Abdu'l-Bahá had 6.2 "in unequivocal and emphatic language,
appointed those twin institutions of the House of Justice and
of the Guardianship as their chosen Successors, destined to
apply the principles, promulgate the laws, protect the
institutions, adapt loyally and intelligently the Faith to the
requirements of progressive society, and consummate the
incorruptible inheritance which the Founders of the Faith have
bequeathed to the world." After long and prayerful
consultation, the House of Justice, as the friends have
already been informed, found that there is no way in which it
can legislate for a second Guardian to succeed Shoghi
Effendi.3 The Universal House of Justice has therefore begun,
in humble obedience to the Will of God, and strengthened by
daily prayer in the Holy Shrines, to undertake the heavy tasks
laid upon it. In the words of our beloved Guardian it "Will
guide, organize and unify the affairs of the Movement
throughout the world" and "will have to consider afresh the
whole situation, and lay down the principle which shall
direct, so long as it deems advisable, the affairs of the
Cause."4
6.3 The Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh The Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh
is unbroken, its all-encompassing power inviolate. The two
unique features which distinguish it from all religious
covenants of the past are unchanged and operative. The
revealed Word, in its original purity, amplified by the
divinely guided interpretations of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi
Effendi, remains immutable, unadulterated by any man-made
creeds or dogmas, unwarrantable inferences or unauthorized
interpretations. The channel of divine guidance, providing
flexibility in all the affairs of mankind, remains open
through that Institution which was founded by Bahá'u'lláh and
endowed by Him with supreme authority and unfailing guidance,
and of which the Master wrote: "Unto this body all things must
be referred."5How clearly we can see the truth of
Bahá'u'lláh's assertion: "The Hand of Omnipotence hath
established His Revelation upon an unassailable, an enduring
foundation.
6.4 Storms of human strife are powerless to undermine
its basis, nor will men's fanciful theories succeed in
damaging its structure. 116
Responsibility of the Institutions As the significance of the
Cause of God continues in the years ahead to become more
clearly apparent to the eyes of men, a great responsibility
to watch over its security rests upon all of its institutions.
The Institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, charged in
the sacred Texts with the specific
6-3. See message no. 6. 6-4. BA, pp. 39, 4L 6-5. WT, P. 14.
6-6. Quoted in WOB, p. 109.
+16
duties of protecting and propagating the Faith, has a
particularly vital responsibility to discharge. In their
capacity as protectors of the Faith, the Hands will continue
to take action to expel Covenant-breakers and to reinstate
those who sincerely repent, subject in each instance to the
approval of the Universal House of JUStiCe.7 Exercising their
function of propagating the Faith, the Hands of the Cause will
inspire, advise and assist the National Spiritual Assemblies
in the work as they did in the time of our beloved Shoghi
Effendi, assisted by the members of their Auxiliary Boards who
will continue to fulfill those functions outlined for them by
him.
6.5 We stand now upon the threshold of the second epoch
of Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan, with the outposts of the Cause
established in the remotest corners of the earth, and having
already witnessed the beginnings of that entry into the Faith
by troops promised by the Master Himself. The foundation of
the Kingdom has been securely laid, the framework has been
raised. The friends must now consolidate these achievements,
safeguard their institutions and gather the peoples and
kindreds of the world into the Ark which the Hand of God has
built. Second Global Plan
6.6 Next Ridvan will be launched the
second of those world-encircling enterprises destined in the
course of time to carry the Word of God to every human soul.
The standard-bearers of this Nine Year Plan are the Hands of
the Cause of God. The responsibility for directing the work
will rest upon the shoulders of the National Spiritual
Assemblies, the generals of the Army of Light, under the
guidance of the Universal House of Justice.
6.7 As the first
step inaugurating this great undertaking we rejoice to
announce the formation next Ridvan of nineteen National
Spiritual Assemblies, resulting in the dissolution of six of
the existing Regional National Spiritual Assemblies, and
bringing the total number of these pillars of the Universal
House of Justice to sixty-nine. The National and Regional
National Assemblies now to be formed are: I. The National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North West Africa, with
its seat in Tunis, comprising Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco,
Spanish Sahara, Rio de Oro, Mauritania, the Canary Is., and
Madeira. 2. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of
West Africa, with its seat in Monrovia, comprising Liberia,
Senegal, Gambia, Portuguese
6-7. To maintain the unity and incorruptibility of the Faith,
the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh established a Center of authority
to which all are to turn. This Center has been, successively,
Abdu'l-Baha, Who is uniquely the Center of the Covenant;
Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Faith; and the Universal
House of Justice, which is the apex of its Administrative
Order. A Bahá'í who turns against and defies this Center
breaks the Covenant and, if he is adamant in his disobedience,
is expelled from the Faith as a Covenant-breaker.
+17
Guinea, Guinee, Sierra Leone, Mali, Upper Volta, Ivory Coast
and Cape Verde Is.
3.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of West
Central Africa, with its seat in Victoria, comprising
Cameroon, Spanish Guinea, St. Thomas I., Fernando Po I.,
Corisco L, Nigeria, Niger, Dahomey, Togo, and Ghana.
4.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Uganda and
Central Africa, with its seat in Kampala, comprising Uganda,
Rwanda, Burundi, the Republic of the Congo (Ex-Belgian), the
Congo Republic (Ex-French), Central African Republic, Gabon
and Chad.
5.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Kenya,
with its seat in Nairobi '
6.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Tanganyika
and Zanzibar, with its seat in Dar-es-Salaam, comprising
Tanganyika, Zanzibar, Mafia I., and Pemba I.
