Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá

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A seminal document, written in three stages by `Abdu'l-Bahá. Several sections were written under imminent threat of harm. The first section was probably written in 1906.

`Abdul-Bahá Son of Baháulláh and leader of the Baháí Faith

`Abdu’l-Bahá', born `Abbás, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh and served as head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1892 until 1921. `Abdu’l-Bahá was later canonized as the last of three "central figures" of the religion, along with Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb, and his writings and authenticated talks are regarded as a source of Bahá'í sacred literature.

Contents

This document constitutes one of the central and defining pieces of Bahá'í primary source literature, and is considered to be intimately connected to Bahá'u'lláh's ('Abdu'l-Bahá's father) Most Holy Book .

Baháí Faith Monotheistic religion founded in 1863 by Baháulláh in the Middle East; promotes the unity of mankind; sees major religions as unified in purpose; faces persecution in Iran

The Bahá'í Faith is a religion teaching the essential worth of all religions, and the unity and equality of all people. Established by Bahá'u'lláh in 1863, it initially grew in Persia and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception. It is estimated to have between 5 and 8 million adherents, known as Bahá'ís, spread out into most of the world's countries and territories.

Baháulláh Founder of the Baháí Faith

Bahá'u'lláh, was a Persian religious leader, prophet and the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, which advocates universal peace and unity among all races, nations, and religions.

<i>Kitáb-i-Aqdas</i> Primary Baháí text, written by Baháulláh in 1873

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas or Aqdas is the central book of the Bahá'í Faith written by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion, in 1873. The work was written in Arabic under the Arabic title al-Kitābu l-Aqdas, but it is commonly referred to by its Persian title, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, which was given to the work by Bahá'u'lláh himself. It is sometimes also referred to as "the Most Holy Book", "the Book of Laws" or the Book of Aqdas. The word Aqdas has a significance in many languages as the superlative form of a word with its primary letters Q-D-Š.

The Will and Testament, along with the Tablets of the Divine Plan and the Tablet of Carmel , were described by Shoghi Effendi as the charters of the Bahá'í administration.

<i>Tablets of the Divine Plan</i> literary work

The Tablets of the Divine Plan collectively refers to 14 letters (tablets) written between March 1916 and March 1917 by `Abdu'l-Bahá to Bahá'ís in the United States and Canada. Included in multiple books, the first five tablets were printed in America in Star of the West - Vol. VII, No. 10, September 8, 1916, and all the tablets again after World War I in Vol. IX, No. 14, November 23, 1918, before being presented again at the Ridván meeting of 1919.

Shoghi Effendi Guardian of the Baháí Faith

Shoghí Effendí Rabbání, better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957. Shoghi Effendi spent his early life in ʿAkkā (Acre). His education was directed to serving as secretary and translator to his grandfather, `Abdu'l-Bahá, then leader of the Bahá'í Faith and son of the religion's founder, Bahá'u'lláh.

The Bahá'í administration or Bahá'í administrative order is the administrative system of the Bahá'í Faith. It is split into two parts, the elected and the appointed. The supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith is the Universal House of Justice, situated in Haifa, Israel.

Overview of the Will and Testament

The Covenant is a critical aspect of the Bahá'í Faith. The Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá is sometimes seen as the culmination of `Abdu'l-Bahá's role as the "Centre of the Covenant". In it he describes his circumstances, lays out his testimony, refers to the machinations of certain enemies, settles certain affairs of the Bahá'í Faith, and appoints his grandson Shoghi Effendi as his successor and the Guardian of the Cause of God. He also refines the structure of Baha'i administration by the aforementioned appointment, the establishment of the Spiritual Assembly at the national level, and defines the mechanism for the election of these assemblies as well as the House of Justice.

