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Title: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Author: Bahá'u'lláh, 1817-1892
Language: English
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The Kitáb-i-Aqdas
by Bahá’u’lláh
Edition 1, (June 21, 2005)
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CONTENTS
Baha’i Terms of Use
Preface
Introduction
A Description of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas by Shoghi Effendi
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Some Texts Revealed By Bahá’u’lláh Supplementary To The Kitáb-i-Aqdas
The Tablet of Ishráqát
Long Obligatory Prayer
Medium Obligatory Prayer
Short Obligatory Prayer
Prayer For The Dead
Questions And Answers
Synopsis And Codification Of The Laws And Ordinances Of The Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Summary Of Contents
Synopsis And Codification
Notes
1. the sweet-smelling savour of My garment #4
2. We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and
power. #5
3. We have enjoined obligatory prayer upon you #6
4. nine rak’áhs #6
5. at noon and in the morning and the evening #6
6. We have relieved you of a greater number #6
7. When ye desire to perform this prayer, turn ye towards the Court of
My Most Holy Presence, this Hallowed Spot that God hath ... decreed to
be the Point of Adoration for the denizens of the Cities of Eternity #6
8. and when the Sun of Truth and Utterance shall set, turn your faces
towards the Spot that We have ordained for you #6
9. We have set forth the details of obligatory prayer in another
Tablet. #8
10. the Prayer for the Dead #8
11. six specific passages have been sent down by God, the Revealer of
Verses #8
12. Hair doth not invalidate your prayer, nor aught from which the
spirit hath departed, such as bones and the like. Ye are free to wear
the fur of the sable as ye would that of the beaver, the squirrel, and
other animals #9
13. We have commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of
maturity #10
14. He hath exempted from this those who are weak from illness or age
#10
15. God hath granted you leave to prostrate yourselves on any surface
that is clean, for We have removed in this regard the limitation that
had been laid down in the Book # 10
16. Let him that findeth no water for ablution repeat five times the
words "In the Name of God, the Most Pure, the Most Pure", and then
proceed to his devotions. #10
17. In regions where the days and nights grow long, let times of prayer
be gauged by clocks and other instruments that mark the passage of the
hours. #10
18. We have absolved you from the requirement of performing the Prayer
of the Signs. #11
19. Save in the Prayer for the Dead, the practice of congregational
prayer hath been annulled. #12
20. God hath exempted women who are in their courses from obligatory
prayer and fasting. #13
21. When travelling, if ye should stop and rest in some safe spot,
perform ye—men and women alike—a single prostration in place of each
unsaid Obligatory Prayer #14
22. Upon completing your prostrations, seat yourselves cross-legged #14
23. Say: God hath made My hidden love the key to the Treasure #15
24. O Pen of the Most High! #16
25. We have enjoined upon you fasting during a brief period #16
26. and at its close have designated for you Naw-Rúz as a feast #16
27. Let the days in excess of the months be placed before the month of
fasting. #16
28. We have ordained that these ... shall be the manifestations of the
letter Há #16
29. these days of giving that precede the season of restraint #16
30. The traveller ... not bound by the Fast #16
31. The traveller, the ailing, those who are with child or giving suck,
are not bound by the Fast; they have been exempted by God as a token of
His grace. #16
32. Abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sundown #17
33. It hath been ordained that every believer in God ... shall, each
day ... repeat "Alláh-u-Abhá" ninety-five times. #18
34. Perform ye ... ablutions for the Obligatory Prayer #18
35. Ye have been forbidden to commit murder #19
36. or adultery #19
37. backbiting or calumny #19
38. We have divided inheritance into seven categories #20
39. to the brothers, five parts ... to the sisters, four parts #20
40. the teachers #20
41. When We heard the clamour of the children as yet unborn, We doubled
their share and decreased those of the rest. #20
42. the House of Justice #21
43. Should the deceased leave offspring, but none of the other
categories of heirs #22
44. We have assigned the residence and personal clothing of the
deceased to the male, not female, offspring, nor to the other heirs.
#25
45. Should the son of the deceased have passed away in the days of his
father and have left children, they will inherit their father’s share
#26
46. If the deceased should leave children who are under age, their
share of the inheritance must be entrusted to a reliable individual #27
47. Division of the estate should take place only after the Huqúqu’lláh
hath been paid, any debts have been settled, the expenses of the
funeral and burial defrayed #28
48. This is that hidden knowledge which shall never change, since its
beginning is with nine #29
49. The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be
established #30
50. the number of Bahá #30
51. It behoveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men
#30
52. take counsel together #30
53. Build ye houses of worship throughout the lands #31
54. The Lord hath ordained that those of you who are able shall make
pilgrimage to the sacred House #32
55. and from this He hath exempted women as a mercy on His part #32
56. to engage in some occupation #33
57. The kissing of hands hath been forbidden in the Book. #34
58. To none is it permitted to seek absolution from another soul #34
59. Amongst the people is he who seateth himself amid the sandals by
the door whilst coveting in his heart the seat of honour. #36
60. And among the people is he who layeth claim to inner knowledge #36
61. How many a man hath secluded himself in the climes of India, denied
himself the things that God hath decreed as lawful, imposed upon
himself austerities and mortifications #36
62. Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the
expiration of a full thousand years #37
63. This is that of which We gave you forewarning when We were dwelling
in ‘Iráq, then later while in the Land of Mystery, and now from this
Resplendent Spot. #37
64. Amongst the people is he whose learning hath made him proud ...
who, when he heareth the tread of sandals following behind him, waxeth
greater in his own esteem #41
65. Nimrod #41
66. Aghsán #42
67. revert to the people of Bahá #42
68. Shave not your heads #44
69. it is not seemly to let the hair pass beyond the limit of the ears
#44
70. Exile and imprisonment are decreed for the thief #45
71. on the third offence, place ye a mark upon his brow so that, thus
identified, he may not be accepted in the cities of God and His
countries #45
72. Whoso wisheth to make use of vessels of silver and gold is at
liberty to do so. #46
73. Take heed lest, when partaking of food, ye plunge your hands into
the contents of bowls and platters. #46
74. Adopt ye such usages as are most in keeping with refinement. #46
75. He Who is the Dawning-place of God’s Cause hath no partner in the
Most Great Infallibility. #47
76. Unto every father hath been enjoined the instruction of his son and
daughter in the art of reading and writing #48
77. God hath imposed a fine on every adulterer and adulteress, to be
paid to the House of Justice #49
78. nine mithqáls of gold, to be doubled if they should repeat the
offence #49
79. We have made it lawful for you to listen to music and singing. #51
80. O ye Men of Justice! #52
81. The penalties for wounding or striking a person depend upon the
severity of the injury; for each degree the Lord of Judgement hath
prescribed a certain indemnity. # 56
82. Verily, it is enjoined upon you to offer a feast, once in every
month #57
83. If ye should hunt with beasts or birds of prey, invoke ye the Name
of God when ye send them to pursue their quarry; for then whatever they
catch shall be lawful unto you, even should ye find it to have died.
#60
84. hunt not to excess #60
85. He hath granted them no right to the property of others. #61
86. Should anyone intentionally destroy a house by fire, him also shall
ye burn; should anyone deliberately take another’s life, him also shall
ye put to death. #62
87. Should ye condemn the arsonist and the murderer to life
imprisonment, it would be permissible according to the provisions of
the Book. #62
88. God hath prescribed matrimony unto you. #63
89. Beware that ye take not unto yourselves more wives than two. Whoso
contenteth himself with a single partner from among the maidservants of
God, both he and she shall live in tranquillity. #63
90. he who would take into his service a maid may do so with propriety
#63
91. This is My bidding unto you; hold fast to it as an assistance to
yourselves. #63
92. We have conditioned it ... upon the permission of their parents #65
93. No marriage may be contracted without payment of a dowry #66
94. for city-dwellers at nineteen mithqáls of pure gold, and for
village-dwellers at the same amount in silver #66
95. Whoso wisheth to increase this sum, it is forbidden him to exceed
the limit of ninety-five mithqáls... If he content himself, however,
with a payment of the lowest level, it shall be better for him
according to the Book.
96. should any one of His servants intend to travel, he must fix for
his wife a time when he will return home #67
97. it behoveth her to wait for a period of nine months, after which
there is no impediment to her taking another husband #67
98. she should choose the course that is praiseworthy #67
99. two just witnesses #67
100. Should resentment or antipathy arise between husband and wife, he
is not to divorce her but to bide in patience throughout the course of
one whole year #68
101. The Lord hath prohibited ... the practice to which ye formerly had
recourse when thrice ye had divorced a woman. #68
102. He who hath divorced his wife may choose, upon the passing of each
month, to remarry her when there is mutual affection and consent, so
long as she hath not taken another husband ... unless, clearly, her
circumstances change. #68
103. semen is not unclean # 74
104. Cleave ye unto the cord of refinement #74
105. Wash ye every soiled thing with water that hath undergone no
alteration in any one of the three respects #74
106. God hath ... abolished the concept of "uncleanness", whereby
divers things and peoples have been held to be impure. #75
107. first day of Ridván #75
108. the Bayán #77
109. the destruction of books #77
110. We have permitted you to read such sciences as are profitable unto
you, not such as end in idle disputation #77
111. He Who held converse with God #80
112. Sinai #80
113. the Spirit of God #80
114. Carmel ... Zion #80
115. the Crimson Ark #84
116. O Emperor of Austria! He Who is the Dayspring of God’s Light dwelt
in the prison of Akká at the time when thou didst set forth to visit
the Aqsá Mosque. #85
117. O King of Berlin! #86
118. the one whose power transcended thy power, and whose station
excelled thy station #86
119. O people of Constantinople! #89
120. O Spot that art situate on the shores of the two seas! #89
121. O banks of the Rhine! #90
122. O Land of Tá #91
123. within thee was born the Manifestation of His Glory #92
124. O Land of Khá!
125. Should anyone acquire one hundred miṯẖqáls of gold, nineteen
miṯẖqáls thereof are God’s and to be rendered unto Him #97
126. Various petitions have come before Our throne from the believers,
concerning laws from God... We have, in consequence, revealed this Holy
Tablet and arrayed it with the mantle of His Law that haply the people
may keep the commandments of their Lord. #98
127. crimson Spot #100
128. the Sadratu’l-Muntahá #100
129. the Mother Book #103
130. Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of
Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning #105
131. approach not the public pools of Persian baths #106
132. Avoid ye likewise the malodorous pools in the courtyards of
Persian homes #106
133. It is forbidden you to wed your fathers’ wives. #107
134. the subject of boys #107
135. To none is it permitted to mutter sacred verses before the public
gaze as he walketh in the street or marketplace #108
136. Unto everyone hath been enjoined the writing of a will. #109
137. the Most Great Name #109
138. All Feasts have attained their consummation in the two Most Great
Festivals, and in the two other Festivals that fall on the twin days
#110
139. the first day of the month of Bahá #111
140. The Most Great Festival is, indeed, the King of Festivals #112
141. God had formerly laid upon each one of the believers the duty of
offering before Our throne priceless gifts from among his possessions.
Now ... We have absolved them of this obligation. #114
142. the hour of dawn #115
143. These Tablets are embellished with the seal of Him Who causeth the
dawn to appear, Who lifteth up His voice between the heavens and the
earth. #117
144. It is inadmissible that man, who hath been endowed with reason,
should consume that which stealeth it away. #119
145. turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath
branched from this Ancient Root #121
146. In the Bayán it had been forbidden you to ask Us questions. #126
147. The number of months in a year, appointed in the Book of God, is
nineteen. #127
148. the first hath been adorned with this Name which overshadoweth the
whole of creation #127
149. The Lord hath decreed that the dead should be interred in coffins
#128
150. the Point of the Bayán #129
151. the deceased should be enfolded in five sheets of silk or cotton
#130
152. It is forbidden you to transport the body of the deceased a
greater distance than one hour’s journey from the city #130
153. God hath removed the restrictions on travel that had been imposed
in the Bayán. #131
154. Raise up and exalt the two Houses in the Twin Hallowed Spots, and
the other sites wherein the throne of your Lord ... hath been
established. #133
155. Take heed lest ye be prevented by aught that hath been recorded in
the Book from hearkening unto this, the Living Book #134
156. tribute to this Revelation, from the Pen of Him Who was My Herald
#135
157. "The Qiblih is indeed He Whom God will make manifest; whenever He
moveth, it moveth, until He shall come to rest." #137
158. It is unlawful to enter into marriage save with a believer in the
Bayán. Should only one party to a marriage embrace this Cause, his or
her possessions will become unlawful to the other #139
159. The Point of the Bayán #140
160. Verily, there is none other God besides Me #143
161. payment of Zakát #146
162. It is unlawful to beg, and it is forbidden to give to him who
beggeth. #147
163. A fine ... had formerly been prescribed ... for anyone who was the
cause of sadness to another #148
164. the sacred Lote-Tree # 148
165. Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide. #149
166. Ye have been enjoined to renew the furnishings of your homes after
the passing of each nineteen years #151
167. Wash your feet #152
168. Ye have been prohibited from making use of pulpits. Whoso wisheth
to recite unto you the verses of his Lord, let him sit on a chair
placed upon a dais #154
169. Gambling #155
170. the use of opium ... any substance that induceth sluggishness and
torpor #155
171. the "mystery of the Great Reversal in the Sign of the Sovereign"
#157
172. the "Six" raised up by virtue of this "Upright Alif" #157
173. It hath been forbidden you to carry arms unless essential #159
174. and permitted you to attire yourselves in silk #159
175. The Lord hath relieved you ... of the restrictions that formerly
applied to clothing and to the trim of the beard. #159
176. O Land of Káf and Rá! #164
177. We perceive that which secretly and stealthily diffuseth from
thee. #164
178. Call ye to mind the s̱ẖayḵẖ whose name was Muḥammad-Ḥasan #166
179. a sifter of wheat and barley # 166
180. Take heed lest the word "Prophet" withhold you from this Most
Great Announcement #167
181. any reference to "Vicegerency" debar you from the sovereignty of
Him Who is the Vicegerent of God #167
182. Call ye to mind Karím #170
183. O ye the learned ones in Bahá #173
184. refer ye whatsoever ye understand not in the Book to Him Who hath
branched from this mighty Stock #174
185. the School of Transcendent Oneness #175
186. We accepted the verses of God ... which He presented unto Us #175
187. O people of the Bayán! #176
188. the letters B and E were joined and knit together #177
189. this new World Order #181
190. O source of perversion! #184
191. remember how We nurtured thee by day and by night for service to
the Cause #184
192. God hath laid hold on him who led thee astray. #184
193. Select ye a single language ... adopt ye ... a common script. #189
194. We have appointed two signs for the coming of age of the human
race #189
Glossary
PREFACE
In 1953 Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, included as one
of the goals of his Ten Year Plan the preparation of a Synopsis and
Codification of the Laws and Ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas as an
essential prelude to its translation. He himself worked on the
codification, but had not finished it when he died in 1957. The task was
continued on the basis of his work, and the resulting volume was released
in 1973. That publication included, in addition to the Synopsis and
Codification itself and explanatory notes, a compilation of the passages
from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas which had already been translated by Shoghi Effendi
and published in various books. The Synopsis and Codification covered the
text of both the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and the Questions and Answers which
constitutes an appendix to the Aqdas. In 1986 the Universal House of
Justice decided that the time had come when the preparation of an English
translation of the complete text of the Most Holy Book was both possible
and essential and made its accomplishment a goal of the Six Year Plan
1986-1992. Its publication in English will be followed by translations in
other languages.
It has been recognized that the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, being Sacred Scripture,
should be presented in a form which can be read with ease and inspiration,
uncluttered with the footnotes and index numbers that are common in
scholarly texts. Nonetheless, to assist the reader in following the flow
of the text and its changing themes, paragraph divisions have been
added—such divisions not being common in works of Arabic literature—and
these paragraphs have then been numbered for ease of access and indexing,
as well as for uniformity of reference in all the languages in which the
work will be published.
Following the text of the Aqdas is a brief compilation of Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh which are supplementary to the Most Holy Book, and a
translation of the Questions and Answers published here for the first
time.
Shoghi Effendi had stated that the English translation of the Aqdas should
be "copiously annotated". The policy followed in preparing the notes has
been to concentrate on those points which might strike a
non-Arabic-speaking reader as obscure or which, for various reasons,
require elucidation or background information. They are not intended to be
a comprehensive commentary on the text beyond these fundamental
requirements.
The notes, which are placed following the Synopsis and Codification, are
numbered sequentially. Each is preceded by a quotation of the passage to
which it relates, and indicates the number of the paragraph in which this
appears. This facilitates cross-reference between the text and the notes,
while making it possible for readers to study the notes without repeatedly
consulting the text, if they so prefer. It is hoped in this way to meet
the needs of readers of a wide range of backgrounds and interests.
The index provides a guide to subjects in all sections of the volume.
The significance and character of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and the range of
subjects it contains have been graphically depicted by Shoghi Effendi in
his history of the first Bahá’í century entitled God Passes By. As an
assistance to the reader, these passages are provided in the section that
immediately follows the introduction. The Synopsis and Codification, which
is republished in this volume, serves as another aid for obtaining an
overview of the Book.
INTRODUCTION
This year, the 149th of the Bahá’í era, marks the Centenary of the
Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, Bearer of the universal Revelation of God
destined to lead humanity to its collective coming of age. That this
occasion should be observed by a community of believers representing a
cross-section of the entire human race and established, in the course of a
century and a half, in the most remote corners of the globe, is a token of
the forces of unity released by Bahá’u’lláh’s advent. A further testimony
to the operation of these same forces can be seen in the extent to which
Bahá’u’lláh’s vision has prefigured contemporary human experience in so
many of its aspects. It is a propitious moment for the publication of this
first authorized translation into English of the Mother Book of His
Revelation, His "Most Holy Book", the Book in which He sets forth the Laws
of God for a Dispensation destined to endure for no less than a thousand
years.
Of the more than one hundred volumes comprising the sacred Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is of unique importance. "To build anew the
whole world" is the claim and challenge of His Message, and the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas is the Charter of the future world civilization that
Bahá’u’lláh has come to raise up. Its provisions rest squarely on the
foundation established by past religions, for, in the words of
Bahá’u’lláh, "This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past,
eternal in the future." In this Revelation the concepts of the past are
brought to a new level of understanding, and the social laws, changed to
suit the age now dawning, are designed to carry humanity forward into a
world civilization the splendours of which can as yet be scarcely
imagined.
In its affirmation of the validity of the great religions of the past, the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas reiterates those eternal truths enunciated by all the Divine
Messengers: the unity of God, love of one’s neighbour, and the moral
purpose of earthly life. At the same time it removes those elements of
past religious codes that now constitute obstacles to the emerging
unification of the world and the reconstruction of human society.
The Law of God for this Dispensation addresses the needs of the entire
human family. There are laws in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas which are directed
primarily to the members of a specific section of humanity and can be
immediately understood by them but which, at first reading, may be obscure
to people of a different culture. Such, for example, is the law
prohibiting the confession of sins to a fellow human being which, though
understandable by those of Christian background, may puzzle others. Many
laws relate to those of past Dispensations, especially the two most recent
ones, those of Muḥammad and the Báb embodied in the Qur’án and the Bayán.
Nevertheless, although certain ordinances of the Aqdas have such a focused
reference, they also have universal implications. Through His Law,
Bahá’u’lláh gradually unveils the significance of the new levels of
knowledge and behaviour to which the peoples of the world are being
called. He embeds His precepts in a setting of spiritual commentary,
keeping ever before the mind of the reader the principle that these laws,
no matter the subject with which they deal, serve the manifold purposes of
bringing tranquillity to human society, raising the standard of human
behaviour, increasing the range of human understanding, and spiritualizing
the life of each and all. Throughout, it is the relationship of the
individual soul to God and the fulfilment of its spiritual destiny that is
the ultimate aim of the laws of religion. "Think not", is Bahá’u’lláh’s
own assertion, "that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay,
rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and
power." His Book of Laws is His "weightiest testimony unto all people, and
the proof of the All-Merciful unto all who are in heaven and all who are
on earth".
An introduction to the spiritual universe unveiled in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
would fail in its purpose if it did not acquaint the reader with the
interpretive and legislative institutions that Bahá’u’lláh has
indissolubly linked with the system of law thus revealed. At the
foundation of this guidance lies the unique role which Bahá’u’lláh’s
Writings—indeed the text of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas itself—confer on His eldest
son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This unique figure is at once the Exemplar of the
pattern of life taught by His Father, the divinely inspired authoritative
Interpreter of His Teachings and the Centre and Pivot of the Covenant
which the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation made with all who recognize Him.
The twenty-nine years of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ministry endowed the Bahá’í world
with a luminous body of commentary that opens multiple vistas of
understanding on His Father’s purpose.
In His Will and Testament ‘Abdu’l-Bahá conferred the mantle of Guardian of
the Cause and infallible Interpreter of its teachings upon His eldest
grandson, Shoghi Effendi, and confirmed the authority and guarantee of
divine guidance decreed by Bahá’u’lláh for the Universal House of Justice
on all matters "which have not outwardly been revealed in the Book". The
Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice can thus be seen to be, in
the words of Shoghi Effendi, the "Twin Successors" of Bahá’u’lláh and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá. They are the supreme institutions of the Administrative
Order which was founded and anticipated in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and
elaborated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will.
During the thirty-six years of his ministry, Shoghi Effendi raised up the
structure of elected Spiritual Assemblies—the Houses of Justice referred
to in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, now in their embryonic stage—and with their
collaboration initiated the systematic implementation of the Divine Plan
that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had laid out for the diffusion of the Faith throughout
the world. He also set in motion, on the basis of the strong
administrative structure that had been established, the processes which
were an essential preparation for the election of the Universal House of
Justice. This body, which came into existence in April 1963, is elected
through secret ballot and plurality vote in a three-stage election by
adult Bahá’ís throughout the world. The revealed Word of Bahá’u’lláh,
together with the interpretations and expositions of the Centre of the
Covenant and the Guardian of the Cause, constitute the binding terms of
reference of the Universal House of Justice and are its bedrock
foundation.
As to the laws themselves, a careful scrutiny discloses that they govern
three areas: the individual’s relationship to God, physical and spiritual
matters which benefit the individual directly, and relations among
individuals and between the individual and society. They can be grouped
under the following headings: prayer and fasting; laws of personal status
governing marriage, divorce and inheritance; a range of other laws,
ordinances and prohibitions, as well as exhortations; and the abrogation
of specific laws and ordinances of previous Dispensations. A salient
characteristic is their brevity. They constitute the kernel of a vast
range of law that will arise in centuries to come. This elaboration of the
law will be enacted by the Universal House of Justice under the authority
conferred upon it by Bahá’u’lláh Himself. In one of His Tablets
‘Abdu’l-Bahá elucidates this principle:
Those matters of major importance which constitute the foundation
of the Law of God are explicitly recorded in the Text, but
subsidiary laws are left to the House of Justice. The wisdom of
this is that the times never remain the same, for change is a
necessary quality and an essential attribute of this world, and of
time and place. Therefore the House of Justice will take action
accordingly...
Briefly, this is the wisdom of referring the laws of society to
the House of Justice. In the religion of Islám, similarly, not
every ordinance was explicitly revealed; nay not a tenth part of a
tenth part was included in the Text; although all matters of major
importance were specifically referred to, there were undoubtedly
thousands of laws which were unspecified. These were devised by
the divines of a later age according to the laws of Islamic
jurisprudence, and individual divines made conflicting deductions
from the original revealed ordinances. All these were enforced.
Today this process of deduction is the right of the body of the
House of Justice, and the deductions and conclusions of individual
learned men have no authority, unless they are endorsed by the
House of Justice. The difference is precisely this, that from the
conclusions and endorsements of the body of the House of Justice
whose members are elected by and known to the worldwide Bahá’í
community, no differences will arise; whereas the conclusions of
individual divines and scholars would definitely lead to
differences, and result in schism, division, and dispersion. The
oneness of the Word would be destroyed, the unity of the Faith
would disappear, and the edifice of the Faith of God would be
shaken.
Although the Universal House of Justice is explicitly authorized to change
or repeal its own legislation as conditions change, thus providing Bahá’í
law with an essential element of flexibility, it cannot abrogate or change
any of the laws which are explicitly laid down in the sacred Text.
The society for which certain of the laws of the Aqdas are designed will
come only gradually into being, and Bahá’u’lláh has provided for the
progressive application of Bahá’í law:
Indeed, the laws of God are like unto the ocean and the children
of men as fish, did they but know it. However, in observing them
one must exercise tact and wisdom... Since most people are feeble
and far-removed from the purpose of God, therefore one must
observe tact and prudence under all conditions, so that nothing
might happen that could cause disturbance and dissension or raise
clamour among the heedless. Verily, His bounty hath surpassed the
whole universe and His bestowals encompassed all that dwell on
earth. One must guide mankind to the ocean of true understanding
in a spirit of love and tolerance. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas itself
beareth eloquent testimony to the loving providence of God.
The principle governing this progressive application was enunciated in a
letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a National Spiritual
Assembly in 1935:
The laws revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in the Aqdas are, whenever
practicable and not in direct conflict with the Civil Law of the
land, absolutely binding on every believer or Bahá’í institution
whether in the East or in the West. Certain ... laws should be
regarded by all believers as universally and vitally applicable at
the present time. Others have been formulated in anticipation of a
state of society destined to emerge from the chaotic conditions
that prevail today... What has not been formulated in the Aqdas,
in addition to matters of detail and of secondary importance
arising out of the application of the laws already formulated by
Bahá’u’lláh, will have to be enacted by the Universal House of
Justice. This body can supplement but never invalidate or modify
in the least degree what has already been formulated by
Bahá’u’lláh. Nor has the Guardian any right whatsoever to lessen
the binding effect much less to abrogate the provisions of so
fundamental and sacred a Book.
The number of laws binding on Bahá’ís is not increased by the publication
of this translation. When it is deemed timely, the Bahá’í community will
be advised which additional laws are binding upon believers, and any
guidance or supplementary legislation necessary for their application will
be provided.
In general, the laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas are stated succinctly. An
example of this conciseness can be seen in the fact that many are
expressed only as they apply to a man, but it is apparent from the
Guardian’s writings that, where Bahá’u’lláh has given a law as between a
man and a woman, it applies mutatis mutandis between a woman and a man
unless the context makes this impossible. For example, the text of the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas forbids a man to marry his father’s wife (i.e. his
stepmother), and the Guardian has indicated that likewise a woman is
forbidden to marry her stepfather. This understanding of the implications
of the Law has far-reaching effects in light of the fundamental Bahá’í
principle of the equality of the sexes, and should be borne in mind when
the sacred Text is studied. That men and women differ from one another in
certain characteristics and functions is an inescapable fact of nature and
makes possible their complementary roles in certain areas of the life of
society; but it is significant that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has stated that in this
Dispensation "Equality of men and women, except in some negligible
instances, has been fully and categorically announced."
Mention has already been made of the intimate relationship between the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas and the Holy Books of previous Dispensations. Especially
close is the relationship to the Bayán, the Book of Laws revealed by the
Báb. It is elucidated in the following excerpts from letters written on
behalf of the Guardian:
Shoghi Effendi feels that the unity of the Bahá’í Revelation as
one complete whole embracing the Faith of the Báb should be
emphasized... The Faith of the Báb should not be divorced from
that of Bahá’u’lláh. Though the teachings of the Bayán have been
abrogated and superseded by the laws of the Aqdas, yet due to the
fact that the Báb considered Himself as the Forerunner of
Bahá’u’lláh, we would regard His Dispensation together with that
of Bahá’u’lláh as forming one entity, the former being
introductory to the advent of the latter.
The Báb states that His laws are provisional and depend upon the
acceptance of the future Manifestation. This is why in the Book of
Aqdas Bahá’u’lláh sanctions some of the laws found in the Bayán,
modifies others and sets aside many.
Just as the Bayán had been revealed by the Báb at about the mid-point of
His Ministry, Bahá’u’lláh revealed the Kitáb-i-Aqdas around 1873, some
twenty years after He had received, in the Síyáh-C̱ẖál of Ṭihrán, the
intimation of His Revelation. In one of His Tablets He indicates that even
after its revelation the Aqdas was withheld by Him for some time before it
was sent to the friends in Iran. Thereafter, as Shoghi Effendi has
related:
The formulation by Bahá’u’lláh, in His Kitáb-i-Aqdas, of the
fundamental laws of His Dispensation was followed, as His Mission
drew to a close, by the enunciation of certain precepts and
principles which lie at the very core of His Faith, by the
reaffirmation of truths He had previously proclaimed, by the
elaboration and elucidation of some of the laws He had already
laid down, by the revelation of further prophecies and warnings,
and by the establishment of subsidiary ordinances designed to
supplement the provisions of His Most Holy Book. These were
recorded in unnumbered Tablets, which He continued to reveal until
the last days of His earthly life...
Among such works is the Questions and Answers, a compilation made by
Zaynu’l-Muqarrabín, the most eminent of the transcribers of Bahá’u’lláh’s
Writings. Consisting of answers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh to questions put
to Him by various believers, it constitutes an invaluable appendix to the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas. In 1978 the most noteworthy of the other Tablets of this
nature were published in English as a compilation entitled Tablets of
Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
Some years after the revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh had
manuscript copies sent to Bahá’ís in Iran, and in the year 1308 A.H.
(1890-91 A.D.), towards the end of His life, He arranged for the
publication of the original Arabic text of the Book in Bombay.
A word should be said about the style of language in which the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas has been rendered into English. Bahá’u’lláh enjoyed a superb
mastery of Arabic, and preferred to use it in those Tablets and other
Writings where its precision of meaning was particularly appropriate to
the exposition of basic principle. Beyond the choice of language itself,
however, the style employed is of an exalted and emotive character,
immensely compelling, particularly to those familiar with the great
literary tradition out of which it arose. In taking up his task of
translation, Shoghi Effendi faced the challenge of finding an English
style which would not only faithfully convey the exactness of the text’s
meaning, but would also evoke in the reader the spirit of meditative
reverence which is a distinguishing feature of response to the original.
The form of expression he selected, reminiscent of the style used by the
seventeenth-century translators of the Bible, captures the elevated mode
of Bahá’u’lláh’s Arabic, while remaining accessible to the contemporary
reader. His translations, moreover, are illumined by his uniquely inspired
understanding of the purport and implications of the originals.
Although both Arabic and English are languages with rich vocabularies and
varied modes of expression, their forms differ widely from one another.
The Arabic of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is marked by intense concentration and
terseness of expression. It is a characteristic of this style that if a
connotation is obvious it should not be explicitly stated. This presents a
problem for a reader whose cultural, religious and literary background is
entirely different from that of Arabic. A literal translation of a passage
which is clear in the Arabic could be obscure in English. It therefore
becomes necessary to include in the English translation of such passages
that element of the Arabic sentence which is obviously implicit in the
original. At the same time, it is vital to avoid extrapolating this
process to the point where it would add unjustifiably to the original or
limit its meaning. Striking the right balance between beauty and clarity
of expression on the one hand, and literalness on the other, is one of the
major issues with which the translators have had to grapple and which has
caused repeated reconsideration of the rendering of certain passages.
Another major issue is the legal implication of certain Arabic terms which
have a range of meanings different from those of similar terms in English.
Sacred Scripture clearly requires especial care and faithfulness in
translation. This is supremely important in the case of a Book of Laws,
where it is vital that the reader not be misled or drawn into fruitless
disputation. As had been foreseen, the translation of the Most Holy Book
has been a work of the utmost difficulty, requiring consultation with
experts in many lands. Since some one third of the text had already been
translated by Shoghi Effendi, it was necessary to strive for three
qualities in the translation of the remaining passages: accuracy of
meaning, beauty of English, and conformity of style with that used by
Shoghi Effendi.
We are now satisfied that the translation has reached a point where it
represents an acceptable rendering of the original. Nevertheless, it will
undoubtedly give rise to questions and suggestions which may shed further
light on its content. We are profoundly grateful for the assiduous and
meticulous labours of the members of the Committees whom we commissioned
to prepare and review this translation of the Aqdas and to compose the
annotations. We are confident that this first authorized English edition
of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas will enable its readers to obtain at least an inkling
of the splendour of the Mother Book of the Bahá’í Dispensation.
Our world has entered the dark heart of an age of fundamental change
beyond anything in all of its tumultuous history. Its peoples, of whatever
race, nation, or religion, are being challenged to subordinate all lesser
loyalties and limiting identities to their oneness as citizens of a single
planetary homeland. In Bahá’u’lláh’s words: "The well-being of mankind,
its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is
firmly established." May the publication of this translation of the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas lend a fresh impulse to the realization of this universal
vision, opening vistas of a worldwide regeneration.
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
A DESCRIPTION OF THE KITÁB-I-AQDAS BY SHOGHI EFFENDI
Taken from _God Passes By_, His History of the First Bahá’í Century
Unique and stupendous as was this Proclamation, it proved to be but a
prelude to a still mightier revelation of the creative power of its
Author, and to what may well rank as the most signal act of His
ministry—the promulgation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Alluded to in the
Kitáb-i-Iqán, the principal repository of that Law which the Prophet
Isaiah had anticipated, and which the writer of the Apocalypse had
described as the "new heaven" and the "new earth", as "the Tabernacle of
God", as the "Holy City", as the "Bride", the "New Jerusalem coming down
from God", this "Most Holy Book", whose provisions must remain inviolate
for no less than a thousand years, and whose system will embrace the
entire planet, may well be regarded as the brightest emanation of the mind
of Bahá’u’lláh, as the Mother Book of His Dispensation, and the Charter of
His New World Order.
Revealed soon after Bahá’u’lláh had been transferred to the house of Údí
Ḵẖammár (circa 1873), at a time when He was still encompassed by the
tribulations that had afflicted Him, through the acts committed by His
enemies and the professed adherents of His Faith, this Book, this treasury
enshrining the priceless gems of His Revelation, stands out, by virtue of
the principles it inculcates, the administrative institutions it ordains
and the function with which it invests the appointed Successor of its
Author, unique and incomparable among the world’s sacred Scriptures. For,
unlike the Old Testament and the Holy Books which preceded it, in which
the actual precepts uttered by the Prophet Himself are non-existent;
unlike the Gospels, in which the few sayings attributed to Jesus Christ
afford no clear guidance regarding the future administration of the
affairs of His Faith; unlike even the Qur’án which, though explicit in the
laws and ordinances formulated by the Apostle of God, is silent on the
all-important subject of the succession, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, revealed from
first to last by the Author of the Dispensation Himself, not only
preserves for posterity the basic laws and ordinances on which the fabric
of His future World Order must rest, but ordains, in addition to the
function of interpretation which it confers upon His Successor, the
necessary institutions through which the integrity and unity of His Faith
can alone be safeguarded.
In this Charter of the future world civilization its Author—at once the
Judge, the Lawgiver, the Unifier and Redeemer of mankind—announces to the
kings of the earth the promulgation of the "Most Great Law"; pronounces
them to be His vassals; proclaims Himself the "King of Kings"; disclaims
any intention of laying hands on their kingdoms; reserves for Himself the
right to "seize and possess the hearts of men"; warns the world’s
ecclesiastical leaders not to weigh the "Book of God" with such standards
as are current amongst them; and affirms that the Book itself is the
"Unerring Balance" established amongst men. In it He formally ordains the
institution of the "House of Justice", defines its functions, fixes its
revenues, and designates its members as the "Men of Justice", the
"Deputies of God", the "Trustees of the All-Merciful"; alludes to the
future Centre of His Covenant, and invests Him with the right of
interpreting His holy Writ; anticipates by implication the institution of
Guardianship; bears witness to the revolutionizing effect of His World
Order; enunciates the doctrine of the "Most Great Infallibility" of the
Manifestation of God; asserts this infallibility to be the inherent and
exclusive right of the Prophet; and rules out the possibility of the
appearance of another Manifestation ere the lapse of at least one thousand
years.
In this Book He, moreover, prescribes the obligatory prayers; designates
the time and period of fasting; prohibits congregational prayer except for
the dead; fixes the Qiblih; institutes the Ḥuqúqu’lláh (Right of God);
formulates the law of inheritance; ordains the institution of the
Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár; establishes the Nineteen Day Feast, the Bahá’í
festivals and the Intercalary Days; abolishes the institution of
priesthood; prohibits slavery, asceticism, mendicancy, monasticism,
penance, the use of pulpits and the kissing of hands; prescribes monogamy;
condemns cruelty to animals, idleness and sloth, backbiting and calumny;
censures divorce; interdicts gambling, the use of opium, wine and other
intoxicating drinks; specifies the punishments for murder, arson, adultery
and theft; stresses the importance of marriage and lays down its essential
conditions; imposes the obligation of engaging in some trade or
profession, exalting such occupation to the rank of worship; emphasizes
the necessity of providing the means for the education of children; and
lays upon every person the duty of writing a testament and of strict
obedience to one’s government.
Apart from these provisions Bahá’u’lláh exhorts His followers to consort,
with amity and concord and without discrimination, with the adherents of
all religions; warns them to guard against fanaticism, sedition, pride,
dispute and contention; inculcates upon them immaculate cleanliness,
strict truthfulness, spotless chastity, trustworthiness, hospitality,
fidelity, courtesy, forbearance, justice and fairness; counsels them to be
"even as the fingers of one hand and the limbs of one body"; calls upon
them to arise and serve His Cause; and assures them of His undoubted aid.
He, furthermore, dwells upon the instability of human affairs; declares
that true liberty consists in man’s submission to His commandments;
cautions them not to be indulgent in carrying out His statutes; prescribes
the twin inseparable duties of recognizing the "Dayspring of God’s
Revelation" and of observing all the ordinances revealed by Him, neither
of which, He affirms, is acceptable without the other.
The significant summons issued to the Presidents of the Republics of the
American continent to seize their opportunity in the Day of God and to
champion the cause of justice; the injunction to the members of
parliaments throughout the world, urging the adoption of a universal
script and language; His warnings to William I, the conqueror of Napoleon
III; the reproof He administers to Francis Joseph, the Emperor of Austria;
His reference to "the lamentations of Berlin" in His apostrophe to "the
banks of the Rhine"; His condemnation of "the throne of tyranny"
established in Constantinople, and His prediction of the extinction of its
"outward splendour" and of the tribulations destined to overtake its
inhabitants; the words of cheer and comfort He addresses to His native
city, assuring her that God had chosen her to be "the source of the joy of
all mankind"; His prophecy that "the voice of the heroes of Ḵẖurásán"
will be raised in glorification of their Lord; His assertion that men
"endued with mighty valour" will be raised up in Kirmán who will make
mention of Him; and finally, His magnanimous assurance to a perfidious
brother who had afflicted Him with such anguish, that an "ever-forgiving,
all-bounteous" God would forgive him his iniquities were he only to
repent—all these further enrich the contents of a Book designated by its
Author as "the source of true felicity", as the "Unerring Balance", as the
"Straight Path" and as the "quickener of mankind".
The laws and ordinances that constitute the major theme of this Book,
Bahá’u’lláh, moreover, has specifically characterized as "the breath of
life unto all created things", as "the mightiest stronghold", as the
"fruits" of His "Tree", as "the highest means for the maintenance of order
in the world and the security of its peoples", as "the lamps of His wisdom
and loving-providence", as "the sweet-smelling savour of His garment", and
the "keys" of His "mercy" to His creatures. "This Book", He Himself
testifies, "is a heaven which We have adorned with the stars of Our
commandments and prohibitions." "Blessed the man", He, moreover, has
stated, "who will read it, and ponder the verses sent down in it by God,
the Lord of Power, the Almighty. Say, O men! Take hold of it with the hand
of resignation... By My life! It hath been sent down in a manner that
amazeth the minds of men. Verily, it is My weightiest testimony unto all
people, and the proof of the All-Merciful unto all who are in heaven and
all who are on earth." And again: "Blessed the palate that savoureth its
sweetness, and the perceiving eye that recognizeth that which is treasured
therein, and the understanding heart that comprehendeth its allusions and
mysteries. By God! Such is the majesty of what hath been revealed therein,
and so tremendous the revelation of its veiled allusions that the loins of
utterance shake when attempting their description." And finally: "In such
a manner hath the Kitáb-i-Aqdas been revealed that it attracteth and
embraceth all the divinely appointed Dispensations. Blessed those who
peruse it! Blessed those who apprehend it! Blessed those who meditate upon
it! Blessed those who ponder its meaning! So vast is its range that it
hath encompassed all men ere their recognition of it. Erelong will its
sovereign power, its pervasive influence and the greatness of its might be
manifested on earth."
THE KITÁB-I-AQDAS
In The Name Of Him Who Is The Supreme Ruler Over All That Hath Been And
All That Is To Be
1 The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of
Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws,
Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the
world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good;
and whoso is deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of
every righteous deed. It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime
station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of
Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable.
Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him
Who is the Source of Divine inspiration.
2 They whom God hath endued with insight will readily recognize that the
precepts laid down by God constitute the highest means for the maintenance
of order in the world and the security of its peoples. He that turneth
away from them is accounted among the abject and foolish. We, verily, have
commanded you to refuse the dictates of your evil passions and corrupt
desires, and not to transgress the bounds which the Pen of the Most High
hath fixed, for these are the breath of life unto all created things. The
seas of Divine wisdom and Divine utterance have risen under the breath of
the breeze of the All-Merciful. Hasten to drink your fill, O men of
understanding! They that have violated the Covenant of God by breaking His
commandments, and have turned back on their heels, these have erred
grievously in the sight of God, the All-Possessing, the Most High.