7.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South
Central Africa, with its seat in Salisbury, comprising
Nyasaland, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia and
Bechuanaland.
8.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South and
West Africa, with its seat in Johannesburg, comprising Angola,
Southwest Africa, South Africa, Zululand, Swaziland,
Basutoland, Mozambique and St. Helena.
9.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the Indian
Ocean, with its seat in Port Louis, comprising Mauritius, the
Malagasy Republic, Reunion I., Seychelles Is., Comoro Is., and
the Chagos Archipelago.
10 The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the
Hawaiian Islands, with its seat in Honolulu.
11.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the South
Pacific Ocean, with its seat in Suva, comprising the Gilbert
and Ellice Is., Nauru I., Fiji, Samoa Is., Tonga Is., and Cook
Is.
12. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the
South West Pacific Ocean, with its seat in Honiara, comprising
the Solomon Is., New Hebrides Is., New Caledonia and Loyalty
Is.
13.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North
East Asia, with its seat in Tokyo, comprising Japan, Formosa,
Hong Kong and Macau.
14. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Korea,
with its seat in Seoul.
15. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of
Malaysia, with its seat in Kuala Lumpur, comprising Malaya,
Singapore, Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak.
16. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of
Indonesia, with its seat in Djakarta, comprising Indonesia,
the Mentawai Is., Portuguese Timor and West Iran.
+18
17. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Vietnam,
with its seat in Saigon, and having jurisdiction over the
Bahá'í's of Cambodia.
18. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of
Thailand, with its seat in Bangkok, and having jurisdiction
over the Bahá'ís of Laos.
19. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the
Philippines, with its seat in Manila.
___
6.8 The detailed goals of the Plan, which will include
sixty-nine national plans, have yet to be announced, but they
must be such as to develop still further the World Center of
the Faith and the work of its institutions; to consolidate
those territories which have already been opened to the Faith;
to bring God's heating Message to many more of the peoples and
territories of the world including all the unopened
territories of the Ten Year Crusade and all the remaining
independent states of the planet; and to achieve worldwide
proclamation of the Faith to mark the Centenary of
Bahá'u'lláh's Proclamation to the kings and rulers in
1867-1868. 1
6.9 In the spring of 1968 the next election for
the Universal House of Justice will take place. Third Epoch
of the Formative Age
6.10 Beloved friends, the Cause of God,
guarded and nurtured since its inception by God's Messengers,
by the Center of His Covenant and by His Sign on earth, now
enters a new epoch, the third of the Formative Age.9 It must
now grow rapidly in size, increase its spiritual cohesion and
executive ability, develop its institutions and extend its
influence into all strata of society. We, its members, must,
by constant study of the life-giving Word, and by dedicated
service, deepen in spiritual understanding and show to the
world a mature, responsible, fundamentally assured and happy
way of life, far removed from the passions, prejudices and
distractions of present day society. Relying upon God alone,
we can promote His Cause and establish His Kingdom on earth.
Only thus can we prove our love for Those Who brought this new
day into being. Only thus can we prove the truth of Their
Divine Mission and demonstrate how valid was Their Sacrifice.
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
6-8. For details on Bahá'u'lláh's proclamation to the kings
and rulers of the world and a description of the events held
throughout the Bahá'í world to commemorate its anniversary,
see letters dated Ridvan 1965, 17 March 1967, and October 1967
(messages no. 24, 41, and 46). For the Tablets Bahá'u'lláh
sent to the kings and rulers of the world, see Proclamation
of Bahá'u'lláh. 6-9.
7.1 For information on the Formative Age, see
entries on Ages and Epochs in the glossary.
+19
7 Request for Prayers for Moroccan Bahá'í Prisoners 17 OCTOBER
1963
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Friends,
Our Bahá'í friends who were tried at Nador, Morocco, last year
and who received sentences of death or life imprisonment
are still being held in prison.1 Their appeal which has been
pending for nearly a year still has not been heard. However,
we are pleased to report that another Bahá'í prisoner,
Mohammad Manaan, of Tangier was recently provisionally
released. We are calling for believers throughout the world
to pray at the Feast Of Qawl (November 23rd) that early
favorable action may be taken in the cases of these devoted
and steadfast friends whose long suffering on behalf of our
Faith has been an inspiration to Bahá'ís everywhere.
7.3 The
friends at the World Center will join you on that day by
saying prayers at the Holy Shrines for our Moroccan
friends.
With loving greetings,
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
___ 7-1. In April 1962 fourteen Moroccan Bahá'í men were
arrested in Nador. On 31 October 1962, after more than six
months of imprisonment, they were tried before the Criminal
Court of Nador on charges of rebellion and disorder, attacks
on public security, constitution of an association of
criminals, and attacks on religious faith. On 10 December 1962
they were found guilty and sentenced. Their cases were then
appealed to the Supreme Court of Morocco, which overruled the
lower court's verdict and released the men. A worldwide
campaign to publicize the plight of the Bahá'í prisoners
focused public opinion, favorable to the Bahá'ís, on the
Moroccan authorities. For further information, see BW
13:288-89, and messages no. 8 and 12.
