Arius, the early Christian theologian

 Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

Date: 11 June 1991

From: Research Department

Arius

In his letter dated 7 January 1990 to the Research Department, Mr. ... requests clarification of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá’s assessment of Arius, the early Christian theologian. Mr. ... cites a Tablet of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá to Louise R. Waite published in “Star of the West” vol. 10, no. 5 (5 June 1919), p.96, in which He refers to the career of Arius as an illustration of the inevitable failure of Covenant-Breakers:

“Consider thou, at the time of Christ and after Him, how many childish attempts were made by different persons! What claims they have advanced and what a multitude have they gathered around themselves! Even Arius attracted to himself a million and a half followers and strove and endeavored to sow the seeds of sedition in the Cause of Christ. But eventually the sea of Christ surged and cast out all the gathering froth and nothing was left behind save everlasting malediction.”

Mr. ... asks why ‘Abdu’l-Baha would condemn Arius as a leader of sedition and a cause of disunity when his view of the relationship between the Manifestation and God, as Mr. ... understands it, is “remarkably similar to both the teachings of Muhammad as well as the Central Figures of the Baha’i Faith.” Mr. ... notes that this question is of particular importance insofar as the theological agreement between Arius and the Baha’i Faith could be a means of attracting Christians to the Baha’i teachings. However, he is concerned that Christians might read the Tablet to Louise Waite, see that ‘Abdu’l-Baha condemns Arius, draw the conclusion that the Baha’is reject Arian theology, and therefore criticize the Baha’is for being self-contradictory with regard to the relationship between the Manifestation and God. We provide the following.

The Unity of Religions in This Century, Jews and the Crucifixion, and the Sacrifice of Ishmael

Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice       

Date: 24 October 1990

From: The Research Department

The Unity of Religions in This Century, Jews and the Crucifixion, and the Sacrifice of Ishmael

In his letter dated 18 May 1990 (and follow-up letter dated 26 September 1990) to the Universal House of Justice, Mr. _ asks a number of questions, to which we respond as follows.

1. In his first question, Mr. _ cites two texts. The first text is from a recorded talk in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá refers to the twentieth century:

“Praise be to God! the mediaeval ages of darkness have passed away and this century of radiance has dawned, -- this century wherein the reality of things is becoming evident, -- wherein science is penetrating the mysteries of the universe, the oneness of the world of humanity is being established and service to mankind is the paramount motive of all existence…

. . .

“The age has dawned when human fellowship will become a reality.

“The century has come when all religions shall be unified…  (‘Bahá'í World Faith: Selected Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá’ [Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1976], pp. 279-80)

The second text is from a Tablet in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá refers to the foundation of the unity of all mankind.

“The fourth candle is unity in religion which is the corner-stone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power of God, will be revealed in all its splendor. …” (‘The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters’ [Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982], p. 39)

In light of these quotations and particularly the prophecy regarding all religions being unified in this century, Mr. _ asks: "Assuming this prophecy will come true because it's from the 'unerring pen' of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, why isn't knowledge of this prophecy promoted by the Universal House of Justice?" and "Am I to understand that the Lesser Peace also includes the unity of all religions?"

World Government and the Universal House of Justice

 Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

September 10, 1990

From: Research Department

World Government and the Universal House of Justice

The Research Department has studied the questions raised by Mr. -- and Mr. -- in their letter postmarked 10 July 1990 to the Universal House of Justice. Messrs – and -- are law students who are preparing a research paper relating the concept of sovereignty in international law to the Bahá’i World Order. As a background to their questions, they refer to the following statements:

The remark attributed to ‘Abdu’l-Bala in "The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Baha during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912", 2nd. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá’i Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 455, in which the Master indicates that the Universal House of Justice "is endowed with a political as well as a religious function, the consummate union and blending of church and state".

Shoghi Eflendi’s comments about the non-political character of the Faith and his assertion that, no matter how "advanced their institutions," the Bahá’is will not "violate, under any circumstances, the provisions of their country’s constitution" nor "allow the machinery of their administration to supersede the government of their respective countries." See "The World Order of Baha'u’llah: Selected Letters" (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1982). pp. 65-66.

The reference in "The Promise of World Peace" (Haifa: Bahá’i World Centre, 1985), p. 15, to the means by which a World Parliament will be constituted, namely, its members will be elected by the people of each country and confirmed by their respective governments.

Mr. -- and Mr. -- note that a future world government will consist of an international executive, legislature, and a supreme tribunal, and they pose a number of questions that pertain to the relationship between the institutions of the world government and the future role of the Universal House of Justice. We provide the following comment.