Covenant in the Bahá'í Faith refers to two separate binding agreements between God and man. A Covenant in the religious sense is a binding agreement made between God and man wherein a certain behaviour is required of man and in return God guarantees certain blessings. The concept of a covenant has been found in various religious scriptures including numerous covenant references in the Bible. In the Bahá'í Faith there is a distinction between a Greater Covenant which is made between every messenger from God and his followers concerning the next dispensation, and a Lesser Covenant that concerns successorship of authority within the religion after the messenger dies.

Spiritual Assembly is a term given by `Abdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Bahá'í Faith. Because the Bahá'í Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level, there are national Spiritual Assemblies.

The Will is written in three sections, each of which were written separately and under differing circumstances. The three sections, however, remain together and comprise, collectively, the full Will and Testament.

Key provisions of the Will

`Abdu'l-Baha Abbas Abdulbaha.jpg
`Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas

Bahá'í Fundamentals

`Abdu'l-Bahá notes the fundamental teachings of the Bahá'í Faith as love for all mankind. He then reiterates the twofold station of the Báb as a Manifestation of God and the forerunner to Bahá'u'lláh, and explains the full station of Bahá'u'lláh.

Báb Iranian prophet; founder of the religion Bábism; venerated in the Baháí Faith

The Báb, born Siyyid `Alí Muhammad Shírází was the founder of Bábism, and one of the central figures of the Bahá'í Faith.

The Manifestation of God is a concept in the Bahá'í Faith that refers to what are commonly called prophets. The Manifestations of God are appearances of the Divine Spirit or Holy Spirit in a series of personages, and as such, they perfectly reflect the attributes of the divine into the human world for the progress and advancement of human morals and civilization through the agency of that same Spirit. In the Baha'i Faith, it is believed that the Manifestations of God are the only channel for humanity to know about God because contact with the Spirit is what transforms the heart and mind, creating a living relationship between the soul and God. They act as perfect mirrors reflecting the attributes of God into the physical world. Bahá'í teachings hold that the motive force in all human development is due to the coming of the Manifestations of God. The Manifestations of God are directly linked with the Bahá'í concept of progressive revelation.

  • "O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensation, conflict and contention are in no wise permitted. Every aggressor deprives himself of God's grace. It is incumbent upon everyone to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds of the world, be they friends or strangers. So intense must be the spirit of love and loving kindness, that the stranger may find himself a friend, the enemy a true brother, no difference whatsoever existing between them." (part 1, paragraph 24)
  • "His Holiness, the Exalted One (the Báb), is the Manifestation of the Unity and Oneness of God and the Forerunner of the Ancient Beauty." (part 2, paragraph 8)
  • "His Holiness the Abhá Beauty [Bahá'u'lláh] (may my life be a sacrifice for His steadfast friends) is the Supreme Manifestation of God and the Dayspring of His Most Divine Essence. All others are servants unto Him and do His bidding." (part 2, paragraph 8)

The Covenant

`Abdu'l-Bahá writes about the virtues of the Covenant established by Bahá'u'lláh, and writes about its power. He then goes on to account the sufferings that the centre of the Bahá'í Faith has suffered by people who were not faithful to the Covenant including Mírzá Yahyá with respect to Bahá'u'lláh, and Mírzá Muhammad `Alí with respect to himself.

Mírzá Muhammad `Alí One of the sons of Baháulláh, the founder of the Baháí Faith.

Mírzá Muhammad `Alí was one of the sons of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He was the eldest son of his father's second wife, Fatimih Khanum, later known as Mahd-i-'Ulya, whom Bahá'u'lláh married in Tehran in 1849. Muhammad `Alí received the title from his father of Ghusn-i-Akbar.

  • "O ye that stand fast and firm in the Covenant! The Center of Sedition, the Prime Mover of mischief, Mírzá Muhammad `Alí, hath passed out from under the shadow of the Cause, hath broken the Covenant, hath falsified the Holy Text, hath inflicted a grievous loss upon the true Faith of God, hath scattered His people, hath with bitter rancor endeavored to hurt `Abdu'l-Bahá and hath assailed with the utmost enmity this servant of the Sacred Threshold." (part 1, paragraph 6)

The Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice

`Abdu'l-Bahá establishes the institution of the Guardianship as a hereditary office and outlines its essential function as Interpreter of the Bahá'í writings. He states that the Guardian has the right to appoint Hands of the Cause and outlines their inter-relationship. He then explains the election of the Universal House of Justice and re-iterates that only it has the authority to enact laws which are not specifically explained in the Bahá'í holy books.