3 O ye peoples of the world! Know assuredly that My commandments are the
lamps of My loving providence among My servants, and the keys of My mercy
for My creatures. Thus hath it been sent down from the heaven of the Will
of your Lord, the Lord of Revelation. Were any man to taste the sweetness
of the words which the lips of the All-Merciful have willed to utter, he
would, though the treasures of the earth be in his possession, renounce
them one and all, that he might vindicate the truth of even one of His
commandments, shining above the Dayspring of His bountiful care and
loving-kindness.
4 Say: From My laws the sweet-smelling savour of My garment can be
smelled, and by their aid the standards of Victory will be planted upon
the highest peaks. The Tongue of My power hath, from the heaven of My
omnipotent glory, addressed to My creation these words: "Observe My
commandments, for the love of My beauty." Happy is the lover that hath
inhaled the divine fragrance of his Best-Beloved from these words, laden
with the perfume of a grace which no tongue can describe. By My life! He
who hath drunk the choice wine of fairness from the hands of My bountiful
favour will circle around My commandments that shine above the Dayspring
of My creation.
5 Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay,
rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and
power. To this beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath
revealed. Meditate upon this, O men of insight!
6 We have enjoined obligatory prayer upon you, with nine rak’áhs, to be
offered at noon and in the morning and the evening unto God, the Revealer
of Verses. We have relieved you of a greater number, as a command in the
Book of God. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the Omnipotent, the
Unrestrained. When ye desire to perform this prayer, turn ye towards the
Court of My Most Holy Presence, this Hallowed Spot that God hath made the
Centre round which circle the Concourse on High, and which He hath decreed
to be the Point of Adoration for the denizens of the Cities of Eternity,
and the Source of Command unto all that are in heaven and on earth; and
when the Sun of Truth and Utterance shall set, turn your faces towards the
Spot that We have ordained for you. He, verily, is Almighty and
Omniscient.
7 Everything that is hath come to be through His irresistible decree.
Whenever My laws appear like the sun in the heaven of Mine utterance, they
must be faithfully obeyed by all, though My decree be such as to cause the
heaven of every religion to be cleft asunder. He doeth what He pleaseth.
He chooseth, and none may question His choice. Whatsoever He, the
Well-Beloved, ordaineth, the same is, verily, beloved. To this He Who is
the Lord of all creation beareth Me witness. Whoso hath inhaled the sweet
fragrance of the All-Merciful, and recognized the Source of this
utterance, will welcome with his own eyes the shafts of the enemy, that he
may establish the truth of the laws of God amongst men. Well is it with
him that hath turned thereunto, and apprehended the meaning of His
decisive decree.
8 We have set forth the details of obligatory prayer in another Tablet.
Blessed is he who observeth that whereunto he hath been bidden by Him Who
ruleth over all mankind. In the Prayer for the Dead six specific passages
have been sent down by God, the Revealer of Verses. Let one who is able to
read recite that which hath been revealed to precede these passages; and
as for him who is unable, God hath relieved him of this requirement. He,
of a truth, is the Mighty, the Pardoner.
9 Hair doth not invalidate your prayer, nor aught from which the spirit
hath departed, such as bones and the like. Ye are free to wear the fur of
the sable as ye would that of the beaver, the squirrel, and other animals;
the prohibition of its use hath stemmed, not from the Qur’án, but from the
misconceptions of the divines. He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the
All-Knowing.
10 We have commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity;
this is ordained by God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. He
hath exempted from this those who are weak from illness or age, as a
bounty from His Presence, and He is the Forgiving, the Generous. God hath
granted you leave to prostrate yourselves on any surface that is clean,
for We have removed in this regard the limitation that had been laid down
in the Book; God, indeed, hath knowledge of that whereof ye know naught.
Let him that findeth no water for ablution repeat five times the words "In
the Name of God, the Most Pure, the Most Pure", and then proceed to his
devotions. Such is the command of the Lord of all worlds. In regions where
the days and nights grow long, let times of prayer be gauged by clocks and
other instruments that mark the passage of the hours. He, verily, is the
Expounder, the Wise.
11 We have absolved you from the requirement of performing the Prayer of
the Signs. On the appearance of fearful natural events call ye to mind the
might and majesty of your Lord, He Who heareth and seeth all, and say
"Dominion is God’s, the Lord of the seen and the unseen, the Lord of
creation".
12 It hath been ordained that obligatory prayer is to be performed by each
of you individually. Save in the Prayer for the Dead, the practice of
congregational prayer hath been annulled. He, of a truth, is the Ordainer,
the All-Wise.
13 God hath exempted women who are in their courses from obligatory prayer
and fasting. Let them, instead, after performance of their ablutions, give
praise unto God, repeating ninety-five times between the noon of one day
and the next "Glorified be God, the Lord of Splendour and Beauty". Thus
hath it been decreed in the Book, if ye be of them that comprehend.
14 When travelling, if ye should stop and rest in some safe spot, perform
ye—men and women alike—a single prostration in place of each unsaid
Obligatory Prayer, and while prostrating say "Glorified be God, the Lord
of Might and Majesty, of Grace and Bounty". Whoso is unable to do this,
let him say only "Glorified be God"; this shall assuredly suffice him. He
is, of a truth, the all-sufficing, the ever-abiding, the forgiving,
compassionate God. Upon completing your prostrations, seat yourselves
cross-legged—men and women alike—and eighteen times repeat "Glorified be
God, the Lord of the kingdoms of earth and heaven". Thus doth the Lord
make plain the ways of truth and guidance, ways that lead to one way,
which is this Straight Path. Render thanks unto God for this most gracious
favour; offer praise unto Him for this bounty that hath encompassed the
heavens and the earth; extol Him for this mercy that hath pervaded all
creation.
15 Say: God hath made My hidden love the key to the Treasure; would that
ye might perceive it! But for the key, the Treasure would to all eternity
have remained concealed; would that ye might believe it! Say: This is the
Source of Revelation, the Dawning-place of Splendour, Whose brightness
hath illumined the horizons of the world. Would that ye might understand!
This is, verily, that fixed Decree through which every irrevocable decree
hath been established.
16 O Pen of the Most High! Say: O people of the world! We have enjoined
upon you fasting during a brief period, and at its close have designated
for you Naw-Rúz as a feast. Thus hath the Day-Star of Utterance shone
forth above the horizon of the Book as decreed by Him Who is the Lord of
the beginning and the end. Let the days in excess of the months be placed
before the month of fasting. We have ordained that these, amid all nights
and days, shall be the manifestations of the letter Há, and thus they have
not been bounded by the limits of the year and its months. It behoveth the
people of Bahá, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for
themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with
joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and
magnify His Name; and when they end—these days of giving that precede the
season of restraint—let them enter upon the Fast. Thus hath it been
ordained by Him Who is the Lord of all mankind. The traveller, the ailing,
those who are with child or giving suck, are not bound by the Fast; they
have been exempted by God as a token of His grace. He, verily, is the
Almighty, the Most Generous.
17 These are the ordinances of God that have been set down in the Books
and Tablets by His Most Exalted Pen. Hold ye fast unto His statutes and
commandments, and be not of those who, following their idle fancies and
vain imaginings, have clung to the standards fixed by their own selves,
and cast behind their backs the standards laid down by God. Abstain from
food and drink from sunrise to sundown, and beware lest desire deprive you
of this grace that is appointed in the Book.
18 It hath been ordained that every believer in God, the Lord of
Judgement, shall, each day, having washed his hands and then his face,
seat himself and, turning unto God, repeat "Alláh-u-Abhá" ninety-five
times. Such was the decree of the Maker of the Heavens when, with majesty
and power, He established Himself upon the thrones of His Names. Perform
ye, likewise, ablutions for the Obligatory Prayer; this is the command of
God, the Incomparable, the Unrestrained.
19 Ye have been forbidden to commit murder or adultery, or to engage in
backbiting or calumny; shun ye, then, what hath been prohibited in the
holy Books and Tablets.
20 We have divided inheritance into seven categories: to the children, We
have allotted nine parts comprising five hundred and forty shares; to the
wife, eight parts comprising four hundred and eighty shares; to the
father, seven parts comprising four hundred and twenty shares; to the
mother, six parts comprising three hundred and sixty shares; to the
brothers, five parts or three hundred shares; to the sisters, four parts
or two hundred and forty shares; and to the teachers, three parts or one
hundred and eighty shares. Such was the ordinance of My Forerunner, He Who
extolleth My Name in the night season and at the break of day. When We
heard the clamour of the children as yet unborn, We doubled their share
and decreased those of the rest. He, of a truth, hath power to ordain
whatsoever He desireth, and He doeth as He pleaseth by virtue of His
sovereign might.
21 Should the deceased leave no offspring, their share shall revert to the
House of Justice, to be expended by the Trustees of the All-Merciful on
the orphaned and widowed, and on whatsoever will bring benefit to the
generality of the people, that all may give thanks unto their Lord, the
All-Gracious, the Pardoner.
22 Should the deceased leave offspring, but none of the other categories
of heirs that have been specified in the Book, they shall receive two
thirds of the inheritance and the remaining third shall revert to the
House of Justice. Such is the command which hath been given, in majesty
and glory, by Him Who is the All-Possessing, the Most High.
23 If the deceased should leave none of the specified heirs, but have
among his relatives nephews and nieces, whether on his brother’s or his
sister’s side, two thirds of the inheritance shall pass to them; or,
lacking these, to his uncles and aunts on both his father’s and his
mother’s side, and after them to their sons and daughters. The remaining
third of the inheritance shall, in any case, revert to the Seat of
Justice. Thus hath it been laid down in the Book by Him Who ruleth over
all men.
24 Should the deceased be survived by none of those whose names have been
recorded by the Pen of the Most High, his estate shall, in its entirety,
revert to the aforementioned Seat that it may be expended on that which is
prescribed by God. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the Omnipotent.
25 We have assigned the residence and personal clothing of the deceased to
the male, not female, offspring, nor to the other heirs. He, verily, is
the Munificent, the All-Bountiful.
26 Should the son of the deceased have passed away in the days of his
father and have left children, they will inherit their father’s share, as
prescribed in the Book of God. Divide ye their share amongst them with
perfect justice. Thus have the billows of the Ocean of Utterance surged,
casting forth the pearls of the laws decreed by the Lord of all mankind.
27 If the deceased should leave children who are under age, their share of
the inheritance must be entrusted to a reliable individual, or to a
company, that it may be invested on their behalf in trade and business
until they come of age. The trustee should be assigned a due share of the
profit that hath accrued to it from being thus employed.
28 Division of the estate should take place only after the Ḥuqúqu’lláh
hath been paid, any debts have been settled, the expenses of the funeral
and burial defrayed, and such provision made that the deceased may be
carried to his resting-place with dignity and honour. Thus hath it been
ordained by Him Who is Lord of the beginning and the end.
29 Say: This is that hidden knowledge which shall never change, since its
beginning is with nine, the symbol that betokeneth the concealed and
manifest, the inviolable and unapproachably exalted Name. As for what We
have appropriated to the children, this is a bounty conferred on them by
God, that they may render thanks unto their Lord, the Compassionate, the
Merciful. These, verily, are the Laws of God; transgress them not at the
prompting of your base and selfish desires. Observe ye the injunctions
laid upon you by Him Who is the Dawning-place of Utterance. The sincere
among His servants will regard the precepts set forth by God as the Water
of Life to the followers of every faith, and the Lamp of wisdom and loving
providence to all the denizens of earth and heaven.
30 The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be
established wherein shall gather counsellors to the number of Bahá, and
should it exceed this number it doth not matter. They should consider
themselves as entering the Court of the presence of God, the Exalted, the
Most High, and as beholding Him Who is the Unseen. It behoveth them to be
the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the
guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent
upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of
the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own
interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly. Thus hath the Lord
your God commanded you. Beware lest ye put away that which is clearly
revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, O ye that perceive.
31 O people of the world! Build ye houses of worship throughout the lands
in the name of Him Who is the Lord of all religions. Make them as perfect
as is possible in the world of being, and adorn them with that which
befitteth them, not with images and effigies. Then, with radiance and joy,
celebrate therein the praise of your Lord, the Most Compassionate. Verily,
by His remembrance the eye is cheered and the heart is filled with light.
32 The Lord hath ordained that those of you who are able shall make
pilgrimage to the sacred House, and from this He hath exempted women as a
mercy on His part. He, of a truth, is the All-Bountiful, the Most
Generous.
33 O people of Bahá! It is incumbent upon each one of you to engage in
some occupation—such as a craft, a trade or the like. We have exalted your
engagement in such work to the rank of worship of the one true God.
Reflect, O people, on the grace and blessings of your Lord, and yield Him
thanks at eventide and dawn. Waste not your hours in idleness and sloth,
but occupy yourselves with what will profit you and others. Thus hath it
been decreed in this Tablet from whose horizon hath shone the day-star of
wisdom and utterance. The most despised of men in the sight of God are
they who sit and beg. Hold ye fast unto the cord of means and place your
trust in God, the Provider of all means.
34 The kissing of hands hath been forbidden in the Book. This practice is
prohibited by God, the Lord of glory and command. To none is it permitted
to seek absolution from another soul; let repentance be between yourselves
and God. He, verily, is the Pardoner, the Bounteous, the Gracious, the One
Who absolveth the repentant.
35 O ye servants of the Merciful One! Arise to serve the Cause of God, in
such wise that the cares and sorrows caused by them that have disbelieved
in the Dayspring of the Signs of God may not afflict you. At the time when
the Promise was fulfilled and the Promised One made manifest, differences
have appeared amongst the kindreds of the earth and each people hath
followed its own fancy and idle imaginings.
36 Amongst the people is he who seateth himself amid the sandals by the
door whilst coveting in his heart the seat of honour. Say: What manner of
man art thou, O vain and heedless one, who wouldst appear as other than
thou art? And among the people is he who layeth claim to inner knowledge,
and still deeper knowledge concealed within this knowledge. Say: Thou
speakest false! By God! What thou dost possess is naught but husks which
We have left to thee as bones are left to dogs. By the righteousness of
the one true God! Were anyone to wash the feet of all mankind, and were he
to worship God in the forests, valleys, and mountains, upon high hills and
lofty peaks, to leave no rock or tree, no clod of earth, but was a witness
to his worship—yet, should the fragrance of My good pleasure not be
inhaled from him, his works would never be acceptable unto God. Thus hath
it been decreed by Him Who is the Lord of all. How many a man hath
secluded himself in the climes of India, denied himself the things that
God hath decreed as lawful, imposed upon himself austerities and
mortifications, and hath not been remembered by God, the Revealer of
Verses. Make not your deeds as snares wherewith to entrap the object of
your aspiration, and deprive not yourselves of this Ultimate Objective for
which have ever yearned all such as have drawn nigh unto God. Say: The
very life of all deeds is My good pleasure, and all things depend upon
Mine acceptance. Read ye the Tablets that ye may know what hath been
purposed in the Books of God, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Bounteous. He who
attaineth to My love hath title to a throne of gold, to sit thereon in
honour over all the world; he who is deprived thereof, though he sit upon
the dust, that dust would seek refuge with God, the Lord of all Religions.
37 Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration
of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying impostor. We
pray God that He may graciously assist him to retract and repudiate such
claim. Should he repent, God will, no doubt, forgive him. If, however, he
persisteth in his error, God will, assuredly, send down one who will deal
mercilessly with him. Terrible, indeed, is God in punishing! Whosoever
interpreteth this verse otherwise than its obvious meaning is deprived of
the Spirit of God and of His mercy which encompasseth all created things.
Fear God, and follow not your idle fancies. Nay, rather, follow the
bidding of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Wise. Erelong shall clamorous
voices be raised in most lands. Shun them, O My people, and follow not the
iniquitous and evil-hearted. This is that of which We gave you forewarning
when We were dwelling in ‘Iráq, then later while in the Land of Mystery,
and now from this Resplendent Spot.
38 Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star of My beauty
is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise
to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are with you at
all times, and shall strengthen you through the power of truth. We are
truly almighty. Whoso hath recognized Me will arise and serve Me with such
determination that the powers of earth and heaven shall be unable to
defeat his purpose.
39 The peoples of the world are fast asleep. Were they to wake from their
slumber, they would hasten with eagerness unto God, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise. They would cast away everything they possess, be it all the
treasures of the earth, that their Lord may remember them to the extent of
addressing to them but one word. Such is the instruction given you by Him
Who holdeth the knowledge of things hidden, in a Tablet which the eye of
creation hath not seen, and which is revealed to none except His own Self,
the omnipotent Protector of all worlds. So bewildered are they in the
drunkenness of their evil desires, that they are powerless to recognize
the Lord of all being, Whose voice calleth aloud from every direction:
"There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the All-Wise."
40 Say: Rejoice not in the things ye possess; tonight they are yours,
tomorrow others will possess them. Thus warneth you He Who is the
All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: Can ye claim that what ye own is
lasting or secure? Nay! By Myself, the All-Merciful, ye cannot, if ye be
of them who judge fairly. The days of your life flee away as a breath of
wind, and all your pomp and glory shall be folded up as were the pomp and
glory of those gone before you. Reflect, O people! What hath become of
your bygone days, your lost centuries? Happy the days that have been
consecrated to the remembrance of God, and blessed the hours which have
been spent in praise of Him Who is the All-Wise. By My life! Neither the
pomp of the mighty, nor the wealth of the rich, nor even the ascendancy of
the ungodly will endure. All will perish, at a word from Him. He, verily,
is the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty. What advantage is
there in the earthly things which men possess? That which shall profit
them, they have utterly neglected. Erelong, they will awake from their
slumber, and find themselves unable to obtain that which hath escaped them
in the days of their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Did they but
know it, they would renounce their all, that their names may be mentioned
before His throne. They, verily, are accounted among the dead.
41 Amongst the people is he whose learning hath made him proud, and who
hath been debarred thereby from recognizing My Name, the Self-Subsisting;
who, when he heareth the tread of sandals following behind him, waxeth
greater in his own esteem than Nimrod. Say: O rejected one! Where now is
his abode? By God, it is the nethermost fire. Say: O concourse of divines!
Hear ye not the shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen? See ye not this Sun
that shineth in refulgent splendour above the All-Glorious Horizon? For
how long will ye worship the idols of your evil passions? Forsake your
vain imaginings, and turn yourselves unto God, your Everlasting Lord.
42 Endowments dedicated to charity revert to God, the Revealer of Signs.
None hath the right to dispose of them without leave from Him Who is the
Dawning-place of Revelation. After Him, this authority shall pass to the
Ag̱ẖsán, and after them to the House of Justice—should it be established
in the world by then—that they may use these endowments for the benefit of
the Places which have been exalted in this Cause, and for whatsoever hath
been enjoined upon them by Him Who is the God of might and power.
Otherwise, the endowments shall revert to the people of Bahá who speak not
except by His leave and judge not save in accordance with what God hath
decreed in this Tablet—lo, they are the champions of victory betwixt
heaven and earth—that they may use them in the manner that hath been laid
down in the Book by God, the Mighty, the Bountiful.
43 Lament not in your hours of trial, neither rejoice therein; seek ye the
Middle Way which is the remembrance of Me in your afflictions and
reflection over that which may befall you in future. Thus informeth you He
Who is the Omniscient, He Who is aware.
44 Shave not your heads; God hath adorned them with hair, and in this
there are signs from the Lord of creation to those who reflect upon the
requirements of nature. He, verily, is the God of strength and wisdom.
Notwithstanding, it is not seemly to let the hair pass beyond the limit of
the ears. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Lord of all worlds.
45 Exile and imprisonment are decreed for the thief, and, on the third
offence, place ye a mark upon his brow so that, thus identified, he may
not be accepted in the cities of God and His countries. Beware lest,
through compassion, ye neglect to carry out the statutes of the religion
of God; do that which hath been bidden you by Him Who is compassionate and
merciful. We school you with the rod of wisdom and laws, like unto the
father who educateth his son, and this for naught but the protection of
your own selves and the elevation of your stations. By My life, were ye to
discover what We have desired for you in revealing Our holy laws, ye would
offer up your very souls for this sacred, this mighty, and most exalted
Faith.
46 Whoso wisheth to make use of vessels of silver and gold is at liberty
to do so. Take heed lest, when partaking of food, ye plunge your hands
into the contents of bowls and platters. Adopt ye such usages as are most
in keeping with refinement. He, verily, desireth to see in you the manners
of the inmates of Paradise in His mighty and most sublime Kingdom. Hold ye
fast unto refinement under all conditions, that your eyes may be preserved
from beholding what is repugnant both to your own selves and to the
dwellers of Paradise. Should anyone depart therefrom, his deed shall at
that moment be rendered vain; yet should he have good reason, God will
excuse him. He, in truth, is the Gracious, the Most Bountiful.
47 He Who is the Dawning-place of God’s Cause hath no partner in the Most
Great Infallibility. He it is Who, in the kingdom of creation, is the
Manifestation of "He doeth whatsoever He willeth". God hath reserved this
distinction unto His own Self, and ordained for none a share in so sublime
and transcendent a station. This is the Decree of God, concealed ere now
within the veil of impenetrable mystery. We have disclosed it in this
Revelation, and have thereby rent asunder the veils of such as have failed
to recognize that which the Book of God set forth and who were numbered
with the heedless.
48 Unto every father hath been enjoined the instruction of his son and
daughter in the art of reading and writing and in all that hath been laid
down in the Holy Tablet. He that putteth away that which is commanded unto
him, the Trustees are then to take from him that which is required for
their instruction if he be wealthy and, if not, the matter devolveth upon
the House of Justice. Verily have We made it a shelter for the poor and
needy. He that bringeth up his son or the son of another, it is as though
he hath brought up a son of Mine; upon him rest My glory, My
loving-kindness, My mercy, that have compassed the world.
49 God hath imposed a fine on every adulterer and adulteress, to be paid
to the House of Justice: nine miṯẖqáls of gold, to be doubled if they
should repeat the offence. Such is the penalty which He Who is the Lord of
Names hath assigned them in this world; and in the world to come He hath
ordained for them a humiliating torment. Should anyone be afflicted by a
sin, it behoveth him to repent thereof and return unto his Lord. He,
verily, granteth forgiveness unto whomsoever He willeth, and none may
question that which it pleaseth Him to ordain. He is, in truth, the
Ever-Forgiving, the Almighty, the All-Praised.
50 Beware lest ye be hindered by the veils of glory from partaking of the
crystal waters of this living Fountain. Seize ye the chalice of salvation
at this dawntide in the name of Him Who causeth the day to break, and
drink your fill in praise of Him Who is the All-Glorious, the
Incomparable.
51 We have made it lawful for you to listen to music and singing. Take
heed, however, lest listening thereto should cause you to overstep the
bounds of propriety and dignity. Let your joy be the joy born of My Most
Great Name, a Name that bringeth rapture to the heart, and filleth with
ecstasy the minds of all who have drawn nigh unto God. We, verily, have
made music as a ladder for your souls, a means whereby they may be lifted
up unto the realm on high; make it not, therefore, as wings to self and
passion. Truly, We are loath to see you numbered with the foolish.
52 We have decreed that a third part of all fines shall go to the Seat of
Justice, and We admonish its men to observe pure justice, that they may
expend what is thus accumulated for such purposes as have been enjoined
upon them by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O ye Men of
Justice! Be ye, in the realm of God, shepherds unto His sheep and guard
them from the ravening wolves that have appeared in disguise, even as ye
would guard your own sons. Thus exhorteth you the Counsellor, the
Faithful.
53 Should differences arise amongst you over any matter, refer it to God
while the Sun still shineth above the horizon of this Heaven and, when it
hath set, refer ye to whatsoever hath been sent down by Him. This, verily,
is sufficient unto the peoples of the world. Say: Let not your hearts be
perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and the
ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there is a
wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all but
God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We behold you from Our
realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our
Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our
favoured angels.
54 O peoples of the earth! God, the Eternal Truth, is My witness that
streams of fresh and soft-flowing waters have gushed from the rocks
through the sweetness of the words uttered by your Lord, the
Unconstrained; and still ye slumber. Cast away that which ye possess, and,
on the wings of detachment, soar beyond all created things. Thus biddeth
you the Lord of creation, the movement of Whose Pen hath revolutionized
the soul of mankind.
55 Know ye from what heights your Lord, the All-Glorious, is calling?
Think ye that ye have recognized the Pen wherewith your Lord, the Lord of
all names, commandeth you? Nay, by My life! Did ye but know it, ye would
renounce the world, and would hasten with your whole hearts to the
presence of the Well-Beloved. Your spirits would be so transported by His
Word as to throw into commotion the Greater World—how much more this small
and petty one! Thus have the showers of My bounty been poured down from
the heaven of My loving-kindness, as a token of My grace, that ye may be
of the thankful.
56 The penalties for wounding or striking a person depend upon the
severity of the injury; for each degree the Lord of Judgement hath
prescribed a certain indemnity. He is, in truth, the Ordainer, the Mighty,
the Most Exalted. We shall, if it be Our Will, set forth these payments in
their just degrees—this is a promise on Our part, and He, verily, is the
Keeper of His pledge, the Knower of all things.
57 Verily, it is enjoined upon you to offer a feast, once in every month,
though only water be served; for God hath purposed to bind hearts
together, albeit through both earthly and heavenly means.
58 Beware lest the desires of the flesh and of a corrupt inclination
provoke divisions among you. Be ye as the fingers of one hand, the members
of one body. Thus counselleth you the Pen of Revelation, if ye be of them
that believe.
59 Consider the mercy of God and His gifts. He enjoineth upon you that
which shall profit you, though He Himself can well dispense with all
creatures. Your evil doings can never harm Us, neither can your good works
profit Us. We summon you wholly for the sake of God. To this every man of
understanding and insight will testify.
60 If ye should hunt with beasts or birds of prey, invoke ye the Name of
God when ye send them to pursue their quarry; for then whatever they catch
shall be lawful unto you, even should ye find it to have died. He, verily,
is the Omniscient, the All-Informed. Take heed, however, that ye hunt not
to excess. Tread ye the path of justice and equity in all things. Thus
biddeth you He Who is the Dawning-place of Revelation, would that ye might
comprehend.
61 God hath bidden you to show forth kindliness towards My kindred, but He
hath granted them no right to the property of others. He, verily, is
self-sufficient, above any need of His creatures.
62 Should anyone intentionally destroy a house by fire, him also shall ye
burn; should anyone deliberately take another’s life, him also shall ye
put to death. Take ye hold of the precepts of God with all your strength
and power, and abandon the ways of the ignorant. Should ye condemn the
arsonist and the murderer to life imprisonment, it would be permissible
according to the provisions of the Book. He, verily, hath power to ordain
whatsoever He pleaseth.
63 God hath prescribed matrimony unto you. Beware that ye take not unto
yourselves more wives than two. Whoso contenteth himself with a single
partner from among the maidservants of God, both he and she shall live in
tranquillity. And he who would take into his service a maid may do so with
propriety. Such is the ordinance which, in truth and justice, hath been
recorded by the Pen of Revelation. Enter into wedlock, O people, that ye
may bring forth one who will make mention of Me amid My servants. This is
My bidding unto you; hold fast to it as an assistance to yourselves.
64 O people of the world! Follow not the promptings of the self, for it
summoneth insistently to wickedness and lust; follow, rather, Him Who is
the Possessor of all created things, Who biddeth you to show forth piety,
and manifest the fear of God. He, verily, is independent of all His
creatures. Take heed not to stir up mischief in the land after it hath
been set in order. Whoso acteth in this way is not of Us, and We are quit
of him. Such is the command which hath, through the power of truth, been
made manifest from the heaven of Revelation.
65 It hath been laid down in the Bayán that marriage is dependent upon the
consent of both parties. Desiring to establish love, unity and harmony
amidst Our servants, We have conditioned it, once the couple’s wish is
known, upon the permission of their parents, lest enmity and rancour
should arise amongst them. And in this We have yet other purposes. Thus
hath Our commandment been ordained.
66 No marriage may be contracted without payment of a dowry, which hath
been fixed for city-dwellers at nineteen miṯẖqáls of pure gold, and for
village-dwellers at the same amount in silver. Whoso wisheth to increase
this sum, it is forbidden him to exceed the limit of ninety-five
miṯẖqáls. Thus hath the command been writ in majesty and power. If he
content himself, however, with a payment of the lowest level, it shall be
better for him according to the Book. God, verily, enricheth whomsoever He
willeth through both heavenly and earthly means, and He, in truth, hath
power over all things.
67 It hath been decreed by God that, should any one of His servants intend
to travel, he must fix for his wife a time when he will return home. If he
return by the promised time, he will have obeyed the bidding of his Lord
and shall be numbered by the Pen of His behest among the righteous;
otherwise, if there be good reason for delay, he must inform his wife and
make the utmost endeavour to return to her. Should neither of these
eventualities occur, it behoveth her to wait for a period of nine months,
after which there is no impediment to her taking another husband; but
should she wait longer, God, verily, loveth those women and men who show
forth patience. Obey ye My commandments, and follow not the ungodly, they
who have been reckoned as sinners in God’s Holy Tablet. If, during the
period of her waiting, word should reach her from her husband, she should
choose the course that is praiseworthy. He, of a truth, desireth that His
servants and His handmaids should be at peace with one another; take heed
lest ye do aught that may provoke intransigence amongst you. Thus hath the
decree been fixed and the promise come to pass. If, however, news should
reach her of her husband’s death or murder, and be confirmed by general
report, or by the testimony of two just witnesses, it behoveth her to
remain single; then, upon completion of the fixed number of months, she is
free to adopt the course of her choosing. Such is the bidding of Him Who
is mighty and powerful in His command.
68 Should resentment or antipathy arise between husband and wife, he is
not to divorce her but to bide in patience throughout the course of one
whole year, that perchance the fragrance of affection may be renewed
between them. If, upon the completion of this period, their love hath not
returned, it is permissible for divorce to take place. God’s wisdom,
verily, hath encompassed all things. The Lord hath prohibited, in a Tablet
inscribed by the Pen of His command, the practice to which ye formerly had
recourse when thrice ye had divorced a woman. This He hath done as a
favour on His part, that ye may be accounted among the thankful. He who
hath divorced his wife may choose, upon the passing of each month, to
remarry her when there is mutual affection and consent, so long as she
hath not taken another husband. Should she have wed again, then, by this
other union, the separation is confirmed and the matter is concluded
unless, clearly, her circumstances change. Thus hath the decree been
inscribed with majesty in this glorious Tablet by Him Who is the
Dawning-place of Beauty.
69 If the wife accompany her husband on a journey, and differences arise
between them on the way, he is required to provide her with her expenses
for one whole year, and either to return her whence she came or to entrust
her, together with the necessaries for her journey, to a dependable person
who is to escort her home. Thy Lord, verily, ordaineth as He pleaseth, by
virtue of a sovereignty that overshadoweth the peoples of the earth.
70 Should a woman be divorced in consequence of a proven act of
infidelity, she shall receive no maintenance during her period of waiting.
Thus hath the day-star of Our commandment shone forth resplendent from the
firmament of justice. Truly, the Lord loveth union and harmony and
abhorreth separation and divorce. Live ye one with another, O people, in
radiance and joy. By My life! All that are on earth shall pass away, while
good deeds alone shall endure; to the truth of My words God doth Himself
bear witness. Compose your differences, O My servants; then heed ye the
admonition of Our Pen of Glory and follow not the arrogant and wayward.
71 Take heed lest the world beguile you as it beguiled the people who went
before you! Observe ye the statutes and precepts of your Lord, and walk ye
in this Way which hath been laid out before you in righteousness and
truth. They who eschew iniquity and error, who adhere to virtue, are, in
the sight of the one true God, among the choicest of His creatures; their
names are extolled by the Concourse of the realms above, and by those who
dwell in this Tabernacle which hath been raised in the name of God.
72 It is forbidden you to trade in slaves, be they men or women. It is not
for him who is himself a servant to buy another of God’s servants, and
this hath been prohibited in His Holy Tablet. Thus, by His mercy, hath the
commandment been recorded by the Pen of justice. Let no man exalt himself
above another; all are but bondslaves before the Lord, and all exemplify
the truth that there is none other God but Him. He, verily, is the
All-Wise, Whose wisdom encompasseth all things.
73 Adorn yourselves with the raiment of goodly deeds. He whose deeds
attain unto God’s good pleasure is assuredly of the people of Bahá and is
remembered before His throne. Assist ye the Lord of all creation with
works of righteousness, and also through wisdom and utterance. Thus,
indeed, have ye been commanded in most of the Tablets by Him Who is the
All-Merciful. He, truly, is cognizant of what I say. Let none contend with
another, and let no soul slay another; this, verily, is that which was
forbidden you in a Book that hath lain concealed within the Tabernacle of
glory. What! Would ye kill him whom God hath quickened, whom He hath
endowed with spirit through a breath from Him? Grievous then would be your
trespass before His throne! Fear God, and lift not the hand of injustice
and oppression to destroy what He hath Himself raised up; nay, walk ye in
the way of God, the True One. No sooner did the hosts of true knowledge
appear, bearing the standards of Divine utterance, than the tribes of the
religions were put to flight, save only those who willed to drink from the
stream of everlasting life in a Paradise created by the breath of the
All-Glorious.
74 God hath decreed, in token of His mercy unto His creatures, that semen
is not unclean. Yield thanks unto Him with joy and radiance, and follow
not such as are remote from the Dawning-place of His nearness. Arise ye,
under all conditions, to render service to the Cause, for God will
assuredly assist you through the power of His sovereignty which
overshadoweth the worlds. Cleave ye unto the cord of refinement with such
tenacity as to allow no trace of dirt to be seen upon your garments. Such
is the injunction of One Who is sanctified above all refinement. Whoso
falleth short of this standard with good reason shall incur no blame. God,
verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Wash ye every soiled thing with
water that hath undergone no alteration in any one of the three respects;
take heed not to use water that hath been altered through exposure to the
air or to some other agent. Be ye the very essence of cleanliness amongst
mankind. This, truly, is what your Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Wise,
desireth for you.
75 God hath, likewise, as a bounty from His presence, abolished the
concept of "uncleanness", whereby divers things and peoples have been held
to be impure. He, of a certainty, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Generous. Verily, all created things were immersed in the sea of
purification when, on that first day of Ridván, We shed upon the whole of
creation the splendours of Our most excellent Names and Our most exalted
Attributes. This, verily, is a token of My loving providence, which hath
encompassed all the worlds. Consort ye then with the followers of all
religions, and proclaim ye the Cause of your Lord, the Most Compassionate;
this is the very crown of deeds, if ye be of them who understand.
76 God hath enjoined upon you to observe the utmost cleanliness, to the
extent of washing what is soiled with dust, let alone with hardened dirt
and similar defilement. Fear Him, and be of those who are pure. Should the
garb of anyone be visibly sullied, his prayers shall not ascend to God,
and the celestial Concourse will turn away from him. Make use of
rose-water, and of pure perfume; this, indeed, is that which God hath
loved from the beginning that hath no beginning, in order that there may
be diffused from you what your Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Wise,
desireth.
77 God hath relieved you of the ordinance laid down in the Bayán
concerning the destruction of books. We have permitted you to read such
sciences as are profitable unto you, not such as end in idle disputation;
better is this for you, if ye be of them that comprehend.
78 O kings of the earth! He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is come. The
Kingdom is God’s, the omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Worship
none but God, and, with radiant hearts, lift up your faces unto your Lord,
the Lord of all names. This is a Revelation to which whatever ye possess
can never be compared, could ye but know it.
79 We see you rejoicing in that which ye have amassed for others and
shutting out yourselves from the worlds which naught except My guarded
Tablet can reckon. The treasures ye have laid up have drawn you far away
from your ultimate objective. This ill beseemeth you, could ye but
understand it. Wash from your hearts all earthly defilements, and hasten
to enter the Kingdom of your Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven, Who
caused the world to tremble and all its peoples to wail, except them that
have renounced all things and clung to that which the Hidden Tablet hath
ordained.
80 This is the Day in which He Who held converse with God hath attained
the light of the Ancient of Days, and quaffed the pure waters of reunion
from this Cup that hath caused the seas to swell. Say: By the one true
God! Sinai is circling round the Dayspring of Revelation, while from the
heights of the Kingdom the Voice of the Spirit of God is heard
proclaiming: "Bestir yourselves, ye proud ones of the earth, and hasten ye
unto Him." Carmel hath, in this Day, hastened in longing adoration to
attain His court, whilst from the heart of Zion there cometh the cry: "The
promise is fulfilled. That which had been announced in the holy Writ of
God, the Most Exalted, the Almighty, the Best-Beloved, is made manifest."
81 O kings of the earth! The Most Great Law hath been revealed in this
Spot, this scene of transcendent splendour. Every hidden thing hath been
brought to light by virtue of the Will of the Supreme Ordainer, He Who
hath ushered in the Last Hour, through Whom the Moon hath been cleft, and
every irrevocable decree expounded.
82 Ye are but vassals, O kings of the earth! He Who is the King of Kings
hath appeared, arrayed in His most wondrous glory, and is summoning you
unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Take heed lest pride
deter you from recognizing the Source of Revelation, lest the things of
this world shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is the Creator of
heaven. Arise, and serve Him Who is the Desire of all nations, Who hath
created you through a word from Him, and ordained you to be, for all time,
the emblems of His sovereignty.
83 By the righteousness of God! It is not Our wish to lay hands on your
kingdoms. Our mission is to seize and possess the hearts of men. Upon them
the eyes of Bahá are fastened. To this testifieth the Kingdom of Names,
could ye but comprehend it. Whoso followeth his Lord will renounce the
world and all that is therein; how much greater, then, must be the
detachment of Him Who holdeth so august a station! Forsake your palaces,
and haste ye to gain admittance into His Kingdom. This, indeed, will
profit you both in this world and in the next. To this testifieth the Lord
of the realm on high, did ye but know it.
84 How great the blessedness that awaiteth the king who will arise to aid
My Cause in My kingdom, who will detach himself from all else but Me! Such
a king is numbered with the companions of the Crimson Ark—the Ark which
God hath prepared for the people of Bahá. All must glorify his name, must
reverence his station, and aid him to unlock the cities with the keys of
My Name, the omnipotent Protector of all that inhabit the visible and
invisible kingdoms. Such a king is the very eye of mankind, the luminous
ornament on the brow of creation, the fountainhead of blessings unto the
whole world. Offer up, O people of Bahá, your substance, nay your very
lives, for his assistance.
85 O Emperor of Austria! He Who is the Dayspring of God’s Light dwelt in
the prison of Akká at the time when thou didst set forth to visit the Aqsá
Mosque. Thou passed Him by, and inquired not about Him by Whom every house
is exalted and every lofty gate unlocked. We, verily, made it a place
whereunto the world should turn, that they might remember Me, and yet thou
hast rejected Him Who is the Object of this remembrance, when He appeared
with the Kingdom of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. We have been
with thee at all times, and found thee clinging unto the Branch and
heedless of the Root. Thy Lord, verily, is a witness unto what I say. We
grieved to see thee circle round Our Name, whilst unaware of Us, though We
were before thy face. Open thine eyes, that thou mayest behold this
glorious Vision, and recognize Him Whom thou invokest in the daytime and
in the night season, and gaze on the Light that shineth above this
luminous Horizon.
86 Say: O King of Berlin! Give ear unto the Voice calling from this
manifest Temple: "Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Everlasting,
the Peerless, the Ancient of Days." Take heed lest pride debar thee from
recognizing the Dayspring of Divine Revelation, lest earthly desires shut
thee out, as by a veil, from the Lord of the Throne above and of the earth
below. Thus counselleth thee the Pen of the Most High. He, verily, is the
Most Gracious, the All-Bountiful. Do thou remember the one(1) whose power
transcended thy power, and whose station excelled thy station. Where is
he? Whither are gone the things he possessed? Take warning, and be not of
them that are fast asleep. He it was who cast the Tablet of God behind him
when We made known unto him what the hosts of tyranny had caused Us to
suffer. Wherefore, disgrace assailed him from all sides, and he went down
to dust in great loss. Think deeply, O King, concerning him, and
concerning them who, like unto thee, have conquered cities and ruled over
men. The All-Merciful brought them down from their palaces to their
graves. Be warned, be of them who reflect.
87 We have asked nothing from you. For the sake of God We, verily, exhort
you, and will be patient as We have been patient in that which hath
befallen Us at your hands, O concourse of kings!
88 Hearken ye, O Rulers of America and the Presidents of the Republics
therein, unto that which the Dove is warbling on the Branch of Eternity:
"There is none other God but Me, the Ever-Abiding, the Forgiving, the
All-Bountiful." Adorn ye the temple of dominion with the ornament of
justice and of the fear of God, and its head with the crown of the
remembrance of your Lord, the Creator of the heavens. Thus counselleth you
He Who is the Dayspring of Names, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise. The Promised One hatthe Tablet ofh appeared in this
glorified Station, whereat all beings, both seen and unseen, have
rejoiced. Take ye advantage of the Day of God. Verily, to meet Him is
better for you than all that whereon the sun shineth, could ye but know
it. O concourse of rulers! Give ear unto that which hath been raised from
the Dayspring of Grandeur: "Verily, there is none other God but Me, the
Lord of Utterance, the All-Knowing." Bind ye the broken with the hands of
justice, and crush the oppressor who flourisheth with the rod of the
commandments of your Lord, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.
