Extracts from Letters Written by and on Behalf of the Universal House of
Justice
- When one is praying in private, one may do what one's heart prompts
in such matters. However when prayers are read at meetings, care should
be taken not to develop rigid practices and rituals.
(8 April 1982, written on behalf of the Universal House
of Justice to an individual believer)
- Bahá'ís have the bounty of having the prayers
revealed by the Manifestations of God, the Báb and
Bahá'u'lláh, as well as by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, which
guide us in our devotions, but there is no prohibition of the reading of
prayers or selections from the Sacred Writings of other religions.
However, the Guardian stated, "It would be wiser for the
Bahá'ís to use the meditations given by
Bahá'u'lláh and not use any set form of meditation given
by someone else."
(14 September 1982, written on behalf of the Universal
House of Justice to an individual believer)
- ...the flourishing of the community, especially at the local level,
demands a significant enhancement in patterns of behaviour: those
patterns by which the collective expression of the virtues of the
individual members and the functioning of the Spiritual Assembly are
manifest in the unity and fellowship of the community and the dynamism
of its activity and growth. This calls for the integration of the
component elements — adults, youth and children — in
spiritual, social, educational and administrative activities; and their
engagement in local plans of teaching and development. It implies a
collective will and sense of purpose to perpetuate the Spiritual
Assembly through annual elections. It involves the practice of
collective worship of God. Hence, it is essential to the spiritual life
of the community that the friends hold regular devotional meetings in
local Bahá'í centres, where available, or elsewhere,
including the homes of believers.
( Ridvan 1996, from the Universal House of Justice to
the Bahá'ís of the World)
- The spiritual growth generated by individual devotions is
reinforced by loving association among the friends in every locality, by
worship as a community and by service to the Faith and to one's fellow
human beings. These communal aspects of the godly life relate to the law
of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár which appears in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Although the time has not come for the
building of local Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs, the holding of regular
meetings for worship open to all and the involvement of
Bahá'í communities in projects of humanitarian service are
expressions of this element of Bahá'í life and a further
step in the implementation of the Law of God.
( 28 December 1999, from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá'ís of the
World)
- In the increased capacity of individuals to teach the Faith, as
shown in the thrust of individual initiatives; in the improved ability
of Spiritual Assemblies, Councils and committees to guide the endeavours
of the friends; in the introduction of new patterns of thought and
action which influenced the collective behaviour of the local
community — in all such respects the system of training institutes
demonstrated its indispensability as an engine of the process of entry
by troops.... Concurrent with these kinds of developments, the members
of our worldwide community also gave more attention to drawing on the
power of prayer, to meditating on the sacred Word, and to deriving the
spiritual benefits of participation in devotional gatherings. It is
through the workings of these elements of an intensified individual and
collective transformation that the size of the community is increasing.
Although the number of new believers has as yet only slightly surpassed
those of recent years, it is immensely gratifying to see that this
increase is now geographically widespread, is engaging ever-larger
segments of the community, and is successful in integrating new
declarants into the life of the Cause.... The use of the arts became an
important feature in the proclamation, teaching, deepening and
devotional activities of the worldwide community.
( Ridvan 2000, from the Universal House of Justice to
the Bahá'ís of the World)
- The House of Justice has not prescribed any set forms to be adopted
in a Holy Shrine, whether it be in prayer, meditation or reading of the
Holy Scriptures, as long as the practices followed do not disturb the
devotions of others who are in the Shrine. It does not favour the
adoption of the practice of songs being sung with musical accompaniment
in close proximity to the Shrines. As you can well understand, such
singing could well disturb those who, within the Shrines, are engaged in
their devotions.
There are, of course, special occasions, such
as the commemoration of Holy Days at the Bahá'í World
Centre, when prayers and devotional readings are recited at a gathering
held near a Shrine, and the Tablet of Visitation chanted. A devotional
programme, with soloists and orchestral accompaniment, is also planned
at the entrance to the Terraces adjoining the Shrine of the Báb,
in May 2001.
(6 November 2000, written on behalf of the Universal
House of Justice to a Local Spiritual Assembly)
- You have asked whether it is permissible for the friends to recite
prayers other than those revealed by the Central Figures of our Faith,
prefacing your query by citing an instance when a prayer from a
different source was chanted at a Bahá'í public meeting.
No prohibition has been found in the Bahá'í Writings
against the recitation at public gatherings of prayers other than those
provided in Bahá'í Scriptures. You are no doubt aware that
in devotional programs at Bahá'í Houses of Worship it is
permissible to include scriptures from other revealed religions, which
may include prayers. You did not specifically mention whether your
concern was about prayers originating from other sacred scriptures or
from compositions by individuals. Bahá'ís are generally
encouraged to use the Creative Word, including those prayers and Tablets
revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, the Báb and
'Abdu'l-Bahá which are authenticated and published in our
Bahá'í literature. A letter dated 8 August 1942, written
on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a National Spiritual Assembly, indicates
that while spontaneous prayer is permitted, the revealed verses are
preferred because "the revealed Word is endowed with a power of its
own". The friends, therefore, must use them in their own supplications
with radiant joy. This does not mean, however, that in addition to such
prayers, they may not, in private, use their own words whenever they
feel the inclination to do so.
(27 June 2001, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual believer)
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