+20
8 Report on Moroccan Bahá'í Prisoners 15 NOVEMBER 1963
To the National Spiritual Assemblies of the British Isles,
France, and the United States
8.1 Dear Friends, The case of the Bahá'í prisoners in Morocco
has passed through three stages:
(a) The arrest, detention and trial which began in April, 1962
and ended on December 15, 1962 when they appeared in court and
received their respective sentences. (b) The second stage
began when the verdict was known and widely publicized,
attracting the attention of many influential people both
within and without Morocco resulting in widespread sympathy
on behalf of the prisoners and many petitions to the Moroccan
government. (c) The third stage has been characterized by
relative quiet and lack of publicity while all are waiting for
the appeal to be heard. We are now in this stage, the most
difficult of all.
8.2 The Universal House of Justice wishes to share with you
a summary of the present situation as it appears from reports
received from many sources, and to outline the policies which
it believes should govern our immediate actions.
8.3 The
prisoners, except for one who will be referred to later, are
still in prison awaiting their unknown fate with great
firmness and patience. For more than a year and a half they
have withstood all manner of harassment and difficulty. We are
informed that the three sentenced to death have been kept in
solitary confinement for twenty-three hours of every day.
Because of recent political developments it has become more
and more difficult for Bahá'í friends to meet these dear souls
in prison, but when it has been possible the Bahá'ís and
non-believers alike are astonished that the prisoners are able
to demonstrate such exemplary steadfastness and patience.
8.4
It is still not known when the appeal will be heard. At first
it was promised that it would be among the first cases taken
up after the courts reconvened in October. Again, some felt
that it would be delayed until the opening of parliament in
November. Now it is thought that the appeal will be heard very
soon because it has been presented to the Court in such a way
that they cannot delay it longer than one month. A favorable
result is also anticipated.
8.5 The prisoner in Tangier, Mr.
Maanan, has been provisionally released. His release followed
a finding by the magistrate of that city that he could not
find any convincing evidence in the file proving the charges
regarding political sub 2
+21
version and incitement against Islam were justified. In the
view of the magistrate the prisoner is guilty of no other
crime than that of being a Bahá'í. Nevertheless, the
prosecution appealed from this finding, and it was only after
later efforts on the part of the legal committee in Morocco
that Mr. Maanan was released.
8.6 Recently there has been a
proposal for a change in the law which would provide a
penalty of up to three years in prison for persons who are
convicted of enticing Muslims to change their faith.
8.7 While
this law cannot be applied retroactively to the Bahá'í
prisoners, it is felt that this change in the law together
with the result in the Tangier case will have a favorable
effect on the other cases since it indicated the injustice of
the convictions and the harshness of the penalties meted out.
We have had many excellent suggestions from all of you as to
courses of action which might be taken to secure the
release of our fellow Bahá'ís. All have been carefully
considered and weighed together in arriving at our present
course of action....
8.8 If the appeal should be further delayed,
we must reconsider our present policy and do whatever is
reasonably required to bring about an early hearing of the
appeal. In the meantime the entire Bahá'í world is offering
prayers on behalf of the prisoners at the Feast of Qawl.
9.2 This
letter is for your own information and is not to be
circulated. 8.9
With grateful appreciation and with warm Bahá'í love and
greetings,
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
9 Development of National Bahá'í Funds 15 NOVEMBER 1963
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Friends,
While it is understood that many communities do not have the
resources 9.1 to fully sustain their administrative and
teaching work, it is important that each National Assembly
make every effort to work out a program and budget which will
enable it to become self-sustaining as rapidly as possible.
To accomplish this, the friends should be made to appreciate
the bounties which come from regular and systematic
contribution to the National Fund. The amount of the
contribution is not as important as universal participation.
In a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of Central and
East Africa dated August 8, 1957 the beloved Guardian said:
+22
9.2a The institution of the National Fund, so vital and
essential for the uninterrupted progress of these activities
must, in particular, be assured of the wholehearted the
ever-increasing and universal support of the mass whose
welfare, and in whose name, these beneficent of believers, for
these beneficent activities have been initiated and have been
conducted. All, no matter how modest their resources, must
participate. . . .
9.3 National Assemblies needing supplemental assistance for
budgets after Ridvan, 1964 should direct their appeal to the
Universal House of Justice. They should not appeal to another
National Assembly except in specific cases authorized by the
Universal House of Justice.
9.4 We shall pray that the
bounties of the Almighty will descend upon the growing
Administrative Order of His promised Kingdom on Earth so that
we may be enabled to take His healing message to all peoples
everywhere.
With loving greetings,
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
10 Relationship of Hands of the Cause of God and National
Spiritual Assemblies 19 NOVEMBER 1963
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Friends,
10.1 The relationship of the Continental Hands, and their
respective National Assemblies was clearly delineated in the
Message of the beloved Guardian dated June 4, 1957:
10.1a CALL UPON HANDS NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES EACH CONTINENT
SEPARATELY ESTABLISH HENCEFORTH DIRECT CONTACT DELIBERATE
WHENEVER FEASIBLE AS FREQUENTLY POSSIBLE EXCHANGE REPORTS TO
BE SUBMITTED THEIR RESPECTIVE AUXILIARY BOARDS NATIONAL
COMMITTEES EXERCISE UNRELAXING VIGILANCE CARRY OUT
UNFLINCHINGLY SACRED INESCAPABLE DUTIES. SECURITY PRECIOUS
FAITH PRESERVATION SPIRITUAL HEALTH Bahá'í COMMUNITIES
VITALITY FAITH ITS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS PROPER FUNCTIONING ITS
LABORIOUSLY ERECTED INSTITUTIONS FRUITION ITS WORLDWIDE
ENTERPRISES FULFILLMENT ITS ULTIMATE DESTINY ALL DIRECTLY
DEPENDENT BEFITTING DISCHARGE
10-1. Hands of the Cause of God to whom continental
responsibilities are assigned as distinct from those whose
responsibility it is to serve in the Holy Land.