89 O people of Constantinople! Lo, from your midst We hear the baleful
hooting of the owl. Hath the drunkenness of passion laid hold upon you, or
is it that ye are sunk in heedlessness? O Spot that art situate on the
shores of the two seas! The throne of tyranny hath, verily, been
established upon thee, and the flame of hatred hath been kindled within
thy bosom, in such wise that the Concourse on high and they who circle
around the Exalted Throne have wailed and lamented. We behold in thee the
foolish ruling over the wise, and darkness vaunting itself against the
light. Thou art indeed filled with manifest pride. Hath thine outward
splendour made thee vainglorious? By Him Who is the Lord of mankind! It
shall soon perish, and thy daughters and thy widows and all the kindreds
that dwell within thee shall lament. Thus informeth thee the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise.
90 O banks of the Rhine! We have seen you covered with gore, inasmuch as
the swords of retribution were drawn against you; and you shall have
another turn. And We hear the lamentations of Berlin, though she be today
in conspicuous glory.
91 Let nothing grieve thee, O Land of Tá,(2) for God hath chosen thee to
be the source of the joy of all mankind. He shall, if it be His Will,
bless thy throne with one who will rule with justice, who will gather
together the flock of God which the wolves have scattered. Such a ruler
will, with joy and gladness, turn his face towards, and extend his favours
unto, the people of Bahá. He indeed is accounted in the sight of God as a
jewel among men. Upon him rest forever the glory of God and the glory of
all that dwell in the kingdom of His revelation.
92 Rejoice with great joy, for God hath made thee "the Dayspring of His
light", inasmuch as within thee was born the Manifestation of His Glory.
Be thou glad for this name that hath been conferred upon thee—a name
through which the Day-Star of grace hath shed its splendour, through which
both earth and heaven have been illumined.
93 Erelong will the state of affairs within thee be changed, and the reins
of power fall into the hands of the people. Verily, thy Lord is the
All-Knowing. His authority embraceth all things. Rest thou assured in the
gracious favour of thy Lord. The eye of His loving-kindness shall
everlastingly be directed towards thee. The day is approaching when thy
agitation will have been transmuted into peace and quiet calm. Thus hath
it been decreed in the wondrous Book.
94 O Land of Ḵẖá!(3) We hear from thee the voice of heroes, raised in
glorification of thy Lord, the All-Possessing, the Most Exalted. Blessed
the day on which the banners of the divine Names shall be upraised in the
kingdom of creation in My Name, the All-Glorious. On that day the faithful
shall rejoice in the victory of God, and the disbelievers shall lament.
95 None must contend with those who wield authority over the people; leave
unto them that which is theirs, and direct your attention to men’s hearts.
96 O Most Mighty Ocean! Sprinkle upon the nations that with which Thou
hast been charged by Him Who is the Sovereign of Eternity, and adorn the
temples of all the dwellers of the earth with the vesture of His laws
through which all hearts will rejoice and all eyes be brightened.
97 Should anyone acquire one hundred miṯẖqáls of gold, nineteen
miṯẖqáls thereof are God’s and to be rendered unto Him, the Fashioner of
earth and heaven. Take heed, O people, lest ye deprive yourselves of so
great a bounty. This We have commanded you, though We are well able to
dispense with you and with all who are in the heavens and on earth; in it
there are benefits and wisdoms beyond the ken of anyone but God, the
Omniscient, the All-Informed. Say: By this means He hath desired to purify
what ye possess and to enable you to draw nigh unto such stations as none
can comprehend save those whom God hath willed. He, in truth, is the
Beneficent, the Gracious, the Bountiful. O people! Deal not faithlessly
with the Right of God, nor, without His leave, make free with its
disposal. Thus hath His commandment been established in the holy Tablets,
and in this exalted Book. He who dealeth faithlessly with God shall in
justice meet with faithlessness himself; he, however, who acteth in
accordance with God’s bidding shall receive a blessing from the heaven of
the bounty of his Lord, the Gracious, the Bestower, the Generous, the
Ancient of Days. He, verily, hath willed for you that which is yet beyond
your knowledge, but which shall be known to you when, after this fleeting
life, your souls soar heavenwards and the trappings of your earthly joys
are folded up. Thus admonisheth you He in Whose possession is the Guarded
Tablet.
98 Various petitions have come before Our throne from the believers,
concerning laws from God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen, the Lord of
all worlds. We have, in consequence, revealed this Holy Tablet and arrayed
it with the mantle of His Law that haply the people may keep the
commandments of their Lord. Similar requests had been made of Us over
several previous years but We had, in Our wisdom, withheld Our Pen until,
in recent days, letters arrived from a number of the friends, and We have
therefore responded, through the power of truth, with that which shall
quicken the hearts of men.
99 Say: O leaders of religion! Weigh not the Book of God with such
standards and sciences as are current amongst you, for the Book itself is
the unerring Balance established amongst men. In this most perfect Balance
whatsoever the peoples and kindreds of the earth possess must be weighed,
while the measure of its weight should be tested according to its own
standard, did ye but know it.
100 The eye of My loving-kindness weepeth sore over you, inasmuch as ye
have failed to recognize the One upon Whom ye have been calling in the
daytime and in the night season, at even and at morn. Advance, O people,
with snow-white faces and radiant hearts, unto the blest and crimson Spot,
wherein the Sadratu’l-Muntahá is calling: "Verily, there is none other God
beside Me, the Omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting!"
101 O ye leaders of religion! Who is the man amongst you that can rival Me
in vision or insight? Where is he to be found that dareth to claim to be
My equal in utterance or wisdom? No, by My Lord, the All-Merciful! All on
the earth shall pass away; and this is the face of your Lord, the
Almighty, the Well-Beloved.
102 We have decreed, O people, that the highest and last end of all
learning be the recognition of Him Who is the Object of all knowledge; and
yet, behold how ye have allowed your learning to shut you out, as by a
veil, from Him Who is the Dayspring of this Light, through Whom every
hidden thing hath been revealed. Could ye but discover the source whence
the splendour of this utterance is diffused, ye would cast away the
peoples of the world and all that they possess, and would draw nigh unto
this most blessed Seat of glory.
103 Say: This, verily, is the heaven in which the Mother Book is
treasured, could ye but comprehend it. He it is Who hath caused the Rock
to shout, and the Burning Bush to lift up its voice, upon the Mount rising
above the Holy Land, and proclaim: "The Kingdom is God’s, the sovereign
Lord of all, the All-Powerful, the Loving!"
104 We have not entered any school, nor read any of your dissertations.
Incline your ears to the words of this unlettered One, wherewith He
summoneth you unto God, the Ever-Abiding. Better is this for you than all
the treasures of the earth, could ye but comprehend it.
105 Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of
Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of them that
have perverted the Sublime Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the
Lucid Book.
106 It hath been enjoined upon you to pare your nails, to bathe yourselves
each week in water that covereth your bodies, and to clean yourselves with
whatsoever ye have formerly employed. Take heed lest through negligence ye
fail to observe that which hath been prescribed unto you by Him Who is the
Incomparable, the Gracious. Immerse yourselves in clean water; it is not
permissible to bathe yourselves in water that hath already been used. See
that ye approach not the public pools of Persian baths; whoso maketh his
way toward such baths will smell their fetid odour ere he entereth
therein. Shun them, O people, and be not of those who ignominiously accept
such vileness. In truth, they are as sinks of foulness and contamination,
if ye be of them that apprehend. Avoid ye likewise the malodorous pools in
the courtyards of Persian homes, and be ye of the pure and sanctified.
Truly, We desire to behold you as manifestations of paradise on earth,
that there may be diffused from you such fragrance as shall rejoice the
hearts of the favoured of God. If the bather, instead of entering the
water, wash himself by pouring it upon his body, it shall be better for
him and shall absolve him of the need for bodily immersion. The Lord,
verily, hath willed, as a bounty from His presence, to make life easier
for you that ye may be of those who are truly thankful.
107 It is forbidden you to wed your fathers’ wives. We shrink, for very
shame, from treating of the subject of boys. Fear ye the Merciful, O
peoples of the world! Commit not that which is forbidden you in Our Holy
Tablet, and be not of those who rove distractedly in the wilderness of
their desires.
108 To none is it permitted to mutter sacred verses before the public gaze
as he walketh in the street or marketplace; nay rather, if he wish to
magnify the Lord, it behoveth him to do so in such places as have been
erected for this purpose, or in his own home. This is more in keeping with
sincerity and godliness. Thus hath the sun of Our commandment shone forth
above the horizon of Our utterance. Blessed, then, be those who do Our
bidding.
109 Unto everyone hath been enjoined the writing of a will. The testator
should head this document with the adornment of the Most Great Name, bear
witness therein unto the oneness of God in the Dayspring of His
Revelation, and make mention, as he may wish, of that which is
praiseworthy, so that it may be a testimony for him in the kingdoms of
Revelation and Creation and a treasure with his Lord, the Supreme
Protector, the Faithful.
110 All Feasts have attained their consummation in the two Most Great
Festivals, and in the two other Festivals that fall on the twin days—the
first of the Most Great Festivals being those days whereon the
All-Merciful shed upon the whole of creation the effulgent glory of His
most excellent Names and His most exalted Attributes, and the second being
that day on which We raised up the One Who announced unto mankind the glad
tidings of this Name, through which the dead have been resurrected and all
who are in the heavens and on earth have been gathered together. Thus hath
it been decreed by Him Who is the Ordainer, the Omniscient.
111 Happy the one who entereth upon the first day of the month of Bahá,
the day which God hath consecrated to this Great Name. And blessed be he
who evidenceth on this day the bounties that God hath bestowed upon him;
he, verily, is of those who show forth thanks to God through actions
betokening the Lord’s munificence which hath encompassed all the worlds.
Say: This day, verily, is the crown of all the months and the source
thereof, the day on which the breath of life is wafted over all created
things. Great is the blessedness of him who greeteth it with radiance and
joy. We testify that he is, in truth, among those who are blissful.
112 Say: The Most Great Festival is, indeed, the King of Festivals. Call
ye to mind, O people, the bounty which God hath conferred upon you. Ye
were sunk in slumber, and lo! He aroused you by the reviving breezes of
His Revelation, and made known unto you His manifest and undeviating Path.
113 Resort ye, in times of sickness, to competent physicians; We have not
set aside the use of material means, rather have We confirmed it through
this Pen, which God hath made to be the Dawning-place of His shining and
glorious Cause.
114 God had formerly laid upon each one of the believers the duty of
offering before Our throne priceless gifts from among his possessions.
Now, in token of Our gracious favour, We have absolved them of this
obligation. He, of a truth, is the Most Generous, the All-Bountiful.
115 Blessed is he who, at the hour of dawn, centring his thoughts on God,
occupied with His remembrance, and supplicating His forgiveness, directeth
his steps to the Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár and, entering therein, seateth
himself in silence to listen to the verses of God, the Sovereign, the
Mighty, the All-Praised. Say: The Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár is each and every
building which hath been erected in cities and villages for the
celebration of My praise. Such is the name by which it hath been
designated before the throne of glory, were ye of those who understand.
116 They who recite the verses of the All-Merciful in the most melodious
of tones will perceive in them that with which the sovereignty of earth
and heaven can never be compared. From them they will inhale the divine
fragrance of My worlds—worlds which today none can discern save those who
have been endowed with vision through this sublime, this beauteous
Revelation. Say: These verses draw hearts that are pure unto those
spiritual worlds that can neither be expressed in words nor intimated by
allusion. Blessed be those who hearken.
117 Assist ye, O My people, My chosen servants who have arisen to make
mention of Me among My creatures and to exalt My Word throughout My realm.
These, truly, are the stars of the heaven of My loving providence and the
lamps of My guidance unto all mankind. But he whose words conflict with
that which hath been sent down in My Holy Tablets is not of Me. Beware
lest ye follow any impious pretender. These Tablets are embellished with
the seal of Him Who causeth the dawn to appear, Who lifteth up His voice
between the heavens and the earth. Lay hold on this Sure Handle and on the
Cord of My mighty and unassailable Cause.
118 The Lord hath granted leave to whosoever desireth it that he be
instructed in the divers tongues of the world that he may deliver the
Message of the Cause of God throughout the East and throughout the West,
that he make mention of Him amidst the kindreds and peoples of the world
in such wise that hearts may revive and the mouldering bone be quickened.
119 It is inadmissible that man, who hath been endowed with reason, should
consume that which stealeth it away. Nay, rather it behoveth him to
comport himself in a manner worthy of the human station, and not in
accordance with the misdeeds of every heedless and wavering soul.
120 Adorn your heads with the garlands of trustworthiness and fidelity,
your hearts with the attire of the fear of God, your tongues with absolute
truthfulness, your bodies with the vesture of courtesy. These are in truth
seemly adornings unto the temple of man, if ye be of them that reflect.
Cling, O ye people of Bahá, to the cord of servitude unto God, the True
One, for thereby your stations shall be made manifest, your names written
and preserved, your ranks raised and your memory exalted in the Preserved
Tablet. Beware lest the dwellers on earth hinder you from this glorious
and exalted station. Thus have We exhorted you in most of Our Epistles and
now in this, Our Holy Tablet, above which hath beamed the Day-Star of the
Laws of the Lord, your God, the Powerful, the All-Wise.
121 When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation
is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath
branched from this Ancient Root.
122 Consider the pettiness of men’s minds. They ask for that which
injureth them, and cast away the thing that profiteth them. They are,
indeed, of those that are far astray. We find some men desiring liberty,
and priding themselves therein. Such men are in the depths of ignorance.
123 Liberty must, in the end, lead to sedition, whose flames none can
quench. Thus warneth you He Who is the Reckoner, the All-Knowing. Know ye
that the embodiment of liberty and its symbol is the animal. That which
beseemeth man is submission unto such restraints as will protect him from
his own ignorance, and guard him against the harm of the mischief-maker.
Liberty causeth man to overstep the bounds of propriety, and to infringe
on the dignity of his station. It debaseth him to the level of extreme
depravity and wickedness.
124 Regard men as a flock of sheep that need a shepherd for their
protection. This, verily, is the truth, the certain truth. We approve of
liberty in certain circumstances, and refuse to sanction it in others. We,
verily, are the All-Knowing.
125 Say: True liberty consisteth in man’s submission unto My commandments,
little as ye know it. Were men to observe that which We have sent down
unto them from the Heaven of Revelation, they would, of a certainty,
attain unto perfect liberty. Happy is the man that hath apprehended the
Purpose of God in whatever He hath revealed from the Heaven of His Will
that pervadeth all created things. Say: The liberty that profiteth you is
to be found nowhere except in complete servitude unto God, the Eternal
Truth. Whoso hath tasted of its sweetness will refuse to barter it for all
the dominion of earth and heaven.
126 In the Bayán it had been forbidden you to ask Us questions. The Lord
hath now relieved you of this prohibition, that ye may be free to ask what
you need to ask, but not such idle questions as those on which the men of
former times were wont to dwell. Fear God, and be ye of the righteous! Ask
ye that which shall be of profit to you in the Cause of God and His
dominion, for the portals of His tender compassion have been opened before
all who dwell in heaven and on earth.
127 The number of months in a year, appointed in the Book of God, is
nineteen. Of these the first hath been adorned with this Name which
overshadoweth the whole of creation.
128 The Lord hath decreed that the dead should be interred in coffins made
of crystal, of hard, resistant stone, or of wood that is both fine and
durable, and that graven rings should be placed upon their fingers. He,
verily, is the Supreme Ordainer, the One apprised of all.
129 The inscription on these rings should read, for men: "Unto God
belongeth all that is in the heavens and on the earth and whatsoever is
between them, and He, in truth, hath knowledge of all things"; and for
women: "Unto God belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth and
whatsoever is between them, and He, in truth, is potent over all things".
These are the verses that were revealed aforetime, but lo, the Point of
the Bayán now calleth out, exclaiming, "O Best-Beloved of the worlds!
Reveal Thou in their stead such words as will waft the fragrance of Thy
gracious favours over all mankind. We have announced unto everyone that
one single word from Thee excelleth all that hath been sent down in the
Bayán. Thou, indeed, hast power to do what pleaseth Thee. Deprive not Thy
servants of the overflowing bounties of the ocean of Thy mercy! Thou, in
truth, art He Whose grace is infinite." Behold, We have hearkened to His
call, and now fulfil His wish. He, verily, is the Best-Beloved, the
Answerer of prayers. If the following verse, which hath at this moment
been sent down by God, be engraved upon the burial-rings of both men and
women, it shall be better for them; We, of a certainty, are the Supreme
Ordainer: "I came forth from God, and return unto Him, detached from all
save Him, holding fast to His Name, the Merciful, the Compassionate." Thus
doth the Lord single out whomsoever He desireth for a bounty from His
presence. He is, in very truth, the God of might and power.
130 The Lord hath decreed, moreover, that the deceased should be enfolded
in five sheets of silk or cotton. For those whose means are limited a
single sheet of either fabric will suffice. Thus hath it been ordained by
Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. It is forbidden you to
transport the body of the deceased a greater distance than one hour’s
journey from the city; rather should it be interred, with radiance and
serenity, in a nearby place.
131 God hath removed the restrictions on travel that had been imposed in
the Bayán. He, verily, is the Unconstrained; He doeth as He pleaseth and
ordaineth whatsoever He willeth.
132 O peoples of the world! Give ear unto the call of Him Who is the Lord
of Names, Who proclaimeth unto you from His habitation in the Most Great
Prison: "Verily, no God is there but Me, the Powerful, the Mighty, the
All-Subduing, the Most Exalted, the Omniscient, the All-Wise." In truth,
there is no God but Him, the Omnipotent Ruler of the worlds. Were it His
Will, He would, through but a single word proceeding from His presence,
lay hold on all mankind. Beware lest ye hesitate in your acceptance of
this Cause—a Cause before which the Concourse on high and the dwellers of
the Cities of Names have bowed down. Fear God, and be not of those who are
shut out as by a veil. Burn ye away the veils with the fire of My love,
and dispel ye the mists of vain imaginings by the power of this Name
through which We have subdued the entire creation.
133 Raise up and exalt the two Houses in the Twin Hallowed Spots, and the
other sites wherein the throne of your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath been
established. Thus commandeth you the Lord of every understanding heart.
134 Be watchful lest the concerns and preoccupations of this world prevent
you from observing that which hath been enjoined upon you by Him Who is
the Mighty, the Faithful. Be ye the embodiments of such steadfastness
amidst mankind that ye will not be kept back from God by the doubts of
those who disbelieved in Him when He manifested Himself, invested with a
mighty sovereignty. Take heed lest ye be prevented by aught that hath been
recorded in the Book from hearkening unto this, the Living Book, Who
proclaimeth the truth: "Verily, there is no God but Me, the Most
Excellent, the All-Praised." Look ye with the eye of equity upon Him Who
hath descended from the heaven of Divine will and power, and be not of
those who act unjustly.
135 Call then to mind these words which have streamed forth, in tribute to
this Revelation, from the Pen of Him Who was My Herald, and consider what
the hands of the oppressors have wrought throughout My days. Truly they
are numbered with the lost. He said: "Should ye attain the presence of Him
Whom We shall make manifest, beseech ye God, in His bounty, to grant that
He might deign to seat Himself upon your couches, for that act in itself
would confer upon you matchless and surpassing honour. Should He drink a
cup of water in your homes, this would be of greater consequence for you
than your proffering unto every soul, nay unto every created thing, the
water of its very life. Know this, O ye My servants!"
136 Such are the words with which My Forerunner hath extolled My Being,
could ye but understand. Whoso reflecteth upon these verses, and realizeth
what hidden pearls have been enshrined within them, will, by the
righteousness of God, perceive the fragrance of the All-Merciful wafting
from the direction of this Prison and will, with his whole heart, hasten
unto Him with such ardent longing that the hosts of earth and heaven would
be powerless to deter him. Say: This is a Revelation around which every
proof and testimony doth circle. Thus hath it been sent down by your Lord,
the God of Mercy, if ye be of them that judge aright. Say: This is the
very soul of all Scriptures which hath been breathed into the Pen of the
Most High, causing all created beings to be dumbfounded, save only those
who have been enraptured by the gentle breezes of My loving-kindness and
the sweet savours of My bounties which have pervaded the whole of
creation.
137 O people of the Bayán! Fear ye the Most Merciful and consider what He
hath revealed in another passage. He said: "The Qiblih is indeed He Whom
God will make manifest; whenever He moveth, it moveth, until He shall come
to rest." Thus was it set down by the Supreme Ordainer when He desired to
make mention of this Most Great Beauty. Meditate on this, O people, and be
not of them that wander distraught in the wilderness of error. If ye
reject Him at the bidding of your idle fancies, where then is the Qiblih
to which ye will turn, O assemblage of the heedless? Ponder ye this verse,
and judge equitably before God, that haply ye may glean the pearls of
mysteries from the ocean that surgeth in My Name, the All-Glorious, the
Most High.
138 Let none, in this Day, hold fast to aught save that which hath been
manifested in this Revelation. Such is the decree of God, aforetime and
hereafter—a decree wherewith the Scriptures of the Messengers of old have
been adorned. Such is the admonition of the Lord, aforetime and
hereafter—an admonition wherewith the preamble to the Book of Life hath
been embellished, did ye but perceive it. Such is the commandment of the
Lord, aforetime and hereafter; beware lest ye choose instead the part of
ignominy and abasement. Naught shall avail you in this Day but God, nor is
there any refuge to flee to save Him, the Omniscient, the All-Wise. Whoso
hath known Me hath known the Goal of all desire, and whoso hath turned
unto Me hath turned unto the Object of all adoration. Thus hath it been
set forth in the Book, and thus hath it been decreed by God, the Lord of
all worlds. To read but one of the verses of My Revelation is better than
to peruse the Scriptures of both the former and latter generations. This
is the Utterance of the All-Merciful, would that ye had ears to hear! Say:
This is the essence of knowledge, did ye but understand.
139 And now consider what hath been revealed in yet another passage, that
perchance ye may forsake your own concepts and set your faces towards God,
the Lord of being. He(4) hath said: "It is unlawful to enter into marriage
save with a believer in the Bayán. Should only one party to a marriage
embrace this Cause, his or her possessions will become unlawful to the
other, until such time as the latter hath converted. This law, however,
will only take effect after the exaltation of the Cause of Him Whom We
shall manifest in truth, or of that which hath already been made manifest
in justice. Ere this, ye are at liberty to enter into wedlock as ye wish,
that haply by this means ye may exalt the Cause of God." Thus hath the
Nightingale sung with sweet melody upon the celestial bough, in praise of
its Lord, the All-Merciful. Well is it with them that hearken.
140 O people of the Bayán, I adjure you by your Lord, the God of mercy, to
look with the eye of fairness upon this utterance which hath been sent
down through the power of truth, and not to be of those who see the
testimony of God yet reject and deny it. They, in truth, are of those who
will assuredly perish. The Point of the Bayán hath explicitly made mention
in this verse of the exaltation of My Cause before His own Cause; unto
this will testify every just and understanding mind. As ye can readily
witness in this day, its exaltation is such as none can deny save those
whose eyes are drunken in this mortal life and whom a humiliating
chastisement awaiteth in the life to come.
141 Say: By the righteousness of God! I, verily, am His(5) Best-Beloved;
and at this moment He listeneth to these verses descending from the Heaven
of Revelation and bewaileth the wrongs ye have committed in these days.
Fear God, and join not with the aggressor. Say: O people, should ye choose
to disbelieve in Him,(6) refrain at least from rising up against Him. By
God! Sufficient are the hosts of tyranny that are leagued against Him!
142 Verily, He(7) revealed certain laws so that, in this Dispensation, the
Pen of the Most High might have no need to move in aught but the
glorification of His own transcendent Station and His most effulgent
Beauty. Since, however, We have wished to evidence Our bounty unto you, We
have, through the power of truth, set forth these laws with clarity and
mitigated what We desire you to observe. He, verily, is the Munificent,
the Generous.
143 He(8) hath previously made known unto you that which would be uttered
by this Dayspring of Divine wisdom. He said, and He speaketh the truth:
"He(9) is the One Who will under all conditions proclaim: ‘Verily, there
is none other God besides Me, the One, the Incomparable, the Omniscient,
the All-Informed.’" This is a station which God hath assigned exclusively
to this sublime, this unique and wondrous Revelation. This is a token of
His bounteous favour, if ye be of them who comprehend, and a sign of His
irresistible decree. This is His Most Great Name, His Most Exalted Word,
and the Dayspring of His Most Excellent Titles, if ye could understand.
Nay more, through Him every Fountainhead, every Dawning-place of Divine
guidance is made manifest. Reflect, O people, on that which hath been sent
down in truth; ponder thereon, and be not of the transgressors.
144 Consort with all religions with amity and concord, that they may
inhale from you the sweet fragrance of God. Beware lest amidst men the
flame of foolish ignorance overpower you. All things proceed from God and
unto Him they return. He is the source of all things and in Him all things
are ended.
145 Take heed that ye enter no house in the absence of its owner, except
with his permission. Comport yourselves with propriety under all
conditions, and be not numbered with the wayward.
146 It hath been enjoined upon you to purify your means of sustenance and
other such things through payment of Zakát. Thus hath it been prescribed
in this exalted Tablet by Him Who is the Revealer of verses. We shall, if
it be God’s will and purpose, set forth erelong the measure of its
assessment. He, verily, expoundeth whatsoever He desireth by virtue of His
own knowledge, and He, of a truth, is Omniscient and All-Wise.
147 It is unlawful to beg, and it is forbidden to give to him who beggeth.
All have been enjoined to earn a living, and as for those who are
incapable of doing so, it is incumbent on the Deputies of God and on the
wealthy to make adequate provision for them. Keep ye the statutes and
commandments of God; nay, guard them as ye would your very eyes, and be
not of those who suffer grievous loss.
148 Ye have been forbidden in the Book of God to engage in contention and
conflict, to strike another, or to commit similar acts whereby hearts and
souls may be saddened. A fine of nineteen miṯẖqáls of gold had formerly
been prescribed by Him Who is the Lord of all mankind for anyone who was
the cause of sadness to another; in this Dispensation, however, He hath
absolved you thereof and exhorteth you to show forth righteousness and
piety. Such is the commandment which He hath enjoined upon you in this
resplendent Tablet. Wish not for others what ye wish not for yourselves;
fear God, and be not of the prideful. Ye are all created out of water, and
unto dust shall ye return. Reflect upon the end that awaiteth you, and
walk not in the ways of the oppressor. Give ear unto the verses of God
which He Who is the sacred Lote-Tree reciteth unto you. They are assuredly
the infallible balance, established by God, the Lord of this world and the
next. Through them the soul of man is caused to wing its flight towards
the Dayspring of Revelation, and the heart of every true believer is
suffused with light. Such are the laws which God hath enjoined upon you,
such His commandments prescribed unto you in His Holy Tablet; obey them
with joy and gladness, for this is best for you, did ye but know.
149 Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide. Whoso faileth to
recite them hath not been faithful to the Covenant of God and His
Testament, and whoso turneth away from these holy verses in this Day is of
those who throughout eternity have turned away from God. Fear ye God, O My
servants, one and all. Pride not yourselves on much reading of the verses
or on a multitude of pious acts by night and day; for were a man to read a
single verse with joy and radiance it would be better for him than to read
with lassitude all the Holy Books of God, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting. Read ye the sacred verses in such measure that ye be not
overcome by languor and despondency. Lay not upon your souls that which
will weary them and weigh them down, but rather what will lighten and
uplift them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine verses
towards the Dawning-place of His manifest signs; this will draw you nearer
to God, did ye but comprehend.
150 Teach your children the verses revealed from the heaven of majesty and
power, so that, in most melodious tones, they may recite the Tablets of
the All-Merciful in the alcoves within the Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkárs. Whoever
hath been transported by the rapture born of adoration for My Name, the
Most Compassionate, will recite the verses of God in such wise as to
captivate the hearts of those yet wrapped in slumber. Well is it with him
who hath quaffed the Mystic Wine of everlasting life from the utterance of
his merciful Lord in My Name—a Name through which every lofty and majestic
mountain hath been reduced to dust.
151 Ye have been enjoined to renew the furnishings of your homes after the
passing of each nineteen years; thus hath it been ordained by One Who is
Omniscient and All-Perceiving. He, verily, is desirous of refinement, both
for you yourselves and for all that ye possess; lay not aside the fear of
God and be not of the negligent. Whoso findeth that his means are
insufficient to this purpose hath been excused by God, the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Bounteous.
152 Wash your feet once every day in summer, and once every three days
during winter.
153 Should anyone wax angry with you, respond to him with gentleness; and
should anyone upbraid you, forbear to upbraid him in return, but leave him
to himself and put your trust in God, the omnipotent Avenger, the Lord of
might and justice.
154 Ye have been prohibited from making use of pulpits. Whoso wisheth to
recite unto you the verses of his Lord, let him sit on a chair placed upon
a dais, that he may make mention of God, his Lord, and the Lord of all
mankind. It is pleasing to God that ye should seat yourselves on chairs
and benches as a mark of honour for the love ye bear for Him and for the
Manifestation of His glorious and resplendent Cause.
155 Gambling and the use of opium have been forbidden unto you. Eschew
them both, O people, and be not of those who transgress. Beware of using
any substance that induceth sluggishness and torpor in the human temple
and inflicteth harm upon the body. We, verily, desire for you naught save
what shall profit you, and to this bear witness all created things, had ye
but ears to hear.
156 Whensoever ye be invited to a banquet or festive occasion, respond
with joy and gladness, and whoever fulfilleth his promise will be safe
from reproof. This is a Day on which each of God’s wise decrees hath been
expounded.
157 Behold, the "mystery of the Great Reversal in the Sign of the
Sovereign" hath now been made manifest. Well is it with him whom God hath
aided to recognize the "Six" raised up by virtue of this "Upright Alif";
he, verily, is of those whose faith is true. How many the outwardly pious
who have turned away, and how many the wayward who have drawn nigh,
exclaiming: "All praise be to Thee, O Thou the Desire of the worlds!" In
truth, it is in the hand of God to give what He willeth to whomsoever He
willeth, and to withhold what He pleaseth from whomsoever He may wish. He
knoweth the inner secrets of the hearts and the meaning hidden in a
mocker’s wink. How many an embodiment of heedlessness who came unto Us
with purity of heart have We established upon the seat of Our acceptance;
and how many an exponent of wisdom have We in all justice consigned to the
fire. We are, in truth, the One to judge. He it is Who is the
manifestation of "God doeth whatsoever He pleaseth", and abideth upon the
throne of "He ordaineth whatsoever He chooseth".
158 Blessed is the one who discovereth the fragrance of inner meanings
from the traces of this Pen through whose movement the breezes of God are
wafted over the entire creation, and through whose stillness the very
essence of tranquillity appeareth in the realm of being. Glorified be the
All-Merciful, the Revealer of so inestimable a bounty. Say: Because He
bore injustice, justice hath appeared on earth, and because He accepted
abasement, the majesty of God hath shone forth amidst mankind.
159 It hath been forbidden you to carry arms unless essential, and
permitted you to attire yourselves in silk. The Lord hath relieved you, as
a bounty on His part, of the restrictions that formerly applied to
clothing and to the trim of the beard. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the
Omniscient. Let there be naught in your demeanour of which sound and
upright minds would disapprove, and make not yourselves the playthings of
the ignorant. Well is it with him who hath adorned himself with the
vesture of seemly conduct and a praiseworthy character. He is assuredly
reckoned with those who aid their Lord through distinctive and outstanding
deeds.
160 Promote ye the development of the cities of God and His countries, and
glorify Him therein in the joyous accents of His well-favoured ones. In
truth, the hearts of men are edified through the power of the tongue, even
as houses and cities are built up by the hand and other means. We have
assigned to every end a means for its accomplishment; avail yourselves
thereof, and place your trust and confidence in God, the Omniscient, the
All-Wise.
161 Blessed is the man that hath acknowledged his belief in God and in His
signs, and recognized that "He shall not be asked of His doings". Such a
recognition hath been made by God the ornament of every belief and its
very foundation. Upon it must depend the acceptance of every goodly deed.
Fasten your eyes upon it, that haply the whisperings of the rebellious may
not cause you to slip.
162 Were He to decree as lawful the thing which from time immemorial had
been forbidden, and forbid that which had, at all times, been regarded as
lawful, to none is given the right to question His authority. Whoso will
hesitate, though it be for less than a moment, should be regarded as a
transgressor.
163 Whoso hath not recognized this sublime and fundamental verity, and
hath failed to attain this most exalted station, the winds of doubt will
agitate him, and the sayings of the infidels will distract his soul. He
that hath acknowledged this principle will be endowed with the most
perfect constancy. All honour to this all-glorious station, the
remembrance of which adorneth every exalted Tablet. Such is the teaching
which God bestoweth on you, a teaching that will deliver you from all
manner of doubt and perplexity, and enable you to attain unto salvation in
both this world and in the next. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the
Most Bountiful. He it is Who hath sent forth the Messengers, and sent down
the Books to proclaim "There is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the
All-Wise".
164 O Land of Káf and Rá!(10) We, verily, behold thee in a state
displeasing unto God, and see proceeding from thee that which is
inscrutable to anyone save Him, the Omniscient, the All-Informed; and We
perceive that which secretly and stealthily diffuseth from thee. With Us
is the knowledge of all things, inscribed in a lucid Tablet. Sorrow not
for that which hath befallen thee. Erelong will God raise up within thee
men endued with mighty valour, who will magnify My Name with such
constancy that neither will they be deterred by the evil suggestions of
the divines, nor will they be kept back by the insinuations of the sowers
of doubt. With their own eyes will they behold God, and with their own
lives will they render Him victorious. These, truly, are of those who are
steadfast.
165 O concourse of divines! When My verses were sent down, and My clear
tokens were revealed, We found you behind the veils. This, verily, is a
strange thing. Ye glory in My Name, yet ye recognized Me not at the time
your Lord, the All-Merciful, appeared amongst you with proof and
testimony. We have rent the veils asunder. Beware lest ye shut out the
people by yet another veil. Pluck asunder the chains of vain imaginings,
in the name of the Lord of all men, and be not of the deceitful. Should ye
turn unto God and embrace His Cause, spread not disorder within it, and
measure not the Book of God with your selfish desires. This, verily, is
the counsel of God aforetime and hereafter, and to this God’s witnesses
and chosen ones, yea, each and every one of Us, do solemnly attest.
166 Call ye to mind the s̱ẖayḵẖ whose name was Muḥammad-Ḥasan, who
ranked among the most learned divines of his day. When the True One was
made manifest, this s̱ẖayḵẖ, along with others of his calling, rejected
Him, while a sifter of wheat and barley accepted Him and turned unto the
Lord. Though he was occupied both night and day in setting down what he
conceived to be the laws and ordinances of God, yet when He Who is the
Unconstrained appeared, not one letter thereof availed him, or he would
not have turned away from a Countenance that hath illumined the faces of
the well-favoured of the Lord. Had ye believed in God when He revealed
Himself, the people would not have turned aside from Him, nor would the
things ye witness today have befallen Us. Fear God, and be not of the
heedless.
167 Beware lest any name debar you from Him Who is the Possessor of all
names, or any word shut you out from this Remembrance of God, this Source
of Wisdom amongst you. Turn unto God and seek His protection, O concourse
of divines, and make not of yourselves a veil between Me and My creatures.
Thus doth your Lord admonish you, and command you to be just, lest your
works should come to naught and ye yourselves be oblivious of your plight.
Shall he who denieth this Cause be able to vindicate the truth of any
cause throughout creation? Nay, by Him Who is the Fashioner of the
universe! Yet the people are wrapped in a palpable veil. Say: Through this
Cause the day-star of testimony hath dawned, and the luminary of proof
hath shed its radiance upon all that dwell on earth. Fear God, O men of
insight, and be not of those who disbelieve in Me. Take heed lest the word
"Prophet" withhold you from this Most Great Announcement, or any reference
to "Vicegerency" debar you from the sovereignty of Him Who is the
Vicegerent of God, which overshadoweth all the worlds. Every name hath
been created by His Word, and every cause is dependent on His
irresistible, His mighty and wondrous Cause. Say: This is the Day of God,
the Day on which naught shall be mentioned save His own Self, the
omnipotent Protector of all worlds. This is the Cause that hath made all
your superstitions and idols to tremble.
168 We, verily, see amongst you him who taketh hold of the Book of God and
citeth from it proofs and arguments wherewith to repudiate his Lord, even
as the followers of every other Faith sought reasons in their Holy Books
for refuting Him Who is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Say: God,
the True One, is My witness that neither the Scriptures of the world, nor
all the books and writings in existence, shall, in this Day, avail you
aught without this, the Living Book, Who proclaimeth in the midmost heart
of creation: "Verily, there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise."
169 O concourse of divines! Beware lest ye be the cause of strife in the
land, even as ye were the cause of the repudiation of the Faith in its
early days. Gather the people around this Word that hath made the pebbles
to cry out: "The Kingdom is God’s, the Dawning-place of all signs!" Thus
doth your Lord admonish you, as a bounty on His part; He, of a truth, is
the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
170 Call ye to mind Karím, and how, when We summoned him unto God, he
waxed disdainful, prompted by his own desires; yet We had sent him that
which was a solace to the eye of proof in the world of being and the
fulfilment of God’s testimony to all the denizens of earth and heaven. As
a token of the grace of Him Who is the All-Possessing, the Most High, We
bade him embrace the Truth. But he turned away until, as an act of justice
from God, angels of wrath laid hold upon him. Unto this We truly were a
witness.
171 Tear the veils asunder in such wise that the inmates of the Kingdom
will hear them being rent. This is the command of God, in days gone by and
for those to come. Blessed the man that observeth that whereunto he was
bidden, and woe betide the negligent.
172 We, of a certainty, have had no purpose in this earthly realm save to
make God manifest and to reveal His sovereignty; sufficient unto Me is God
for a witness. We, of a certainty, have had no intent in the celestial
Kingdom but to exalt His Cause and glorify His praise; sufficient unto Me
is God for a protector. We, of a certainty, have had no desire in the
Dominion on high except to extol God and what hath been sent down by Him;
sufficient unto Me is God for a helper.
173 Happy are ye, O ye the learned ones in Bahá. By the Lord! Ye are the
billows of the Most Mighty Ocean, the stars of the firmament of Glory, the
standards of triumph waving betwixt earth and heaven. Ye are the
manifestations of steadfastness amidst men and the daysprings of Divine
Utterance to all that dwell on earth. Well is it with him that turneth
unto you, and woe betide the froward. This day, it behoveth whoso hath
quaffed the Mystic Wine of everlasting life from the Hands of the
loving-kindness of the Lord his God, the Merciful, to pulsate even as the
throbbing artery in the body of mankind, that through him may be quickened
the world and every crumbling bone.
174 O people of the world! When the Mystic Dove will have winged its
flight from its Sanctuary of Praise and sought its far-off goal, its
hidden habitation, refer ye whatsoever ye understand not in the Book to
Him Who hath branched from this mighty Stock.
175 O Pen of the Most High! Move Thou upon the Tablet at the bidding of
Thy Lord, the Creator of the Heavens, and tell of the time when He Who is
the Dayspring of Divine Unity purposed to direct His steps towards the
School of Transcendent Oneness; haply the pure in heart may gain thereby a
glimpse, be it as small as a needle’s eye, of the mysteries of Thy Lord,
the Almighty, the Omniscient, that lie concealed behind the veils. Say:
We, indeed, set foot within the School of inner meaning and explanation
when all created things were unaware. We saw the words sent down by Him
Who is the All-Merciful, and We accepted the verses of God, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting, which He(11) presented unto Us, and hearkened
unto that which He had solemnly affirmed in the Tablet. This we assuredly
did behold. And We assented to His wish through Our behest, for truly We
are potent to command.
176 O people of the Bayán! We, verily, set foot within the School of God
when ye lay slumbering; and We perused the Tablet while ye were fast
asleep. By the one true God! We read the Tablet ere it was revealed, while
ye were unaware, and We had perfect knowledge of the Book when ye were yet
unborn. These words are to your measure, not to God’s. To this testifieth
that which is enshrined within His knowledge, if ye be of them that
comprehend; and to this the tongue of the Almighty doth bear witness, if
ye be of those who understand. I swear by God, were We to lift the veil,
ye would be dumbfounded.
177 Take heed that ye dispute not idly concerning the Almighty and His
Cause, for lo! He hath appeared amongst you invested with a Revelation so
great as to encompass all things, whether of the past or of the future.
Were We to address Our theme by speaking in the language of the inmates of
the Kingdom, We would say: "In truth, God created that School ere He
created heaven and earth, and We entered it before the letters B and E
were joined and knit together." Such is the language of Our servants in
Our Kingdom; consider what the tongue of the dwellers of Our exalted
Dominion would utter, for We have taught them Our knowledge and have
revealed to them whatever had lain hidden in God’s wisdom. Imagine then
what the Tongue of Might and Grandeur would utter in His All-Glorious
Abode!
178 This is not a Cause which may be made a plaything for your idle
fancies, nor is it a field for the foolish and faint of heart. By God,
this is the arena of insight and detachment, of vision and upliftment,
where none may spur on their chargers save the valiant horsemen of the
Merciful, who have severed all attachment to the world of being. These,
truly, are they that render God victorious on earth, and are the
dawning-places of His sovereign might amidst mankind.