Tablets to the Kings

 Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

Date: 20 November 1989

From: The Research Department

TABLETS TO THE KINGS

In his letter dated 12 September 1989 to the Universal House of Justice
, Mr. ... raises two questions about Bahá'u'lláh's Tablets to the kings. We provide the following response.

1. Delivery of the Tablets

Mr. ... quotes the following statement from "Epistle to the Son of the Wolf", rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1979), p. 59:

“Our purpose is that haply the breezes of Revelation may envelop thee, and cause thee to arise, wholly for the sake of God, and serve His Cause, and that thou mayest transmit any of the Tablets of the kings which might have remained undelivered...”

and he asks which of the Tablets to the kings were not delivered. Before answering this specific question it is necessary to consider the scope of Bahá'u'lláh's proclamation and the means by which it was communicated.

With regard to the extent of the proclamation, Shoghi Effendi in "The Promised Day Is Come", rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1980), p. 21, states that "all the kings of the earth have been collectively addressed" by Baha’u’llah's "Pen", and he quotes the words of Bahá'u'lláh on this subject:

“Never since the beginning of the world hath the Message been so openly proclaimed.” (‘God Passes By’, rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1987), p. 212)

In ‘The Promised Day Is Come’, pp. 20-21, Shoghi Effendi lists the most important rulers who were "the object of Bahá'u'lláh's special attention":

John the Baptist and interpretation

 Memorandum

Date: 25 August 1989

To: The Universal House of Justice       

From: The Research Department

John the Baptist and interpretation

The Research Department has studied the questions about John the Baptist and the function of interpretation which were contained in the letter dated 29 May 1989 from Mr. -- to the Universal House of Justice. Specifically, Mr. --cites excerpts from a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi and one written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice. The letter dated 30 November 1930 written on Shoghi Effendi’s behalf states that John the Baptist, "according to various authorities was himself the originator of laws which abrogated the teachings current among the Jews". The letter dated 24 August 1975 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice stated that the "teachings of John did not abrogate any of the laws of the Mosaic Dispensation". Mr. -- seeks clarification of the apparent contradiction raised by the juxtaposition of these two extracts, and he enquires about the extent of the authority of statements of an interpretative nature which do not appear to fit clearly into the domain of the functions specified for the Universal House of Justice. We provide the following response.

1. John the Baptist

1.1 The Station of John the Baptist

John the Baptist is accorded a very high station in the Bahá’í Writings. For example, in the "Kitáb-í-Badí"’, Bahá'u'lláh refers to John the Baptist as a Prophet and Messenger. Also, in "The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh" (published in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters, rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982), see pp. 118-19), Shoghi Effendi quotes a passage from Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings in which He identifies Himself with several Manifestations and Holy Ones of God, one of whom is John the Baptist. The following extract from a letter dated 14 August 1934 written on behalf of the Guardian to two believers affirms:

Guidance contained in the Bahá'í Writings about poets

 Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice  

Date: 13 March 1988

From: The Research Department

The questions concerning the guidance contained in the Bahá'í Writings about poets, raised in the letter of 19 January 1988 from Mr. ... to the Hand of the Cause of God Ali Akbar Furutan, have been studied by the Research Department and we provide the following response.

1. Guidance to Poets

As to whether Bahá'u'lláh outlined certain responsibilities, obligations, preference, and limits in relation to poets, Shoghi Effendi indicates that poets are "addressed separately" by Bahá'u'lláh. They, along with "the wise men of the world, its “men of letters”, its “mystics”, and even its “tradesmen" are exhorted by Bahá'u'lláh "to be attentive to His voice, to recognize His Day, and to follow His bidding."

There are many passages in the Writings which testify to the high position Bahá'u'lláh gives to the practice of the arts. For example:

“It hath been revealed and is now repeated that the true worth of artists and craftsmen should be appreciated, for they advance the affairs of mankind. Just as the foundations of religion are made firm through the Law of God, the means of livelihood depend upon those who are engaged in arts and crafts. True learning is that which is conducive to the well-being of the world, not to pride and self-conceit, or to tyranny, violence and pillage.”

Many verses from Arabic and Persian poetry have been quoted in the Writings of the Central Figures of the Faith. For instance, throughout the work, "The Seven Valleys" (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1978), Bahá'u'lláh makes reference to the two great poets of Shiraz, Hafiz, and Sa'di, and many others who were also known as Sufi mystics.