+23
WEIGHTY RESPONSIBILITIES NOW RESTING MEMBERS THESE TWO
INSTITUTIONS OCCUPYING WITH UNIVERSAL HOUSE JUSTICE NEXT
INSTITUTION GUARDIANSHIP FOREMOST RANK, DIVINELY ORDAINED
ADMINISTRATIVE HIERARCHY WORLD ORDER BAHA'U'LLAH.
10.2 These highly significant words of the beloved Guardian
clearly foreshadow the tremendous importance of the joint
responsibility which he placed upon the Hands and the National
Assemblies in protecting the believers and fostering the
worldwide development of the Faith.
10.3 We stress the necessity of doing everything possible to
expedite and facilitate this free play of consultation between
the Hands and the National Assemblies within the spirit and
framework of these instructions of Shoghi Effendi. The two
institutions have joint and complementary functions which can
be discharged successfully only if the greatest degree of
understanding and cooperation exists between them.
10.4 We are
confident that this relationship will be further strengthened
and developed in the manner envisioned by the Guardian,
and that it will contribute in large measure to the successful
achievement of the goals of the Nine Year Plan which is to be
inaugurated this coming Ridvan.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
+24
11 Auxiliary Board Members on National Spiritual Assemblies
25 NOVEMBER 1963
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Beloved Friends,
11.1 The Hands of the Cause at their London Conclave last May
decided that Auxiliary Board members should be free of
administrative responsibilities in order to devote their full
energies to their work as Board members.1 Those Board members
serving on National Assemblies were therefore requested to
decide, before Ridvan 1964, in which capacity they could best
serve the Cause.
11.2 In view of this request made by the
Hands of the Cause to their Auxiliary Board members, the
Universal House of Justice has reached the following
decisions:
11.2a I. National Assemblies in whose areas of jurisdiction
Board members reside, should point out to the delegates at
Convention that whilst teaching and administrative duties are
not mutually exclusive, it is desirable that Auxiliary Board
members, whether for teaching or protection, be left free to
concentrate on the work allotted to them by the Hands of the
Cause in each Continent. The following extract from the
Guardian's letter, written through his secretary, could be
shared with the delegates for their guidance when casting
their votes: 11.2b "The teachers of the Cause can surely
become members of any Assembly or committee. There should be
no incapacity attached to them. But Shoghi Effendi would just
prefer to see them devote all their time to teaching and leave
the administrative functions for those who cannot serve as
teachers." (Bahá'í News, October 1932) 11.2c 2. Should Board
members still be elected on National Assemblies after the
above explanation, it should rest with each Board member to
decide
11-i. After Shoghi Effendi's passing in 1957, the functions
of preserving the unity of the Bahá'í community, guiding it
to the victorious conclusion of the Ten Year Crusade, and
calling the election of the Universal House of Justice fell
to the Hands of the Cause of God in their capacity as "the
Chief Stewards of Bahá'u'lláh's embryonic World Commonwealth"
(MBW, p. 127). In order to carry out these vital functions,
the Hands of the Cause of God met periodically in conclaves
at the World Center to confer on the affairs of the Cause.
After the Most Great jubilee, the one hundredth anniversary
of Bahá'u'lláh's declaration of His mission, the Hands of the
Cause of God met in London to discuss a number of matters,
among those being the evolving role of the members of the
Auxiliary Board in light of the increasing maturity of the
Bahá'í Administrative Order, as evidenced by the formation of
the Universal House of Justice at Ridvan 1963 and the
existence of fifty-six National Spiritual Assemblies. The
Hands of the Cause of God submitted their views to the
Universal House of Justice, which made the decisions
enumerated in this letter.
+25
which of the two functions he feels best suited to perform.
The Universal House of Justice, therefore, approves the
request made by the Hands of the Cause to their Board members
that they choose between the two functions. 3.In the event of
the resignation of Auxiliary Board members from
11.2d National
Assemblies, this should be considered as good reason for
resignation. If, however, the National Assembly, in view of
special conditions, should consider such resignations to be
detrimental to the interests of the Faith of that National
Community, and the Board member should insist upon resigning
on the grounds of his membership on the Board, the matter
should be at once referred to the Universal House of Justice
by the National Spiritual Assembly for examination and final
decision. Pending such a decision, the Board member should
continue his membership on the National Assembly, and explain
his position to the Hands of the Cause in his continent. 4.
Measures will have to be taken by National Assemblies
according to 11.2e normal procedure to fill any vacancies
created in this way. If the vacancy is recognized while
Convention is still in session, a by-election could be
arranged before Convention disbands.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
12 Release of Moroccan Bahá'í Prisoners 18 DECEMBER 1963
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Friends, Following twenty months of close confinement,
and one year after hearing sentences of death and imprisonment
imposed on them, our brave and steadfast brother believers in
Morocco were set free on Friday, December 131 1963. The
long-sought objective has been obtained. As we prayed for
their release during the Feast of Qawl, now let the entire
12.2 Bahá'í world join in prayers of thanksgiving for this
joyful outcome and that the Blessed Beauty enabled these
devoted friends to remain firm in their faith through this
trying ordeal., 12-1. See message dated 17 October 1963 (no.
7) requesting prayers worldwide at the Feast of Qawl (Speech),
23 November,
+26
12.3 In view of the situation which continues to be delicate
in Morocco, you are urged not to seek publicity in this
matter. If you are contacted by the press, make no statement
beyond expressing thankfulness for the just decision.