179 Beware lest aught that hath been revealed in the Bayán should keep you
from your Lord, the Most Compassionate. God is My witness that the Bayán
was sent down for no other purpose than to celebrate My praise, did ye but
know! In it the pure in heart will find only the fragrance of My love,
only My Name that overshadoweth all that seeth and is seen. Say: Turn ye,
O people, unto that which hath proceeded from My Most Exalted Pen. Should
ye inhale therefrom the fragrance of God, set not yourselves against Him,
nor deny yourselves a portion of His gracious favour and His manifold
bestowals. Thus doth your Lord admonish you; He, verily, is the
Counsellor, the Omniscient.
180 Whatsoever ye understand not in the Bayán, ask it of God, your Lord
and the Lord of your forefathers. Should He so desire, He will expound for
you that which is revealed therein, and disclose to you the pearls of
Divine knowledge and wisdom that lie concealed within the ocean of its
words. He, verily, is supreme over all names; no God is there but Him, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
181 The world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating
influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind’s ordered life
hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous
System—the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.
182 Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its
secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths.
Take heed that ye do not vacillate in your determination to embrace the
truth of this Cause—a Cause through which the potentialities of the might
of God have been revealed, and His sovereignty established. With faces
beaming with joy, hasten ye unto Him. This is the changeless Faith of God,
eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain
it; and as to him that hath refused to seek it—verily, God is
Self-Sufficient, above any need of His creatures.
183 Say: This is the infallible Balance which the Hand of God is holding,
in which all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth are
weighed, and their fate determined, if ye be of them that believe and
recognize this truth. Say: This is the Most Great Testimony, by which the
validity of every proof throughout the ages hath been established, would
that ye might be assured thereof. Say: Through it the poor have been
enriched, the learned enlightened, and the seekers enabled to ascend unto
the presence of God. Beware lest ye make it a cause of dissension amongst
you. Be ye as firmly settled as the immovable mountain in the Cause of
your Lord, the Mighty, the Loving.
184 Say: O source of perversion! Abandon thy wilful blindness, and speak
forth the truth amidst the people. I swear by God that I have wept for
thee to see thee following thy selfish passions and renouncing Him Who
fashioned thee and brought thee into being. Call to mind the tender mercy
of thy Lord, and remember how We nurtured thee by day and by night for
service to the Cause. Fear God, and be thou of the truly repentant.
Granted that the people were confused about thy station, is it conceivable
that thou thyself art similarly confused? Tremble before thy Lord and
recall the days when thou didst stand before Our throne, and didst write
down the verses that We dictated unto thee—verses sent down by God, the
Omnipotent Protector, the Lord of might and power. Beware lest the fire of
thy presumptuousness debar thee from attaining to God’s Holy Court. Turn
unto Him, and fear not because of thy deeds. He, in truth, forgiveth
whomsoever He desireth as a bounty on His part; no God is there but Him,
the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bounteous. We admonish thee solely for the
sake of God. Shouldst thou accept this counsel, thou wilt have acted to
thine own behoof; and shouldst thou reject it, thy Lord, verily, can well
dispense with thee, and with all those who, in manifest delusion, have
followed thee. Behold! God hath laid hold on him who led thee astray.
Return unto God, humble, submissive and lowly; verily, He will put away
from thee thy sins, for thy Lord, of a certainty, is the Forgiving, the
Mighty, the All-Merciful.
185 This is the Counsel of God; would that thou mightest heed it! This is
the Bounty of God; would that thou mightest receive it! This is the
Utterance of God; if only thou wouldst apprehend it! This is the Treasure
of God; if only thou couldst understand!
186 This is a Book which hath become the Lamp of the Eternal unto the
world, and His straight, undeviating Path amidst the peoples of the earth.
Say: This is the Dayspring of Divine knowledge, if ye be of them that
understand, and the Dawning-place of God’s commandments, if ye be of those
who comprehend.
187 Burden not an animal with more than it can bear. We, truly, have
prohibited such treatment through a most binding interdiction in the Book.
Be ye the embodiments of justice and fairness amidst all creation.
188 Should anyone unintentionally take another’s life, it is incumbent
upon him to render to the family of the deceased an indemnity of one
hundred miṯẖqáls of gold. Observe ye that which hath been enjoined upon
you in this Tablet, and be not of those who overstep its limits.
189 O members of parliaments throughout the world! Select ye a single
language for the use of all on earth, and adopt ye likewise a common
script. God, verily, maketh plain for you that which shall profit you and
enable you to be independent of others. He, of a truth, is the Most
Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. This will be the cause of
unity, could ye but comprehend it, and the greatest instrument for
promoting harmony and civilization, would that ye might understand! We
have appointed two signs for the coming of age of the human race: the
first, which is the most firm foundation, We have set down in other of Our
Tablets, while the second hath been revealed in this wondrous Book.
190 It hath been forbidden you to smoke opium. We, truly, have prohibited
this practice through a most binding interdiction in the Book. Should
anyone partake thereof, assuredly he is not of Me. Fear God, O ye endued
with understanding!
SOME TEXTS REVEALED BY BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SUPPLEMENTARY TO THE KITÁB-I-AQDAS
"A number of Tablets revealed by Bahá’u’lláh after the..."
A number of Tablets revealed by Bahá’u’lláh after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
contain passages supplementary to the provisions of the Most Holy Book.
The most noteworthy of these have been published in Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh
revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Included in this section is an extract
from the Tablet of Is̱ẖráqát. The text of the three Obligatory Prayers
referred to in Questions and Answers and the Prayer for the Dead mentioned
in the Text are, likewise, reprinted here.
The Tablet of Is̱ẖráqát
The Eighth Is̱ẖráq
This passage, now written by the Pen of Glory, is accounted as part of the
Most Holy Book: The men of God’s House of Justice have been charged with
the affairs of the people. They, in truth, are the Trustees of God among
His servants and the daysprings of authority in His countries.
O people of God! That which traineth the world is Justice, for it is
upheld by two pillars, reward and punishment. These two pillars are the
sources of life to the world. Inasmuch as for each day there is a new
problem and for every problem an expedient solution, such affairs should
be referred to the House of Justice that the members thereof may act
according to the needs and requirements of the time. They that, for the
sake of God, arise to serve His Cause, are the recipients of divine
inspiration from the unseen Kingdom. It is incumbent upon all to be
obedient unto them. All matters of State should be referred to the House
of Justice, but acts of worship must be observed according to that which
God hath revealed in His Book.
O people of Bahá! Ye are the dawning-places of the love of God and the
daysprings of His loving-kindness. Defile not your tongues with the
cursing and reviling of any soul, and guard your eyes against that which
is not seemly. Set forth that which ye possess. If it be favourably
received, your end is attained; if not, to protest is vain. Leave that
soul to himself and turn unto the Lord, the Protector, the
Self-Subsisting. Be not the cause of grief, much less of discord and
strife. The hope is cherished that ye may obtain true education in the
shelter of the tree of His tender mercies and act in accordance with that
which God desireth. Ye are all the leaves of one tree and the drops of one
ocean.
_(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas)_
Long Obligatory Prayer
To Be Recited Once In Twenty-four Hours
_Whoso wisheth to recite this prayer, let him stand up and turn
unto God, and, as he standeth in his place, let him gaze to the
right and to the left, as if awaiting the mercy of his Lord, the
Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Then let him say:_
O Thou Who art the Lord of all names and the Maker of the heavens! I
beseech Thee by them Who are the Daysprings of Thine invisible Essence,
the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, to make of my prayer a fire that will
burn away the veils which have shut me out from Thy beauty, and a light
that will lead me unto the ocean of Thy Presence.
_Let him then raise his hands in supplication toward God—blessed
and exalted be He—and say:_
O Thou the Desire of the world and the Beloved of the nations! Thou seest
me turning toward Thee, and rid of all attachment to anyone save Thee, and
clinging to Thy cord, through whose movement the whole creation hath been
stirred up. I am Thy servant, O my Lord, and the son of Thy servant.
Behold me standing ready to do Thy will and Thy desire, and wishing naught
else except Thy good pleasure. I implore Thee by the Ocean of Thy mercy
and the Day-Star of Thy grace to do with Thy servant as Thou willest and
pleasest. By Thy might which is far above all mention and praise!
Whatsoever is revealed by Thee is the desire of my heart and the beloved
of my soul. O God, my God! Look not upon my hopes and my doings, nay
rather look upon Thy will that hath encompassed the heavens and the earth.
By Thy Most Great Name, O Thou Lord of all nations! I have desired only
what Thou didst desire, and love only what Thou dost love.
_Let him then kneel, and bowing his forehead to the ground, let
him say:_
Exalted art Thou above the description of anyone save Thyself, and the
comprehension of aught else except Thee.
_Let him then stand and say:_
Make my prayer, O my Lord, a fountain of living waters whereby I may live
as long as Thy sovereignty endureth, and may make mention of Thee in every
world of Thy worlds.
_Let him again raise his hands in supplication, and say:_
O Thou in separation from Whom hearts and souls have melted, and by the
fire of Whose love the whole world hath been set aflame! I implore Thee by
Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued the whole creation, not to
withhold from me that which is with Thee, O Thou Who rulest over all men!
Thou seest, O my Lord, this stranger hastening to his most exalted home
beneath the canopy of Thy majesty and within the precincts of Thy mercy;
and this transgressor seeking the ocean of Thy forgiveness; and this lowly
one the court of Thy glory; and this poor creature the orient of Thy
wealth. Thine is the authority to command whatsoever Thou willest. I bear
witness that Thou art to be praised in Thy doings, and to be obeyed in Thy
behests, and to remain unconstrained in Thy bidding.
_Let him then raise his hands, and repeat three times the Greatest
Name. Let him then bend down with hands resting on the knees
before God—blessed and exalted be He—and say: _
Thou seest, O my God, how my spirit hath been stirred up within my limbs
and members, in its longing to worship Thee, and in its yearning to
remember Thee and extol Thee; how it testifieth to that whereunto the
Tongue of Thy Commandment hath testified in the kingdom of Thine utterance
and the heaven of Thy knowledge. I love, in this state, O my Lord, to beg
of Thee all that is with Thee, that I may demonstrate my poverty, and
magnify Thy bounty and Thy riches, and may declare my powerlessness, and
manifest Thy power and Thy might.
_Let him then stand and raise his hands twice in supplication, and
say:_
There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. There is no God
but Thee, the Ordainer, both in the beginning and in the end. O God, my
God! Thy forgiveness hath emboldened me, and Thy mercy hath strengthened
me, and Thy call hath awakened me, and Thy grace hath raised me up and led
me unto Thee. Who, otherwise, am I that I should dare to stand at the gate
of the city of Thy nearness, or set my face toward the lights that are
shining from the heaven of Thy will? Thou seest, O my Lord, this wretched
creature knocking at the door of Thy grace, and this evanescent soul
seeking the river of everlasting life from the hands of Thy bounty. Thine
is the command at all times, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names; and
mine is resignation and willing submission to Thy will, O Creator of the
heavens!
_Let him then raise his hands thrice, and say:_
Greater is God than every great one!
_Let him then kneel and, bowing his forehead to the ground, say:_
Too high art Thou for the praise of those who are nigh unto Thee to ascend
unto the heaven of Thy nearness, or for the birds of the hearts of them
who are devoted to Thee to attain to the door of Thy gate. I testify that
Thou hast been sanctified above all attributes and holy above all names.
No God is there but Thee, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious.
_Let him then seat himself and say:_
I testify unto that whereunto have testified all created things, and the
Concourse on high, and the inmates of the all-highest Paradise, and beyond
them the Tongue of Grandeur itself from the all-glorious Horizon, that
Thou art God, that there is no God but Thee, and that He Who hath been
manifested is the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Symbol, through Whom the
letters B and E (Be) have been joined and knit together. I testify that it
is He whose name hath been set down by the Pen of the Most High, and Who
hath been mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the Throne on high
and of earth below.
_Let him then stand erect and say:_
O Lord of all being and Possessor of all things visible and invisible!
Thou dost perceive my tears and the sighs I utter, and hearest my
groaning, and my wailing, and the lamentation of my heart. By Thy might!
My trespasses have kept me back from drawing nigh unto Thee; and my sins
have held me far from the court of Thy holiness. Thy love, O my Lord, hath
enriched me, and separation from Thee hath destroyed me, and remoteness
from Thee hath consumed me. I entreat Thee by Thy footsteps in this
wilderness, and by the words "Here am I. Here am I" which Thy chosen Ones
have uttered in this immensity, and by the breaths of Thy Revelation, and
the gentle winds of the Dawn of Thy Manifestation, to ordain that I may
gaze on Thy beauty and observe whatsoever is in Thy Book.
_Let him then repeat the Greatest Name thrice, and bend down with
hands resting on the knees, and say:_
Praise be to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast aided me to remember Thee and
to praise Thee, and hast made known unto me Him Who is the Dayspring of
Thy signs, and hast caused me to bow down before Thy Lordship, and humble
myself before Thy Godhead, and to acknowledge that which hath been uttered
by the Tongue of Thy grandeur.
_Let him then rise and say:_
O God, my God! My back is bowed by the burden of my sins, and my
heedlessness hath destroyed me. Whenever I ponder my evil doings and Thy
benevolence, my heart melteth within me, and my blood boileth in my veins.
By Thy Beauty, O Thou the Desire of the world! I blush to lift up my face
to Thee, and my longing hands are ashamed to stretch forth toward the
heaven of Thy bounty. Thou seest, O my God, how my tears prevent me from
remembering Thee and from extolling Thy virtues, O Thou the Lord of the
Throne on high and of earth below! I implore Thee by the signs of Thy
Kingdom and the mysteries of Thy Dominion to do with Thy loved ones as
becometh Thy bounty, O Lord of all being, and is worthy of Thy grace, O
King of the seen and the unseen!
_Let him then repeat the Greatest Name thrice, and kneel with his
forehead to the ground, and say:_
Praise be unto Thee, O our God, that Thou hast sent down unto us that
which draweth us nigh unto Thee, and supplieth us with every good thing
sent down by Thee in Thy Books and Thy Scriptures. Protect us, we beseech
Thee, O my Lord, from the hosts of idle fancies and vain imaginations.
Thou, in truth, art the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
_Let him then raise his head, and seat himself, and say:_
I testify, O my God, to that whereunto Thy chosen Ones have testified, and
acknowledge that which the inmates of the all-highest Paradise and those
who have circled round Thy mighty Throne have acknowledged. The kingdoms
of earth and heaven are Thine, O Lord of the worlds!
_(Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, CLXXXIII)_
Medium Obligatory Prayer
To Be Recited Daily, In The Morning, At Noon, And In The Evening
_Whoso wisheth to pray, let him wash his hands, and while he
washeth, let him say:_
Strengthen my hand, O my God, that it may take hold of Thy Book with such
steadfastness that the hosts of the world shall have no power over it.
Guard it, then, from meddling with whatsoever doth not belong unto it.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.
_And while washing his face, let him say:_
I have turned my face unto Thee, O my Lord! Illumine it with the light of
Thy countenance. Protect it, then, from turning to any one but Thee.
_Then let him stand up, and facing the Qiblih (Point of Adoration,
i.e. Bahjí, Akká), let him say:_
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are the kingdoms
of Revelation and of creation. He, in truth, hath manifested Him Who is
the Dayspring of Revelation, Who conversed on Sinai, through Whom the
Supreme Horizon hath been made to shine, and the Lote-Tree beyond which
there is no passing hath spoken, and through Whom the call hath been
proclaimed unto all who are in heaven and on earth: "Lo, the
All-Possessing is come. Earth and heaven, glory and dominion are God’s,
the Lord of all men, and the Possessor of the Throne on high and of earth
below!"
_Let him, then, bend down, with hands resting on the knees, and
say:_
Exalted art Thou above my praise and the praise of anyone beside me, above
my description and the description of all who are in heaven and all who
are on earth!
_Then, standing with open hands, palms upward toward the face, let
him say:_
Disappoint not, O my God, him that hath, with beseeching fingers, clung to
the hem of Thy mercy and Thy grace, O Thou Who of those who show mercy art
the Most Merciful!
_Let him, then, be seated and say:_
I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and
that there is none other God beside Thee. Thou hast, verily, revealed Thy
Cause, fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened wide the door of Thy grace to
all that dwell in heaven and on earth. Blessing and peace, salutation and
glory, rest upon Thy loved ones, whom the changes and chances of the world
have not deterred from turning unto Thee, and who have given their all, in
the hope of obtaining that which is with Thee. Thou art, in truth, the
Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
_(If anyone choose to recite instead of the long verse these
words: "God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting," it would be sufficient. And
likewise, it would suffice were he, while seated, to choose to
recite these words: "I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness,
and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside
Thee.")_
_(Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, CLXXXII)_
Short Obligatory Prayer
To Be Recited Once In Twenty-four Hours, At Noon
I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to
worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy
might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
_(Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, CLXXXI)_
Prayer For The Dead
O my God! This is Thy servant and the son of Thy servant who hath believed
in Thee and in Thy signs, and set his face towards Thee, wholly detached
from all except Thee. Thou art, verily, of those who show mercy the most
merciful.
Deal with him, O Thou Who forgivest the sins of men and concealest their
faults, as beseemeth the heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy grace.
Grant him admission within the precincts of Thy transcendent mercy that
was before the foundation of earth and heaven. There is no God but Thee,
the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
_Let him, then, repeat six times the greeting "Alláh-u-Abhá", and
then repeat nineteen times each of the following verses:_
We all, verily, worship God.
We all, verily, bow down before God.
We all, verily, are devoted unto God.
We all, verily, give praise unto God.
We all, verily, yield thanks unto God.
We all, verily, are patient in God.
_(If the dead be a woman, let him say: This is Thy handmaiden and
the daughter of Thy handmaiden, etc...)_
_(Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, CLXVII)_
Questions And Answers
1. QUESTION: Concerning the Most Great Festival.
ANSWER: The Most Great Festival commenceth late in the afternoon of the
thirteenth day of the second month of the year according to the Bayán. On
the first, ninth and twelfth days of this Festival, work is forbidden.
2. QUESTION: Concerning the Festival of the Twin Birthdays.
ANSWER: The Birth of the Abhá Beauty(12) was at the hour of dawn on the
second day of the month of Muharram,(13) the first day of which marketh
the Birth of His Herald. These two days are accounted as one in the sight
of God.
3. QUESTION: Concerning the Marriage Verses.(14)
ANSWER: For men: "We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God." For
women: "We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God."
4. QUESTION: Should a man go on a journey without specifying a time for
his return—without indicating, in other words, the expected period of his
absence—and should no word be heard of him thereafter, and all trace of
him be lost, what course should be followed by his wife?
ANSWER: Should he have omitted to fix a time for his return despite being
aware of the stipulation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas in this regard, his wife
should wait for one full year, after which she shall be free either to
adopt the course that is praiseworthy, or to choose for herself another
husband. If, however, he be unaware of this stipulation, she should abide
in patience until such time as God shall please to disclose to her his
fate. By the course that is praiseworthy in this connection is meant the
exercise of patience.
5. QUESTION: Concerning the holy verse: "When We heard the clamour of the
children as yet unborn, We doubled their share and decreased those of the
rest."
ANSWER: According to the Book of God, the estate of the deceased is
divided into 2,520 shares, which number is the lowest common multiple of
all integers up to nine, and these shares are then distributed into seven
portions, each of which is allocated, as mentioned in the Book, to a
particular category of heirs. The children, for example, are allotted nine
blocks of 60 shares, comprising 540 shares in all. The meaning of the
statement "We doubled their share" is thus that the children receive a
further nine blocks of 60 shares, entitling them to a total of 18 blocks
all told. The extra shares that they receive are deducted from the
portions of the other categories of heirs, so that, although it is
revealed, for instance, that the spouse is entitled to "eight parts
comprising four hundred and eighty shares", which is the equivalent of
eight blocks of 60 shares, now, by virtue of this rearrangement, one and a
half blocks of shares, comprising 90 shares in all, have been subtracted
from the spouse’s portion and reallocated to the children, and similarly
in the case of the others. The result is that the total amount subtracted
is equivalent to the nine extra blocks of shares allotted to the children.
6. QUESTION: Is it necessary that the brother, in order to qualify for his
portion of the inheritance, be descended from both the father and the
mother of the deceased, or is it sufficient merely that there be one
parent in common?
ANSWER: If the brother be descended from the father he shall receive his
share of the inheritance in the prescribed measure recorded in the Book;
but if he be descended from the mother, he shall receive only two thirds
of his entitlement, the remaining third reverting to the House of Justice.
This ruling is also applicable to the sister.
7. QUESTION: Amongst the provisions concerning inheritance it hath been
laid down that, should the deceased leave no offspring, their share of the
estate is to revert to the House of Justice. In the event of other
categories of heirs, such as the father, mother, brother, sister and
teacher being similarly absent, do their shares of the inheritance also
revert to the House of Justice, or are they dealt with in some other
fashion?
ANSWER: The sacred verse sufficeth. He saith, exalted be His Word: "Should
the deceased leave no offspring, their share shall revert to the House of
Justice" etc. and "Should the deceased leave offspring, but none of the
other categories of heirs that have been specified in the Book, they shall
receive two thirds of the inheritance and the remaining third shall revert
to the House of Justice" etc. In other words, where there are no
offspring, their allotted portion of the inheritance reverteth to the
House of Justice; and where there are offspring but the other categories
of heirs are lacking, two thirds of the inheritance pass to the offspring,
the remaining third reverting to the House of Justice. This ruling hath
both general and specific application, which is to say that whenever any
category of this latter class of heirs is absent, two thirds of their
inheritance pass to the offspring and the remaining third to the House of
Justice.
8. QUESTION: Concerning the basic sum on which Ḥuqúqu’lláh is payable.
ANSWER: The basic sum on which Ḥuqúqu’lláh is payable is nineteen
miṯẖqáls of gold. In other words, when money to the value of this sum
hath been acquired, a payment of Ḥuqúq falleth due. Likewise Ḥuqúq is
payable when the value, not the number, of other forms of property
reacheth the prescribed amount. Ḥuqúqu’lláh is payable no more than once.
A person, for instance, who acquireth a thousand miṯẖqáls of gold, and
payeth the Ḥuqúq, is not liable to make a further such payment on this
sum, but only on what accrueth to it through commerce, business and the
like. When this increase, namely the profit realized, reacheth the
prescribed sum, one must carry out what God hath decreed. Only when the
principal changeth hands is it once more subject to payment of Ḥuqúq, as
it was the first time. The Primal Point hath directed that Ḥuqúqu’lláh
must be paid on the value of whatsoever one possesseth; yet, in this Most
Mighty Dispensation, We have exempted the household furnishings, that is
such furnishings as are needed, and the residence itself.
9. QUESTION: Which is to take precedence: the Ḥuqúqu’lláh, the debts of
the deceased or the cost of the funeral and burial?
ANSWER: The funeral and burial take precedence, then settlement of debts,
then payment of Ḥuqúqu’lláh. Should the property of the deceased prove
insufficient to cover his debts, the remainder of his estate should be
distributed among these debts in proportion to their size.
10. QUESTION: Shaving the head hath been forbidden in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
but enjoined in the Súriy-i-Hájj.
ANSWER: All are charged with obedience to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; whatsoever is
revealed therein is the Law of God amid His servants. The injunction on
pilgrims to the sacred House to shave the head hath been lifted.
11. QUESTION: If intercourse take place between a couple during their year
of patience, and they become estranged again thereafter, must they
recommence their year of patience, or may the days preceding the
intercourse be included in the reckoning of the year? And once divorce
hath taken place, is it necessary that a further period of waiting be
observed?
ANSWER: Should affection be renewed between the couple during their year
of patience, the marriage tie is valid, and what is commanded in the Book
of God must be observed; but once the year of patience hath been completed
and that which is decreed by God taketh place, a further period of waiting
is not required. Sexual intercourse between husband and wife is forbidden
during their year of patience, and whoso committeth this act must seek
God’s forgiveness, and, as a punishment, render to the House of Justice a
fine of nineteen miṯẖqáls of gold.
12. QUESTION: Should antipathy develop between a couple after the Marriage
Verses have been read and the dowry paid, may divorce take place without
observance of the year of patience?
ANSWER: Divorce may legitimately be sought after the reading of the
Marriage Verses and payment of the dowry, but before the consummation of
the marriage. In such circumstances there is no need for observance of a
year of patience, but recovery of the dowry payment is not permissible.
13. QUESTION: Is the consent of the parents on both sides prerequisite to
marriage, or is that of the parents on one side sufficient? Is this law
applicable only to virgins or to others as well?
ANSWER: Marriage is conditional upon the consent of the parents of both
parties to the marriage, and in this respect it maketh no difference
whether the bride be a virgin or otherwise.
14. QUESTION: The believers have been enjoined to face in the direction of
the Qiblih when reciting their Obligatory Prayers; in what direction
should they turn when offering other prayers and devotions?
ANSWER: Facing in the direction of the Qiblih is a fixed requirement for
the recitation of obligatory prayer, but for other prayers and devotions
one may follow what the merciful Lord hath revealed in the Qur’án:
"Whichever way ye turn, there is the face of God."
15. QUESTION: Concerning the remembrance of God in the
Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár "at the hour of dawn".
ANSWER: Although the words "at the hour of dawn" are used in the Book of
God, it is acceptable to God at the earliest dawn of day, between dawn and
sunrise, or even up to two hours after sunrise.
16. QUESTION: Is the ordinance that the body of the deceased should be
carried no greater distance than one hour’s journey applicable to
transport by both land and sea?
ANSWER: This command applieth to distances by sea as well as by land,
whether it is an hour by steamship or by rail; the intention is the hour’s
time, whatever the means of transport. The sooner the burial taketh place,
however, the more fitting and acceptable will it be.
17. QUESTION: What procedure should be followed on the discovery of lost
property?
ANSWER: If such property be found in the town, its discovery is to be
announced once by the town crier. If the owner of the property is then
found, it should be delivered up to him. Otherwise, the finder of the
property should wait one year, and if, during this period, the owner
cometh to light, the finder should receive from him the crier’s fee and
restore to him his property; only if the year should pass without the
owner’s being identified may the finder take possession of the property
himself. If the value of the property is less than or equal to the crier’s
fee, the finder should wait a single day from the time of its discovery,
at the end of which, if the owner hath not come to light, he may himself
appropriate it; and in the case of property discovered in an uninhabited
area, the finder should observe a three days’ wait, on the passing of
which period, if the identity of the owner remain unknown, he is free to
take possession of his find.
18. QUESTION: With reference to the ablutions: if, for example, a person
hath just bathed his entire body, must he still perform his ablutions?
ANSWER: The commandment regarding ablutions must, in any case, be
observed.
19. QUESTION: Should a person plan to migrate from his country, and his
wife be opposed and the disagreement culminate in divorce, and should his
preparations for the journey extend until a year hath passed, may this
period be counted as the year of patience, or should the day the couple
part be regarded as the starting-point of that year?
ANSWER: The starting-point for computation is the day the couple part, and
if, therefore, they have separated a year before the husband’s departure,
and if the fragrance of affection hath not been renewed between the
couple, divorce may take place. Otherwise the year must be counted from
the day of his departure, and the conditions set forth in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas observed.
20. QUESTION: Concerning the age of maturity with respect to religious
duties.
ANSWER: The age of maturity is fifteen for both men and women.
21. QUESTION: Concerning the holy verse: "When travelling, if ye should
stop and rest in some safe spot, perform ye ... a single prostration in
place of each unsaid Obligatory Prayer..."
ANSWER: This prostration is to compensate for obligatory prayer omitted in
the course of travel, and by reason of insecure circumstances. If, at the
time of prayer, the traveller should find himself at rest in a secure
place, he should perform that prayer. This provision regarding the
compensating prostration applieth both at home and on a journey.
22. QUESTION: Concerning the definition of a journey.(15)
ANSWER: The definition of a journey is nine hours by the clock. Should the
traveller stop in a place, anticipating that he will stay there for no
less than one month by the Bayán reckoning, it is incumbent on him to keep
the Fast; but if for less than one month, he is exempt from fasting. If he
arriveth during the Fast at a place where he is to stay one month
according to the Bayán, he should not observe the Fast till three days
have elapsed, thereafter keeping it throughout the remainder of its
course; but if he come to his home, where he hath heretofore been
permanently resident, he must commence his fast upon the first day after
his arrival.
23. QUESTION: Concerning the punishment of the adulterer and adulteress.
Nine Miṯẖqáls are payable for the first offence, eighteen for the
second, thirty-six for the third, and so on, each succeeding fine being
double the preceding. The weight of one miṯẖqál is equivalent to
nineteen náḵẖuds in accordance with the specification of the Bayán.
24. QUESTION: Concerning hunting.
ANSWER: He saith, exalted be He: "If ye should hunt with beasts or birds
of prey" and so forth. Other means, such as bows and arrows, guns, and
similar equipment employed in hunting, are also included. If, however,
traps or snares are used, and the game dieth before it can be reached, it
is unlawful for consumption.
25. QUESTION: Concerning the pilgrimage.
ANSWER: It is an obligation to make pilgrimage to one of the two sacred
Houses; but as to which, it is for the pilgrim to decide.
26. QUESTION: Concerning the dowry.
ANSWER: Regarding dowry, the intention of contenting oneself with the
lowest level is nineteen miṯẖqáls of silver.
27. QUESTION: Concerning the sacred verse: "If, however, news should reach
her of her husband’s death", etc.
ANSWER: With reference to waiting a "fixed number of months" a period of
nine months is intended.
28. QUESTION: Again inquiry hath been made about the teacher’s share of
the inheritance.
ANSWER: Should the teacher have passed away, one third of his share of the
inheritance reverteth to the House of Justice, and the remaining two
thirds pass to the deceased’s, and not the teacher’s, offspring.
29. QUESTION: Again inquiry hath been made about the pilgrimage.
ANSWER: By pilgrimage to the sacred House, which is enjoined upon men, is
intended both the Most Great House in Bag̱ẖdád and the House of the
Primal Point in S̱ẖíráz; pilgrimage to either of these Houses sufficeth.
They may thus make pilgrimage to whichever lieth nearer to the place where
they reside.
30. QUESTION: Concerning the verse: "he who would take into his service a
maid may do so with propriety."
ANSWER: This is solely for service such as is performed by any other class
of servants, be they young or old, in exchange for wages; such a maiden is
free to choose a husband at whatever time she pleaseth, for it is
forbidden either that women should be purchased, or that a man should have
more wives than two.
31. QUESTION: Concerning the sacred verse: "The Lord hath prohibited ...
the practice to which ye formerly had recourse when thrice ye had divorced
a woman."
ANSWER: The reference is to the law which previously made it necessary for
another man to marry such a woman before she could again be wedded to her
former husband; this practice hath been prohibited in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
32. QUESTION: Concerning the restoration and preservation of the two
Houses in the Twin Spots, and the other sites wherein the throne hath been
established.
ANSWER: By the two Houses is intended the Most Great House and the House
of the Primal Point. As for other sites, the people of the areas where
these are situated may choose to preserve either each house wherein the
throne hath been established, or one of them.
33. QUESTION: Again inquiry hath been made about the inheritance of the
teacher.
ANSWER: If the teacher is not of the people of Bahá, he doth not inherit.
Should there be several teachers, the share is to be divided equally
amongst them. If the teacher is deceased, his offspring do not inherit his
share, but rather two thirds of it revert to the children of the owner of
the estate, and the remaining one third to the House of Justice.
34. QUESTION: Concerning the residence which hath been assigned
exclusively to the male offspring.
ANSWER: If there are several residences, the finest and noblest of these
dwellings is the one intended, the remainder being distributed amongst the
whole body of the heirs like any other form of property. Any heir, from
whichever category of inheritors, who is outside the Faith of God is
accounted as non-existent and doth not inherit.
35. QUESTION: Concerning Naw-Rúz.
ANSWER: The Festival of Naw-Rúz falleth on the day that the sun entereth
the sign of Aries,(16) even should this occur no more than one minute
before sunset.
36. QUESTION: If the anniversary either of the Twin Birthdays or of the
Declaration of the Báb occurreth during the Fast, what is to be done?
ANSWER: Should the feasts celebrating the Twin Birthdays or the
Declaration of the Báb fall within the month of fasting, the command to
fast shall not apply on that day.
37. QUESTION: In the holy ordinances governing inheritance, the residence
and personal clothing of the deceased have been allotted to the male
offspring. Doth this provision refer only to the father’s property, or
doth it apply to the mother’s as well?
ANSWER: The used clothing of the mother should be divided in equal shares
among the daughters, but the remainder of her estate, including property,
jewellery, and unused clothing, is to be distributed, in the manner
revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, to all her heirs. If, however, the deceased
hath left no daughters, her estate in its entirety must be divided in the
manner designated for men in the holy Text.
38. QUESTION: Concerning divorce, which must be preceded by a year of
patience: if only one of the parties is inclined toward conciliation, what
is to be done?
ANSWER: According to the commandment revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, both
parties must be content; unless both are willing, reunion cannot take
place.
39. QUESTION: In connection with the dowry, what if the bridegroom cannot
pay this sum in full, but instead were to formally deliver a promissory
note to his bride at the time of the wedding ceremony, on the
understanding that he will honour it when he is able to do so?
ANSWER: Permission to adopt this practice hath been granted by the Source
of Authority.
40. QUESTION: If during the year of patience the fragrance of affection be
renewed, only to be succeeded by antipathy, and the couple waver between
affection and aversion throughout the year, and the year endeth in
antipathy, can divorce take place or not?
ANSWER: In each case at any time antipathy occurreth, the year of patience
beginneth on that day, and the year must run its full course.
41. QUESTION: The residence and personal clothing of the deceased have
been assigned to the male, not female, offspring, nor to the other heirs;
should the deceased have left no male offspring, what is to be done?
ANSWER: He saith, exalted be He: "Should the deceased leave no offspring,
their share shall revert to the House of Justice..." In conformity with
this sacred verse, the residence and personal clothing of the deceased
revert to the House of Justice.
42. QUESTION: The ordinance of Ḥuqúqu’lláh is revealed in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Is the residence, with the accompanying fixtures and
necessary furnishings, included in the property on which Ḥuqúq is payable,
or is it otherwise?
ANSWER: In the laws revealed in Persian We have ordained that in this Most
Mighty Dispensation the residence and the household furnishings are
exempt—that is, such furnishings as are necessary.
43. QUESTION: Concerning the betrothal of a girl before maturity.
ANSWER: This practice hath been pronounced unlawful by the Source of
Authority, and it is unlawful to announce a marriage earlier than
ninety-five days before the wedding.
44. QUESTION: If a person hath, for example, a hundred túmans, payeth the
Ḥuqúq on this sum, loseth half the sum in unsuccessful transactions and
then, through trading, the amount in hand is raised again to the sum on
which Ḥuqúq is due—must such a person pay Ḥuqúq or not?
ANSWER: In such an event the Ḥuqúq is not payable.
45. QUESTION: If, after payment of Ḥuqúq, this same sum of one hundred
túmans is lost in its entirety, but subsequently regained through trade
and business dealings, must Ḥuqúq be paid a second time or not?
ANSWER: In this event as well, payment of Ḥuqúq is not required.
46. QUESTION: With reference to the sacred verse, "God hath prescribed
matrimony unto you", is this prescription obligatory or not?
ANSWER: It is not obligatory.
47. QUESTION: Supposing that a man hath wed a certain woman believing her
to be a virgin and he hath paid her the dowry, but at the time of
consummation it becometh evident that she is not a virgin, are the
expenses and the dowry to be repaid or not? And if the marriage had been
made conditional upon virginity, doth the unfulfilled condition invalidate
that which was conditioned upon it?
ANSWER: In such a case the expenses and the dowry may be refunded. The
unfulfilled condition invalidateth that which is conditioned upon it.
However, to conceal and forgive the matter will, in the sight of God,
merit a bounteous reward.
48. QUESTION: "A feast hath been enjoined upon you..." Is this obligatory
or not?
ANSWER: It is not obligatory.
49. QUESTION: Concerning the penalties for adultery, sodomy, and theft,
and the degrees thereof.
ANSWER: The determination of the degrees of these penalties rests with the
House of Justice.
50. QUESTION: Concerning the legitimacy or otherwise of marrying one’s
relatives.
ANSWER: These matters likewise rest with the Trustees of the House of
Justice.
51. QUESTION: With reference to ablutions, it hath been revealed, "Let him
that findeth no water for ablution repeat five times the words ‘In the
Name of God, the Most Pure, the Most Pure’": is it permissible to recite
this verse in times of bitter cold, or if the hands or face be wounded?
ANSWER: Warm water may be used in times of bitter cold. If there are
wounds on the face or hands, or there be other reasons such as aches and
pains for which the use of water would be harmful, one may recite the
appointed verse in place of the ablution.
52. QUESTION: Is the recitation of the verse revealed to replace the
Prayer of the Signs obligatory?
ANSWER: It is not obligatory.
53. QUESTION: With reference to inheritance, when there are full brothers
and full sisters, would half-brothers and half-sisters on the mother’s
side also receive a share?
ANSWER: They receive no share.
54. QUESTION: He saith, exalted be He: "Should the son of the deceased
have passed away in the days of his father and have left children, they
will inherit their father’s share..." What is to be done if the daughter
hath died during the lifetime of her father?
ANSWER: Her share of the inheritance should be distributed among the seven
categories of heirs according to the ordinance of the Book.
55. QUESTION: If the deceased be a woman, to whom is the "wife’s" share of
the inheritance allotted?
ANSWER: The "wife’s" share of the inheritance is allotted to the husband.
56. QUESTION: Concerning the shrouding of the body of the deceased which
is decreed to comprise five sheets: does the five refer to five cloths
which were hitherto customarily used or to five full-length shrouds
wrapped one around the other?
ANSWER: The use of five cloths is intended.
57. QUESTION: Concerning disparities between certain revealed verses.
ANSWER: Many Tablets were revealed and dispatched in their original form
without being checked and reviewed. Consequently, as bidden, they were
again read out in the Holy Presence, and brought into conformity with the
grammatical conventions of the people in order to forestall the cavils of
opponents of the Cause. Another reason for this practice is that the new
style inaugurated by the Herald, may the souls of all else but Him be
offered up for His sake, was seen to be marked by substantial latitude in
adherence to the rules of grammar; sacred verses therefore were then
revealed in a style which is for the most part in conformity with current
usage for ease of understanding and concision of expression.
58. QUESTION: Concerning the blessed verse, "When travelling, if ye should
stop and rest in some safe spot, perform ye ... a single prostration in
place of each unsaid Obligatory Prayer": is this compensation for the
Obligatory Prayer missed by reason of insecure circumstances, or is
obligatory prayer completely suspended during travel, and doth the
prostration take its place?
ANSWER: If, when the hour of obligatory prayer arriveth, there be no
security, one should, upon arrival in safe surroundings, perform a
prostration in place of each Obligatory Prayer that was missed, and after
the final prostration, sit cross-legged and read the designated verse. If
there be a safe place, obligatory prayer is not suspended during travel.
59. QUESTION: If, after a traveller hath stopped and rested it is the time
for obligatory prayer, should he perform the prayer, or make the
prostration in its stead?
ANSWER: Except in insecure circumstances omission of the Obligatory Prayer
is not permissible.
60. QUESTION: If, due to missed Obligatory Prayers, a number of
prostrations are required, must the verse be repeated after each
compensating prostration or not?
ANSWER: It is sufficient to recite the designated verse after the last
prostration. The several prostrations do not require separate repetitions
of the verse.
61. QUESTION: If an Obligatory Prayer be omitted at home, is it to be
compensated for by a prostration or not?
ANSWER: In answer to previous questions it was written: "This provision
regarding the compensating prostration applieth both at home and on a
journey."
62. QUESTION: If, for another purpose, one hath performed ablutions, and
the time of obligatory prayer arriveth, are these ablutions sufficient or
must they be renewed?
ANSWER: These same ablutions are sufficient, and there is no need for them
to be renewed.
63. QUESTION: In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas obligatory prayer hath been enjoined,
consisting of nine rak’áhs, to be performed at noon, in the morning and
the evening, but the Tablet of Obligatory Prayers(17) appeareth to differ
from this.
ANSWER: That which hath been revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas concerneth a
different Obligatory Prayer. Some years ago a number of the ordinances of
the Kitáb-i-Aqdas including that Obligatory Prayer were, for reasons of
wisdom, recorded separately and sent away together with other sacred
writings, for the purposes of preservation and protection. Later these
three Obligatory Prayers were revealed.
64. QUESTION: In determining time, is it permissible to rely on clocks and
watches?
ANSWER: It is permissible to rely on clocks and watches.
65. QUESTION: In the Tablet of Obligatory Prayers, three prayers are
revealed; is the performance of all three required or not?
ANSWER: It is enjoined to offer one of these three prayers; whichever is
performed sufficeth.
66. QUESTION: Are ablutions for the morning prayer still valid for the
noonday prayer? And similarly, are ablutions carried out at noon still
valid in the evening?
ANSWER: Ablutions are connected with the Obligatory Prayer for which they
are performed, and must be renewed for each prayer.
67. QUESTION: Concerning the long Obligatory Prayer, it is required to
stand up and "turn unto God". This seemeth to indicate that it is not
necessary to face the Qiblih; is this so or not?
ANSWER: The Qiblih is intended.
68. QUESTION: Concerning the sacred verse: "Recite ye the verses of God
every morn and eventide."
ANSWER: The intention is all that hath been sent down from the Heaven of
Divine Utterance. The prime requisite is the eagerness and love of
sanctified souls to read the Word of God. To read one verse, or even one
word, in a spirit of joy and radiance, is preferable to the perusal of
many Books.
