Community

Responsibilities of/toward

Community as laboratory

"His brotherly advice to you, and to all loyal and ardent young believers like you, is that you should deepen your knowledge of the history and the tenets of the Faith, not merely by means of careful and thorough study, but also through active, whole-hearted and continued participation in all the activities, whether administrative or otherwise, of your community. The Bahá'í community life provides you with an indispensable laboratory where you can translate into living and constructive action, the principles which you imbibe from the teachings. By becoming a real part of that living organism you can catch the real spirit which runs throughout the Bahá'í teachings. To study the principles, and to try to live according to them, are, therefore, the two essential mediums through which you can insure the development and progress of your inner spiritual life and of your outer existence as well. May Bahá'u'lláh enable you to attain this high station, and may He keep the torch of faith forever burning in your hearts!

(From a letter dated 2 November 1933 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; in Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 117 and Youth, no. 2259)

One cannot catch spirit of the Cause through reading books alone; need whole-hearted association with the friends

"It behooves you now to try to deepen your knowledge of the history and the teachings of the Faith and get acquainted with the principles that stand at the basis of its present-day Administration. The best way to attain that goal is through continued cooperation with the friends and through participation in their spiritual activities. For you cannot catch the spirit of the Cause through the reading of books alone. You should reinforce the knowledge you get through Bahá'í Writings with a whole-hearted association with the friends."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, August 20, 1932, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1926)

Participation in social life of believers enables seeing how the principles of the New World Order are put into operation

"The lectures will familiarize them with the principles underlying the New World Order, while their participation in the social life of the believers will enable them to see the way in which these very same principles are put into operation."

(From a letter dated 14 October 1936 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, in Centres of Bahá'í Learning, no. 32)

To closely associate with fellow-believers and take full part in Activities of the Cause to prove oneself worthy of being a member of the world-wide Fellowship of Bahá'u'lláh

"Although still young in age, you should endeavour from now, through close association with your fellow-believers, and through your faithful application to your Bahá'í studies, to prepare yourself for that day when you will be called upon, as a grown-up and responsible member of the Community, to take full part in the activities of the Cause, and thus prove yourself worthy of being a member of the world-wide Fellowship created by Bahá'u'lláh."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, letter dated 4/10/39 to individual believer, in The Importance of Deepening no. 130)

Need for genuine unity and love among

"The most important thing for the believers is, of course, to be united and to really love each other for the sake of God, (Otherwise it is not possible to love everyone)."

(Directives from the Guardian, p. 75)

Closely associate with fellow-Bahá'ís and take part in various activities to become a loving, active and efficient member of the Community (not only having theoretical knowledge of the Cause)

To this end, the Guardian would recommend that, in addition to your studies of Bahá'í writings, you closely associate with your fellow-Bahá'ís, and take part in various activities of your local group, so that you may not only acquire a theoretical knowledge of the Cause, but grow to become a loving, active and efficient member of the Community.

(Letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to individual believer, 25 November 1938, Bahá'í Meetings (compilation), no. 30)

See also

• Feast#Attendance at Feasts is not obligatory but important and all are encouraged to attend
• Elections (duty to participate and become involved)
• Fallibility of believers

Community Infrastructure

• Mashriqu'l-Adhkár and House of Worship dependencies (traveler's, homes for poor, aged, disabled, orphaned; meetings for social and cultural; Hazíratu'l-Quds)
• National Convention
• Park
• Public relations
• Recreation
• Civil society
• Social and humanitarian institutions

See also

• Individual, community, and institutions
• Unity
• Material infrastructure
• Ochlocracy (a degeneration of the community to rule by the masses)

To-dos for this page

• add e.g., helping with discipline of children, etc.