12.4
Each National Assembly is requested, wherever possible, to
express gratification to King Hassan II of Morocco for this
just decision of the Supreme Court. This should be done in
writing through the Moroccan Embassy, or Consulate, serving
your area.
12.5 We also request that wherever you consider it
advisable you write letters of appreciation to individuals and
organizations within your jurisdiction who offered assistance
in connection with this case.
With warm and loving Bahá'í greetings,
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
13 The Bahá'í Funds 18 DECEMBER 1963
To the Bahá'ís of East and West Dear Friends,
13.1 With the
rapid approach of the launching of the Nine Year Plan, the
Universal House of Justice feels that it is timely to lay
clearly before the Bahá'ís of all countries, the needs of the
Fund at all its levels: local, national, continental and
international.
13.2 The continual expansion of the Faith and
the diversification of the activities of Bahá'í communities
make it more and more necessary for every believer to ponder
carefully his responsibilities and contribute as much and as
regularly as he or she can. Contributing to the Fund is a
service that every believer can render, be he poor or wealthy;
for this is a spiritual responsibility in which the amount
given is not important. It is the degree of the sacrifice of
the giver, the love with which he makes his gift, and the
unity of all the friends in this service which bring spiritual
confirmations. As the beloved Guardian wrote in August 1957:
"All, no matter how modest their resources, must participate.
Upon the degree of self-sacrifice involved in these individual
contributions will directly depend the efficacy and the
spiritual influence which these nascent administrative
institutions, called into being through the power of
Bahá'u'lláh, and by virtue of the Design conceived by the
Center of His Covenant, will exert."'
13-1. The nascent administrative institutions referred to are
the Local and National Spiritual Assemblies. Bahá'u'lláh
ordained the institution of the Local Spiritual Assembly in
the Kitab-i Aqdas
+27
13.3 Not only the individual's responsibility to contribute
is important at this time, but also the uses to which the fund
is put and the areas in which it is expended.
13.4 Much of the present rapid expansion of the Faith is
taking place in areas of great poverty where the believers,
however much they sacrifice, cannot produce sufficient funds
to sustain the work. It is these very areas which are the most
fruitful in teaching, and a sum of money spent here will
produce ten times-even a hundred times-the results obtainable
in other parts of the world. Yet in the past months the
Universal House of justice has had to refuse a number of
appeals for assistance from such areas because there just was
not enough money in the International Fund. It should
therefore be the aim of every local and national community to
13.5 become not only self-supporting, but to expend its funds
with such wisdom and economy as to be able to contribute
substantially to the Bahá'í International Fund, thus
enabling the House of Justice to aid the work in fruitful but
impoverished areas, to assist new National Assemblies to start
their work, to contribute to major international undertakings
of the Nine Year Plan such as Oceanic Conferences, and to
carry forward the work of beautifying the land surrounding the
Holy Shrines at the World Center of the Faith. Nor should the
believers, individually or in their Assemblies, forget the
13.6 vitally important Continental Funds which provide for the
work of the Hands of the Cause of God and their Auxiliary
Boards. This divine institution, so assiduously fostered by
the Guardian, and which has already played a unique role in
the history of the Faith, is destined to render increasingly
important services in the years to come. In the midst of a
civilization torn by strifes and enfeebled by materialism,
13.7 the people of Baha are building a new world. We face at
this time opportunities and responsibilities of vast magnitude
and great urgency. Let each believer in his inmost heart
resolve not to be seduced by the ephemeral allurements of the
society around him, nor to be drawn into its feuds and
short-lived enthusiasms, but instead to transfer all he can
from the old world to that new one which is the vision of his
longing and will be the fruit of his labors.
With loving greetings,
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
Aqdas (KA 130, n4g.); Abdu'l-Baha established the institution
of the National Spiritual Assembly (see WT, pp. 14-15).
14.1 The
design conceived by 'Abdu'l-Bahá is embodied in His Will and
Testament, the Charter of the New World Order.
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1964-1973 The Nine Year Plan
+30
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+31
14 Launching of the Nine Year Plan APRIL 1964
To the Bahá'ís of the World
Dearly loved Friends,
The divinely propelled process, described in such
awe-inspiring words by our beloved Guardian, which began
six thousand years ago at the dawn of the Adamic cycle and
which is destined to culminate in "the stage at which the
light of God's triumphant Faith shining in all its power and
glory will have suffused and enveloped the entire planet," is
now entering its tenth and last part., The Ten Year Crusade,
so recently consummated in a blaze of victory and 14.2
rejoicing, constituted the entire ninth part of this process.
It saw the Cause of God leap
forward in one mighty decade-long effort to the point at which
the foundations of its Administrative Order were laid
throughout the world, thus preparing the way for that
awakening of the masses which must characterize the future
progress of the Faith. From the beginning of this Dispensation
the most urgent summons of the
14.3 Word of God, voiced
successively by the Bab and Bahá'u'lláh, has been to teach the
Cause. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in His own words, 11 spent His days and
nights in promoting the Cause and urging the peoples to
service. "2 Shoghi Effendi, discharging the sacred mission
laid upon him, raised the Administrative Order of the Faith,
already enshrined within the Sacred Writings, and forged it
into a teaching instrument to accomplish through a succession
of plans, national, international, and global, the entire
Divine Plan of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and he clearly foresaw in the
"tremendously long" tenth part of the process already referred
to, a series of plans to be launched by the Universal House
of justice, extending over 'successive epochs of both the
Formative and Golden Ages of the Faith."3
14-1. MBW, P. 155. The Bahá'í teachings assert that Adam was
a Prophet of God and that He inaugurated the Adamic, or
prophetic, cycle that ended with the advent of the Bab and
that is followed by the cycle of fulfillment Bahá'u'lláh
inaugurated. Shoghi Effendi explains that "The Faith of
Bahá'u'lláh should indeed be regarded, if we wish to be
faithful to the tremendous implications of its message, as the
culmination of a cycle, the final stage in a series of
successive, of preliminary and progressive revelations. These,
beginning with Adam and ending with the Bab, have paved the
way and anticipated with an ever-increasing emphasis the
advent of that Day of Days in which He Who is the Promise of
All Ages should be made manifest" (WOB, p. i03). For a full
description of the ten-part, divinely propelled process and
for a discussion of the nature of cycles, see entries on
Ten-Part Process and Cycles in the glossary. 14-2. WT, P. 10.