69. QUESTION: May a person, in drawing up his will, assign some portion of
his property—beyond that which is devoted to payment of Ḥuqúqu’lláh and
the settlement of debts—to works of charity, or is he entitled to do no
more than allocate a certain sum to cover funeral and burial expenses, so
that the rest of his estate will be distributed in the manner fixed by God
among the designated categories of heirs?
ANSWER: A person hath full jurisdiction over his property. If he is able
to discharge the Ḥuqúqu’lláh, and is free of debt, then all that is
recorded in his will, and any declaration or avowal it containeth, shall
be acceptable. God, verily, hath permitted him to deal with that which He
hath bestowed upon him in whatever manner he may desire.
70. QUESTION: Is the use of the burial ring enjoined exclusively for
adults, or is it for minors as well?
ANSWER: It is for adults only. The Prayer for the Dead is likewise for
adults.
71. QUESTION: Should a person wish to fast at a time other than in the
month of ‘Alá, is this permissible or not; and if he hath vowed or pledged
himself to such a fast, is this valid and acceptable?
ANSWER: The ordinance of fasting is such as hath already been revealed.
Should someone pledge himself, however, to offer up a fast to God, seeking
in this way the fulfilment of a wish, or to realize some other aim, this
is permissible, now as heretofore. Howbeit, it is God’s wish, exalted be
His glory, that vows and pledges be directed to such objectives as will
profit mankind.
72. QUESTION: Again a question hath been asked concerning the residence
and personal clothing: are these to revert, in the absence of male
offspring, to the House of Justice, or are they to be distributed like the
rest of the estate?
ANSWER: Two thirds of the residence and personal clothing pass to the
female offspring, and one third to the House of Justice, which God hath
made to be the treasury of the people.
73. QUESTION: If, upon completion of the year of patience, the husband
refuseth to allow divorce, what course should be adopted by the wife?
ANSWER: When the period is ended divorce is effected. However, it is
necessary that there be witnesses to the beginning and end of this period,
so that they can be called upon to give testimony should the need arise.
74. QUESTION: Concerning the definition of old age.
ANSWER: To the Arabs it denoteth the furthest extremity of old age, but
for the people of Bahá it is from the age of seventy.
75. QUESTION: Concerning the limit of fasting for someone travelling on
foot.
ANSWER: The limit is set at two hours. If this is exceeded, it is
permissible to break the Fast.
76. QUESTION: Concerning observance of the Fast by people engaged in hard
labour during the month of fasting.
ANSWER: Such people are excused from fasting; however, in order to show
respect to the law of God and for the exalted station of the Fast, it is
most commendable and fitting to eat with frugality and in private.
77. QUESTION: Do ablutions performed for the Obligatory Prayer suffice for
the ninety-five repetitions of the Greatest Name?
ANSWER: It is unnecessary to renew the ablutions.
78. QUESTION: Concerning clothes and jewellery which a husband may have
purchased for his wife: are these to be distributed, after his death,
amongst his heirs, or are they specially for the wife?
ANSWER: Aside from used clothing, whatever there may be, jewellery or
otherwise, belongeth to the husband, except what is proven to have been
gifts to the wife.
79. QUESTION: Concerning the criterion of justness when proving some
matter dependent on the testimony of two just witnesses.
ANSWER: The criterion of justness is a good reputation among the people.
The testimony of all God’s servants, of whatever faith or creed, is
acceptable before His Throne.
80. QUESTION: If the deceased hath not settled his obligation to
Ḥuqúqu’lláh, nor paid his other debts, are these to be discharged by
proportionate deductions from the residence, personal clothing and the
rest of the estate, or are the residence and personal clothing set aside
for the male offspring, and consequently the debts must be settled from
the rest of the estate? And if the rest of the estate is insufficient for
this purpose, how should the debts be settled?
ANSWER: Outstanding debts and payments of Ḥuqúq should be settled from the
remainder of the estate, but if this is insufficient for the purpose, the
shortfall should be met from his residence and personal clothing.
81. QUESTION: Should the third Obligatory Prayer be offered while seated
or standing?
ANSWER: It is preferable and more fitting to stand in an attitude of
humble reverence.
82. QUESTION: Concerning the first Obligatory Prayer it hath been
ordained, "one should perform it at whatever time one findeth oneself in a
state of humbleness and longing adoration": is it to be performed once in
twenty-four hours, or more frequently?
ANSWER: Once in twenty-four hours is sufficient; this is that which hath
been uttered by the Tongue of Divine Command.
83. QUESTION: Concerning the definition of "morning", "noon" and
"evening".
ANSWER: These are sunrise, noon and sunset. The allowable times for
Obligatory Prayers are from morning till noon, from noon till sunset, and
from sunset till two hours thereafter. Authority is in the hand of God,
the Bearer of the Two Names.
84. QUESTION: Is it permissible for a believer to marry an unbeliever?
ANSWER: Both taking and giving in marriage are permissible; thus did the
Lord decree when He ascended the throne of bounteousness and grace.
85. QUESTION: Concerning the Prayer for the Dead: should it precede or
follow the interment? And is facing the Qiblih required?
ANSWER: Recital of this prayer should precede interment; and as regards
the Qiblih: "Whichever way ye turn, there is the face of God."(18)
86. QUESTION: At noon, which is the time for two of the Obligatory
Prayers—the short midday prayer, and the prayer to be offered in the
morning, noon, and evening—is it necessary in this case to perform two
ablutions or would one suffice?
ANSWER: The renewal of ablutions is unnecessary.
87. QUESTION: Concerning the dowry for village-dwellers which is to be of
silver: is it the bride or bridegroom who is intended or both of them? And
what is to be done if one is a city-dweller and the other a
village-dweller?
ANSWER: The dowry is determined by the dwelling-place of the bridegroom;
if he be a city-dweller, the dowry is of gold, and if he be a
village-dweller, it is of silver.
88. QUESTION: What is the criterion for determining if one is a
city-dweller or a village-dweller? If a city-dweller taketh up residence
in a village, or a village-dweller in a city, intending to settle
permanently, what ruling is applicable? Is the place of birth the deciding
factor?
ANSWER: The criterion is permanent residence and, depending on where this
is, the injunction in the Book must be observed accordingly.
89. QUESTION: In the holy Tablets it hath been revealed that when someone
acquireth the equivalent of nineteen miṯẖqáls of gold, he should pay the
Right of God on that sum. Might it be explained how much of this nineteen
should be paid?
ANSWER: Nineteen out of one hundred is established by the ordinance of
God. Computation should be made on this basis. It may then be ascertained
what amount is due on nineteen.
90. QUESTION: When one’s wealth exceeds nineteen, is it necessary for it
to increase by a further nineteen before Ḥuqúq is due again, or would it
be due on any increase?
ANSWER: Any amount added to nineteen is exempt from Ḥuqúq until it
reacheth a further nineteen.
91. QUESTION: Concerning pure water, and the point at which it is
considered used.
ANSWER: Small quantities of water, such as one cupful, or even two or
three, must be considered used after a single washing of the face and
hands. But a kurr(19) or more of water remaineth unchanged after one or
two washings of the face, and there is no objection to its use unless it
is altered in one of the three ways,(20) for example its colour is
changed, in which case it should be looked upon as used.
92. QUESTION: In a treatise in Persian on various questions, the age of
maturity hath been set at fifteen; is marriage likewise conditional upon
the reaching of maturity, or is it permissible before that time?
ANSWER: Since the consent of both parties is required in the Book of God,
and since, before maturity, their consent or lack of it cannot be
ascertained, marriage is therefore conditional upon reaching the age of
maturity, and is not permissible before that time.
93. QUESTION: Concerning fasting and obligatory prayer by the sick.
ANSWER: In truth, I say that obligatory prayer and fasting occupy an
exalted station in the sight of God. It is, however, in a state of health
that their virtue can be realized. In time of ill-health it is not
permissible to observe these obligations; such hath been the bidding of
the Lord, exalted be His glory, at all times. Blessed be such men and
women as pay heed, and observe His precepts. All praise be unto God, He
who hath sent down the verses and is the Revealer of undoubted proofs!
94. QUESTION: Concerning mosques, chapels and temples.
ANSWER: Whatever hath been constructed for the worship of the one true
God, such as mosques, chapels and temples, must not be used for any
purpose other than the commemoration of His Name. This is an ordinance of
God, and he who violateth it is verily of those who have transgressed. No
harm attacheth to the builder, for he hath performed his deed for the sake
of God, and hath received and will continue to receive his just reward.
95. QUESTION: Regarding the appointments of a place of business, which are
needed for carrying on one’s work or profession: are they subject to the
payment of Ḥuqúqu’lláh, or are they covered by the same ruling as the
household furnishings?
ANSWER: They are covered by the same ruling as the household furnishings.
96. QUESTION: Concerning the exchange of property held in trust for cash
or other forms of property, to guard against depreciation or loss.
ANSWER: Regarding the written question on the exchange of property held in
trust to guard against depreciation and loss, such exchange is permissible
on condition that the substitute will be equivalent in value. Thy Lord,
verily, is the Expounder, the Omniscient, and He, truly, is the Ordainer,
the Ancient of Days.
97. QUESTION: Concerning the washing of the feet in winter and summer.
ANSWER: It is the same in both cases; warm water is preferable, but there
can be no objection to cold.
98. QUESTION: A further question on divorce.
ANSWER: Since God, exalted be His glory, doth not favour divorce, nothing
was revealed on this issue. However, from the beginning of the separation
until the end of one year, two people or more must remain informed as
witnesses; if, by the end, there is no reconciliation, divorce taketh
place. This must be recorded in the registry by the religious judicial
officer of the city appointed by the Trustees of the House of Justice.
Observance of this procedure is essential lest those that are possessed of
an understanding heart be saddened.
99. QUESTION: Concerning consultation.
ANSWER: If consultation among the first group of people assembled endeth
in disagreement, new people should be added, after which persons to the
number of the Greatest Name, or fewer or more, shall be chosen by lot.
Whereupon the consultation shall be renewed, and the outcome, whatever it
is, shall be obeyed. If, however, there is still disagreement, the same
procedure should be repeated once more, and the decision of the majority
shall prevail. He, verily, guideth whomsoever He pleaseth to the right
way.
100. QUESTION: Concerning inheritance.
ANSWER: Regarding inheritance, that which the Primal Point hath
ordained—may the souls of all else but Him be offered up for His sake—is
well pleasing. The existing heirs should receive their allotted shares of
the inheritance, while a statement of the remainder must be submitted to
the Court of the Most High. In His hand is the source of authority; He
ordaineth as He pleaseth. In this regard, a law was revealed in the Land
of Mystery,(21) temporarily awarding the missing heirs’ inheritance to the
existing heirs until such time as the House of Justice shall be
established, when the decree concerning this will be promulgated. The
inheritance, however, of those who emigrated in the same year as the
Ancient Beauty, hath been awarded to their heirs, and this is a bounty of
God bestowed upon them.
101. QUESTION: Concerning the law on treasure trove.
ANSWER: Should a treasure be found, one third thereof is the right of the
discoverer, and the other two thirds should be expended by the men of the
House of Justice for the welfare of all people. This shall be done after
the establishment of the House of Justice, and until that time it shall be
committed to the keeping of trustworthy persons in each locality and
territory. He, in truth, is the Ruler, the Ordainer, the Omniscient, the
All-Informed.
102. QUESTION: Concerning Ḥuqúq on real estate which yieldeth no profit.
ANSWER: The ordinance of God is that real estate which hath ceased to
yield income, that is, from which no profit accrueth, is not liable to
payment of Ḥuqúq. He, verily, is the Ruler, the Munificent.
103. QUESTION: Concerning the holy verse: "In regions where the days and
nights grow long, let times of prayer be gauged by clocks..."
ANSWER: The intention is those territories that are remote. In these
climes, however, the difference in length is but a few hours, and
therefore this ruling doth not apply.
104. In the Tablet to ‘Abá Badí, this holy verse hath been revealed:
"Verily, We have enjoined on every son to serve his father." Such is the
decree which We have set forth in the Book.
105. And in another Tablet, these exalted words have been revealed: O
Muḥammad! The Ancient of Days hath turned His countenance towards thee,
making mention of thee, and exhorting the people of God to educate their
children. Should a father neglect this most weighty commandment laid down
in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas by the Pen of the Eternal King, he shall forfeit
rights of fatherhood, and be accounted guilty before God. Well is it with
him who imprinteth on his heart the admonitions of the Lord, and
steadfastly cleaveth unto them. God, in truth, enjoineth on His servants
what shall assist and profit them, and enable them to draw nigh unto Him.
He is the Ordainer, the Everlasting.
106. He is God, exalted be He, the Lord of majesty and power! The Prophets
and Chosen Ones have all been commissioned by the One True God, magnified
be His glory, to nurture the trees of human existence with the living
waters of uprightness and understanding, that there may appear from them
that which God hath deposited within their inmost selves. As may be
readily observed, each tree yieldeth a certain fruit, and a barren tree is
but fit for fire. The purpose of these Educators, in all they said and
taught, was to preserve man’s exalted station. Well is it with him who in
the Day of God hath laid fast hold upon His precepts and hath not deviated
from His true and fundamental Law. The fruits that best befit the tree of
human life are trustworthiness and godliness, truthfulness and sincerity;
but greater than all, after recognition of the unity of God, praised and
glorified be He, is regard for the rights that are due to one’s parents.
This teaching hath been mentioned in all the Books of God, and reaffirmed
by the Most Exalted Pen. Consider that which the Merciful Lord hath
revealed in the Qur’án, exalted are His words: "Worship ye God, join with
Him no peer or likeness; and show forth kindliness and charity towards
your parents..." Observe how loving-kindness to one’s parents hath been
linked to recognition of the one true God! Happy they who are endued with
true wisdom and understanding, who see and perceive, who read and
understand, and who observe that which God hath revealed in the Holy Books
of old, and in this incomparable and wondrous Tablet.
107. In one of the Tablets He, exalted be His words, hath revealed: And in
the matter of Zakát, We have likewise decreed that you should follow what
hath been revealed in the Qur’án.
SYNOPSIS AND CODIFICATION OF THE LAWS AND ORDINANCES OF THE KITÁB-I-AQDAS
Summary Of Contents
I. THE APPOINTMENT OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ AS THE SUCCESSOR OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
AND INTERPRETER OF HIS TEACHINGS
A. Turn towards Him
B. Refer to Him
II. ANTICIPATION OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE GUARDIANSHIP
III. THE INSTITUTION OF THE HOUSE OF JUSTICE
IV. LAWS, ORDINANCES AND EXHORTATIONS
A. Prayer
B. Fasting
C. Laws of Personal Status
D. Miscellaneous Laws, Ordinances and Exhortations
V. SPECIFIC ADMONITIONS, REPROOFS AND WARNINGS
VI. MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS
Synopsis And Codification
I. THE APPOINTMENT OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ AS THE SUCCESSOR OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
AND INTERPRETER OF HIS TEACHINGS
A. The faithful are enjoined to turn their faces towards the
One "Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this
Ancient Root".
B. The faithful are bidden to refer whatsoever they do not
understand in the Bahá’í writings to "Him Who hath branched
from this mighty Stock".
II. ANTICIPATION OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE GUARDIANSHIP
III. THE INSTITUTION OF THE HOUSE OF JUSTICE
A. The House of Justice is formally ordained.
B. Its functions are defined.
C. Its revenues are fixed.
IV. LAWS, ORDINANCES AND EXHORTATIONS
A. Prayer
1. The sublime station occupied by the Obligatory
Prayers in the Bahá’í Revelation.
2. The Qiblih:
a. Identified by the Báb with "the One Whom God
will make manifest".
b. The appointment made by the Báb is confirmed by
Bahá’u’lláh.
c. Bahá’u’lláh ordains His resting-place as the
Qiblih after His passing.
d. Turning to the Qiblih is mandatory while
reciting the Obligatory Prayers.
3. The Obligatory Prayers are binding on men and women
on attaining the age of maturity, which is fixed at 15.
4. Exemption from offering the Obligatory Prayers is
granted to:
a. Those who are ill.
b. Those who are over 70.
c. Women in their courses provided they perform
their ablutions and repeat a specifically revealed
verse 95 times a day.
5. The Obligatory Prayers should be offered
individually.
6. The choice of one of the three Obligatory Prayers is
permissible.
7. By "morning", "noon" and "evening", mentioned in
connection with the Obligatory Prayers, is meant
respectively the intervals between sunrise and noon,
between noon and sunset, and from sunset till two hours
after sunset.
8. The recital of the first (long) Obligatory Prayer,
once in twenty-four hours is sufficient.
9. It is preferable to offer the third (short)
Obligatory Prayer while standing.
10. Ablutions:
a. Ablutions must precede the recital of the
Obligatory Prayers.
b. For every Obligatory Prayer fresh ablutions
must be performed.
c. Should two Obligatory Prayers be offered at
noon one ablution for both prayers is sufficient.
d. If water is unavailable or its use harmful to
the face or hands, the repetition, five times, of
a specifically revealed verse is prescribed.
e. Should the weather be too cold the use of warm
water is recommended.
f. If ablutions have been performed for other
purposes, their renewal prior to the recital of
the Obligatory Prayer is not required.
g. Ablutions are essential whether a bath has been
taken previously or not.
11. Determining the times fixed for Prayer:
a. Reliance on clocks is permissible in
determining the times for offering the Obligatory
Prayers.
b. In countries situated in the extreme north or
south, where the duration of days and nights
varies considerably, clocks and timepieces should
be relied upon, without reference to sunrise or
sunset.
12. In case of danger, whether when travelling or not,
for every Obligatory Prayer not offered a prostration
and the recital of a specific verse is enjoined, to be
followed by the repetition, eighteen times, of another
specific verse.
13. Congregational prayer is forbidden except the Prayer
for the Dead.
14. The recital, in its entirety, of the Prayer for the
Dead is prescribed except for those unable to read, who
are commanded to repeat the six specific passages in
that Prayer.
15. The Obligatory Prayer to be thrice repeated, three
times a day, at morn, noon and evening, has been
superseded by three Obligatory Prayers subsequently
revealed.
16. The Prayer of the Signs has been annulled, and a
specifically revealed verse substituted for it. The
recital of this verse is not however obligatory.
17. Hair, sable, bones and the like do not nullify one’s
prayer.
B. Fasting
1. The sublime station occupied by fasting in the Bahá’í
Revelation.
2. The period of fasting commences with the termination
of the Intercalary Days, and ends with the Naw-Rúz
Festival.
3. Abstinence from food and drink, from sunrise to
sunset, is obligatory.
4. Fasting is binding on men and women on attaining the
age of maturity, which is fixed at 15.
5. Exemption from fasting is granted to:
a. Travellers
i. Provided the journey exceeds 9 hours.
ii. Those travelling on foot, provided the
journey exceeds 2 hours.
iii. Those who break their journey for less
than 19 days.
iv. Those who break their journey during the
Fast at a place where they are to stay 19
days are exempt from fasting only for the
first three days from their arrival.
v. Those who reach home during the Fast must
commence fasting from the day of their
arrival.
b. Those who are ill.
c. Those who are over 70.
d. Women who are with child.
e. Women who are nursing.
f. Women in their courses, provided they perform
their ablutions and repeat a specifically revealed
verse 95 times a day.
g. Those who are engaged in heavy labour, who are
advised to show respect for the law by using
discretion and restraint when availing themselves
of the exemption.
6. Vowing to fast (in a month other than the one
prescribed for fasting) is permissible. Vows which
profit mankind are however preferable in the sight of
God.
C. Laws of Personal Status
1. Marriage:
a. Marriage is highly recommended but not
obligatory.
b. Plurality of wives is forbidden.
c. Marriage is conditioned upon both parties
having attained the age of maturity which is fixed
at 15.
d. Marriage is conditioned on the consent of both
parties and their parents, whether the woman be a
maiden or not.
e. It is incumbent upon both parties to recite a
specifically revealed verse indicating their being
content with the will of God.
f. Marriage with one’s stepmother is forbidden.
g. All matters related to marriage with one’s
kindred are to be referred to the House of
Justice.
h. Marriage with unbelievers is permitted.
i. Betrothal:
i. The period of engagement must not exceed
95 days.
ii. It is unlawful to become engaged to a
girl before she reaches the age of maturity.
j. The Dowry:
i. Marriage is conditioned on payment of a
dowry.
ii. The dowry is fixed at 19 miṯẖqáls of
pure gold for city-dwellers, and 19
miṯẖqáls of silver for village-dwellers,
depending on the permanent residence of the
husband, and not of the wife.
iii. It is forbidden to pay more than 95
miṯẖqáls.
iv. It is preferable that a man content
himself with the payment of 19 miṯẖqáls of
silver.
v. If the full payment of dowry is not
possible the issue of a promissory note is
permissible.
k. Should either party, following the recital of
the specifically revealed verse and the payment of
the dowry, take a dislike to the other before the
marriage is consummated, the period of waiting is
not necessary prior to a divorce. The taking back
of the dowry, however, is not permitted.
l. The husband must fix for his wife the time of
his return when intending to travel. If, for a
legitimate reason, he is prevented from returning
at the appointed time, he must inform her and
strive to return to her. If he fails to fulfil
either condition, she must wait 9 months, after
which she may remarry, though it is preferable for
her to wait longer. If news of his death or murder
reaches her, and the news is confirmed by general
report or by 2 reliable witnesses, she may remarry
after the lapse of 9 months.
m. If the husband departs without informing his
wife of the date of his return, and is aware of
the law prescribed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the wife
may remarry after waiting a full year. If the
husband is unaware of this law, the wife must wait
until news of her husband reaches her.
n. Should the husband, after the payment of the
dowry, discover that the wife is not a virgin, the
refund of the dowry and of the expenses incurred
may be demanded.
o. If the marriage has been conditioned on
virginity the refund of the dowry and of the
expenses incurred may be demanded and the marriage
invalidated. To conceal the matter, however, is
highly meritorious in the sight of God.
2. Divorce:
a. Divorce is strongly condemned.
b. If antipathy or resentment develop on the part
of either the husband or the wife, divorce is
permissible, only after the lapse of one full
year. The beginning and end of the year of waiting
must be testified by two or more witnesses. The
act of divorce should be registered by the
judicial officer representing the House of
Justice. Intercourse during this period of waiting
is forbidden, and whoever breaks this law must
repent and pay the House of Justice 19 miṯẖqáls
of gold.
c. A further period of waiting after divorce has
taken place is not required.
d. The wife who is to be divorced as a result of
her unfaithfulness forfeits the payment of the
expenses during the waiting period.
e. Remarrying the wife whom one has divorced is
permissible, provided she has not married another
person. If she has, she must be divorced before
her former husband can remarry her.
f. If at any time during the waiting period
affection should recur, the marriage tie is valid.
If this reconciliation is followed by estrangement
and divorce is again desired, a new year of
waiting will have to be commenced.
g. Should differences arise between husband and
wife while travelling, he is required to send her
home, or entrust her to a dependable person, who
will escort her there, paying her journey and her
full year’s expenses.
h. Should a wife insist on divorcing her husband
rather than migrate to another country, the year
of waiting is to be counted from the time they
separate, either while he is preparing to leave,
or upon his departure.
i. The Islamic law regarding remarriage with the
wife whom one has previously divorced is
abrogated.
3. Inheritance:(22)
a. Inheritance falls into the following
categories:
1. children 1,080 out of 2,520 shares
2. husband or wife 390 out of 2,520 shares
3. father 330 out of 2,520 shares
4. mother 270 out of 2,520 shares
5. brother 210 out of 2,520 shares
6. sister 150 out of 2,520 shares
7. teacher 90 out of 2,520 shares
b. The share of the children, as allotted by the
Báb, is doubled by Bahá’u’lláh, and an equal
portion correspondingly reduced from each of the
remaining beneficiaries.
c.
i. In cases where there is no issue the
share of the children reverts to the House
of Justice to be expended on orphans and
widows and for whatever will profit mankind.
ii. If the son of the deceased be dead and
leave issue, these will inherit the share of
their father. If the daughter of the
deceased be dead and leave issue, her share
will have to be divided into the seven
categories specified in the Most Holy Book.
d. Should one leave offspring but either part or
all of the other categories of inheritors be
nonexistent, two thirds of their shares reverts to
the offspring and one third to the House of
Justice.
e. Should none of the specified beneficiaries
exist, two thirds of the inheritance reverts to
the nephews and nieces of the deceased. If these
do not exist, the same share reverts to the aunts
and uncles; lacking these, to their sons and
daughters. In any case the remaining third reverts
to the House of Justice.
f. Should one leave none of the aforementioned
heirs, the entire inheritance reverts to the House
of Justice.
g. The residence and the personal clothing of the
deceased father pass to the male not to the female
offspring. If there be several residences the
principal and most important one passes to the
male offspring. The remaining residences will
together with the other possessions of the
deceased have to be divided among the heirs. If
there be no male offspring two thirds of the
principal residence and the personal clothing of
the deceased father will revert to the female
issue and one third to the House of Justice. In
the case of the deceased mother all her used
clothing is to be equally divided amongst her
daughters. Her unworn clothing, jewels and
property must be divided among her heirs, as well
as her used clothing if she leaves no daughter.
h. Should the children of the deceased be minors
their share should either be entrusted to a
reliable person or to a company for purposes of
investment, until they attain the age of maturity.
A share of the interest accrued should be assigned
to the trustee.
i. The inheritance should not be divided until
after the payment of the Ḥuqúqu’lláh (The Right of
God), of any debts contracted by the deceased and
of any expenses incurred for a befitting funeral
and burial.
j. If the brother of the deceased is from the same
father he will inherit his full allotted share. If
he is from another father he will inherit only two
thirds of his share, the remaining one third
reverting to the House of Justice. The same law is
applicable to the sister of the deceased.
k. In case there are full brothers or full
sisters, brothers and sisters from the mother’s
side do not inherit.
l. A non-Bahá’í teacher does not inherit. If there
should be more than one teacher, the share
allotted to the teacher is to be equally divided
among them.
m. Non-Bahá’í heirs do not inherit.
n. Aside from the wife’s used clothing and gifts
of jewellery or otherwise which have been proven
to have been given her by her husband, whatever
the husband has purchased for his wife are to be
considered as the husband’s possessions to be
divided among his heirs.
o. Any person is at liberty to will his
possessions as he sees fit provided he makes
provisions for the payment of Ḥuqúqu’lláh and the
discharge of his debts.
D. Miscellaneous Laws, Ordinances and Exhortations
1. Miscellaneous Laws and Ordinances:
a. Pilgrimage
b. Ḥuqúqu’lláh
c. Endowments
d. The Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár
e. Duration of the Bahá’í Dispensation
f. Bahá’í Festivals
g. The Nineteen Day Feast
h. The Bahá’í Year
i. The Intercalary Days
j. The age of maturity
k. Burial of the dead
l. Engaging in a trade or profession is made
obligatory and is exalted to the rank of
worship
m. Obedience to government
n. Education of children
o. The writing of a testament
p. Tithes (Zakát)
q. Repetition of the Greatest Name 95 times
a day
r. The hunting of animals
s. Treatment of female servants
t. The finding of lost property
u. Disposition of treasure trove
v. Disposal of objects held in trust
w. Manslaughter
x. Definition of just witnesses
y. Prohibitions:
i. Interpretation of the Holy Writ
ii. Slave trading
iii. Asceticism
iv. Monasticism
v. Mendicancy
vi. Priesthood
vii. Use of pulpits
viii. The kissing of hands
ix. Confession of sins
x. Plurality of wives
xi. Intoxicating drinks
xii. Opium
xiii. Gambling
xiv. Arson
xv. Adultery
xvi. Murder
xvii. Theft
xviii. Homosexuality
xix. Congregational prayer, except for
the dead
xx. Cruelty to animals
xxi. Idleness and sloth
xxii. Backbiting
xxiii. Calumny
xxiv. Carrying arms unless essential
xxv. Use of public pools in Persian
baths
xxvi. Entering a house without the
owner’s permission
xxvii. Striking or wounding a person
xxviii. Contention and conflict
xxix. Muttering sacred verses in the
street
xxx. Plunging one’s hand in food
xxxi. Shaving one’s head
xxxii. Growth of men’s hair beyond the
lobe of the ear
2. Abrogation of specific laws and
ordinances of previous Dispensations, which
prescribed:
a. Destruction of books
b. Prohibition of the wearing of silk
c. Prohibition of the use of gold and
silver utensils
d. Limitation of travel
e. Offering priceless gifts to the
Founder of the Faith
f. Prohibition on questioning the
Founder of the Faith
g. Prohibition against remarrying
one’s divorced wife
h. Penalizing whoever causes sadness
to his neighbour
i. Prohibition of music
j. Limitations upon one’s apparel and
beard
k. Uncleanliness of divers objects and
peoples
l. Uncleanliness of semen
m. Uncleanliness of certain objects
for purposes of prostration
3. Miscellaneous Exhortations:
a. To associate with the followers of
all religions with fellowship
b. To honour one’s parents
c. Not to wish for others what one
does not wish for one’s self
d. To teach and propagate the Faith
after the ascension of its Founder
e. To assist those who arise to
promote the Faith
f. Not to depart from the Writings or
to be misled by those who do
g. To refer to the Holy Writ when
differences arise
h. To immerse one’s self in the study
of the Teachings
i. Not to follow one’s idle fancies
and vain imaginations
j. To recite the holy verses at morn
and at eventide
k. To recite the holy verses
melodiously
l. To teach one’s children to chant
the holy verses in the
Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár
m. To study such arts and sciences as
benefit mankind
n. To take counsel together
o. Not to be indulgent in carrying out
the statutes of God
p. To repent to God of one’s sins
q. To distinguish one’s self through
good deeds
i. To be truthful
ii. To be trustworthy
iii. To be faithful
iv. To be righteous and fear God
v. To be just and fair
vi. To be tactful and wise
vii. To be courteous
viii. To be hospitable
ix. To be persevering
x. To be detached
xi. To be absolutely submissive
to the Will of God
xii. Not to stir up mischief
xiii. Not to be hypocritical
xiv. Not to be proud
xv. Not to be fanatical
xvi. Not to prefer one’s self to
one’s neighbour
xvii. Not to contend with one’s
neighbour
xviii. Not to indulge one’s
passions
xix. Not to lament in adversity
xx. Not to contend with those in
authority
xxi. Not to lose one’s temper
xxii. Not to anger one’s
neighbour
r. To be closely united
s. To consult competent physicians
when ill
t. To respond to invitations
u. To show kindness to the kindred of
the Founder of the Faith
v. To study languages for the
furtherance of the Faith
w. To further the development of
cities and countries for the
glorification of the Faith
x. To restore and preserve the sites
associated with the Founders of the
Faith
y. To be the essence of cleanliness:
i. To wash one’s feet
ii. To perfume one’s self
iii. To bathe in clean water
iv. To cut one’s nails
v. To wash soiled things in
clean water
vi. To be stainless in one’s
dress
vii. To renew the furnishings of
one’s house
V. SPECIFIC ADMONITIONS, REPROOFS AND
WARNINGS Addressed to:
1. The entire human race
2. Crowned heads of the world
3. The concourse of
ecclesiastics
4. The Rulers of America and
Presidents of the Republics
therein
5. William I, King of Prussia
6. Francis Joseph, Emperor of
Austria
7. The people of the Bayán
8. Members of parliaments
throughout the world
VI. MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS
1. The transcendent character of
the Bahá’í Revelation
2. The exalted station of the
Author of the Faith
3. The supreme importance of the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, "The Most Holy
Book"
4. The doctrine of the "Most
Great Infallibility"
5. The twin duties of
recognition of the Manifestation
and observance of His Laws, and
their inseparability
6. The end of all learning is
the recognition of Him Who is
the Object of all knowledge
7. The blessedness of those who
have recognized the fundamental
verity "He shall not be asked of
His doings"
8. The revolutionizing effect of
the "Most Great Order"
9. The selection of a single
language and the adoption of a
common script for all on earth
to use: one of two signs of the
maturity of the human race
10. Prophecies of the Báb
regarding "He Whom God will make
manifest"
11. Prediction relating to
opposition to the Faith
12. Eulogy of the king who will
profess the Faith and arise to
serve it
13. The instability of human
affairs
14. The meaning of true liberty
15. The merit of all deeds is
dependent upon God’s acceptance
16. The importance of love for
God as the motive of obedience
to His Laws
17. The importance of utilizing
material means
18. Eulogy of the learned among
the people of Bahá
19. Assurance of forgiveness to
Mírzá Yaḥyá should he repent
20. Apostrophe addressed to
Ṭihrán
21. Apostrophe addressed to
Constantinople and its people
22. Apostrophe addressed to the
"banks of the Rhine"
23. Condemnation of those who
lay false claim to esoteric
knowledge
24. Condemnation of those who
allow pride in their learning to
debar them from God
25. Prophecies relating to
Ḵẖurásán
26. Prophecies relating to
Kirmán
27. Allusion to S̱ẖayḵẖ
Aḥmad-i-Ahsá’í
28. Allusion to the Sifter of
Wheat
29. Condemnation of Ḥájí
Muḥammad-Karím Ḵẖán
30. Condemnation of S̱ẖayḵẖ
Muḥammad-Ḥasan
31. Allusion to Napoleon III
32. Allusion to Siyyid
Muḥammad-i-Iṣfáhání
33. Assurance of aid to all
those who arise to serve the
Faith
NOTES
1. the sweet-smelling savour of My garment #4
This is an allusion to the story of Joseph in the Qur’án and the Old
Testament, in which Joseph’s garment, brought by his brothers to Jacob,
their father, enabled Jacob to identify his beloved long-lost son. The
metaphor of the fragrant "garment" is frequently used in the Bahá’í
Writings to refer to the recognition of the Manifestation of God and His
Revelation.
Bahá’u’lláh, in one of His Tablets, describes Himself as the "Divine
Joseph" Who has been "bartered away" by the heedless "for the most paltry
of prices". The Báb, in the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá, identifies Bahá’u’lláh as the
"true Joseph" and forecasts the ordeals that He would endure at the hands
of His treacherous brother (see note 190). Likewise, Shoghi Effendi draws
a parallel between the intense jealousy which the preeminence of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá had aroused in His half-brother, Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí, and the
deadly envy "which the superior excellence of Joseph had kindled in the
hearts of his brothers".
2. We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power.
#5
The consumption of wine and other intoxicants is prohibited in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas (see notes 144 and 170).
Reference to the use of "wine" in an allegorical sense—such as being the
cause of spiritual ecstasy—is found, not only in the Revelation of
Bahá’u’lláh, but in the Bible, in the Qur’án, and in ancient Hindu
traditions.
For example, in the Qur’án the righteous are promised that they will be
given to drink of the "choice sealed wine". In His Tablets, Bahá’u’lláh
identifies the "choice Wine" with His Revelation whose "musk-laden
fragrance" has been wafted "upon all created things". He states that He
has "unsealed" this "Wine", thereby disclosing spiritual truths that were
hitherto unknown, and enabling those who quaff thereof to "discern the
splendours of the light of divine unity" and to "grasp the essential
purpose underlying the Scriptures of God".
In one of His meditations, Bahá’u’lláh entreats God to supply the
believers with "the choice Wine of Thy mercy, that it may cause them to be
forgetful of any one except Thee, and to arise to serve Thy Cause, and to
be steadfast in their love for Thee".
3. We have enjoined obligatory prayer upon you #6
In Arabic, there are several words for prayer. The word "salát", which
appears here in the original, refers to a particular category of prayers,
the recitation of which at specific times of the day is enjoined on the
believers. To differentiate this category of prayers from other kinds, the
word has been translated as "obligatory prayer".
Bahá’u’lláh states that "obligatory prayer and fasting occupy an exalted
station in the sight of God" (Q and A 93). ‘Abdu’l-Bahá affirms that such
prayers are "conducive to humility and submissiveness, to setting one’s
face towards God and expressing devotion to Him", and that through these
prayers "man holdeth communion with God, seeketh to draw near unto Him,
converseth with the true Beloved of his heart, and attaineth spiritual
stations".
The Obligatory Prayer (see note 9) referred to in this verse has been
superseded by the three Obligatory Prayers later revealed by Bahá’u’lláh
(Q and A 63). The texts of the three prayers currently in use, together
with instructions regarding their recital, are to be found in this volume
in Some Texts Supplementary to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
A number of the items in Questions and Answers deal with aspects of the
three new Obligatory Prayers. Bahá’u’lláh clarifies that the individual is
permitted to choose any one of the three Obligatory Prayers (Q and A 65).
Other provisions are elucidated in Questions and Answers, numbers 66, 67,
81, and 82.
The details of the law concerning obligatory prayer are summarized in
section IV.A.1.-17. of the Synopsis and Codification.
4. nine rak’áhs #6
A rak’áh is the recitation of specifically revealed verses accompanied by
a prescribed set of genuflections and other movements.
The Obligatory Prayer originally enjoined by Bahá’u’lláh upon His
followers consisted of nine rak’áhs. The precise nature of this prayer and
the specific instructions for its recitation are unknown, as the prayer
has been lost. (See note 9.)
In a Tablet commenting on the presently-binding Obligatory Prayers,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá indicates that "in every word and movement of the Obligatory
Prayer there are allusions, mysteries and a wisdom that man is unable to
comprehend, and letters and scrolls cannot contain".
Shoghi Effendi explains that the few simple directions given by
Bahá’u’lláh for the recital of certain prayers not only have a spiritual
significance but that they also help the individual "to fully concentrate
when praying and meditating".
5. at noon and in the morning and the evening #6
Regarding the definition of the words "morning", "noon" and "evening", at
which times the currently binding medium Obligatory Prayer is to be
recited, Bahá’u’lláh has stated that these coincide with "sunrise, noon
and sunset" (Q and A 83). He specifies that the "allowable times for
Obligatory Prayers are from morning till noon, from noon till sunset, and
from sunset till two hours thereafter". Further, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has stated
that the morning Obligatory Prayer may be said as early as dawn.
The definition of "noon" as the period "from noon till sunset" applies to
the recitation of the short Obligatory Prayer as well as the medium one.
6. We have relieved you of a greater number #6
The requirements for obligatory prayer called for in the Bábí and Islamic
Dispensations were more demanding than those for the performance of the
Obligatory Prayer consisting of nine rak’áhs that was prescribed in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas (see note 4).
In the Bayán, the Báb prescribed an Obligatory Prayer consisting of
nineteen rak’áhs which was to be performed once in a twenty-four-hour
period—from noon of one day to noon of the next.
The Muslim prayer is recited five times a day, namely, in the early
morning, at midday, in the afternoon and evening, and at night. While the
number of rak’áhs varies according to the time of recitation, a total of
seventeen rak’áhs are offered in the course of a day.
7. When ye desire to perform this prayer, turn ye towards the Court of My
Most Holy Presence, this Hallowed Spot that God hath ... decreed to be the
Point of Adoration for the denizens of the Cities of Eternity #6
The "Point of Adoration", that is, the point to which the worshipper
should turn when offering obligatory prayer, is called the Qiblih. The
concept of Qiblih has existed in previous religions. Jerusalem in the past
had been fixed for this purpose. Muḥammad changed the Qiblih to Mecca. The
Báb’s instructions in the Arabic Bayán were:
The Qiblih is indeed He Whom God will make manifest; whenever He
moveth, it moveth, until He shall come to rest.
This passage is quoted by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (# 137) and
confirmed by Him in the above-noted verse. He has also indicated that
facing in the direction of the Qiblih is a "fixed requirement for the
recitation of obligatory prayer" (Q and A 14 and 67). However, for other
prayers and devotions the individual may face in any direction.
8. and when the Sun of Truth and Utterance shall set, turn your faces
towards the Spot that We have ordained for you #6
Bahá’u’lláh ordains His resting-place as the Qiblih after His passing. The
Most Holy Tomb is at Bahjí, Akká. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá describes that Spot as the
"luminous Shrine", "the place around which circumambulate the Concourse on
High".
In a letter written on his behalf, Shoghi Effendi uses the analogy of the
plant turning in the direction of the sun to explain the spiritual
significance of turning towards the Qiblih:
...just as the plant stretches out to the sunlight—from which it
receives life and growth—so we turn our hearts to the
Manifestation of God, Bahá’u’lláh, when we pray; ... we turn our
faces ... to where His dust lies on this earth as a symbol of the
inner act.
9. We have set forth the details of obligatory prayer in another Tablet.
#8
The original Obligatory Prayer had "for reasons of wisdom" been revealed
by Bahá’u’lláh in a separate Tablet (Q and A 63). It was not released to
the believers in His lifetime, having been superseded by the three
Obligatory Prayers now in use.
Shortly after the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, the text of this prayer, along
with a number of other Tablets, was stolen by Muḥammad-‘Alí, the
Arch-breaker of His Covenant.
10. the Prayer for the Dead #8
The Prayer for the Dead (see Some Texts Supplementary to the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas) is the only Bahá’í obligatory prayer which is to be recited
in congregation; it is to be recited by one believer while all present
stand in silence (see note 19). Bahá’u’lláh has clarified that the Prayer
for the Dead is required only when the deceased is an adult (Q and A 70),
that the recital should precede the interment of the deceased, and that
there is no requirement to face the Qiblih when saying this prayer (Q and
A 85).
Further details concerning the Prayer for the Dead are summarized in the
Synopsis and Codification, section IV.A. 13.-14.