Táhirih and woman's suffrage - additional

 Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

Date: 16 March 1988

From: The Research Department

The Research Department has considered the issues raised by Mr. … in his letter dated 12 February 1988 to the Universal House of Justice. Mr. … explains that Dr. Denis MacEoin stated in a talk he gave some years ago at a Summer School, that Táhirih's association with women's suffrage originated with a book by a Western woman, and that, while the words of Táhirih to the effect that: "You can kill me as soon as you like, but you cannot stop the emancipation of women", might have the right ring in English, they were not credible within the context of 19th century Persian culture. We provide the following comment.

1. Táhirih and Woman's Suffrage

The Research Department has not been able to locate conclusive evidence which supports the idea that Táhirih's association with woman's suffrage originated with a book by a Western woman. It is our view, as was stated in our memorandum of 10 January 1988, that Táhirih, by proclaiming the advent of the New Day with its values of peace and unity, by transcending cultural constraints, by active involvement in the dramatic Conference at Badasht, was participating in the initiation of a process that was to bring about a revolutionary transformation in human society, a transformation which, given further impetus by the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, would, among other things, lead to the emancipation of women. The link between Táhirih and woman's suffrage derives, then, in the first instance, from her espousal of spiritual values which initiated a process of fundamental social change.

In “God Passes By" (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1974), Shoghi Effendi stresses the impact of Táhirih's life in the West. He wrote:

Táhirih and woman's suffrage

 Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

Date: 10 January 1988

From: The Research Department

The Research Department has studied the questions raised by Mr. … in his letter of 1 December 1987 to the Universal House of Justice. Mr. … refers to a letter of the Guardian which states that woman's suffrage was not part of the concept of Táhirih. He requests a copy of this letter and expresses the view that the association of woman's suffrage with Táhirih appears to originate with a book about her life by a Western woman, the idea later being picked up and given credence in "God Passes By". Mr. … also expresses concern that many Bahá’í women put Táhirih before the Greatest Holy Leaf. We provide the following comment.

1. Letter about Táhirih

While the Research Department has been unable to locate a letter in which Shoghi Effendi stated that "women's suffrage was not part of her [Táhirih's] concept", the following extract from a letter dated 5 November 1949 written on behalf of the Guardian to a group of believers involved in arranging radio broadcasts in Latin America, may well be the one that Mr. … had in mind. The relevant section of this letter states:

“He feels that the projected radio broadcasts are of the utmost importance as they afford you an opportunity of bringing to many listeners a sense of the greatness of the Cause. In this connection he has some advice to give you: You should stick carefully to facts and beware of putting any interpretations of facts into it. Your best sources are Nabil's Narrative and Martha Root's book on Tahirih, as far as she is concerned, and, of course the general literature of our Faith. The Guardian advises you not to introduce into a series for public consumption anything obscure or mystical. By all means avoid the scene in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh between Tahirih and Quddus. Her separation from her husband and children, her teaching in Baghdad, her imprisonment and death, and her poems, make a beautiful and moving tale. He would not call her the first suffragette, for this certainly was strictly speaking no part of her concept.”

The resurrection of Christ and the Bible

 Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

September 14, 1987

From: The Research Department

With reference to the letter dated 9 July 1987, in which .... requests information on Bahá'í concepts related to the Resurrection of Christ, we can offer the following information following our study of the question.

Before addressing the specific issue of the Resurrection, it is necessary to consider the general Bahá'í standpoint with regard to Christianity and the Bible. In his letter dated 28 March 1941 addressed to the believers throughout the West, Shoghi Effendi emphasizes:

“As to the position of Christianity, let it be stated without any hesitation or equivocation that its divine origin is unconditionally acknowledged, that the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus Christ are fearlessly asserted, that the divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully recognized, that the reality of the mystery of the Immaculacy of the Virgin Mary is confessed, and the primacy of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, is upheld and defended....” (‘The Promised Day is Come’, rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1980); p. 109)

With particular regard to the Bible, a letter dated 28 May 1984 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice in response to questions raised by an individual believer outlines two principles to be observed in studying this book:

Mani, Magi, Five-Pointed Star, Joseph Smith

 Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

Date: 30 March 1987

From: The Research Department

Questions from Mr. …

Mr. … has raised several questions in a letter dated 16 December 1986. These questions have been referred to the Research Department for Study. We offer the following information.

1. Maní

We have not been able to identify any reference to Man! in the letters written by or on behalf of the beloved Guardian.

2. The Magi

The Research Department has identified two references to the Magi in Tablets written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In one Tablet the Master expresses His hope that the recipient will be like that heavenly star which guided the Magi to Christ. He states in the other that the Magi looked with the eye of truth and were able to discover the star which was an evidence of the birth of Christ. They were thus led to the Son of Truth.