14-3. MBW, pp. 153, 155.
+32
14.4 The first of these plans is now before us. Opening at
Ridvan 1964, while the memories of the glorious jubilee of
1963 still surge within our hearts, it must, during its
nine-year course, witness a huge expansion of the Cause of God
and universal participation by all believers in the life of
that Cause.
World Center Goals
14.5 At the World Center of the Faith the
tasks of the Plan include publication of a synopsis and
codification of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the Most Holy Book;
formulation of the Constitution of the Universal House of
Justice; development of the Institution of the Hands of the
Cause of God, in consultation with the body of the Hands of
the Cause, with a view to the extension into the future of its
appointed functions of protection and propagation; continued
collation and classification of the Bahá'í Sacred Scriptures
as well as of the writings of Shoghi Effendi; continued
efforts directed towards the emancipation of the Faith from
the fetters of religious orthodoxy and its recognition as an
independent religion; the preparation of a plan for the
befitting development and beautification of the entire area
of Bahá'í property surrounding the Holy Shrines; extension of
the existing gardens on Mount Carmel; development of the
relationship between the Bahá'í Community and the United
Nations; the holding of Oceanic and Intercontinental
Conferences; the coordination of worldwide plans to
commemorate, in 1967168, the centenary of Bahá'u'lláh's
Proclamation to the kings and rulers which centered round His
revelation of the Suriy-i-Muluk in Adrianople.4 International
Goals
74.6 In the world community the Plan involves the
opening of seventy virgin territories and the resettlement of
twenty-four; the raising of the number of National Spiritual
Assemblies, the pillars sustaining the Universal House of
Justice, to one hundred and eight, nine times the number which
embarked on the first historic World Crusade in 1953;
increasing the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies to over
thirteen thousand seven hundred, scattered throughout the
territories and islands of the world, at least one thousand
seven hundred of them to be incorporated; the raising of the
number of localities where Bahá'ís reside to over fifty-four
thousand; the building of two more Mashriqu'l-Adhkar one in
Asia and one in Latin America;5 the acquisition
14-4. Tablet to the Kings, referred to by Shoghi Effendi as
"the most momentous Tablet revealed by Bahá'u'lláh" (GPB, p.
170. For passages of the Suriy-i-Muluk that have been
translated into English, see P13, pp. 7-Iz, 47-54, and 102-03.
For details on the celebration of the centenary, see messages
dated October 1963, Ridvan 1965, 17 March 1967, and October
1967 (nos. 6, 24, 41, and 46). 14-5. The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of
Asia was to be located in Tehran, Iran. Antagonism toward the
Bahá'í Faith caused the plans for its construction to be held
in abeyance.
14.7 The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of Latin America is in
Panama and was dedicated in 1972.
+33
of thirty-two Teaching Institutes, fifty-two national
Haziratu'l-Quds, fifty-four national Endowments, and sites for
sixty-two future Temples; wide extension of recognition by
civil authorities of the Bahá'í Holy Days and Bahá'í Marriage
Certificates; the translation of literature into one hundred
and thirty-three more languages, and its enrichment in major
languages into which translations have already been made; the
establishment of four new Bahá'í Publishing Trusts, and a vast
increase in the financial resources of the Faith.
The Role of the Individual The healthy development of the
Cause
requires that this great expansion be accompanied by the
dedicated effort of every believer in teaching, in living the
Bahá'í life, in contributing to the Fund, and particularly in
the persistent effort to understand more and more the
significance of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation. In the words of our
beloved Guardian, "One thing and only one thing will
unfailingly and alone secure the undoubted triumph of this
sacred Cause, namely the extent to which our own inner life
and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects
the splendor of those eternal principles proclaimed by
Bahá'u'lláh.116
Twin Objectives of the Plan Expansion and universal
participation are the twin objectives of this initial 14.8
phase of the second epoch of the Divine Plan, and all the
goals assigned to the sixty-nine National Communities are
contributory to them. The process of cooperation between
National Spiritual Assemblies, already initiated by the
beloved Guardian, will, during the course of this Plan, apply
to over two hundred specific projects and will further
strengthen this process which may well assume great importance
in future stages of the Formative Age. Once more, dear
friends, we enter the battle but with an incomparably 14.9
greater array than that which embarked upon the World Crusade
in 1953. To that small force of twelve national communities,
now veteran campaigners, have been added fifty-seven new
legions, each under the generalship of a National Spiritual
Assembly, each destined to become a veteran of this and future
campaigns. That Crusade began with slightly more than six
hundred Local Spiritual Assemblies, the greater part of which
were situated in Persia, North America and Europe; the home
fronts now comprise nearly four thousand six hundred Local
Spiritual Assemblies scattered throughout the continents and
islands of the world. We begin this Plan with a tremendous
momentum, exemplified by the addition, since last Ridv6n, of
over four thousand new centers and thirteen National Spiritual
Assemblies, and by the beginning, in several countries, of
that entry by troops into the Cause of God prophesied by
'Abdu'l-Bahá and so eagerly anticipated by Him.