11. six specific passages have been sent down by God, the Revealer of
Verses #8
The passages that form part of the Prayer for the Dead comprise the
repetition of the greeting "Alláh-u-Abhá" (God is the All-Glorious) six
times, each followed by nineteen repetitions of one of six specifically
revealed verses. These verses are identical with those in the Prayer for
the Dead revealed by the Báb in the Bayán. Bahá’u’lláh added a
supplication to precede these passages.
12. Hair doth not invalidate your prayer, nor aught from which the spirit
hath departed, such as bones and the like. Ye are free to wear the fur of
the sable as ye would that of the beaver, the squirrel, and other animals
#9
In some earlier religious Dispensations, the wearing of the hair of
certain animals or having certain other objects on one’s person was held
to invalidate one’s prayer. Bahá’u’lláh here confirms the Báb’s
pronouncement in the Arabic Bayán that such things do not invalidate one’s
prayer.
13. We have commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity
#10
Bahá’u’lláh defines the "age of maturity with respect to religious duties"
as "fifteen for both men and women" (Q and A 20). For details of the
period of fasting, see note 25.
14. He hath exempted from this those who are weak from illness or age #10
The exemption of those who are weak due to illness or advanced age from
offering the Obligatory Prayers and from fasting is explained in Questions
and Answers. Bahá’u’lláh indicates that in "time of ill-health it is not
permissible to observe these obligations" (Q and A 93). He defines old
age, in this context, as being from seventy (Q and A 74). In answer to a
question, Shoghi Effendi has clarified that people who attain the age of
seventy are exempt, whether or not they are weak.
Exemption from fasting is also granted to the other specific categories of
people listed in the Synopsis and Codification, section IV.B.5. See notes
20, 30 and 31 for additional discussion.
15. God hath granted you leave to prostrate yourselves on any surface that
is clean, for We have removed in this regard the limitation that had been
laid down in the Book # 10
The requirements of prayer in previous Dispensations have often included
prostration. In the Arabic Bayán the Báb called upon the believers to lay
their foreheads on surfaces of crystal when prostrating. Similarly, in
Islám, certain restrictions are imposed with regard to the surface on
which Muslims are permitted to prostrate. Bahá’u’lláh abrogates such
restrictions and simply specifies "any surface that is clean".
16. Let him that findeth no water for ablution repeat five times the words
"In the Name of God, the Most Pure, the Most Pure", and then proceed to
his devotions. #10
Ablutions are to be performed by the believer in preparation for the
offering of obligatory prayer. They consist of washing the hands and face.
If water is unavailable, the repetition five times of the specifically
revealed verse is prescribed. See note 34 for a general discussion of
ablutions.
Antecedents in earlier Dispensations for the provision of substitute
procedures to be followed when no water is available are found in the
Qur’án and in the Arabic Bayán.
17. In regions where the days and nights grow long, let times of prayer be
gauged by clocks and other instruments that mark the passage of the hours.
#10
This refers to territories situated in the extreme north or south, where
the duration of days and nights varies markedly (Q and A 64 and 103). This
provision applies also to fasting.
18. We have absolved you from the requirement of performing the Prayer of
the Signs. #11
The Prayer of the Signs is a special form of Muslim obligatory prayer that
was ordained to be said in times of natural events, like earthquakes,
eclipses, and other such phenomena, which may cause fear and are taken to
be signs or acts of God. The requirement of performing this prayer has
been annulled. In its place a Bahá’í may say, "Dominion is God’s, the Lord
of the seen and the unseen, the Lord of creation," but this is not
obligatory (Q and A 52).
19. Save in the Prayer for the Dead, the practice of congregational prayer
hath been annulled. #12
Congregational prayer, in the sense of formal obligatory prayer which is
to be recited in accordance with a prescribed ritual as, for example, is
the custom in Islám where Friday prayer in the mosque is led by an imám,
has been annulled in the Bahá’í Dispensation. The Prayer for the Dead (see
note 10) is the only congregational prayer prescribed by Bahá’í law. It is
to be recited by one of those present while the remainder of the party
stands in silence; the reader has no special status. The congregation is
not required to face the Qiblih (Q and A 85).
The three daily Obligatory Prayers are to be recited individually, not in
congregation.
There is no prescribed way for the recital of the many other Bahá’í
prayers, and all are free to use such non-obligatory prayers in gatherings
or individually as they please. In this regard, Shoghi Effendi states that
...although the friends are thus left to follow their own
inclination, ... they should take the utmost care that any manner
they practise should not acquire too rigid a character, and thus
develop into an institution. This is a point which the friends
should always bear in mind, lest they deviate from the clear path
indicated in the Teachings.
20. God hath exempted women who are in their courses from obligatory
prayer and fasting. #13
Exemption from obligatory prayer and fasting is granted to women who are
menstruating; they should, instead, perform their ablutions (see note 34)
and repeat 95 times a day between one noon and the next, the verse
"Glorified be God, the Lord of Splendour and Beauty". This provision has
its antecedent in the Arabic Bayán, where a similar dispensation was
granted.
In some earlier religious Dispensations, women in their courses were
considered ritually unclean and were forbidden to observe the duties of
prayer and fasting. The concept of ritual uncleanness has been abolished
by Bahá’u’lláh (see note 106).
The Universal House of Justice has clarified that the provisions in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas granting exemptions from certain duties and responsibilities
are, as the word indicates, exemptions and not prohibitions. Any believer
is, therefore, free to avail himself or herself of an applicable exemption
if he or she so wishes. However, the House of Justice counsels that, in
deciding whether to do so or not, the believer should use wisdom and
realize that Bahá’u’lláh has granted these exemptions for good reason.
The prescribed exemption from obligatory prayer, originally related to the
Obligatory Prayer consisting of nine rak’áhs, is now applicable to the
three Obligatory Prayers which superseded it.
21. When travelling, if ye should stop and rest in some safe spot, perform
ye—men and women alike—a single prostration in place of each unsaid
Obligatory Prayer #14
Exemption from obligatory prayer is granted to those who find themselves
in such a condition of insecurity that the saying of the Obligatory
Prayers is not possible. The exemption applies whether one is travelling
or at home, and it provides a means whereby Obligatory Prayers which have
remained unsaid on account of these insecure circumstances may be
compensated for.
Bahá’u’lláh has made it clear that obligatory prayer "is not suspended
during travel" so long as one can find a "safe spot" in which to perform
it (Q and A 58).
Numbers 21, 58, 59, 60, and 61 in Questions and Answers amplify this
provision.
22. Upon completing your prostrations, seat yourselves cross-legged #14
The Arabic expression "haykalu’t-tawhíd", translated here as
"cross-legged", means the "posture of unity". It has traditionally
signified a cross-legged position.
23. Say: God hath made My hidden love the key to the Treasure #15
There is a well-known Islamic tradition concerning God and His creation:
I was a Hidden Treasure. I wished to be made known, and thus I
called creation into being in order that I might be known.
References and allusions to this tradition are found throughout the Bahá’í
Writings. For example, in one of His prayers, Bahá’u’lláh reveals:
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! I testify that Thou wast a
hidden Treasure wrapped within Thine immemorial Being and an
impenetrable Mystery enshrined in Thine own Essence. Wishing to
reveal Thyself, Thou didst call into being the Greater and the
Lesser Worlds, and didst choose Man above all Thy creatures, and
didst make Him a sign of both of these worlds, O Thou Who art our
Lord, the Most Compassionate! Thou didst raise Him up to occupy
Thy throne before all the people of Thy creation. Thou didst
enable Him to unravel Thy mysteries, and to shine with the lights
of Thine inspiration and Thy Revelation, and to manifest Thy names
and Thine attributes. Through Him Thou didst adorn the preamble of
the book of Thy creation, O Thou Who art the Ruler of the universe
Thou hast fashioned! (Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh)
Likewise, in the Hidden Words, He states:
O Son of Man! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee.
Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy
soul with the spirit of life.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in His commentary on the above-cited tradition, wrote:
O wayfarer in the path of the Beloved! Know thou that the main
purpose of this holy tradition is to make mention of the stages of
God’s concealment and manifestation within the Embodiments of
Truth, They who are the Dawning-places of His All-Glorious Being.
For example, before the flame of the undying Fire is lit and
manifest, it existeth by itself within itself in the hidden
identity of the universal Manifestations, and this is the stage of
the "Hidden Treasure". And when the blessed Tree is kindled by
itself within itself, and that Divine Fire burneth by its essence
within its essence, this is the stage of "I wished to be made
known". And when it shineth forth from the Horizon of the universe
with infinite Divine Names and Attributes upon the contingent and
placeless worlds, this constituteth the emergence of a new and
wondrous creation which correspondeth to the stage of "Thus I
called creation into being". And when the sanctified souls rend
asunder the veils of all earthly attachments and worldly
conditions, and hasten to the stage of gazing on the beauty of the
Divine Presence and are honoured by recognizing the Manifestation
and are able to witness the splendour of God’s Most Great Sign in
their hearts, then will the purpose of creation, which is the
knowledge of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, become manifest.
24. O Pen of the Most High! #16
"Pen of the Most High", "the Supreme Pen" and "the Most Exalted Pen" are
references to Bahá’u’lláh, illustrating His function as Revealer of the
Word of God.
25. We have enjoined upon you fasting during a brief period #16
Fasting and obligatory prayer constitute the two pillars that sustain the
revealed Law of God. Bahá’u’lláh in one of His Tablets affirms that He has
revealed the laws of obligatory prayer and fasting so that through them
the believers may draw nigh unto God.
Shoghi Effendi indicates that the fasting period, which involves complete
abstention from food and drink from sunrise till sunset, is
...essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual
recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the
necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and
reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its
significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual
in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence
from selfish and carnal desires.
Fasting is enjoined on all the believers once they attain the age of 15
and until they reach the age of 70 years.
A summary of the detailed provisions concerning the law of fasting and of
the exemptions granted to certain categories of people is contained in the
Synopsis and Codification, section IV.B.1.-6. For a discussion of the
exemptions from fasting see notes 14, 20, 30 and 31.
The nineteen-day period of fasting coincides with the Bahá’í month of
‘Alá, usually 2-20 March, immediately after the termination of the
Intercalary Days (see notes 27 and 147), and is followed by the feast of
Naw-Rúz (see note 26).
26. and at its close have designated for you Naw-Rúz as a feast #16
The Báb introduced a new calendar, known now as the Badí or Bahá’í
calendar (see notes 27 and 147). According to this calendar, a day is the
period from sunset to sunset. In the Bayán, the Báb ordained the month of
‘Alá to be the month of fasting, decreed that the day of Naw-Rúz should
mark the termination of that period, and designated Naw-Rúz as the Day of
God. Bahá’u’lláh confirms the Badí calendar wherein Naw-Rúz is designated
as a feast.
Naw-Rúz is the first day of the new year. It coincides with the spring
equinox in the northern hemisphere, which usually occurs on 21 March.
Bahá’u’lláh explains that this feast day is to be celebrated on whatever
day the sun passes into the constellation of Aries (i.e. the vernal
equinox), even should this occur one minute before sunset (Q and A 35).
Hence Naw-Rúz could fall on 20, 21, or 22 March, depending on the time of
the equinox.
Bahá’u’lláh has left the details of many laws to be filled in by the
Universal House of Justice. Among these are a number of matters affecting
the Bahá’í calendar. The Guardian has stated that the implementation,
worldwide, of the law concerning the timing of Naw-Rúz will require the
choice of a particular spot on earth which will serve as the standard for
the fixing of the time of the spring equinox. He also indicated that the
choice of this spot has been left to the decision of the Universal House
of Justice.
27. Let the days in excess of the months be placed before the month of
fasting. #16
The Badí calendar is based on the solar year of 365 days, 5 hours, and 50
odd minutes. The year consists of 19 months of 19 days each (i.e. 361
days), with the addition of four extra days (five in a leap year). The Báb
did not specifically define the place for the intercalary days in the new
calendar. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas resolves this question by assigning the
"excess" days a fixed position in the calendar immediately preceding the
month of ‘Alá, the period of fasting. For further details see the section
on the Bahá’í calendar in The Bahá’í World, volume XVIII.
28. We have ordained that these ... shall be the manifestations of the
letter Há #16
Known as the Ayyám-i-Há (the Days of Há), the Intercalary Days have the
distinction of being associated with "the letter Há". The abjad numerical
value of this Arabic letter is five, which corresponds to the potential
number of intercalary days.
The letter "Há" has been given several spiritual meanings in the Holy
Writings, among which is as a symbol of the Essence of God.
29. these days of giving that precede the season of restraint #16
Bahá’u’lláh enjoined upon His followers to devote these days to feasting,
rejoicing and charity. In a letter written on Shoghi Effendi’s behalf it
is explained that "the intercalary days are specially set aside for
hospitality, the giving of gifts, etc.".
30. The traveller ... not bound by the Fast #16
The minimum duration of a journey which exempts the believer from fasting
is defined by Bahá’u’lláh (Q and A 22 and 75). The details of this
provision are summarized in the Synopsis and Codification, section
IV.B.5.a.i.-v.
Shoghi Effendi has clarified that while travellers are exempt from
fasting, they are free to fast if they so wish. He also indicated that the
exemption applies during the whole period of one’s travel, not just the
hours one is in a train or car, etc.
31. The traveller, the ailing, those who are with child or giving suck,
are not bound by the Fast; they have been exempted by God as a token of
His grace. #16
Exemption from fasting is granted to those who are ill or of advanced age
(see note 14), women in their courses (see note 20), travellers (see note
30) and to women who are pregnant and those who are nursing. This
exemption is also extended to people who are engaged in heavy labour, who,
at the same time, are advised "to show respect to the law of God and for
the exalted station of the Fast" by eating "with frugality and in private"
(Q and A 76). Shoghi Effendi has indicated that the types of work which
would exempt people from the Fast will be defined by the Universal House
of Justice.
32. Abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sundown #17
This relates to the period of fasting. In one of His Tablets,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, after stating that fasting consists of abstinence from food
and drink, further indicates that smoking is a form of "drink". In Arabic
the verb "drink" applies equally to smoking.
33. It hath been ordained that every believer in God ... shall, each day
... repeat "Alláh-u-Abhá" ninety-five times. #18
"Alláh-u-Abhá" is an Arabic phrase meaning "God the All-Glorious". It is a
form of the Greatest Name of God (see note 137). In Islám there is a
tradition that among the many names of God, one was the greatest; however,
the identity of this Greatest Name was hidden. Bahá’u’lláh has confirmed
that the Greatest Name is "Bahá".
The various derivatives of the word "Bahá" are also regarded as the
Greatest Name. Shoghi Effendi’s secretary writing on his behalf explains
that
The Greatest Name is the Name of Bahá’u’lláh. "Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá"
is an invocation meaning: "O Thou Glory of Glories!".
"Alláh-u-Abhá" is a greeting which means: "God the All-Glorious".
Both refer to Bahá’u’lláh. By Greatest Name is meant that
Bahá’u’lláh has appeared in God’s Greatest Name, in other words,
that He is the supreme Manifestation of God.
The greeting "Alláh-u-Abhá" was adopted during the period of Bahá’u’lláh’s
exile in Adrianople.
The repetition of "Alláh-u-Abhá" ninety-five times is to be preceded by
the performance of ablutions (see note 34).
34. Perform ye ... ablutions for the Obligatory Prayer #18
Ablutions are specifically associated with certain prayers. They must
precede the offering of the three Obligatory Prayers, the daily recitation
of "Alláh-u-Abhá" ninety-five times, and the recital of the verse
prescribed as an alternative to obligatory prayer and fasting for women in
their courses (see note 20).
The prescribed ablutions consist of washing the hands and the face in
preparation for prayer. In the case of the medium Obligatory Prayer, this
is accompanied by the recitation of certain verses (see Some Texts
Revealed by Bahá’u’lláh Supplementary to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas).
That ablutions have a significance beyond washing may be seen from the
fact that even should one have bathed oneself immediately before reciting
the Obligatory Prayer, it would still be necessary to perform ablutions (Q
and A 18).
When no water is available for ablutions, a prescribed verse is to be
repeated five times (see note 16), and this provision is extended to those
for whom the use of water would be physically harmful (Q and A 51).
The detailed provisions of the law concerning ablutions are set out in the
Synopsis and Codification, section IV.A.10.a.-g., as well as in Questions
and Answers numbers 51, 62, 66, 77 and 86.
35. Ye have been forbidden to commit murder #19
The prohibition against taking another’s life is repeated by Bahá’u’lláh
in paragraph 73 of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Penalties are prescribed for
premeditated murder (see note 86). In the case of manslaughter, it is
necessary to pay a specified indemnity to the family of the deceased (see
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, # 188).
36. or adultery #19
The Arabic word "ziná", here translated as "adultery", signifies both
fornication and adultery. It applies not only to sexual relations between
a married person and someone who is not his or her spouse, but also to
extramarital sexual intercourse in general. One form of "ziná" is rape.
The only penalty prescribed by Bahá’u’lláh is for those who commit
fornication (see note 77); penalties for other kinds of sexual offence are
left to the Universal House of Justice to determine.
37. backbiting or calumny #19
Backbiting, slander and dwelling on the faults of others have been
repeatedly condemned by Bahá’u’lláh. In the Hidden Words, He clearly
states: "O Son of Being! How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy
thyself with the faults of others? Whoso doeth this is accursed of Me."
And again: "O Son of Man! Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou
art thyself a sinner. Shouldst thou transgress this command, accursed
wouldst thou be, and to this I bear witness." This strong admonition is
further reiterated in His last work, "the Book of My Covenant": "Verily I
say, the tongue is for mentioning what is good, defile it not with
unseemly talk. God hath forgiven what is past. Henceforward everyone
should utter that which is meet and seemly, and should refrain from
slander, abuse and whatever causeth sadness in men."
38. We have divided inheritance into seven categories #20
The Bahá’í laws of inheritance apply only in case of intestacy, that is,
when the individual dies without leaving a will. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (#
109), Bahá’u’lláh instructs every believer to write a will. He elsewhere
clearly states that the individual has full jurisdiction over his property
and is free to determine the manner in which his or her estate is to be
divided and to designate, in the will, those, whether Bahá’í or
non-Bahá’í, who should inherit (Q and A 69). In this connection, a letter
written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi explains that:
...even though a Bahá’í is permitted in his will to dispose of his
wealth in the way he wishes, yet he is morally and conscientiously
bound to always bear in mind, while writing his will, the
necessity of his upholding the principle of Bahá’u’lláh regarding
the social function of wealth, and the consequent necessity of
avoiding its over-accumulation and concentration in a few
individuals or groups of individuals.
This verse of the Aqdas introduces a lengthy passage in which Bahá’u’lláh
elaborates the Bahá’í law of inheritance. In reading this passage one
should bear in mind that the law is formulated with the presumption that
the deceased is a man; its provisions apply, mutatis mutandis, when the
deceased is a woman.
The system of inheritance which provides for distribution of the
deceased’s estate among seven categories of heirs (children, spouse,
father, mother, brothers, sisters, and teachers) is based on the
provisions set out by the Báb in the Bayán. The major features of the
Bahá’í laws of inheritance in the case of intestacy are:
1. If the deceased is a father and his estate includes a personal
residence, such residence passes to the eldest son (Q and A 34).
2. If the deceased has no male descendants, two thirds of the residence
pass to his female descendants and the remaining third passes to the House
of Justice (Q and A 41, 72). See note 42 concerning the levels of the
institution of the House of Justice to which this law applies. (See also
note 44.)
3. The remainder of the estate is divided among the seven categories of
heirs. For details of the number of shares to be received by each group,
see Questions and Answers, number 5, and Synopsis and Codification,
section IV.C.3.a.
4. In case there is more than one heir in any category the share allotted
to that class should be divided between them equally, be they male or
female.
5. In cases where there is no issue, the share of the children reverts to
the House of Justice (Q and A 7, 41).
6. Should one leave offspring, but either part or all of the other
categories of heirs be non-existent, two thirds of their shares revert to
the offspring and one third to the House of Justice (Q and A 7).
7. Should none of the specified categories exist, two thirds of the estate
revert to the nephews and nieces of the deceased. If these do not exist,
the same shares revert to the aunts and uncles; lacking these, to their
sons and daughters. In any case the remaining third reverts to the House
of Justice.
8. Should one leave none of the aforementioned heirs, the entire estate
reverts to the House of Justice.
9. Bahá’u’lláh states that non-Bahá’ís have no right to inherit from their
Bahá’í parents or relatives (Q and A 34). Shoghi Effendi in a letter
written on his behalf indicates that this restriction applies "only to
such cases when a Bahá’í dies without leaving a will and when, therefore,
his property will have to be divided in accordance with the rules set
forth in the Aqdas. Otherwise, a Bahá’í is free to bequeath his property
to any person, irrespective of religion, provided however he leaves a
will, specifying his wishes." It is always possible, therefore, for a
Bahá’í to provide for his or her non-Bahá’í partner, children or relatives
by leaving a will.
Additional details of the laws of inheritance are summarized in the
Synopsis and Codification, section IV.C.3.a.-o.
39. to the brothers, five parts ... to the sisters, four parts #20
Questions and Answers amplifies the provisions of the law as it relates to
the shares of the inheritance allocated to the brothers and sisters of the
deceased. If the brother or sister is from the same father as the
deceased, he or she will inherit his or her full allotted share. If,
however, the brother or sister is from another father he or she will
inherit only two thirds of the allotted share, the remaining one third
reverting to the House of Justice (Q and A 6). Further, in the case where
the deceased has full brothers or full sisters among his heirs,
half-brothers and half-sisters from the mother’s side do not inherit (Q
and A 53). The half-brothers and half-sisters will, of course, be due to
receive inheritance from their own father’s estate.
40. the teachers #20
In a Tablet, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá compares teachers who are involved with the
spiritual education of the child to the "spiritual father" who "endoweth
his child with everlasting life". He explains that this is the reason that
"teachers are listed among the heirs" in the "Law of God".
Bahá’u’lláh specifies the conditions under which the teacher inherits and
the share he or she receives (Q and A 33).
41. When We heard the clamour of the children as yet unborn, We doubled
their share and decreased those of the rest. #20
In the Báb’s laws of inheritance the children of the deceased were
allotted nine parts consisting of 540 shares. This allocation constituted
less than a quarter of the whole estate. Bahá’u’lláh doubled their portion
to 1,080 shares and reduced those allotted to the other six categories of
heirs. He also outlines the precise intention of this verse and its
implications for the distribution of the inheritance (Q and A 5).
42. the House of Justice #21
In referring to the House of Justice in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh
does not always explicitly distinguish between the Universal House of
Justice and the Local House of Justice, both of which institutions are
ordained in that Book. He usually refers simply to "the House of Justice",
leaving open for later clarification the level or levels of the whole
institution to which each law would apply.
In a Tablet enumerating the revenues of the local treasury, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
includes those inheritances for which there are no heirs, thus indicating
that the House of Justice referred to in these passages of the Aqdas
relating to inheritance is the local one.
43. Should the deceased leave offspring, but none of the other categories
of heirs #22
Bahá’u’lláh clarifies that "This ruling hath both general and specific
application, which is to say that whenever any category of this latter
class of heirs is absent, two thirds of their inheritance pass to the
offspring and the remaining third to the House of Justice" (Q and A 7).
44. We have assigned the residence and personal clothing of the deceased
to the male, not female, offspring, nor to the other heirs. #25
In a Tablet, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá indicates that the residence and personal
clothing of a deceased man remain in the male line. They pass to the
eldest son and in the absence of the eldest son, they pass to the
second-eldest son, and so on. He explains that this provision is an
expression of the law of primogeniture, which has invariably been upheld
by the Law of God. In a Tablet to a follower of the Faith in Persia He
wrote: "In all the Divine Dispensations the eldest son hath been given
extraordinary distinctions. Even the station of prophethood hath been his
birthright." With the distinctions given to the eldest son, however, go
concomitant duties. For example, he has the moral responsibility, for the
sake of God, to care for his mother and also to consider the needs of the
other heirs.
Bahá’u’lláh clarifies various aspects of this part of the law of
inheritance. He specifies that if there be more than one residence, the
principal and most important one passes to the male offspring. The
remaining residences will, together with the other possessions of the
deceased, have to be divided among the heirs (Q and A 34), and He
indicates that in the absence of male offspring, two thirds of the
principal residence and the personal clothing of the deceased father will
revert to the female issue and one third to the House of Justice (Q and A
72). Further, when the deceased is a woman, Bahá’u’lláh states that all
her used clothing is to be equally divided amongst her daughters. Her
unworn clothing, jewels and property must be divided among her heirs, as
well as her used clothing if she leaves no daughter (Q and A 37).
45. Should the son of the deceased have passed away in the days of his
father and have left children, they will inherit their father’s share #26
This aspect of the law applies only in the case of the son who predeceases
his father or mother. If the daughter of the deceased be dead and leave
issue, her share will have to be divided according to the seven categories
specified in the Most Holy Book (Q and A 54).
46. If the deceased should leave children who are under age, their share
of the inheritance must be entrusted to a reliable individual #27
The word "amín", translated in this paragraph as "reliable individual" and
"trustee", conveys in Arabic a wide range of meanings connected
principally with the idea of trustworthiness, but signifying also such
qualities as reliability, loyalty, faithfulness, uprightness, honesty, and
so forth. Used in legal parlance "amín" denotes, among other things, a
trustee, guarantor, custodian, guardian, and keeper.
47. Division of the estate should take place only after the Ḥuqúqu’lláh
hath been paid, any debts have been settled, the expenses of the funeral
and burial defrayed #28
Bahá’u’lláh specifies that the order of precedence for payment of these
expenses is first the funeral and burial expenses, then the debts of the
deceased, then the Ḥuqúqu’lláh (see note 125) (Q and A 9). He also
specifies that when applying the estate to these, payment must first be
made out of the residue of the estate and then, if this is insufficient,
out of the residence and personal clothing of the deceased (Q and A 80).
48. This is that hidden knowledge which shall never change, since its
beginning is with nine #29
In the Arabic Bayán the Báb described His inheritance law as being "in
accordance with a hidden knowledge in the Book of God—a knowledge that
shall never change or be replaced". He also stated that the numbers by
which the division of the inheritance was expressed had been invested with
a significance intended to aid in the recognition of Him Whom God will
make manifest.
The "nine" mentioned here is represented in the Arabic text by the letter
"Tá", which is its equivalent in the abjad notation (see Glossary). It is
the first element of the Báb’s division of inheritance, where He
designates "nine parts" as the share of the children. The significance of
nine lies in its being the numerical equivalent of the Greatest Name
"Bahá", alluded to in the next part of this verse as "the concealed and
manifest, the inviolable and unapproachably exalted Name". (See also note
33.)
49. The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be
established #30
The institution of the House of Justice consists of elected councils which
operate at the local, national and international levels of society.
Bahá’u’lláh ordains both the Universal House of Justice and the Local
Houses of Justice in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in His Will and
Testament, provides for the Secondary (National or Regional) Houses of
Justice and outlines the method to be pursued for the election of the
Universal House of Justice.
In the verse cited above, the reference is to the Local House of Justice,
an institution which is to be elected in a locality whenever there are
nine or more resident adult Bahá’ís. For this purpose, the definition of
adult was temporarily fixed at the age of 21 years by the Guardian, who
indicated it was open to change by the Universal House of Justice in the
future.
Local and Secondary Houses of Justice are, for the present, known as Local
Spiritual Assemblies and National Spiritual Assemblies. Shoghi Effendi has
indicated that this is a "temporary appellation" which,
...as the position and aims of the Bahá’í Faith are better
understood and more fully recognized, will gradually be superseded
by the permanent and more appropriate designation of House of
Justice. Not only will the present-day Spiritual Assemblies be
styled differently in future, but they will be enabled also to add
to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives
necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, not
merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world,
but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power.
50. the number of Bahá #30
The abjad numerical equivalent of "Bahá" is nine. The Universal House of
Justice and the National and Local Spiritual Assemblies currently have
nine members each, the minimum number prescribed by Bahá’u’lláh.
51. It behoveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men #30
The general powers and duties of the Universal House of Justice, the
National Spiritual Assemblies and the Local Spiritual Assemblies and the
qualifications for membership are set forth in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in the letters of Shoghi Effendi, and in the
elucidations of the Universal House of Justice. The major functions of
these institutions are outlined in the Constitution of the Universal House
of Justice, and in those of the National and Local Spiritual Assemblies.
52. take counsel together #30
Bahá’u’lláh has established consultation as one of the fundamental
principles of His Faith and has exhorted the believers to "take counsel
together in all matters". He describes consultation as "the lamp of
guidance which leadeth the way" and as "the bestower of understanding".
Shoghi Effendi states that the "principle of consultation ... constitutes
one of the basic laws" of the Bahá’í Administrative Order.
In Questions and Answers, number 99, Bahá’u’lláh outlines an approach to
consultation and stresses the importance of achieving unanimity in
decision-making, failing which the majority decision must prevail. The
Universal House of Justice has clarified that this guidance concerning
consultation was revealed before Spiritual Assemblies had been established
and was in answer to a question about the Bahá’í teachings on
consultation. The House of Justice affirms that the emergence of Spiritual
Assemblies, to which the friends may always turn for assistance, in no way
prohibits them from following the procedure outlined in Questions and
Answers. This approach may be used by the friends, should they wish, when
they desire to consult on their personal problems.
53. Build ye houses of worship throughout the lands #31
The Bahá’í House of Worship is dedicated to the praise of God. The House
of Worship forms the central edifice of the Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár (the
Dawning-place of the Praise of God), a complex which, as it unfolds in the
future, will comprise in addition to the House of Worship a number of
dependencies dedicated to social, humanitarian, educational, and
scientific pursuits. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá describes the Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár as
"one of the most vital institutions in the world", and Shoghi Effendi
indicates that it exemplifies in tangible form the integration of "Bahá’í
worship and service". Anticipating the future development of this
institution, Shoghi Effendi envisages that the House of Worship and its
dependencies "shall afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to the
poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved, and education to
the ignorant". In the future, Bahá’í Houses of Worship will be constructed
in every town and village.
54. The Lord hath ordained that those of you who are able shall make
pilgrimage to the sacred House #32
Two sacred Houses are covered by this ordinance, the House of the Báb in
S̱ẖíráz and the House of Bahá’u’lláh in Bag̱ẖdád. Bahá’u’lláh has
specified that pilgrimage to either of these two Houses fulfils the
requirement of this passage (Q and A 25, 29). In two separate Tablets,
known as Súriy-i-Hájj (Q and A 10), Bahá’u’lláh has prescribed specific
rites for each of these pilgrimages. In this sense, the performance of a
pilgrimage is more than simply visiting these two Houses.
After the passing of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá designated the Shrine of
Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí as a place of pilgrimage. In a Tablet, He indicates
that the "Most Holy Shrine, the Blessed House in Bag̱ẖdád and the
venerated House of the Báb in S̱ẖíráz" are "consecrated to pilgrimage",
and that it is "obligatory" to visit these places "if one can afford it
and is able to do so, and if no obstacle stands in one’s way". No rites
have been prescribed for pilgrimage to the Most Holy Shrine.
55. and from this He hath exempted women as a mercy on His part #32
In the Bayán, the Báb enjoined the ordinance of pilgrimage once in a
lifetime upon those of His followers who were financially able to
undertake the journey. He stated that the obligation was not binding on
women in order to spare them the rigours of travel.
Bahá’u’lláh likewise exempts women from His pilgrimage requirements. The
Universal House of Justice has clarified that this exemption is not a
prohibition, and that women are free to perform the pilgrimage.
56. to engage in some occupation #33
It is obligatory for men and women to engage in a trade or profession.
Bahá’u’lláh exalts "engagement in such work" to the "rank of worship" of
God. The spiritual and practical significance of this law, and the mutual
responsibility of the individual and society for its implementation are
explained in a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi:
With reference to Bahá’u’lláh’s command concerning the engagement
of the believers in some sort of profession: the Teachings are
most emphatic on this matter, particularly the statement in the
Aqdas to this effect which makes it quite clear that idle people
who lack the desire to work can have no place in the new World
Order. As a corollary of this principle, Bahá’u’lláh further
states that mendicity should not only be discouraged but entirely
wiped out from the face of society. It is the duty of those who
are in charge of the organization of society to give every
individual the opportunity of acquiring the necessary talent in
some kind of profession, and also the means of utilizing such a
talent, both for its own sake and for the sake of earning the
means of his livelihood. Every individual, no matter how
handicapped and limited he may be, is under the obligation of
engaging in some work or profession, for work, especially when
performed in the spirit of service, is according to Bahá’u’lláh a
form of worship. It has not only a utilitarian purpose, but has a
value in itself, because it draws us nearer to God, and enables us
to better grasp His purpose for us in this world. It is obvious,
therefore, that the inheritance of wealth cannot make anyone
immune from daily work.
In one of His Tablets, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states that "if a person is incapable
of earning a living, is stricken by dire poverty or becometh helpless,
then it is incumbent on the wealthy or the Deputies to provide him with a
monthly allowance for his subsistence.... By ‘Deputies’ is meant the
representatives of the people, that is to say the members of the House of
Justice." (See also note 162 on mendicancy.)
In response to a question concerning whether Bahá’u’lláh’s injunction
requires a wife and mother, as well as her husband, to work for a
livelihood, the Universal House of Justice has explained that
Bahá’u’lláh’s directive is for the friends to be engaged in an occupation
which will profit themselves and others, and that homemaking is a highly
honourable and responsible work of fundamental importance to society.
Concerning the retirement from work for individuals who have reached a
certain age, Shoghi Effendi in a letter written on his behalf stated that
"this is a matter on which the International House of Justice will have to
legislate as there are no provisions in the Aqdas concerning it".
57. The kissing of hands hath been forbidden in the Book. #34
In a number of earlier religious Dispensations and in certain cultures the
kissing of the hand of a religious figure or of a prominent person was
expected as a mark of reverence and deference to such persons and as a
token of submission to their authority. Bahá’u’lláh prohibits the kissing
of hands and, in His Tablets, He also condemns such practices as
prostrating oneself before another person and other forms of behaviour
that abase one individual in relation to another. (See note 58.)
58. To none is it permitted to seek absolution from another soul #34
Bahá’u’lláh prohibits confession to, and seeking absolution of one’s sins
from, a human being. Instead one should beg forgiveness from God. In the
Tablet of Bis̱ẖárát, He states that "such confession before people
results in one’s humiliation and abasement", and He affirms that God
"wisheth not the humiliation of His servants".
Shoghi Effendi sets the prohibition into context. His secretary has
written on his behalf that we
...are forbidden to confess to any person, as do the Catholics to
their priests, our sins and shortcomings, or to do so in public,
as some religious sects do. However, if we spontaneously desire to
acknowledge we have been wrong in something, or that we have some
fault of character, and ask another person’s forgiveness or
pardon, we are quite free to do so.
The Universal House of Justice has also clarified that Bahá’u’lláh’s
prohibition concerning the confession of sins does not prevent an
individual from admitting transgressions in the course of consultations
held under the aegis of Bahá’í institutions. Likewise, it does not
preclude the possibility of seeking advice from a close friend or of a
professional counsellor regarding such matters.
59. Amongst the people is he who seateth himself amid the sandals by the
door whilst coveting in his heart the seat of honour. #36
Traditionally in the East it has been the practice to remove sandals and
shoes before entering a gathering. The part of a room farthest from the
entrance is regarded as the head of the room and a place of honour where
the most prominent among those present are seated. Others sit in
descending order towards the door, by which the shoes and sandals have
been left and where the most lowly would sit.
60. And among the people is he who layeth claim to inner knowledge #36
This is a reference to people who claim access to esoteric knowledge and
whose attachment to such knowledge veils them from the Revelation of the
Manifestation of God. Elsewhere Bahá’u’lláh affirms: "They that are the
worshippers of the idol which their imaginations have carved, and who call
it Inner Reality, such men are in truth accounted among the heathen."
61. How many a man hath secluded himself in the climes of India, denied
himself the things that God hath decreed as lawful, imposed upon himself
austerities and mortifications #36
These verses constitute the prohibition of monasticism and asceticism. See
the Synopsis and Codification, section IV.D. 1.y.iii.-iv. In the Words of
Paradise Bahá’u’lláh amplifies these provisions. He states: "Living in
seclusion or practising asceticism is not acceptable in the presence of
God," and He calls upon those involved to "observe that which will cause
joy and radiance". He instructs those who have taken up "their abodes in
the caves of the mountains" or who have "repaired to graveyards at night"
to abandon these practices, and He enjoins them not to deprive themselves
of the "bounties" of this world which have been created by God for
humankind. And in the Tablet of Bis̱ẖárát, while acknowledging the "pious
deeds" of monks and priests, Bahá’u’lláh calls upon them to "give up the
life of seclusion and direct their steps towards the open world and busy
themselves with that which will profit themselves and others". He also
grants them leave "to enter into wedlock that they may bring forth one who
will make mention of God".
62. Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration
of a full thousand years #37
The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh will last until the coming of the next
Manifestation of God, Whose advent will not take place before at least "a
full thousand years" will have elapsed. Bahá’u’lláh cautions against
ascribing to "this verse" anything other than its "obvious meaning", and
in one of His Tablets, He specifies that "each year" of this thousand year
period consists of "twelve months according to the Qur’án, and of nineteen
months of nineteen days each, according to the Bayán".
The intimation of His Revelation to Bahá’u’lláh in the Síyáh-C̱ẖál of
Ṭihrán, in October 1852, marks the birth of His Prophetic Mission and
hence the commencement of the one thousand years or more that must elapse
before the appearance of the next Manifestation of God.
63. This is that of which We gave you forewarning when We were dwelling in
‘Iráq, then later while in the Land of Mystery, and now from this
Resplendent Spot. #37
The "Land of Mystery" refers to Adrianople, and "this Resplendent Spot" is
a reference to Akká.
64. Amongst the people is he whose learning hath made him proud ... who,
when he heareth the tread of sandals following behind him, waxeth greater
in his own esteem #41
In the East, the practice has been for followers of a religious leader,
out of deference, to walk a pace or two behind him.
65. Nimrod #41
The Nimrod referred to in this verse is, in both Jewish and Islamic
traditions, a King who persecuted Abraham and whose name became symbolic
of great pride.
66. Ag̱ẖsán #42
"Ag̱ẖsán" (plural of G̱ẖusn) is the Arabic word for "Branches". This
term is used by Bahá’u’lláh to designate His male descendants. It has
particular implications not only for the disposition of endowments but
also for the succession of authority following the passing of Bahá’u’lláh
(see note 145) and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Bahá’u’lláh, in the Book of His
Covenant, appointed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His eldest son, as the Centre of His
Covenant and the Head of the Faith. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in His Will and
Testament, appointed Shoghi Effendi, His eldest grandson, as the Guardian
and Head of the Faith.
This passage of the Aqdas, therefore, anticipates the succession of chosen
Ag̱ẖsán and thus the institution of the Guardianship and envisages the
possibility of a break in their line. The passing of Shoghi Effendi in
1957 precipitated the very situation provided for in this passage, in that
the line of Ag̱ẖsán ended before the Universal House of Justice had been
established (see note 67).
67. revert to the people of Bahá #42
Bahá’u’lláh provides for the possibility that the line of Ag̱ẖsán would
terminate prior to the establishment of the Universal House of Justice. He
designated that in such a situation "endowments shall revert to the people
of Bahá". The term "people of Bahá" is used with a number of different
meanings in the Bahá’í Writings. In this instance, they are described as
those "who speak not except by His leave and judge not save in accordance
with what God hath decreed in this Tablet". Following the passing of
Shoghi Effendi in 1957, the Hands of the Cause of God directed the affairs
of the Cause until the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963
(see note 183).
68. Shave not your heads #44
In some religious traditions it is considered desirable to shave one’s
head. The shaving of the head is forbidden by Bahá’u’lláh, and He makes it
clear that the provision contained in His Súriy-i-Hájj requiring pilgrims
to the Holy House in S̱ẖíráz to shave their heads has been superseded
through this verse of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Q and A 10).
69. it is not seemly to let the hair pass beyond the limit of the ears #44
Shoghi Effendi has made clear that, unlike the prohibition on shaving the
head, this law forbidding the growing of the hair beyond the lobe of the
ear pertains only to men. The application of this law will require
clarification by the Universal House of Justice.
70. Exile and imprisonment are decreed for the thief #45
Bahá’u’lláh states that the determination of the degree of penalty, in
accordance with the seriousness of the offence, rests with the House of
Justice (Q and A 49). The punishments for theft are intended for a future
condition of society, when they will be supplemented and applied by the
Universal House of Justice.
71. on the third offence, place ye a mark upon his brow so that, thus
identified, he may not be accepted in the cities of God and His countries
#45
The mark to be placed on the thief’s forehead serves the purpose of
warning people of his proclivities. All details concerning the nature of
the mark, how the mark is to be applied, how long it must be worn, on what
conditions it may be removed, as well as the seriousness of various
degrees of theft have been left by Bahá’u’lláh for the Universal House of
Justice to determine when the law is applied.
72. Whoso wisheth to make use of vessels of silver and gold is at liberty
to do so. #46
In the Bayán the Báb allowed the use of gold and silver utensils, thus
abrogating the Islamic condemnation of their use which stems not from an
explicit injunction of the Qur’án but from Muslim traditions. Bahá’u’lláh
here confirms the Báb’s ruling.
73. Take heed lest, when partaking of food, ye plunge your hands into the
contents of bowls and platters. #46
This prohibition was defined by Shoghi Effendi as "plunging one’s hand in
food". In many parts of the world it has been customary to eat with the
hands from a communal bowl.