  • "The sacred and youthful branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, as well as the Universal House of Justice to be universally elected and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abhá Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of the Exalted One (may my life be offered up for them both)" (part 1, paragraph 18)
  • "By this House is meant the Universal House of Justice, that is, in all countries a secondary House of Justice must be instituted, and these secondary Houses of Justice must elect the members of the Universal one. Unto this body all things must be referred. It enacteth all ordinances and regulations that are not to be found in the explicit Holy Text. By this body all the difficult problems are to be resolved and the Guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body." (part 1, paragraph 26)
  • "It is incumbent upon these members (of the Universal House of Justice) to gather in a certain place and deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book. Whatsoever they decide has the same effect as the Text itself. (part 2, paragraph 9)

Hands of the Cause of God

The Will and Testament also defines the obligation and responsibilities of the Hands of the Cause of God. Their main responsibilities include teaching the Bahá'í Faith, and also included to cast out the rebellious, to elect nine from within themselves who would assist the Guardian and who would confirm the choice of the Guardian's successor.

  • "My object is to show that the Hands of the Cause of God must be ever watchful and so soon as they find anyone beginning to oppose and protest against the Guardian of the Cause of God, cast him out from the congregation of the people of Bahá and in no wise accept any excuse from him." (part 1, paragraph 18)
  • "The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God. The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the Guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor." (part 1, paragraph 20)
  • "The Hands of the Cause of God must be nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Cause of God. All must be under his shadow and obey his command. Should any, within or without the company of the Hands of the Cause of God disobey and seek division, the wrath of God and His vengeance will be upon him, for he will have caused a breach in the true Faith of God." (part 1, paragraph 21)
  • "This body of the Hands of the Cause of God is under the direction of the Guardian of the Cause of God. He must continually urge them to strive and endeavor to the utmost of their ability to diffuse the sweet savors of God, and to guide all the peoples of the world, for it is the light of Divine Guidance that causeth all the universe to be illumined." (part 1, paragraph 23)

Challenges to the Will

The provisions of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Will were almost universally accepted by Bahá'ís, except for a few western Bahá'ís, including Hermann Zimmer and Ruth White, who believed that `Abdu'l-Bahá would never have established a hierarchy in the Bahá'í Faith. [1] Ruth White led a campaign to discredit the will for several years, mostlly 1926-1929, hiring criminologist Charles Mitchell to analyze the Will. His preliminary report concluded that based on handwriting analysis, that the Will was not written by `Abdu'l-Bahá. [2] This charge was denied by those who read Persian and were familiar with `Abdu'l-Bahá's writings, including some of Shoghi Effendi's opponents. [1] [3]

Related Research Articles

Covenant-breaker is a term used by Bahá'ís to refer to a person who has been excommunicated from the Bahá'í community for the act of covenant-breaking, roughly defined as active opposition to the Bahá'í Faith from a current member. According to Bahá'í law, only the head of the religion, currently the Universal House of Justice, has the authority to declare a person a covenant-breaker.

Mason Remey American Hand of the Cause

Charles Mason Remey was a prominent and controversial American Bahá'í who was appointed in 1951 a Hand of the Cause, and president of the International Bahá'í Council. He was the architect for the Bahá'í Houses of Worship in Uganda and Australia, and Shoghi Effendi approved his design of the unbuilt House of Worship in Haifa, Israel.

The Hands of the Cause of God, Hands of the Cause, or Hands (informally) were a select group of Bahá'ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá'í Faith. Unlike the members of the elected institutions and other appointed institutions in the Bahá'í Faith, who serve in those offices, Hands are considered to have achieved a distinguished rank in service to the religion.