14-6. BA, p. 66.
+34
Standard-Bearers of the Plan
14.10 The Standard-Bearers of
this Nine Year Plan are those same divinely appointed, tried
and victorious souls who bore the standard of the World
Crusade, the Hands of the Cause of God, whose advice and
consultation have been invaluable in the working out of this
Nine Year Plan. Supported by their 11 DEPUTIES, ASSISTANTS
[and] ADVISERS ' '17 the members of the Auxiliary Boards, they
will inspire and protect the army of God, lead through every
breach to the limit of available resources and sustain those
communities struggling over intractable or stony ground, so
that by 1973 the celebrations befitting the centenary of the
Revelation of the Most Holy Book may be undertaken by a
victorious, firmly established, organically united world
community, dedicated to the service of God and the final
triumph of His Cause.
14.11 Therefore let each of the
sixty-nine communities seize its tasks, at once consider how
best to accomplish them within the allotted span, raise its
band of pioneers, consecrate itself to unremitting labor and
set out on its mission. Now is the golden
opportunity. For whatever convulsions the waywardness of a
godless and materialistic age may yet precipitate in the
world, however grievous may be the effects of the rolling up
of the present order on the plans and efforts of the Community
of the Most Great Name, we must seize the opportunities of the
hour and go forward confident that all things are within His
mighty grasp and that, if we but play our part, total and
unconditional victory will inevitably be ours.
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
Is Convention Greetings 1964 19 APRIL 1964
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the
United States OCCASION RIDVAN FESTIVAL EXTEND LOVING GREETINGS
HANDS DELEGATES FRIENDS PRESENT HISTORIC CONVENTIONS LAUNCHING
FIRST ENTERPRISE
SECOND EPOCH UNFOLDMENT ABDU'L-BAHA'S DIVINE PLAN. HAIL
FORMATION THIRTEEN ADDITIONAL NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
TESTIFYING RESISTLESS DEVELOPMENT WORLD ORDER BAHA'U'LLAH.
CONVEY ALL FRIENDS JOYFUL NEWS DEDICATION MOTHER TEMPLE EUROPE
JULY FOURTH. ASSURE ARDENT PRAYERS VICTORIES BOUNTIFUL FAVORS
COURSE PLAN NOW LAUNCHED. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
14-7. Shoghi Effendi, MBW, P. 59 34
+35
16 Guidelines for the Nine Year Plan 14 MAY 1964
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Friends,
16.1 We have been receiving with deep joy and gratification,
reports of the Conventions held throughout the Bahá'í world
during the Ridvan period just concluded and the national and
regional elections resulting in the formation of sixty-nine
National Spiritual Assemblies. The announcement of the goals
of the Nine Year Plan has received universally a warm
response. Individuals, Conventions and Assemblies have pledged
loyalty and given assurance of the execution of the assigned
goals with determination and dedication. In two cases a goal
has already been declared accomplished. If your Assembly has
been given what appears to be a heavy task, particularly in
terms of homefront goals, you should consider how this can be
phased so that your teaching program is conducted
systematically. When you do work out such an internal plan we
would appreciate receiving a copy. We feet that at this time
certain guidelines could be given to the National
16.4
Spiritual Assemblies to assist them in the understanding and
attainment of the goals assigned to them. New and Unsettled
Territories: this aspect of the Plan is of vital importance.
16.5 It involves the establishment of points of light in new
territories, the further diffusion of the radiance of the
Faith of God and is directly linked with the prestige and
international status of the Faith. It is essential that the
enthusiasm generated at the Conventions be capitalized upon
and the pioneers who have offered their services are directed
wisely and energetically to the posts to be opened and
resettled.
16.6 Acquisition of Properties: as prices generally are
soaring everywhere it is important that properties called
for in the Plan be purchased as soon as funds are made
available. Your National Assembly is no doubt conscious of the
fact that wherever a Haziratu'l-Quds has been allocated it
should be a modest structure, acquired in a dignified location
within the civil limits of the town or city named in the Plan.
However, a Temple site could be near the city, as it is not
essential that it be located within the civil limits of the
city. National Endowments: the object here is not to buy an
extensive property.
16.7 A token piece of land, possibly
donated by a believer, is all that is required for the moment.
+36
16.8 Teaching Institute: this is essentially an activity aimed
at deepening the knowledge of the friends to prepare them for
active participation in the teaching work. In some countries
it may continue to be an activity conducted either in local
Bahá'í Centers or possibly housed in hired quarters, like most
Summer Schools. However, in other countries, and particularly
in mass teaching areas, it may have to be a modest structure
acquired or erected in the rural areas where the majority of
the believers reside rather than in capital cities, to obviate
transportation expenses for those attending. Recognition of
the Faith: such goals as national and local incorporations,
as well as applications to obtain recognition of the Bahá'í
Marriage Certificate and Bahá'í Holy Days, should be embarked
upon only when circumstances are propitious and there is
reasonable assurance that the goal can be attained. 1610 New
Languages: the translation of Bahá'í literature into new
languages should be carefully coordinated with the settlement
of pioneers in areas using such languages. Therefore, this is
a goal which must be pursued
vigorously and without delay so that the teaching work may
proceed effectively in these areas.