74. Adopt ye such usages as are most in keeping with refinement. #46
This is the first of several passages referring to the importance of
refinement and cleanliness. The original Arabic word "látafah", rendered
here as "refinement", has a wide range of meanings with both spiritual and
physical implications, such as elegance, gracefulness, cleanliness,
civility, politeness, gentleness, delicacy and graciousness, as well as
being subtle, refined, sanctified and pure. In accordance with the context
of the various passages where it occurs in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, it has been
translated either as "refinement" or "cleanliness".
75. He Who is the Dawning-place of God’s Cause hath no partner in the Most
Great Infallibility. #47
In the Tablet of Is̱ẖráqát, Bahá’u’lláh affirms that the Most Great
Infallibility is confined to the Manifestations of God.
Chapter 45 in Some Answered Questions is devoted to an explanation by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá of this verse of the Aqdas. In this chapter He stresses,
among other things, the inseparability of essential "infallibility" from
the Manifestations of God, and asserts that "whatever emanates from Them
is identical with the truth, and conformable to reality", that "They are
not under the shadow of the former laws", and "Whatever They say is the
word of God, and whatever They perform is an upright action".
76. Unto every father hath been enjoined the instruction of his son and
daughter in the art of reading and writing #48
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in His Tablets, not only calls attention to the
responsibility of parents to educate all their children, but He also
clearly specifies that the "training and culture of daughters is more
necessary than that of sons", for girls will one day be mothers, and
mothers are the first educators of the new generation. If it is not
possible, therefore, for a family to educate all the children, preference
is to be accorded to daughters since, through educated mothers, the
benefits of knowledge can be most effectively and rapidly diffused
throughout society.
77. God hath imposed a fine on every adulterer and adulteress, to be paid
to the House of Justice #49
Although the term translated here as adultery refers, in its broadest
sense, to unlawful sexual intercourse between either married or unmarried
individuals (see note 36 for a definition of the term), ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has
specified that the punishment here prescribed is for sexual intercourse
between persons who are unmarried. He indicates that it remains for the
Universal House of Justice to determine the penalty for adultery committed
by a married individual. (See also Q and A 49.)
In one of His Tablets, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá refers to some of the spiritual and
social implications of the violation of the laws of morality and,
concerning the penalty here described, He indicates that the aim of this
law is to make clear to all that such an action is shameful in the eyes of
God and that, in the event that the offence can be established and the
fine imposed, the principal purpose is the exposure of the offenders—that
they are shamed and disgraced in the eyes of society. He affirms that such
exposure is in itself the greatest punishment.
The House of Justice referred to in this verse is presumably the Local
House of Justice, currently known as the Local Spiritual Assembly.
78. nine miṯẖqáls of gold, to be doubled if they should repeat the
offence #49
A miṯẖqál is a unit of weight. The weight of the traditional miṯẖqál
used in the Middle East is equivalent to 24 náḵẖuds. However, the
miṯẖqál used by the Bahá’ís consists of 19 náḵẖuds, "in accordance
with the specification of the Bayán" (Q and A 23). The weight of nine of
these miṯẖqáls equals 32.775 grammes or 1.05374 troy ounces.
In relation to the application of the fine, Bahá’u’lláh clearly specifies
that each succeeding fine is double the preceding one (Q and A 23); thus
the fine imposed increases in geometrical progression. The imposition of
this fine is intended for a future condition of society, at which time the
law will be supplemented and applied by the Universal House of Justice.
79. We have made it lawful for you to listen to music and singing. #51
‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written that "Among certain nations of the East, music
was considered reprehensible". Though the Qur’án contains no specific
guidance on the subject, some Muslims consider listening to music as
unlawful, while others tolerate music within certain bounds and subject to
particular conditions.
There are a number of passages in the Bahá’í Writings in praise of music.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, for example, asserts that "music, sung or played, is
spiritual food for soul and heart".
80. O ye Men of Justice! #52
It has been elucidated in the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi
that, while the membership of the Universal House of Justice is confined
to men, both women and men are eligible for election to Secondary and
Local Houses of Justice (currently designated as National and Local
Spiritual Assemblies).
81. The penalties for wounding or striking a person depend upon the
severity of the injury; for each degree the Lord of Judgement hath
prescribed a certain indemnity. # 56
While Bahá’u’lláh specified that the extent of the penalty depends upon
"the severity of the injury", there is no record of His having set out the
details of the size of the indemnity with regard to each degree of
offence. The responsibility to determine these devolves upon the Universal
House of Justice.
82. Verily, it is enjoined upon you to offer a feast, once in every month
#57
This injunction has become the basis for the holding of monthly Bahá’í
festivities and as such constitutes the ordination of the Nineteen Day
Feast. In the Arabic Bayán the Báb called upon His followers to gather
together once every nineteen days to show hospitality and fellowship.
Bahá’u’lláh here confirms this and notes the unifying role of such
occasions.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi after Him have gradually unfolded the
institutional significance of this injunction. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá emphasized the
importance of the spiritual and devotional character of these gatherings.
Shoghi Effendi, besides further elaborating the devotional and social
aspects of the Feast, has developed the administrative element of such
gatherings and, in systematically instituting the Feast, has provided for
a period of consultation on the affairs of the Bahá’í community, including
the sharing of news and messages.
In answer to a question as to whether this injunction is obligatory,
Bahá’u’lláh stated it was not (Q and A 48). Shoghi Effendi in a letter
written on his behalf further comments:
Attendance at Nineteen Day Feasts is not obligatory but very
important, and every believer should consider it a duty and
privilege to be present on such occasions.
83. If ye should hunt with beasts or birds of prey, invoke ye the Name of
God when ye send them to pursue their quarry; for then whatever they catch
shall be lawful unto you, even should ye find it to have died. #60
By this law, Bahá’u’lláh greatly simplifies practices and religious
regulations of the past relating to hunting. He has also stated that
hunting with such weapons as bows and arrows, guns, and the like, is
included in this ruling, but that the consumption of game if it is found
dead in a trap or a net is prohibited (Q and A 24).
84. hunt not to excess #60
While hunting is not forbidden by Bahá’u’lláh, He warns against excessive
hunting. The Universal House of Justice will, in due course, have to
consider what constitutes an excess in hunting.
85. He hath granted them no right to the property of others. #61
The injunction to show kindness to Bahá’u’lláh’s kindred does not give
them a share in the property of others. This is in contrast to S̱ẖí’ih
Muslim practice, in which lineal descendants of Muḥammad are entitled to
receive a share of a certain tax.
86. Should anyone intentionally destroy a house by fire, him also shall ye
burn; should anyone deliberately take another’s life, him also shall ye
put to death. #62
The law of Bahá’u’lláh prescribes the death penalty for murder and arson,
with the alternative of life imprisonment (see note 87).
In His Tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains the difference between revenge and
punishment. He affirms that individuals do not have the right to take
revenge, that revenge is despised in the eyes of God, and that the motive
for punishment is not vengeance, but the imposition of a penalty for the
committed offence. In Some Answered Questions, He confirms that it is the
right of society to impose punishments on criminals for the purpose of
protecting its members and defending its existence.
With regard to this provision, Shoghi Effendi in a letter written on his
behalf gives the following explanation:
In the Aqdas Bahá’u’lláh has given death as the penalty for
murder. However, He has permitted life imprisonment as an
alternative. Both practices would be in accordance with His Laws.
Some of us may not be able to grasp the wisdom of this when it
disagrees with our own limited vision; but we must accept it,
knowing His Wisdom, His Mercy and His Justice are perfect and for
the salvation of the entire world. If a man were falsely condemned
to die, can we not believe Almighty God would compensate him a
thousandfold, in the next world, for this human injustice? You
cannot give up a salutary law just because on rare occasions the
innocent may be punished.
The details of the Bahá’í law of punishment for murder and arson, a law
designed for a future state of society, were not specified by Bahá’u’lláh.
The various details of the law, such as degrees of offence, whether
extenuating circumstances are to be taken into account, and which of the
two prescribed punishments is to be the norm are left to the Universal
House of Justice to decide in light of prevailing conditions when the law
is to be in operation. The manner in which the punishment is to be carried
out is also left to the Universal House of Justice to decide.
In relation to arson, this depends on what "house" is burned. There is
obviously a tremendous difference in the degree of offence between the
person who burns down an empty warehouse and one who sets fire to a school
full of children.
87. Should ye condemn the arsonist and the murderer to life imprisonment,
it would be permissible according to the provisions of the Book. #62
Shoghi Effendi, in response to a question about this verse of the Aqdas,
affirmed that while capital punishment is permitted, an alternative, "life
imprisonment", has been provided "whereby the rigours of such a
condemnation can be seriously mitigated". He states that "Bahá’u’lláh has
given us a choice and has, therefore, left us free to use our own
discretion within certain limitations imposed by His law". In the absence
of specific guidance concerning the application of this aspect of Bahá’í
law, it remains for the Universal House of Justice to legislate on the
matter in the future.
88. God hath prescribed matrimony unto you. #63
Bahá’u’lláh, in one of His Tablets, states that God, in establishing this
law, has made marriage "a fortress for well-being and salvation".
The Synopsis and Codification, section IV.C.1.a.-o., summarizes and
synthesizes the provisions in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and Questions and Answers
concerning marriage and the conditions under which it is permitted (Q and
A 3, 13, 46, 50, 84, and 92), the law of betrothal (Q and A 43), the
payment of the dowry (Q and A 12, 26, 39, 47, 87, and 88), the procedures
to be adopted in the event of the prolonged absence of a spouse (Q and A 4
and 27), and sundry other circumstances (Q and A 12 and 47). (See also
notes 89-99.)
89. Beware that ye take not unto yourselves more wives than two. Whoso
contenteth himself with a single partner from among the maidservants of
God, both he and she shall live in tranquillity. #63
While the text of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas appears to permit bigamy, Bahá’u’lláh
counsels that tranquillity and contentment derive from monogamy. In
another Tablet, He underlines the importance of the individual’s acting in
such a way as to "bring comfort to himself and to his partner".
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the authorized Interpreter of the Bahá’í Writings, states
that in the text of the Aqdas monogamy is in effect enjoined. He
elaborates this theme in a number of Tablets, including the following:
Know thou that polygamy is not permitted under the law of God, for
contentment with one wife hath been clearly stipulated. Taking a
second wife is made dependent upon equity and justice being upheld
between the two wives, under all conditions. However, observance
of justice and equity towards two wives is utterly impossible. The
fact that bigamy has been made dependent upon an impossible
condition is clear proof of its absolute prohibition. Therefore it
is not permissible for a man to have more than one wife.
Polygamy is a very ancient practice among the majority of humanity. The
introduction of monogamy has been only gradually accomplished by the
Manifestations of God. Jesus, for example, did not prohibit polygamy, but
abolished divorce except in the case of fornication; Muḥammad limited the
number of wives to four, but making plurality of wives contingent on
justice, and reintroducing permission for divorce; Bahá’u’lláh, Who was
revealing His Teachings in the milieu of a Muslim society, introduced the
question of monogamy gradually in accordance with the principles of wisdom
and the progressive unfoldment of His purpose. The fact that He left His
followers with an infallible Interpreter of His Writings enabled Him to
outwardly permit two wives in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas but uphold a condition
that enabled ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to elucidate later that the intention of the law
was to enforce monogamy.
90. he who would take into his service a maid may do so with propriety #63
Bahá’u’lláh states that a man may employ a maiden for domestic service.
This was not permissible under S̱ẖí’ih Muslim practice unless the
employer entered into a marriage contract with her. Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes
that the "service" referred to in this verse is solely "such as is
performed by any other class of servants, be they young or old, in
exchange for wages" (Q and A 30). An employer has no sexual rights over
his maid. She is "free to choose a husband at whatever time she pleaseth",
for the purchase of women is forbidden (Q and A 30).
91. This is My bidding unto you; hold fast to it as an assistance to
yourselves. #63
While marriage is enjoined in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh clarifies
that it is not obligatory (Q and A 46). Shoghi Effendi, in a letter
written on his behalf, also declared that "marriage is by no means an
obligation", and he affirmed that "in the last resort, it is for the
individual to decide whether he wishes to lead a family life or live in a
state of celibacy". If a person has to wait a considerable period of time
before finding a spouse, or ultimately must remain single, it does not
mean that the individual is thereby unable to fulfil his or her life’s
purpose, which is fundamentally spiritual.
92. We have conditioned it ... upon the permission of their parents #65
In a letter written on his behalf, Shoghi Effendi has commented on this
provision of the law:
Bahá’u’lláh has clearly stated the consent of all living parents
is required for a Bahá’í marriage. This applies whether the
parents are Bahá’ís or non-Bahá’ís, divorced for years or not.
This great law He has laid down to strengthen the social fabric,
to knit closer the ties of the home, to place a certain gratitude
and respect in the hearts of the children for those who have given
them life and sent their souls out on the eternal journey towards
their Creator.
93. No marriage may be contracted without payment of a dowry #66
The Synopsis and Codification, section IV.C.1.j.i.-v., summarizes the main
provisions concerning the dowry. These provisions have their antecedents
in the Bayán.
The dowry is to be paid by the bridegroom to the bride. It is fixed at 19
miṯẖqáls of pure gold for city-dwellers, and 19 miṯẖqáls of silver for
village-dwellers (see note 94). Bahá’u’lláh indicates that, if, at the
time of the wedding, the bridegroom is unable to pay the dowry in full, it
is permissible for him to issue a promissory note to the bride (Q and A
39).
With the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh many familiar concepts, customs and
institutions are redefined and take on new meaning. One of these is the
dowry. The institution of dowry is a very ancient practice in many
cultures and takes many forms. In some countries it is a payment made by
the parents of the bride to the bridegroom; in others it is a payment made
by the bridegroom to the parents of the bride, called a "bride-price". In
both such cases the amount is often quite considerable. The law of
Bahá’u’lláh abolishes all such variants and converts the dowry into a
symbolic act whereby the bridegroom presents a gift of a certain limited
value to the bride.
94. for city-dwellers at nineteen miṯẖqáls of pure gold, and for
village-dwellers at the same amount in silver #66
Bahá’u’lláh specifies that the criterion for determining the dowry payment
is the location of the permanent residence of the bridegroom, not of the
bride (Q and A 87, 88).
95. Whoso wisheth to increase this sum, it is forbidden him to exceed the
limit of ninety-five miṯẖqáls... If he content himself, however, with a
payment of the lowest level, it shall be better for him according to the
Book. #66
In answer to a question about the dowry, Bahá’u’lláh stated:
Whatever is revealed in the Bayán, in respect to those residing in
cities and villages, is approved and should be carried out.
However, in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas mention is made of the lowest level.
The intention is nineteen miṯẖqáls of silver, specified in the
Bayán for village-dwellers. This is more pleasing unto God,
provided the two parties agree. The purpose is to promote the
comfort of all, and to bring about concord and union among the
people. Therefore, the greater the consideration shown in these
matters the better it will be... The people of Bahá must associate
and deal with each other with the utmost love and sincerity. They
should be mindful of the interests of all, especially the friends
of God.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in one of His Tablets, summarized some of the provisions for
determining the level of the dowry. The unit of payment mentioned in the
extract, cited below, is the "váhid". One váhid is equivalent to nineteen
miṯẖqáls. He stated:
City-dwellers must pay in gold and village-dwellers in silver. It
dependeth on the financial means at the disposal of the groom. If he is
poor, he payeth one váhid; if of modest means, he payeth two váhids; if
well-to-do, three váhids; if wealthy, four váhids; and if very rich, he
giveth five váhids. It is, in truth, a matter for agreement between the
bridegroom, the bride, and their parents. Whatever agreement is reached
should be carried out.
In this same Tablet, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá encouraged the believers to refer
questions concerning the application of this law to the Universal House of
Justice, which has "the authority to legislate". He stressed that "it is
this body which will enact laws and legislate upon secondary matters which
are not explicit in the Holy Text".
96. should any one of His servants intend to travel, he must fix for his
wife a time when he will return home #67
If the husband leaves without informing his wife of the date of his
return, and no news of him reaches her and all trace of him is lost,
Bahá’u’lláh has stated that, should the husband have been aware of the law
prescribed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the wife may remarry after waiting a full
year. If, however, the husband was unaware of the law, the wife must wait
until news of her husband reaches her (Q and A 4).
97. it behoveth her to wait for a period of nine months, after which there
is no impediment to her taking another husband #67
In the event of the husband’s failure, either to return at the end of the
specified period of time or to notify his wife of a delay, the wife must
wait nine months, after which she is free to remarry, though it is
preferable for her to wait longer (see note 147 for the Bahá’í calendar).
Bahá’u’lláh states that, in such circumstances, should news reach the wife
of "her husband’s death or murder", she must also wait nine months, prior
to remarrying (Q and A 27). ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in a Tablet, has further
clarified that the nine months’ waiting period following news of the
husband’s death applies only if the husband had been away at the time of
his death, and not if he dies while at home.
98. she should choose the course that is praiseworthy #67
Bahá’u’lláh defines "the course that is praiseworthy" as "the exercise of
patience" (Q and A 4).
99. two just witnesses #67
Bahá’u’lláh sets out "the criterion of justness" in relation to witnesses
as "a good reputation among the people". He states that it is not
necessary that the witnesses should be Bahá’ís since "The testimony of all
God’s servants, of whatever faith or creed, is acceptable before His
Throne" (Q and A 79).
100. Should resentment or antipathy arise between husband and wife, he is
not to divorce her but to bide in patience throughout the course of one
whole year #68
Divorce is strongly condemned in the Bahá’í Teachings. If, however,
antipathy or resentment develop between the marriage partners, divorce is
permissible after the lapse of one full year. During this year of
patience, the husband is obliged to provide for the financial support of
his wife and children, and the couple is urged to strive to reconcile
their differences. Shoghi Effendi affirms that both the husband and wife
"have equal right to ask for divorce" whenever either partner "feels it
absolutely essential to do so".
In Questions and Answers, Bahá’u’lláh elaborates a number of issues
concerning the year of patience, its observance (Q and A 12), establishing
the date of its beginning (Q and A 19 and 40), the conditions for
reconciliation (Q and A 38), and the role of witnesses and the Local House
of Justice (Q and A 73 and 98). In relation to the witnesses, the
Universal House of Justice has clarified that in these days the duties of
the witnesses in cases of divorce are performed by the Spiritual
Assemblies.
The detailed provisions of the Bahá’í laws on divorce are summarized in
the Synopsis and Codification, section IV.C.2.a.-i.
101. The Lord hath prohibited ... the practice to which ye formerly had
recourse when thrice ye had divorced a woman. #68
This relates to a law of Islám set out in the Qur’án which decreed that
under certain conditions a man could not remarry his divorced wife unless
she had married and been divorced by another man. Bahá’u’lláh affirms that
this is the practice which has been prohibited in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Q and
A 31).
102. He who hath divorced his wife may choose, upon the passing of each
month, to remarry her when there is mutual affection and consent, so long
as she hath not taken another husband ... unless, clearly, her
circumstances change. #68
Shoghi Effendi states, in a letter written on his behalf, that the
intention of "the passing of each month" is not to impose a limitation,
and that it is possible for a divorced couple to remarry at any time after
their divorce, so long as neither party is currently married to another
person.
103. semen is not unclean # 74
In a number of religious traditions and in S̱ẖí’ih Muslim practice semen
has been declared ritually unclean. Bahá’u’lláh has here dispelled this
concept. See also note 106 below.
104. Cleave ye unto the cord of refinement #74
‘Abdu’l-Bahá refers to the effect of "purity and holiness, cleanliness and
refinement" on the exaltation of "the human condition" and "the
development of man’s inner reality". He states: "The fact of having a pure
and spotless body exercises an influence upon the spirit of man." (See
also note 74.)
105. Wash ye every soiled thing with water that hath undergone no
alteration in any one of the three respects #74
The "three respects" referred to in this verse are changes in the colour,
taste or smell of the water. Bahá’u’lláh provides additional guidance
concerning pure water and the point at which it is considered unsuitable
for use (Q and A 91).
106. God hath ... abolished the concept of "uncleanness", whereby divers
things and peoples have been held to be impure. #75
The concept of ritual "uncleanness", as understood and practised in some
tribal societies and in the religious communities of certain earlier
Dispensations, has been abolished by Bahá’u’lláh. He states that through
His Revelation "all created things were immersed in the sea of
purification". (See also notes 12, 20, and 103.)
107. first day of Ridván #75
This is a reference to the arrival of Bahá’u’lláh and His companions in
the Najíbíyyih Garden outside the city of Bag̱ẖdád, subsequently referred
to by the Bahá’ís as the Garden of Ridván. This event, which took place
thirty-one days after Naw-Rúz, in April 1863, signalized the commencement
of the period during which Bahá’u’lláh declared His Mission to His
companions. In a Tablet, He refers to His Declaration as "the Day of
supreme felicity" and He describes the Garden of Ridván as "the Spot from
which He shed upon the whole of creation the splendours of His Name, the
All-Merciful". Bahá’u’lláh spent twelve days in this Garden prior to
departing for Istanbul, the place to which He had been banished.
The Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh is celebrated annually by the twelve-day
Ridván Festival, described by Shoghi Effendi as "the holiest and most
significant of all Bahá’í festivals" (see notes 138 and 140).
108. the Bayán #77
The Bayán, the Mother Book of the Bábí Dispensation, is the title given by
the Báb to His Book of Laws, and it is also applied to the entire body of
His Writings. The Persian Bayán is the major doctrinal work and principal
repository of the laws ordained by the Báb. The Arabic Bayán is parallel
in content but smaller and less weighty. When describing the Persian Bayán
in God Passes By Shoghi Effendi indicated that it should be regarded
"primarily as a eulogy of the Promised One rather than as a code of laws
and ordinances designed to be a permanent guide to future generations".
‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written: "The Bayán hath been superseded by the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, except in respect of such laws as have been confirmed and
mentioned in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas."
109. the destruction of books #77
In the Tablet of Is̱ẖráqát Bahá’u’lláh, referring to the fact that the
Báb had made the laws of the Bayán subject to His sanction, states that He
put some of the Báb’s laws into effect "by embodying them in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas in different words", while others He set aside.
With regard to the destruction of books, the Bayán commanded the Báb’s
followers to destroy all books except those that were written in
vindication of the Cause and Religion of God. Bahá’u’lláh abrogates this
specific law of the Bayán.
As to the nature and severity of the laws of the Bayán, Shoghi Effendi in
a letter written on his behalf provides the following comment:
The severe laws and injunctions revealed by the Báb can be
properly appreciated and understood only when interpreted in the
light of His own statements regarding the nature, purpose and
character of His own Dispensation. As these statements clearly
reveal, the Bábí Dispensation was essentially in the nature of a
religious and indeed social revolution, and its duration had
therefore to be short, but full of tragic events, of sweeping and
drastic reforms. Those drastic measures enforced by the Báb and
His followers were taken with the view of undermining the very
foundations of S̱ẖí’ih orthodoxy, and thus paving the way for the
coming of Bahá’u’lláh. To assert the independence of the new
Dispensation, and to prepare also the ground for the approaching
Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb had therefore to reveal very
severe laws, even though most of them were never enforced. But the
mere fact that He revealed them was in itself a proof of the
independent character of His Dispensation and was sufficient to
create such widespread agitation, and excite such opposition on
the part of the clergy that led them to cause His eventual
martyrdom.
110. We have permitted you to read such sciences as are profitable unto
you, not such as end in idle disputation #77
The Bahá’í Writings enjoin the acquisition of knowledge and the study of
the arts and sciences. Bahá’ís are admonished to respect people of
learning and accomplishment, and are warned against the pursuit of studies
that are productive only of futile wrangling.
In His Tablets Bahá’u’lláh counsels the believers to study such sciences
and arts as are "useful" and would further "the progress and advancement"
of society, and He cautions against sciences which "begin with words and
end with words", the pursuit of which leads to "idle disputation". Shoghi
Effendi, in a letter written on his behalf, likened sciences that "begin
with words and end with words" to "fruitless excursions into metaphysical
hair-splittings", and, in another letter, he explained that what
Bahá’u’lláh primarily intended by such "sciences" are "those theological
treatises and commentaries that encumber the human mind rather than help
it to attain the truth".
111. He Who held converse with God #80
This is a traditional Jewish and Islamic title of Moses. Bahá’u’lláh
states that with the coming of His Revelation "human ears have been
privileged to hear what He Who conversed with God heard upon Sinai".
112. Sinai #80
The mountain where the Law was revealed by God to Moses.
113. the Spirit of God #80
This is one of the titles used in the Islamic and Bahá’í Writings to
designate Jesus Christ.
114. Carmel ... Zion #80
Carmel, the "Vineyard of God", is the mountain in the Holy Land where the
Shrine of the Báb and the seat of the world administrative centre of the
Faith are situated.
Zion is a hill in Jerusalem, the traditional site of the tomb of King
David, and is symbolic of Jerusalem as a Holy City.
115. the Crimson Ark #84
The "Crimson Ark" refers to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. His followers are
designated as the "companions of the Crimson Ark", lauded by the Báb in
the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá.
116. O Emperor of Austria! He Who is the Dayspring of God’s Light dwelt in
the prison of Akká at the time when thou didst set forth to visit the Aqsá
Mosque. #85
Francis Joseph (Franz Josef, 1830-1916), Emperor of Austria and King of
Hungary, made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1869. While in the Holy Land he
failed to take the opportunity to inquire about Bahá’u’lláh Who at that
time was a prisoner in Akká (Acre).
The Aqsá Mosque, literally, the "Most Distant" Mosque, is referred to in
the Qur’án, and has become identified with the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
117. O King of Berlin! #86
Kaiser William I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig, 1797-1888), the seventh king
of Prussia, was acclaimed first Emperor of Germany in January 1871 at
Versailles in France, following the victory of Germany over France in the
Franco-Prussian War.
118. the one whose power transcended thy power, and whose station excelled
thy station #86
This is a reference to Napoleon III (1808-1873), the Emperor of the
French, who was regarded by many historians as the most outstanding
monarch of his day in the West.
Bahá’u’lláh addressed two Tablets to Napoleon III, in the second of which
He clearly prophesied that Napoleon’s kingdom would be "thrown into
confusion", that his "empire shall pass" from his hands, and that his
people would experience great "commotions".
Within a year, Napoleon III suffered a resounding defeat, at the hands of
Kaiser William I, at the Battle of Sedan in 1870. He went in exile to
England, where he died three years later.
119. O people of Constantinople! #89
The word here translated as "Constantinople" is, in the original, "Ar-Rúm"
or "Rome". This term has generally been used in the Middle East to
designate Constantinople and the Eastern Roman Empire, then the city of
Byzantium and its empire, and later the Ottoman Empire.
120. O Spot that art situate on the shores of the two seas! #89
This is a reference to Constantinople, now called Istanbul. Located on the
Bosphorus, a strait about 31 kilometres long which links the Black Sea and
the Sea of Marmara, it is the largest city and seaport of Turkey.
Constantinople was the capital of the Ottoman Empire from 1453 until 1922.
During Bahá’u’lláh’s sojourn in this city, the tyrannical Sultan
‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz occupied the throne. The Ottoman Sultans were also the
Caliphs, the leaders of Sunní Islám. Bahá’u’lláh anticipated the fall of
the Caliphate, which was abolished in 1924.
121. O banks of the Rhine! #90
In one of His Tablets written before the First World War (1914-1918),
‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that Bahá’u’lláh’s reference to having seen the
banks of the Rhine "covered with gore" related to the Franco-Prussian War
(1870-1871), and that there was more suffering to come.
In God Passes By Shoghi Effendi states that the "oppressively severe
treaty" that was imposed on Germany following its defeat in the First
World War "provoked ‘the lamentations’" of Berlin "which half a century
before, had been ominously prophesied".
122. O Land of Tá #91
"Tá" is the initial letter of Ṭihrán, the capital of Iran. Bahá’u’lláh has
often chosen to represent certain place names by reference to their
initial letter. According to the abjad system of reckoning, the numerical
value of Tá is nine, which equals the numerical value of the name Bahá.
123. within thee was born the Manifestation of His Glory #92
This is a reference to the birth of Bahá’u’lláh in Ṭihrán on 12 November
1817.
124. O Land of Ḵẖá! #94
A reference to the Iranian province of Ḵẖurásán and neighbouring areas,
which include the city of Is̱ẖqábád (Ashkhabad).
125. Should anyone acquire one hundred miṯẖqáls of gold, nineteen
miṯẖqáls thereof are God’s and to be rendered unto Him #97
This verse establishes Ḥuqúqu’lláh, the Right of God, the offering of a
fixed portion of the value of the believer’s possessions. This offering
was made to Bahá’u’lláh as the Manifestation of God and then, following
His Ascension, to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Centre of the Covenant. In His Will
and Testament, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá provided that the Ḥuqúqu’lláh was to be
offered "through the Guardian of the Cause of God". There now being no
Guardian, it is offered through the Universal House of Justice as the Head
of the Faith. This fund is used for the promotion of the Faith of God and
its interests as well as for various philanthropic purposes. The offering
of the Ḥuqúqu’lláh is a spiritual obligation, the fulfilment of which has
been left to the conscience of each Bahá’í. While the community is
reminded of the requirements of the law of Ḥuqúq, no believer may be
approached individually to pay it.
A number of items in Questions and Answers further elaborate this law. The
payment of Ḥuqúqu’lláh is based on the calculation of the value of the
individual’s possessions. If a person has possessions equal in value to at
least nineteen miṯẖqáls of gold (Q and A 8), it is a spiritual
obligation to pay nineteen percent of the total amount, once only, as
Ḥuqúqu’lláh (Q and A 89). Thereafter, whenever one’s income, after all
expenses have been paid, increases the value of one’s possessions by the
amount of at least nineteen miṯẖqáls of gold, one is to pay nineteen
percent of this increase, and so on for each further increase (Q and A 8,
90).
Certain categories of possessions, such as one’s residence, are exempt
from the payment of Ḥuqúqu’lláh (Q and A 8, 42, 95), and specific
provisions are outlined to cover cases of financial loss (Q and A 44, 45),
the failure of investments to yield a profit (Q and A 102) and for the
payment of Ḥuqúq in the event of the person’s death (Q and A 9, 69, 80).
(In this latter case, see note 47.)
Extensive extracts from Tablets, Questions and Answers, and other Writings
concerning the spiritual significance of Ḥuqúqu’lláh and the details of
its application have been published in a compilation entitled Ḥuqúqu’lláh.
126. Various petitions have come before Our throne from the believers,
concerning laws from God... We have, in consequence, revealed this Holy
Tablet and arrayed it with the mantle of His Law that haply the people may
keep the commandments of their Lord. #98
"For a number of years", Bahá’u’lláh states in one of His Tablets,
"petitions reached the Most Holy Presence from various lands begging for
the laws of God, but We held back the Pen ere the appointed time had
come." Not until twenty years from the birth of His Prophetic Mission in
the Síyáh-C̱ẖál of Ṭihrán had elapsed did Bahá’u’lláh reveal the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Repository of the laws of His Dispensation. Even after
its revelation the Aqdas was withheld by Him for some time before it was
sent to the friends in Persia. This divinely purposed delay in the
revelation of the basic laws of God for this age, and the subsequent
gradual implementation of their provisions, illustrate the principle of
progressive revelation which applies even within the ministry of each
Prophet.
127. crimson Spot #100
This is a reference to the prison-city of Akká. In the Bahá’í Writings the
word "crimson" is used in several allegorical and symbolic senses. (See
also note 115.)
128. the Sadratu’l-Muntahá #100
Literally "the furthermost Lote-Tree", translated by Shoghi Effendi as
"the Tree beyond which there is no passing". This is used as a symbol in
Islám, for example in the accounts of Muḥammad’s Night Journey, to mark
the point in the heavens beyond which neither men nor angels can pass in
their approach to God, and thus to delimit the bounds of divine knowledge
as revealed to mankind. Hence it is often used in the Bahá’í Writings to
designate the Manifestation of God Himself. (See also note 164.)
129. the Mother Book #103
The term "Mother Book" is generally used to designate the central Book of
a religious Dispensation. In the Qur’án and Islamic Hadíṯẖ, the term is
used to describe the Qur’án itself. In the Bábí Dispensation, the Bayán is
the Mother Book, and the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is the Mother Book of the
Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh. Further, the Guardian in a letter written on
his behalf has stated that this concept can also be used as a "collective
term indicating the body of the Teachings revealed by Bahá’u’lláh". This
term is also used in a broader sense to signify the Divine Repository of
Revelation.
130. Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of
Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning #105
In several of His Tablets, Bahá’u’lláh affirms the distinction between
allegorical verses, which are susceptible to interpretation, and those
verses that relate to such subjects as the laws and ordinances, worship
and religious observances, whose meanings are evident and which demand
compliance on the part of the believers.
As explained in notes 145 and 184, Bahá’u’lláh designated ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
His eldest Son, as His Successor and the Interpreter of His Teachings.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His turn appointed His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, to
succeed Him as interpreter of the holy Writ and Guardian of the Cause. The
interpretations of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi are considered divinely
guided and are binding on the Bahá’ís.
The existence of authoritative interpretations does not preclude the
individual from engaging in the study of the Teachings and thereby
arriving at a personal interpretation or understanding. A clear
distinction is, however, drawn in the Bahá’í Writings between
authoritative interpretation and the understanding that each individual
arrives at from a study of its Teachings. Individual interpretations based
on a person’s understanding of the Teachings constitute the fruit of man’s
rational power and may well contribute to a greater comprehension of the
Faith. Such views, nevertheless, lack authority. In presenting their
personal ideas, individuals are cautioned not to discard the authority of
the revealed words, not to deny or contend with the authoritative
interpretation, and not to engage in controversy; rather they should offer
their thoughts as a contribution to knowledge, making it clear that their
views are merely their own.
131. approach not the public pools of Persian baths #106
Bahá’u’lláh prohibits the use of the pools found in the traditional public
bath-houses of Persia. In these baths it was the custom for many people to
wash themselves in the same pool and for the water to be changed at
infrequent intervals. Consequently, the water was discoloured, befouled
and unhygienic, and had a highly offensive stench.
132. Avoid ye likewise the malodorous pools in the courtyards of Persian
homes #106
Most houses in Persia used to have a pool in their courtyard which served
as a reservoir for water used for cleaning, washing and other domestic
purposes. Since the water in the pool was stagnant and was not usually
changed for weeks at a time, it tended to develop a very unpleasant odour.
133. It is forbidden you to wed your fathers’ wives. #107
Marriage with one’s stepmother is here explicitly prohibited. This
prohibition also applies to marrying one’s stepfather. Where Bahá’u’lláh
has expressed a law between a man and a woman it applies mutatis mutandis
as between a woman and a man unless the context should make this
impossible.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi confirmed that, while stepmothers are the
only category of relatives mentioned in the text, this does not mean that
all other unions within a family are permissible. Bahá’u’lláh states that
it devolves upon the House of Justice to legislate "concerning the
legitimacy or otherwise of marrying one’s relatives" (Q and A 50).
‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written that the more distant the blood-relationship
between the couple the better, since such marriages provide the basis for
the physical well-being of humanity and are conducive to fellowship among
mankind.
134. the subject of boys #107
The word translated here as "boys" has, in this context, in the Arabic
original, the implication of paederasty. Shoghi Effendi has interpreted
this reference as a prohibition on all homosexual relations.
The Bahá’í teachings on sexual morality centre on marriage and the family
as the bedrock of the whole structure of human society and are designed to
protect and strengthen that divine institution. Bahá’í law thus restricts
permissible sexual intercourse to that between a man and the woman to whom
he is married.
In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi it is stated:
No matter how devoted and fine the love may be between people of
the same sex, to let it find expression in sexual acts is wrong.
To say that it is ideal is no excuse. Immorality of every sort is
really forbidden by Bahá’u’lláh, and homosexual relationships He
looks upon as such, besides being against nature. To be afflicted
this way is a great burden to a conscientious soul. But through
the advice and help of doctors, through a strong and determined
effort, and through prayer, a soul can overcome this handicap.
Bahá’u’lláh makes provision for the Universal House of Justice to
determine, according to the degree of the offence, penalties for adultery
and sodomy (Q and A 49).
135. To none is it permitted to mutter sacred verses before the public
gaze as he walketh in the street or marketplace #108
This is an allusion to the practice of certain clerics and religious
leaders of earlier Dispensations who, out of hypocrisy and affectation,
and in order to win the praise of their followers, would ostentatiously
mutter prayers in public places as a demonstration of their piety.
Bahá’u’lláh forbids such behaviour and stresses the importance of humility
and genuine devotion to God.
136. Unto everyone hath been enjoined the writing of a will. #109
According to the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, the individual has a duty to
write a will and testament, and is free to dispose of his estate in
whatever manner he chooses (see note 38).
Bahá’u’lláh affirms that in drawing up his will "a person hath full
jurisdiction over his property", since God has permitted the individual
"to deal with that which He hath bestowed upon him in whatever manner he
may desire" (Q and A 69). Provisions are set out in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas for
the distribution of inheritance in the case of intestacy. (See notes
38-48.)
137. the Most Great Name #109
As explained in note 33, the Greatest Name of God can take various forms,
all based on the word "Bahá". The Bahá’ís in the East have implemented
this injunction of the Aqdas by heading their wills with such phrases as
"O Thou Glory of the All-Glorious", "In the name of God, the All-Glorious"
or "He is the All-Glorious" and the like.
138. All Feasts have attained their consummation in the two Most Great
Festivals, and in the two other Festivals that fall on the twin days #110
This passage establishes four great festivals of the Bahá’í year. The two
designated by Bahá’u’lláh as "the two Most Great Festivals" are, first,
the Festival of Ridván, which commemorates Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration of
His Prophetic Mission in the Garden of Ridván in Bag̱ẖdád during twelve
days in April/May 1863 and is referred to by Him as "the King of
Festivals" and, second, the Báb’s Declaration, which occurred in May 1844
in S̱ẖíráz. The first, ninth and twelfth days of the Festival of Ridván
are Holy Days (Q and A 1), as is the day of the Declaration of the Báb.
The "two other Festivals" are the anniversaries of the births of
Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb. In the Muslim lunar calendar these fall on
consecutive days, the birth of Bahá’u’lláh on the second day of the month
of Muharram 1233 A.H. (12 November 1817), and the birth of the Báb on the
first day of the same month 1235 A.H. (20 October 1819), respectively.
They are thus referred to as the "Twin Birthdays" and Bahá’u’lláh states
that these two days are accounted as one in the sight of God (Q and A 2).
He states that, should they fall within the month of fasting, the command
to fast shall not apply on those days (Q and A 36). Given that the Bahá’í
calendar (see notes 26 and 147) is a solar calendar, it remains for the
Universal House of Justice to determine whether the Twin Holy Birthdays
are to be celebrated on a solar or lunar basis.
139. the first day of the month of Bahá #111
In the Bahá’í calendar the first month of the year and the first day of
each month are given the name "Bahá". The day of Bahá of the month of Bahá
is thus the Bahá’í New Year, Naw-Rúz, which was ordained by the Báb as a
festival and is here confirmed by Bahá’u’lláh (see notes 26 and 147).
In addition to the seven Holy Days ordained in these passages of the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Báb was also
commemorated as a Holy Day in the lifetime of Bahá’u’lláh and, as a
corollary to this, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá added the observance of the Ascension of
Bahá’u’lláh, making nine Holy Days in all. Two other anniversaries which
are observed, but on which work is not suspended, are the Day of the
Covenant and the anniversary of the Passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. See the
section on the Bahá’í calendar in The Bahá’í World, volume XVIII.
140. The Most Great Festival is, indeed, the King of Festivals #112
A reference to the Ridván Festival (see notes 107 and 138).
141. God had formerly laid upon each one of the believers the duty of
offering before Our throne priceless gifts from among his possessions. Now
... We have absolved them of this obligation. #114
This passage abrogates a provision of the Bayán which decreed that all
objects unparalleled of their kind should, upon the appearance of Him Whom
God will make manifest, be rendered unto Him. The Báb explained that,
since the Manifestation of God is beyond compare, whatever is peerless in
its kind should rightfully be reserved for Him, unless He decrees
otherwise.
142. the hour of dawn #115
With reference to attending dawn prayers in the Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár, the
Bahá’í House of Worship, Bahá’u’lláh has explained that, although the
actual time specified in the Book of God is "the hour of dawn", it is
acceptable at any time from "the earliest dawn of day, between dawn and
sunrise, or even up to two hours after sunrise" (Q and A 15).
143. These Tablets are embellished with the seal of Him Who causeth the
dawn to appear, Who lifteth up His voice between the heavens and the
earth. #117
Bahá’u’lláh repeatedly affirms the absolute integrity of His Writings as
the Word of God. Some of His Tablets also bear the mark of one of His
seals. The Bahá’í World, volume V, p. 4, contains a photograph of a number
of Bahá’u’lláh’s seals.
144. It is inadmissible that man, who hath been endowed with reason,
should consume that which stealeth it away. #119
There are many references in the Bahá’í Writings which prohibit the use of
wine and other intoxicating drinks and which describe the deleterious
effect of such intoxicants on the individual. In one of His Tablets,
Bahá’u’lláh states:
Beware lest ye exchange the Wine of God for your own wine, for it
will stupefy your minds, and turn your faces away from the
Countenance of God, the All-Glorious, the Peerless, the
Inaccessible. Approach it not, for it hath been forbidden unto you
by the behest of God, the Exalted, the Almighty.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains that the Aqdas prohibits "both light and strong
drinks", and He states that the reason for prohibiting the use of
alcoholic drinks is because "alcohol leadeth the mind astray and causeth
the weakening of the body".
