Definition of the word "ungodly"

Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

Date: 10 September 2001

From: Research Department

Definition of the word "ungodly"

In their letter dated 1 June 2001 to the Universal House of Justice, Miss … and Miss … enquire about the meaning of the word "ungodly" as it is used in the following passage from the Hidden Words, and more generally in the Bahá'í Writings:

“O Son of Dust! Beware! Walk not with the ungodly and seek not fellowship with him, for such companionship turneth the radiance of the heart into infernal fire.”[1]

Specifically, Miss … and Miss … seek clarification concerning "who and what is considered ‘ungodly'". The Research Department has studied these issues, and we provide the following comments.

By way of introduction, we wish to note that the Research Department has not, to date, been able to locate in the Writings of the Faith either an authoritative interpretation of the verse cited above, or a detailed definition of the Bahá'í concept of "ungodliness". We note, however, that Bahá'u'lláh appears to link the decline of religion to the rise in the influence of the "ungodly". He states, for example:

“Religion is verily the chief instrument for the establishment of order in the world and of tranquillity amongst its peoples. The weakening of the pillars of religion hath strengthened the foolish and emboldened them and made them more arrogant. Verily I say: The greater the decline of religion, the more grievous the waywardness of the ungodly. This cannot but lead in the end to chaos and confusion”.[2]

Questions about possible misprints in published extracts from letters of Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice

Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

Date: 17 June 2001

From: Research Department

Questions about possible misprints in published extracts from letters of Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice

The Research Department has studied the questions raised by Mr. --- in two electronic mail messages, both dated 19 February 2001, addressed to the Universal House of Justice. Specifically, he enquires about the accuracy of certain words that appear in Bahá'í publications. We provide the following comment.

"Directive" or "Direction"?

Mr. --- cites the following passage from a letter dated 12 November 1973 from the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia, (1) which is published in Lights of Guidance, A Bahá'í Reference File:(2)

"We urge you ever to bear in mind that the purpose of Bahá'í administration is primarily to lend strength and directive (3) to the teaching work and to promote the establishment of the Faith. It should never be regarded as an end in itself but purely as a means to canalize and make effective a spiritual vitality generated by the Word of God in the hearts of the believers."

Mr. --- expresses the view that the word "directive" appears to be out of place. He wonders whether it might be a misprint for the word "direction".

From a study of the issue it is apparent that a typographical error was introduced. The correct word is "direction", as Mr. --- suggests.

"Just" or "First"?

Reference is made to several Bahá'í publications, including the compilation on The Local Spiritual Assembly, Lights of Guidance and Developing Distinctive Bahá'í Communities,(4) all of which quote the following passage from a letter dated 14 October 1941, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a Bahá'í couple:

Reference by Baha’u’llah to “Two great powers" in the Tablet of Maqsúd

Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

From: Research Department

Date: 1 May 2001

Lawh-i-Maqsúd

The Research Department has studied the questions about the Lawh-i-Maqsúd [1] raised by Mr. ... in his email message of 7 February 2001 to the Universal House of Justice. Specifically, he enquires about the date of the revelation of the Tablet of Maqsúd and he seeks information about the "Two great powers"[2] referred to in this Tablet. We provide the following response.

Date of Revelation of the Tablet

The Lawh-i-Maqsúd was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in the prison-city of 'Akká on the 29th of Safar 1299 A.H. (January 20 1882).

"Two great powers"

Mr. ... requests information about the "Two great powers", mentioned in the following passage from the Tablet of Maqsúd, that appears on page 170 of Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.

Two great powers who regard themselves as the founders and leaders of civilization and the framers of constitutions have risen up against the followers of the Faith associated with Him who conversed with God.[3]

The Research Department has not, to date, been able to locate any references in the Bahá'í Writings that explain the identity of the two countries that arose against the followers of Moses. However, from a perusal of European history in the second part of the 19th century, it is suggested that the two powers referred to by Bahá'u'lláh in the Lawh-i-Maqsúd as being persecutors of the Jews would appear to be France and Russia. The world powers of the 1880s were Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia. The Encyclopedia Judaica indicates that the Jews were officially emancipated in Germany during the latter half of the 19th century, and although there was some anti-semitic activity in Austria, it was officially opposed by the government. In France, however, between 1881 and 1894, there was a rise of anti-Jewish publicity and agitation, the founding of the National Anti-Semitic League in 1889, and the demand in 1891 by 32 French deputies (members of parliament) that Jews be expelled from France, culminated in the infamous Dreyfus Affair of 1894. In Russia, the assassination of Alexander II led to pogroms, leading to the so-called "May laws" of 1882 which prohibited Jews from living in villages and in 1886 to the limitation of the number of Jews allowed into University. Discrimination was continued officially until 1918. There was no official anti-semitism in Britain.

Notes:

1 Published in Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1997), pages 159-178.

2 Ibid., page 170.

3 Moses

(Baha’i Library Online)