16.11 If in the pursuit
of any of the above or other goals your Assembly should
experience any difficulty or need any clarification, you are
welcome to write to us at once.
16.12 We assure you of our
constant prayers at the Holy Shrines for the befitting
discharge of your responsibilities under the Nine Year Plan.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
+37
17 Dedication of the Mother Temple of Europe, Langenhain,
Germany July 1964
To the beloved of God gathered in the European Teaching
Conference called on the occasion of the dedication of the
Mother Temple of Europe
17.1
Dear Bahá'í Friends,
We have just witnessed the dedication of the Mother Temple of
Europe -- a project of untold significance and tremendous
potential for the spread of the light of God's Faith in that
Continent. One of the major achievements called for by our
beloved Guardian at the outset of the Ten Year Crusade, this
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar was triumphantly raised during its closing
years as the fruit of long and arduous labors in the face of
determined opposition and upon the sacrificial gifts of
believers from all parts of the world. Now dedicated in the
opening months of the Nine Year Plan; it forms a striking link
between these two great crusades, demonstrating afresh the
organic progress of the Cause whereby the efforts exerted in
one period bear fruit in the next, which in turn endow the
Bahá'í Community with new and greater capacities for the
winning of still greater victories.
17.2 You are now gathered in
this Conference to deliberate on ways and means of
accomplishing the goals which are set before you. Let every
believer, as he considers in detail these various goals, bear
in mind four supreme objectives: to carry the Message of
Bahá'u'lláh to every stratum of society, not only in the towns
and cities but also in the villages and country districts
where the virus of materialism has had much less effect on the
lives of men; to take urgent, wise and well-considered steps
to spread the Faith to those countries of Eastern Europe in
which it has not yet become established; to reinforce strongly
the heroic band of pioneers in the islands of the
Mediterranean and the North Sea-islands which are to play such
an important role in the awakening of the entire continent --
as well as to prosecute energetically the goals you are called
upon to achieve in other continents and oceans; and to foster
the cooperation between National Communities and between
National Spiritual Assemblies and the Hands of the Cause of
God which has contributed so markedly to the work of the Faith
on that Continent and is so essential for its future
development.
17.3 Above all let every European Bahá'í have
ever-present in his mind that these are the five years
during which Bahá'u'lláh sojourned on the soil of that
Continent
+38
a century ago., Let him resolve so to deepen his knowledge of
the Faith and so to increase his standards of self-sacrifice
and dedication to the Cause as to play his part in building
a Community which will be worthy of this supreme bounty and
which will be a beacon light to the peoples of this
fear-wracked world.
17.4 In 1953 Shoghi Effendi wrote that the
Continent of Europe had "at last at this critical hour -- this
great turning point in its fortunes -- entered upon what may
well be regarded as the opening phase of a great spiritual
revival that bids fair to eclipse any period in its spiritual
history. "2 Those who have been privileged to witness the
extraordinary strengthening and consolidation of the Cause in
Europe during the course of the last eleven years are well
aware of the reservoir of spiritual potential that has been
building up and the transformation of the life of the European
Bahá'í Community that has ensued. May the completion and
dedication of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar be the signal for the
unleashing of this potential, bringing about on the European
mainland and in the islands around its shores a quickening of
the process of individual conversion comparable to those
events which have transpired with such astonishing suddenness
in other continents of the globe.
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
18 Teaching the Masses 13 JULY 1964
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Bahá'í Friends,
18.1 When the masses of mankind are awakened and enter the
Faith of God, a new process is set in motion and the growth
of a new civilization begins. Witness the emergence of
Christianity and of Islam. These masses are the rank and file,
steeped in traditions of their own, but receptive to the new
Word of God, by which, when they truly respond to it, they
become so influenced as to transform those who come in contact
with them.
18.2 God's standards are different from those of
men. According to men's standards, the acceptance of any cause
by people of distinction, of recognized fame and status,
determines the value and greatness of that cause. But, in the
words
17-1. Bahá'u'lláh was exiled from Constantinople (now
Istanbul) to Adrianople (now Edirne, Turkey), where He
remained from 12 December 1863 through 12 August 1868. Edirne
lies West of the Bosphorus, near Turkeys border with Greece.
17-2. MBW, p. 161.
+39
of Bahá'u'lláh: "The summons and the message which We gave
were never intended to reach or to benefit one land or one
people only. Mankind in its entirety must firmly adhere to
whatsoever hath been revealed and vouchsafed unto it." Or
again, "He hath endowed every soul with the capacity to
recognize the signs of God. How could He, otherwise, have
fulfilled His testimony unto men, if ye be of them that ponder
His Cause in their hearts.", In countries where teaching the
masses has succeeded, the Bahá'ís have poured out their time
and effort in village areas to the same extent as they had
formerly done in cities and towns. The results indicate how
unwise it is to solely concentrate on one section of the
population. Each National Assembly therefore should so balance
its resources and harmonize its efforts that the Faith of God
is taught not only to those who are readily accessible but to
all sections of society, however remote they may be. The
unsophisticated people of the world -- and they form the large
majority of its population -- have the same right to know of
the Cause of God as others. When the friends are teaching the
Word of God they should be careful to give the Message in the
same simplicity as it is enunciated in our Teachings. In their
contacts they must show genuine and divine love. The heart of
an unlettered soul is extremely sensitive; any trace of
prejudice on the part of the pioneer or teacher is immediately
sensed.