The following is a basic timeline of the Bábí and Bahá'í religions emphasizing dates that are relatively well known. For a more comprehensive chronology of the timeline, see the references at the bottom.

The Bahá'í Faith has had challenges to its leadership, usually at the death of the head of the religion. The vast majority of Bahá'ís have followed a line of authority from Bahá'u'lláh to `Abdu'l-Bahá to Shoghi Effendi to the Custodians to the Universal House of Justice. Sects diverging from this line of leadership have failed to attract a sizeable following. In this sense, there is only one major branch of the Bahá'í Faith, represented by at least 5 million adherents, whereas the groups that have broken away have either become extinct with time, or have remained very small in number, representing far less than 0.1% of all Bahá'ís. Globally the Bahá'í community has maintained its unity.

<i>God Passes By</i> English-language work by Shoghi Effendi, then-leader of the Baháí Faith; provides theological perspective on the religions history from 1844 to 1944

God Passes By, written by Shoghi Effendi, head of the Bahá'í Faith in the first half of the 20th century, is a book which provides a historical summary of the first century of the Bahá'í Faith, from 1844 to 1944. While historical episodes are recounted in some detail, "God Passes By" is particularly notable for the significance Shoghi Effendi assigns to events in the history of the Bahá'í Faith, and the interpretation he gives to various episodes.

Aghṣán, is a term in literature of the Bahá'í Faith referring to male descendants of Bahá'u'lláh.

The Custodians is terminology in the Bahá'í Faith, which refers to nine Hands of the Cause assigned specifically to work at the Bahá'í World Centre to assist Shoghi Effendi as head of the religion, referred to as Guardian. After his death they were chosen by secret ballot, with all living Hands of the Cause voting.

<i>Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas</i> literary work

The Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas are selected tablets written by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and published together as of 1978. The current edition bears the title Fountain of Wisdom: A Collection of Writings from Bahá'u'lláh.

Bahá'í literature, like the literature of many religions, covers a variety of topics and forms, including scripture and inspiration, interpretation, history and biography, introduction and study materials, and apologia. Sometimes considerable overlap between these forms can be observed in a particular text.

The title Knight of Bahá'u'lláh was given by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith in the period, to Bahá'ís who arose to open new territories to the Faith starting in the Ten Year Crusade.

Those pioneers who succeeded in establishing the Faith's first foothold in a country or territory were designated "Knights of Baha’u’llah", and their names inscribed on a Roll of Honour destined, in time, to be deposited, as called for by the Guardian, under the threshold of the entrance to the Shrine of Baha’u’llah. Nothing testified quite so dramatically to the foresight embodied in Shoghi Effendi's successive Plans than the fact that, within each of the new nation-states born after the second world war, Bahá'í communities and Spiritual Assemblies were already a part of the fabric of national life.”

Ruth White (Baháí author) American writer

Ruth White was an American author who was a member of the Bahá'í Faith. She became widely known as an American Bahá'í who rigorously challenged the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, one of the founding documents behind the Bahá'í administration.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and a topical guide to the Bahá'í Faith.

The Guardian is a hereditary office of the Bahá'í Faith that is first mentioned in the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá. Shoghi Effendi was named as the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, and future Guardians were to be appointed from among the male descendants of Bahá'u'lláh. However, since Shoghi Effendi died without having named a successor Guardian, no person could be named to fulfill the position after his death on November 4, 1957, and he remains the only individual acknowledged as Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, but his guidance remains in the written record of his many writings.

References

  1. 1 2 Smith, Peter (2000). "Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá". A concise encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 356–357. ISBN   1-85168-184-1.
  2. ↑ Momen, Moojan. Studies in Honor of the Late Hasan M. Balyuzi. Vol. 5. Kalimát Press, 1988. p273-274
  3. ↑ Effendi, Shoghi. "What challenges did the Covenant face after the passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha? (Part 1)". The Light of Divine Guidance. p. 134.

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