Shoghi Effendi, in letters written on his behalf, states that this
prohibition includes not only the consumption of wine but of "everything
that deranges the mind", and he clarifies that the use of alcohol is
permitted only when it constitutes part of a medical treatment which is
implemented "under the advice of a competent and conscientious physician,
who may have to prescribe it for the cure of some special ailment".
145. turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched
from this Ancient Root #121
Bahá’u’lláh here alludes to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His Successor and calls upon
the believers to turn towards Him. In the Book of the Covenant, His Will
and Testament, Bahá’u’lláh discloses the intention of this verse. He
states: "The object of this sacred verse is none other except the Most
Mighty Branch." The "Most Mighty Branch" is one of the titles conferred by
Bahá’u’lláh on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. (See also notes 66 and 184.)
146. In the Bayán it had been forbidden you to ask Us questions. #126
The Báb forbade His followers to ask questions of Him Whom God will make
manifest (Bahá’u’lláh), unless their questions were submitted in writing
and pertained to subjects worthy of His lofty station. See Selections from
the Writings of the Báb.
Bahá’u’lláh removes this prohibition of the Báb. He invites the believers
to ask such questions as they "need to ask", and He cautions them to
refrain from posing "idle questions" of the kind which preoccupied "the
men of former times".
147. The number of months in a year, appointed in the Book of God, is
nineteen. #127
The Bahá’í year, in accordance with the Badí calendar, consists of
nineteen months of nineteen days each, with the addition of certain
intercalary days (four in an ordinary year and five in a leap year)
between the eighteenth and nineteenth months in order to adjust the
calendar to the solar year. The Báb named the months after certain
attributes of God. The Bahá’í New Year, Naw-Rúz, is astronomically fixed,
coinciding with the March equinox (see note 26). For further details,
including the names of the days of the week and the months, see the
section on the Bahá’í calendar in The Bahá’í World, volume XVIII.
148. the first hath been adorned with this Name which overshadoweth the
whole of creation #127
In the Persian Bayán, the Báb bestowed the name "Bahá" on the first month
of the year (see note 139).
149. The Lord hath decreed that the dead should be interred in coffins
#128
In the Bayán, the Báb prescribed that the deceased should be interred in a
coffin made of crystal or polished stone. Shoghi Effendi, in a letter
written on his behalf, explained that the significance of this provision
was to show respect for the human body which "was once exalted by the
immortal soul of man".
In brief, the Bahá’í law for the burial of the dead states that it is
forbidden to carry the body for more than one hour’s journey from the
place of death; that the body should be wrapped in a shroud of silk or
cotton, and on its finger should be placed a ring bearing the inscription
"I came forth from God, and return unto Him, detached from all save Him,
holding fast to His Name, the Merciful, the Compassionate"; and that the
coffin should be of crystal, stone or hard fine wood. A specific Prayer
for the Dead (see note 10) is ordained, to be said before interment. As
affirmed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Guardian, this law precludes cremation of
the dead. The formal prayer and the ring are meant to be used for those
who have attained the age of maturity, i.e. 15 years of age (Q and A 70).
With regard to the material from which the coffin is to be made, the
spirit of the law is that coffins should be of as durable a material as
possible. Hence, the Universal House of Justice has explained that, in
addition to the materials specified in the Aqdas, there is no objection to
using the hardest wood available or concrete for the casket. For the
present, the Bahá’ís are left free to make their own choices in this
matter.
150. the Point of the Bayán #129
The "Point of the Bayán" is one of the titles by which the Báb referred to
Himself.
151. the deceased should be enfolded in five sheets of silk or cotton #130
In the Bayán, the Báb specified that the body of the deceased should be
wrapped in five sheets of silk or cotton. Bahá’u’lláh confirmed this
provision and added the stipulation that for "those whose means are
limited a single sheet of either fabric will suffice".
When asked whether the "five sheets" mentioned in the law referred to
"five full-length shrouds" or "five cloths which were hitherto customarily
used", Bahá’u’lláh responded that the intention is the "use of five
cloths" (Q and A 56).
Concerning the way in which the body should be wrapped, there is nothing
in the Bahá’í Writings to define how the wrapping of the body is to be
done, either when "five cloths" are used or only "a single sheet". At
present, the Bahá’ís are free to use their judgement in the matter.
152. It is forbidden you to transport the body of the deceased a greater
distance than one hour’s journey from the city #130
The intention of this command is to limit the duration of the journey to
one hour’s time, irrespective of the means of transport that are chosen to
carry the body to the burial site. Bahá’u’lláh affirms that the sooner the
burial takes place, "the more fitting and acceptable will it be" (Q and A
16).
The place of death may be taken to encompass the city or town in which the
person passes away, and therefore the one hour’s journey may be calculated
from the city limits to the place of burial. The spirit of Bahá’u’lláh’s
law is for the deceased to be buried near where he or she dies.
153. God hath removed the restrictions on travel that had been imposed in
the Bayán. #131
The Báb decreed certain restrictions on travel which were to remain in
force until the advent of the Promised One of the Bayán, at which time the
believers were instructed to set out, even if on foot, to meet Him, since
the attainment of His presence was the fruit and purpose of their very
existence.
154. Raise up and exalt the two Houses in the Twin Hallowed Spots, and the
other sites wherein the throne of your Lord ... hath been established.
#133
Bahá’u’lláh identifies the "two Houses" as His House in Bag̱ẖdád,
designated by Him as the "Most Great House", and the House of the Báb in
S̱ẖíráz, both of which have been ordained by Him as sites of pilgrimage.
(See Q and A 29, 32 and note 54.)
Shoghi Effendi explained that "the other sites wherein the throne of your
Lord ... hath been established" refers to those places where the Person of
the Manifestation of God has resided. Bahá’u’lláh states that "the people
of the areas where these are situated may choose to preserve either each
house" wherein He resided, "or one of them" (Q and A 32). Bahá’í
institutions have identified, documented, and where possible, acquired and
restored a number of the historical sites associated with the Twin
Manifestations.
155. Take heed lest ye be prevented by aught that hath been recorded in
the Book from hearkening unto this, the Living Book #134
The "Book" is the record of the revealed Word of the Manifestations of
God. The "Living Book" is a reference to the Person of the Manifestation.
These words contain an allusion to a statement of the Báb in the Persian
Bayán about the "Living Book", which He identifies as Him Whom God will
make manifest. In one of His Tablets Bahá’u’lláh Himself states: "The Book
of God hath been sent down in the form of this Youth."
In this verse of the Aqdas, and again in paragraph 168 of the Aqdas,
Bahá’u’lláh refers to Himself as the "Living Book". He cautions the
"followers of every other Faith" against seeking "reasons in their Holy
Books" for refuting the utterances of the "Living Book". He admonishes the
people not to allow what has been recorded in the "Book" to prevent them
from recognising His Station and from holding fast to what is in this new
Revelation.
156. tribute to this Revelation, from the Pen of Him Who was My Herald
#135
The "tribute" that Bahá’u’lláh quotes in this passage is from the Arabic
Bayán.
157. "The Qiblih is indeed He Whom God will make manifest; whenever He
moveth, it moveth, until He shall come to rest." #137
For a discussion of this verse see notes 7 and 8.
158. It is unlawful to enter into marriage save with a believer in the
Bayán. Should only one party to a marriage embrace this Cause, his or her
possessions will become unlawful to the other #139
The passage of the Bayán which Bahá’u’lláh here quotes draws the attention
of the believers to the imminence of the coming of "Him Whom God will make
manifest". Its prohibition of marriage with a non-Bábí and its provision
that the property of a husband or wife who embraced the Faith could not
lawfully pass to the non-Bábí spouse were explicitly held in abeyance by
the Báb, and were subsequently annulled by Bahá’u’lláh before they could
come into effect. Bahá’u’lláh, in quoting this law, points to the fact
that, in revealing it, the Báb had clearly anticipated the possibility
that the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh would rise to prominence before that of the
Báb Himself.
In God Passes By Shoghi Effendi points out that the Bayán "should be
regarded primarily as a eulogy of the Promised One rather than a code of
laws and ordinances designed to be a permanent guide to future
generations". "Designedly severe in the rules and regulations it imposed,"
he continues, "revolutionizing in the principles it instilled, calculated
to awaken from their age-long torpor the clergy and the people, and to
administer a sudden and fatal blow to obsolete and corrupt institutions,
it proclaimed, through its drastic provisions, the advent of the
anticipated Day, the Day when ‘the Summoner shall summon to a stern
business’, when He will ‘demolish whatever hath been before Him, even as
the Apostle of God demolished the ways of those that preceded Him’" (see
also note 109).
159. The Point of the Bayán #140
One of the titles of the Báb.
160. Verily, there is none other God besides Me #143
The Bahá’í Writings contain many passages that elucidate the nature of the
Manifestation and His relationship to God. Bahá’u’lláh underlines the
unique and transcendent nature of the Godhead. He explains that "since
there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with
His creation" God ordains that "in every age and dispensation a pure and
stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven". This
"mysterious and ethereal Being", the Manifestation of God, has a human
nature which pertains to "the world of matter" and a spiritual nature
"born of the substance of God Himself". He is also endowed with a "double
station":
The first station, which is related to His innermost reality,
representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself...
The second station is the human station, exemplified by the
following verses: "I am but a man like you." "Say, praise be to my
Lord! Am I more than a man, an apostle?"
Bahá’u’lláh also affirms that, in the spiritual realm, there is an
"essential unity" between all the Manifestations of God. They all reveal
the "Beauty of God", manifest His names and attributes, and give utterance
to His Revelation. In this regard, He states:
Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations of God to declare: "I
am God", He, verily, speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth
thereto. For it hath been repeatedly demonstrated that through
their Revelation, their attributes and names, the Revelation of
God, His names and His attributes, are made manifest in the
world...
While the Manifestations reveal the names and attributes of God and are
the means by which humanity has access to the knowledge of God and His
Revelation, Shoghi Effendi states that the Manifestations should "never
... be identified with that invisible Reality, the Essence of Divinity
itself". In relation to Bahá’u’lláh, the Guardian wrote that the "human
temple that has been the vehicle of so overpowering a Revelation" is not
to be identified with the "Reality" of God.
Concerning the uniqueness of Bahá’u’lláh’s station and the greatness of
His Revelation, Shoghi Effendi affirms that the prophetic statements
concerning the "Day of God", found in the Sacred Scriptures of past
Dispensations, are fulfilled by the advent of Bahá’u’lláh:
To Israel He was neither more nor less than the incarnation of the
"Everlasting Father", the "Lord of Hosts" come down "with ten
thousands of saints"; to Christendom Christ returned "in the glory
of the Father"; to S̱ẖí’ah Islám the return of the Imám Ḥusayn;
to Sunní Islám the descent of the "Spirit of God" (Jesus Christ);
to the Zoroastrians the promised S̱ẖáh-Bahrám; to the Hindus the
reincarnation of Krishna; to the Buddhists the fifth Buddha.
Bahá’u’lláh describes the station of "Divinity" which He shares with all
the Manifestations of God as
...the station in which one dieth to himself and liveth in God.
Divinity, whenever I mention it, indicateth My complete and
absolute self-effacement. This is the station in which I have no
control over mine own weal or woe nor over my life nor over my
resurrection.
And, regarding His own relationship to God, He testifies:
When I contemplate, O my God, the relationship that bindeth me to
Thee, I am moved to proclaim to all created things "verily I am
God"; and when I consider my own self, lo, I find it coarser than
clay!
161. payment of Zakát #146
Zakát is referred to in the Qur’án as a regular charity binding upon
Muslims. In due course the concept evolved into a form of alms-tax which
imposed the obligation to give a fixed portion of certain categories of
income, beyond specified limits, for the relief of the poor, for various
charitable purposes, and to aid the Faith of God. The limit of exemption
varied for different commodities, as did the percentage payable on the
portion assessable.
Bahá’u’lláh states that the Bahá’í law of Zakát follows "what hath been
revealed in the Qur’án" (Q and A 107). Since such issues as the limits for
exemption, the categories of income concerned, the frequency of payments,
and the scale of rates for the various categories of Zakát are not
mentioned in the Qur’án, these matters will have to be set forth in the
future by the Universal House of Justice. Shoghi Effendi has indicated
that pending such legislation the believers should, according to their
means and possibilities, make regular contributions to the Bahá’í Fund.
162. It is unlawful to beg, and it is forbidden to give to him who
beggeth. #147
In a Tablet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá expounds the meaning of this verse. He states
that "mendicancy is forbidden and that giving charity to people who take
up begging as their profession is also prohibited". He further points out
in that same Tablet: "The object is to uproot mendicancy altogether.
However, if a person is incapable of earning a living, is stricken by dire
poverty or becometh helpless, then it is incumbent on the wealthy or the
Deputies to provide him with a monthly allowance for his subsistence... By
‘Deputies’ is meant the representatives of the people, that is to say the
members of the House of Justice."
The prohibition against giving charity to people who beg does not preclude
individuals and Spiritual Assemblies from extending financial assistance
to the poor and needy or from providing them with opportunities to acquire
such skills as would enable them to earn a livelihood (see note 56).
163. A fine ... had formerly been prescribed ... for anyone who was the
cause of sadness to another #148
Bahá’u’lláh abrogates the law of the Persian Bayán concerning the payment
of a fine in reparation for causing sadness to one’s neighbour.
164. the sacred Lote-Tree # 148
The "sacred Lote-Tree" is a reference to the Sadratu’l-Muntahá, the "Tree
beyond which there is no passing" (see note 128). It is used here
symbolically to designate Bahá’u’lláh.
165. Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide. #149
Bahá’u’lláh states that the essential "requisite" for reciting "the verses
of God" is the "eagerness and love" of the believers to "read the Word of
God" (Q and A 68).
With regard to the definition of "verses of God", Bahá’u’lláh states that
it refers to "all that hath been sent down from the Heaven of Divine
Utterance". Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written to one of the believers in
the East, has clarified that the term "verses of God" does not include the
writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; he has likewise indicated that this term does
not apply to his own writings.
166. Ye have been enjoined to renew the furnishings of your homes after
the passing of each nineteen years #151
Bahá’u’lláh confirms the injunction in the Arabic Bayán regarding the
renewal, every nineteen years, of the furnishings of one’s home, provided
one is able to do so. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá relates this ordinance to the promotion
of refinement and cleanliness. He explains that the purpose of the law is
that one should change those furnishings that become old, lose their
lustre and provoke repugnance. It does not apply to such things as rare or
treasured articles, antiques or jewellery.
167. Wash your feet #152
The believers are exhorted in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas to bathe regularly, to
wear clean clothes and generally to be the essence of cleanliness and
refinement. The Synopsis and Codification, section IV.D.3.y.i.-vii.,
summarizes the relevant provisions. In relation to the washing of the
feet, Bahá’u’lláh states that it is preferable to use warm water; however,
washing in cold water is also permissible (Q and A 97).
168. Ye have been prohibited from making use of pulpits. Whoso wisheth to
recite unto you the verses of his Lord, let him sit on a chair placed upon
a dais #154
These provisions have their antecedent in the Persian Bayán. The Báb
forbade the use of pulpits for the delivery of sermons and the reading of
the Text. He specified, instead, that to enable all to hear the Word of
God clearly, a chair for the speaker should be placed upon a platform.
In comments on this law, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi have made it
clear that in the Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár (where sermons are prohibited and
only the words of Holy Scripture may be read) the reader may stand or sit,
and if necessary to be better heard, may use a low moveable platform, but
that no pulpit is permitted. In the case of meetings in places other than
the Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár, it is also permissible for the reader or
speaker to sit or stand, and to use a platform. In one of His Tablets,
when reiterating the prohibition of the use of pulpits in any location,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá has stressed that when Bahá’ís deliver their speeches in
gatherings, they are to do so in an attitude of utmost humility and
self-abnegation.
169. Gambling #155
The activities that are included in this prohibition have not been
outlined in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. As both ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi
Effendi have indicated, it is left to the Universal House of Justice to
specify the details of this prohibition. In response to questions about
whether lotteries, betting on such things as horse races and football
games, bingo, and the like, are included under the prohibition of
gambling, the Universal House of Justice has indicated that this is a
matter that will be considered in detail in the future. In the meantime,
the Assemblies and individuals are counselled not to make an issue of
these matters and to leave it to the conscience of the individual
believers.
The House of Justice has ruled that it is not appropriate for funds for
the Faith to be raised through lotteries, raffles, and games of chance.
170. the use of opium ... any substance that induceth sluggishness and
torpor #155
This prohibition of the use of opium is reiterated by Bahá’u’lláh in the
final paragraph of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. In this connection, Shoghi Effendi
stated that one of the requirements for "a chaste and holy life" is "total
abstinence ... from opium, and from similar habit-forming drugs". Heroin,
hashish and other derivatives of cannabis such as marijuana, as well as
hallucinogenic agents such as LSD, peyote and similar substances, are
regarded as falling under this prohibition.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written:
As to opium, it is foul and accursed. God protect us from the
punishment He inflicteth on the user. According to the explicit
Text of the Most Holy Book, it is forbidden, and its use is
utterly condemned. Reason showeth that smoking opium is a kind of
insanity, and experience attesteth that the user is completely cut
off from the human kingdom. May God protect all against the
perpetration of an act so hideous as this, an act which layeth in
ruins the very foundation of what it is to be human, and which
causeth the user to be dispossessed for ever and ever. For opium
fasteneth on the soul so that the user’s conscience dieth, his
mind is blotted away, his perceptions are eroded. It turneth the
living into the dead. It quencheth the natural heat. No greater
harm can be conceived than that which opium inflicteth. Fortunate
are they who never even speak the name of it; then think how
wretched is the user.
O ye lovers of God! In this, the cycle of Almighty God, violence
and force, constraint and oppression, are one and all condemned.
It is, however, mandatory that the use of opium be prevented by
any means whatsoever, that perchance the human race may be
delivered from this most powerful of plagues. And otherwise, woe
and misery to whoso falleth short of his duty to his Lord.
In one of His Tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has stated concerning opium: "the user,
the buyer and the seller are all deprived of the bounty and grace of God".
In yet another Tablet, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written:
Regarding hashish you have pointed out that some Persians have
become habituated to its use. Gracious God! This is the worst of
all intoxicants, and its prohibition is explicitly revealed. Its
use causeth the disintegration of thought and the complete torpor
of the soul. How could anyone seek the fruit of the infernal tree,
and by partaking of it, be led to exemplify the qualities of a
monster? How could one use this forbidden drug, and thus deprive
himself of the blessings of the All-Merciful? Alcohol consumeth
the mind and causeth man to commit acts of absurdity, but this
opium, this foul fruit of the infernal tree, and this wicked
hashish extinguish the mind, freeze the spirit, petrify the soul,
waste the body and leave man frustrated and lost.
It should be noted that the above prohibition against taking certain
classes of drugs does not forbid their use when prescribed by qualified
physicians as part of a medical treatment.
171. the "mystery of the Great Reversal in the Sign of the Sovereign" #157
S̱ẖayḵẖ Aḥmad-i-Ahsá’í (1753-1831), who was the founder of the
S̱ẖayḵẖí School and the first of the "twin luminaries that heralded the
advent of the Faith of the Báb", prophesied that at the appearance of the
Promised One all things would be reversed, the last would be first, the
first last. Bahá’u’lláh in one of His Tablets refers to the "symbol and
allusion" of the "mystery of the Great Reversal in the Sign of the
Sovereign". He states: "Through this reversal He hath caused the exalted
to be abased and the abased to be exalted", and He recalls that "in the
days of Jesus, it was those who were distinguished for their learning, the
men of letters and religion, who denied Him, whilst humble fishermen made
haste to gain admittance into the Kingdom" (see also note 172). For
additional information about S̱ẖayḵẖ Aḥmad-i-Ahsá’í see The
Dawn-Breakers, chapters 1 and 10.
172. the "Six" raised up by virtue of this "Upright Alif" #157
In his writings, S̱ẖayḵẖ Aḥmad-i-Ahsá’í placed great emphasis on the
Arabic letter "Váv". In The Dawn-Breakers, Nabíl states that this letter
"symbolized for the Báb the advent of a new cycle of Divine Revelation,
and has since been alluded to by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas in such
passages as ‘the mystery of the Great Reversal’ and ‘the Sign of the
Sovereign’".
The name for the letter "Váv" consists of three letters: Váv, Alif, Váv.
According to the abjad reckoning, the numerical value of each of these
letters is 6, 1 and 6 respectively. Shoghi Effendi in a letter written on
his behalf to one of the believers in the East provides an interpretation
of this verse of the Aqdas. He states that the "Upright Alif" refers to
the advent of the Báb. The first letter with its value of six, which comes
before the Alif, is a symbol of earlier Dispensations and Manifestations
which predate the Báb, while the third letter, which also has a numerical
value of six, stands for Bahá’u’lláh’s supreme Revelation which was made
manifest after the Alif.
173. It hath been forbidden you to carry arms unless essential #159
Bahá’u’lláh confirms an injunction contained in the Bayán which makes it
unlawful to carry arms, unless it is necessary to do so. With regard to
circumstances under which the bearing of arms might be "essential" for an
individual, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gives permission to a believer for
self-protection in a dangerous environment. Shoghi Effendi in a letter
written on his behalf has also indicated that, in an emergency, when there
is no legal force at hand to appeal to, a Bahá’í is justified in defending
his life. There are a number of other situations in which weapons are
needed and can be legitimately used; for instance, in countries where
people hunt for their food and clothing, and in such sports as archery,
marksmanship, and fencing.
On the societal level, the principle of collective security enunciated by
Bahá’u’lláh (see Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXVII) and
elaborated by Shoghi Effendi (see the Guardian’s letters in The World
Order of Bahá’u’lláh) does not presuppose the abolition of the use of
force, but prescribes "a system in which Force is made the servant of
Justice", and which provides for the existence of an international
peace-keeping force that "will safeguard the organic unity of the whole
commonwealth". In the Tablet of Bis̱ẖárát, Bahá’u’lláh expresses the hope
that "weapons of war throughout the world may be converted into
instruments of reconstruction and that strife and conflict may be removed
from the midst of men".
In another Tablet Bahá’u’lláh stresses the importance of fellowship with
the followers of all religions; He also states that "the law of holy war
hath been blotted out from the Book".
174. and permitted you to attire yourselves in silk #159
According to Islamic practice, the wearing of silk by men was generally
forbidden, except in times of holy war. This prohibition, which was not
based on the verses of the Qur’án, was abrogated by the Báb.
175. The Lord hath relieved you ... of the restrictions that formerly
applied to clothing and to the trim of the beard. #159
Many rules about dress had their origins in the laws and traditional
practices of the world’s religions. For example, the S̱ẖí’ih clergy
adopted for themselves a distinctive headdress and robes and, at one time,
forbade the people to adopt European attire. Muslim practice, in its
desire to emulate the custom of the Prophet, also introduced a number of
restrictions with regard to the trim of the moustache and the length of
the beard.
Bahá’u’lláh removed such limitations on one’s apparel and beard. He leaves
such matters to the "discretion" of the individual, and at the same time
calls upon the believers not to transgress the bounds of propriety and to
exercise moderation in all that pertains to dress.
176. O Land of Káf and Rá! #164
Káf and Rá are the first two consonants of Kirmán, the name of a city and
province of Iran.
177. We perceive that which secretly and stealthily diffuseth from thee.
#164
This passage is a reference to the intrigues of a group of Azalís,
followers of Mírzá Yaḥyá (see note 190), associated with the city of
Kirmán. They include Mullá Ja’far, his son S̱ẖayḵẖ Aḥmad-i-Rúhí and
Mírzá Áqá Ḵẖán-i-Kirmání (both sons-in-law of Mírzá Yaḥyá), as well as
Mírzá Aḥmad-i-Kirmání. They not only sought to undermine the Faith, but
involved themselves in political intrigues which culminated in the
assassination of Náṣiri’d-Dín S̱ẖáh.
178. Call ye to mind the s̱ẖayḵẖ whose name was Muḥammad-Ḥasan #166
S̱ẖayḵẖ Muḥammad-Ḥasan, one of the leading exponents of S̱ẖí’ih Islám,
rejected the Báb. The author of voluminous writings on S̱ẖí’ih
jurisprudence, he is reported to have died around 1850.
Nabíl, in The Dawn-Breakers, describes the encounter that took place in
Najaf between Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Bastamí, one of the Letters of the Living, and
S̱ẖayḵẖ Muḥammad-Ḥasan. During the meeting, Mullá ‘Alí announced the
manifestation of the Báb and extolled the potency of His Revelation. At
the instigation of the s̱ẖayḵẖ, Mullá ‘Alí was forthwith pronounced a
heretic and expelled from the assembly. He was put on trial, transported
to Istanbul, and condemned to hard labour.
179. a sifter of wheat and barley # 166
This is an allusion to Mullá Muḥammad Ja’far Gandum-Pák-Kun, the first
person in Iṣfáhán to accept the Faith of the Báb. He is mentioned in the
Persian Bayán and praised as one who "donned the robe of discipleship". In
The Dawn-Breakers, Nabíl describes the unreserved acceptance of the
Message by the "sifter of wheat" and his zealous advocacy of the new
Revelation. He joined the company of the defenders of the Fort of
S̱ẖayḵẖ Tabarsí and perished during that siege.
180. Take heed lest the word "Prophet" withhold you from this Most Great
Announcement #167
Bahá’u’lláh cautions people "of insight" not to allow their
interpretations of the Holy Scriptures to prevent them from recognizing
the Manifestation of God. Followers of each religion have tended to allow
their devotion to its Founder to cause them to perceive His Revelation as
the final Word of God and to deny the possibility of the appearance of any
subsequent Prophet. This has been the case of Judaism, Christianity and
Islám. Bahá’u’lláh denies the validity of this concept of finality both in
relation to past Dispensations and to His own. With regard to Muslims, He
wrote in the Kitáb-i-Iqán that the "people of the Qur’án ... have allowed
the words ‘Seal of the Prophets’ to veil their eyes", "to obscure their
understanding, and deprive them of the grace of all His manifold
bounties". He affirms that "this theme hath ... been a sore test unto all
mankind", and laments the fate of "those who, clinging unto these words,
have disbelieved in Him Who is their true Revealer". The Báb refers to
this same theme when He warns: "Let not names shut you out as by a veil
from Him Who is their Lord, even the name Prophet, for such a name is but
a creation of His utterance."
181. any reference to "Vicegerency" debar you from the sovereignty of Him
Who is the Vicegerent of God #167
The word here translated "Vicegerency" is, in the original Arabic,
"viláyat", which has a range of meanings including "vicegerency",
"guardianship", "protectorship" and "successorship". It is used in
relation to God Himself, to His Manifestation, or to those who are the
appointed Successors of a Manifestation.
In this verse of the Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh warns against allowing such
concepts to blind one to the "sovereignty" of the new Divine
Manifestation, the true "Vicegerent of God".
182. Call ye to mind Karím #170
Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad Karím Ḵẖán-i-Kirmání (1810- circa 1873) was the
self-appointed leader of the S̱ẖayḵẖí community after the death of
Siyyid Kázim, who was the appointed successor to S̱ẖayḵẖ Aḥmad-i-Ahsá’í
(see notes 171 and 172). He dedicated himself to the promotion of the
teachings of S̱ẖayḵẖ Aḥmad. The opinions he expressed became the
subject of controversy among his supporters and opponents alike.
Regarded as one of the leading savants and prolific authors of his age, he
composed numerous books and epistles in the various fields of learning
that were cultivated in those times. He actively opposed both the Báb and
Bahá’u’lláh, and used his treatises to attack the Báb and His Teachings.
In the Kitáb-i-Iqán, Bahá’u’lláh condemns the tone and content of his
writings and singles out for criticism one of his works which contains
negative allusions to the Báb. Shoghi Effendi describes him as
"inordinately ambitious and hypocritical" and describes how he "at the
special request of the S̱ẖáh had in a treatise viciously attacked the new
Faith and its doctrines".
183. O ye the learned ones in Bahá #173
Bahá’u’lláh eulogizes the learned among His followers. In the Book of His
Covenant, He wrote: "Blessed are the rulers and learned among the people
of Bahá." Referring to this statement, Shoghi Effendi has written:
In this holy cycle the "learned" are, on the one hand, the Hands
of the Cause of God, and, on the other, the teachers and diffusers
of His Teachings who do not rank as Hands, but who have attained
an eminent position in the teaching work. As to the "rulers" they
refer to the members of the Local, National and International
Houses of Justice. The duties of each of these souls will be
determined in the future.
The Hands of the Cause of God were individuals appointed by Bahá’u’lláh
and charged with various duties, especially those of protecting and
propagating His Faith. In Memorials of the Faithful ‘Abdu’l-Bahá referred
to other outstanding believers as Hands of the Cause, and in His Will and
Testament He included a provision calling upon the Guardian of the Faith
to appoint Hands of the Cause at his discretion. Shoghi Effendi first
raised posthumously a number of the believers to the rank of Hands of the
Cause, and during the latter years of his life appointed a total of 32
believers from all continents to this position. In the period between the
passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957 and the election of the Universal House
of Justice in 1963, the Hands of the Cause directed the affairs of the
Faith in their capacity as Chief Stewards of Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic World
Commonwealth (see note 67). In November 1964, the Universal House of
Justice determined that it could not legislate to make it possible to
appoint Hands of the Cause. Instead, by a decision of the House of Justice
in 1968, the functions of the Hands of the Cause in relation to protecting
and propagating the Faith were extended into the future by the creation of
the Continental Boards of Counsellors, and in 1973 through the
establishment of the International Teaching Centre, which has its seat in
the Holy Land.
The Universal House of Justice appoints the Counsellor members of the
International Teaching Centre and the Continental Counsellors. Members of
Auxiliary Boards are appointed by the Continental Counsellors. All these
individuals fall within the definition of the "learned" given by Shoghi
Effendi in the statement quoted above.
184. refer ye whatsoever ye understand not in the Book to Him Who hath
branched from this mighty Stock #174
Bahá’u’lláh invests ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with the right of interpreting His holy
Writ (see also note 145).
185. the School of Transcendent Oneness #175
In this verse and the ones which immediately follow it, Bahá’u’lláh
confronts one of the reasons some of the Bábís rejected His claim to be
the Promised One of the Bayán. Their rejection was based on a Tablet
addressed by the Báb to "Him Who will be made manifest" on the reverse
side of which the Báb had written: "May the glances of Him Whom God shall
make manifest illumine this letter at the primary school." This Tablet is
published in Selections from the Writings of the Báb.
These Bábís maintained that, since Bahá’u’lláh was two years older than
the Báb, it was not possible for Him to receive this Tablet "at the
primary school".
Bahá’u’lláh here explains that the reference is to events transpiring in
the spiritual worlds beyond this plane of existence.
186. We accepted the verses of God ... which He presented unto Us #175
In His Tablet addressed to "Him Who will be made manifest", the Báb
characterizes the Bayán as an offering from Him to Bahá’u’lláh. See
Selections from the Writings of the Báb.
187. O people of the Bayán! #176
Reference to the followers of the Báb.
188. the letters B and E were joined and knit together #177
Shoghi Effendi, in letters written on his behalf, has explained the
significance of the "letters B and E". They constitute the word "Be",
which, he states, "means the creative Power of God Who through His command
causes all things to come into being" and "the power of the Manifestation
of God, His great spiritual creative force".
The imperative "Be" in the original Arabic is the word "kun", consisting
of the two letters "káf" and "nún". They have been translated by Shoghi
Effendi in the above manner. This word has been used in the Qur’án as
God’s bidding calling creation into being.
189. this new World Order #181
In the Persian Bayán, the Báb stated: "Well is it with him who fixeth his
gaze upon the Order of Bahá’u’lláh, and rendereth thanks unto his Lord.
For He will assuredly be made manifest. God hath indeed irrevocably
ordained it in the Bayán." Shoghi Effendi identifies this "Order" with the
System Bahá’u’lláh envisages in the Aqdas, in which He testifies to its
revolutionizing effect on the life of humanity and reveals the laws and
principles which govern its operation.
The features of the "new World Order" are delineated in the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and in the letters of Shoghi Effendi and the
Universal House of Justice. The institutions of the present-day Bahá’í
Administrative Order, which constitute the "structural basis" of
Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order, will mature and evolve into the Bahá’í World
Commonwealth. In this regard, Shoghi Effendi affirms that the
Administrative Order "will, as its component parts, its organic
institutions, begin to function with efficiency and vigour, assert its
claim and demonstrate its capacity to be regarded not only as the nucleus
but the very pattern of the New World Order destined to embrace in the
fullness of time the whole of mankind".
For additional information on the evolution of this new World Order, see,
for example, the letters of Shoghi Effendi published in The World Order of
Bahá’u’lláh.
190. O source of perversion! #184
This is a reference to Mírzá Yaḥyá, known as Subh-i-Azal (Morning of
Eternity), a younger half-brother of Bahá’u’lláh, who arose against Him
and opposed His Cause. Mírzá Yaḥyá was nominated by the Báb to serve as a
figure-head for the Bábí community pending the imminent manifestation of
the Promised One. At the instigation of Siyyid Muḥammad-i-Iṣfáhání (see
note 192), Mírzá Yaḥyá betrayed the trust of the Báb, claimed to be His
successor, and intrigued against Bahá’u’lláh, even attempting to have Him
murdered. When Bahá’u’lláh formally declared His Mission to him in
Adrianople, Mírzá Yaḥyá responded by going to the length of putting
forward his own claim to be the recipient of an independent Revelation.
His pretensions were eventually rejected by all but a few, who became
known as Azalís (see note 177). He is described by Shoghi Effendi as the
"Arch-Breaker of the Covenant of the Báb" (see God Passes By, chapter X).
191. remember how We nurtured thee by day and by night for service to the
Cause #184
In _God Passes By_, Shoghi Effendi refers to the fact that Bahá’u’lláh,
Who was thirteen years older than Mírzá Yaḥyá, had counselled him and
watched over his early youth and manhood.
192. God hath laid hold on him who led thee astray. #184
A reference to Siyyid Muḥammad-i-Iṣfáhání, who is described by Shoghi
Effendi as the "Antichrist of the Bahá’í Revelation". He was a man of
corrupt character and great personal ambition who induced Mírzá Yaḥyá to
oppose Bahá’u’lláh and to claim prophethood for himself (see note 190).
Although he was an adherent of Mírzá Yaḥyá, Siyyid Muḥammad was exiled
with Bahá’u’lláh to Akká. He continued to agitate and plot against
Bahá’u’lláh. In describing the circumstances of his death, Shoghi Effendi
has written in God Passes By:
A fresh danger now clearly threatened the life of Bahá’u’lláh.
Though He Himself had stringently forbidden His followers, on
several occasions, both verbally and in writing, any retaliatory
acts against their tormentors, and had even sent back to Beirut an
irresponsible Arab convert, who had meditated avenging the wrongs
suffered by his beloved Leader, seven of the companions
clandestinely sought out and slew three of their persecutors,
among whom were Siyyid Muḥammad and Áqá Ján.
The consternation that seized an already oppressed community was
indescribable. Bahá’u’lláh’s indignation knew no bounds. "Were
We", He thus voices His emotions, in a Tablet revealed shortly
after this act had been committed, "to make mention of what befell
Us, the heavens would be rent asunder and the mountains would
crumble." "My captivity", He wrote on another occasion, "cannot
harm Me. That which can harm Me is the conduct of those who love
Me, who claim to be related to Me, and yet perpetrate what causeth
My heart and My pen to groan."
193. Select ye a single language ... adopt ye ... a common script. #189
Bahá’u’lláh enjoins the adoption of a universal language and script. His
Writings envisage two stages in this process. The first stage is to
consist of the selection of an existing language or an invented one which
would then be taught in all the schools of the world as an auxiliary to
the mother tongues. The governments of the world through their parliaments
are called upon to effect this momentous enactment. The second stage, in
the distant future, would be the eventual adoption of one single language
and common script for all on earth.
194. We have appointed two signs for the coming of age of the human race
#189
The first sign of the coming of age of humanity referred to in the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh is the emergence of a science which is described
as that "divine philosophy" which will include the discovery of a radical
approach to the transmutation of elements. This is an indication of the
splendours of the future stupendous expansion of knowledge.
Concerning the "second" sign which Bahá’u’lláh indicates to have been
revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Shoghi Effendi states that Bahá’u’lláh,
"...in His Most Holy Book, has enjoined the selection of a single language
and the adoption of a common script for all on earth to use, an injunction
which, when carried out, would, as He Himself affirms in that Book, be one
of the signs of the ‘coming of age of the human race’".
Further insight into this process of mankind’s coming of age and
proceeding to maturity is provided by the following statement of
Bahá’u’lláh:
One of the signs of the maturity of the world is that no one will
accept to bear the weight of kingship. Kingship will remain with
none willing to bear alone its weight. That day will be the day
whereon wisdom will be manifested among mankind.
The coming of age of the human race has been associated by Shoghi Effendi
with the unification of the whole of mankind, the establishment of a world
commonwealth, and an unprecedented stimulus to "the intellectual, the
moral and spiritual life of the entire human race".
GLOSSARY
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
The "Servant of Bahá", Abbás Effendi (1844-1921), the eldest son and
appointed Successor of Bahá’u’lláh, and the Centre of His Covenant.
Abjad
The ancient Arabic system of allocating a numerical value to letters
of the alphabet, so that numbers may be represented by letters and
vice versa. Thus every word has both a literal meaning and a
numerical value.
Báb, The
Literally the "Gate", the title assumed by Mírzá ‘Alí-Muḥammad
(1819-1850) after the Declaration of His Mission in S̱ẖíráz in May
1844. He was the Founder of the Bábí Faith and the Herald of
Bahá’u’lláh.
Bahá
Bahá means Glory. It is the Greatest Name of God and a title by
which Bahá’u’lláh is designated. Also, the name of the first month
of the Bahá’í year and of the first day of each Bahá’í month.
Bahá’u’lláh
The "Glory of God", title of Mírzá Ḥusayn-‘Alí (1817-1892), the
Founder of the Bahá’í Faith.
Bayán
The Bayán ("Exposition") is the title given by the Báb to His Book
of Laws, and it is also applied to the entire body of His Writings.
The Persian Bayán is the major doctrinal work and principal
repository of the laws ordained by the Báb. The Arabic Bayán is
parallel in content but smaller and less weighty. References in the
annotations to subjects found in both the Persian Bayán and the
Arabic Bayán are identified by use of the term "Bayán" without
further qualification.
Ḥuqúqu’lláh
The "Right of God". Instituted in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, it is an
offering made by the Bahá’ís through the Head of the Faith for the
purposes specified in the Bahá’í Writings.
Mas̱ẖriqu’l-Aḏẖkár
Literally "the Dawning-place of the praise of God", the designation
of the Bahá’í House of Worship and its dependencies.
Miṯẖqál
A unit of weight, equivalent to a little over 3 1/2 grammes, used in
the Kitáb-i-Aqdas with reference to quantities of gold or silver for
various purposes, usually in amounts of 9, 19 or 95 miṯẖqáls. The
equivalents of these in the metric system and in troy ounces (which
are used in the measurement of precious metals), are as follows:
- 9 miṯẖqáls = 32.775 grammes = 1.05374 troy ounces
- 19 miṯẖqáls = 69.192 grammes = 2.22456 troy ounces
- 95 miṯẖqáls = 345.958 grammes = 11.12282 troy ounces
This computation is based on the guidance of Shoghi Effendi,
conveyed in a letter written on his behalf, which states "one
miṯẖqál consists of nineteen náḵẖuds. The weight of twenty-four
náḵẖuds equals four and three-fifths grammes. Calculations may be
made on this basis." The miṯẖqál traditionally used in the Middle
East had consisted of 24 náḵẖuds but in the Bayán this was changed
to 19 náḵẖuds and Bahá’u’lláh confirmed this as the size of the
miṯẖqál referred to in the Bahá’í laws (Q and A 23).
Náḵẖud
A unit of weight. See "miṯẖqál".
Qayyúmu’l-Asmá
The Báb’s commentary on the Súrih of Joseph in the Qur’án. Revealed
in 1844, this work is characterized by Bahá’u’lláh as "the first,
the greatest, and mightiest of all books" in the Bábí Dispensation.
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957), Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith from
1921-1957. He was the eldest grandson of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and was
appointed by Him as the Head of the Faith.
Síyáh-C̱ẖál
Literally "the Black Pit". The dark, foul-smelling, subterranean
dungeon in Ṭihrán where Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned for four months
in 1852.
FOOTNOTES
1 Napoleon III
2 Ṭihrán
3 Ḵẖurásán
4 The Báb
5 The Báb’s
6 Bahá’u’lláh
7 The Báb
8 The Báb
9 Bahá’u’lláh
10 Kirmán
11 The Báb
12 Bahá’u’lláh
13 First month of the Islamic lunar calendar
14 In Arabic the two verses differ in gender
15 This relates to the minimum duration of a journey which exempts the
traveller from fasting
16 The vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere
17 The Tablet containing the three Obligatory Prayers now in use
18 Qur’án 2:115
19 This refers to a volume of approximately one half of a cubic metre
20 Colour, taste and smell
21 Adrianople
22 The method of dividing the estate is to be applied in cases of
intestacy. See item o. in this section
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