3. The Five-Pointed Star as a Symbol of the Faith

As Mr. … is no doubt aware, a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual and published in "Bahá’í News" 228 (February 1950) on page 4 states:

Strictly speaking the 5-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb and explained by Him.

A reference to the use by the Báb of the five-pointed star is made on page 69 of "God Passes By" (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1974). However, the Research Department has not been able to identify the explanation to which Shoghi Effendi referred as the works of the Báb held at the World Centre are not as yet properly Indexed.

4. Joseph Smith and the Mormons

The Development of the Institution of Huqúqu’lláh

March 1987

In one of His Tablets Bahá’u’lláh refers to this Law as ranking in importance immediately after the two great obligations of recognition of God and steadfastness in His Cause, and yet the introduction and implementation of this Law are characterized by kindness, forgiveness, tolerance and magnanimity. Although it deals with the material things of this world, it is placed among those spiritual obligations resting on the individual soul, such as prayer and fasting, the fulfillment of which is a direct responsibility of each believer towards God, not subject to the sanctions or impositions of His institutions in this world. It is, indeed, a clear expression of the priorities with which Bahá’u’lláh views the duties of mankind. First comes the spiritual, and then the material—however important in practice the latter may be.

After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas had been revealed in response to the pleas of the friends, Bahá’u’lláh withheld it from publication for some time and even then, when a number of devoted Bahá'ís, having learned of the law, endeavored to offer the Huqúqu'lláh, the payment was not accepted. The Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh show His acute consciousness of the way in which material wealth has been permitted to degrade religion in the past, and He preferred the Faith to sacrifice all material benefits rather than to soil to the slightest degree its dignity and purity. Herein is a lesson for all Bahá'í institutions for all time.

However, as the beloved Guardian explained, funds are the life-blood of the Cause. God Himself, as Bahá’u’lláh stated, has made achievement dependent on material means. Therefore, as the awareness of the friends grew. He permitted the Huqúqu’lláh to be accepted, provided the donor made the offering willingly with joy and awareness.

To receive the Huqúqu’lláh, Bahá’u’lláh brought into being one of the great Institutions of the Faith, the Trusteeship of Huqúqu’lláh.

The first to be honored with appointment as Trustee of Huqúqu’lláh was Jináb-i-Sháh Muhammad from Manshád, Yazd, who eventually received from the Blessed Beauty the title of Amínu’l-Bayán (Trustee of the Bayán). Hájí Sháh Muhammad had embraced the Faith in its early years and had the bounty of entering the presence of Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad. The fire of love kindled in his heart made him impatient to offer his services to the Threshold of his Beloved, and this undertaking he followed until the last moment of his life, surrendering all material belongings in the path of service. Encompassed by hardship, danger and lack of means, this trusted servant of Bahá’u’lláh, in journey after journey, would carry the friends’ donations of Huqúqu’lláh and their petitions to the Sacred Threshold and, in return, bring them news and Tablets from the Blessed Perfection.

Interpretation of Biblical Verses

Memorandum

7 January 1986

To: The Universal House of Justice   

From: Research Department

Interpretation of Biblical Verses

The Research Department has studied the questions contained in the letter dated 27 November 1985 from Mr. -- to the Universal House of Justice concerning the interpretation of a number of verses from the Bible. We make the following comment.

In relation to the general question of the interpretation of biblical verses, the Guardian, in a letter dated 31 January 1955, written on his behalf to an individual believer, provided the following guidance:

"Except for what has been explained by Bahá'u'lláh and ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, we have no way of knowing what various symbolic allusions in the Bible mean."

It is clear from the Guardian's statement that we can be sure of the exact meaning of only such passages as have been authoritatively interpreted in our Writings. In time absence of any authoritative interpretation, the individual is free to draw his or her own conclusions about the meaning of the verses and prophecies. Some examples of individual interpretations include:

Ruth J. Moffett, "New Keys to the Book of Revelation". New Delhi: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1977.

Robert F. Riggs, "Apocalypse Unsealed". New York: Philosophical Library, 1981.

With regard to the interpretation of the Book of Revelation, the Guardian, in a letter dated 13 August 1944, written on his behalf to a individual believer, stated:

"…although the Book of Revelation has not been interpreted in the teachings from beginning to end there are many passages of it which have been interpreted. It is a very important book and very important in teaching the Bahá'í interpretation of certain Biblical passages to devout Christians."