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To Withstand Tests Believers Need to be Deepened in the Covenant[edit]

"...the believers need to be deepened in their knowledge and appreciation of the Covenants of both Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá. This is the stronghold of the faith of every Bahá'í, and that which enables him to withstand every test and the attacks of the enemies outside the Faith, and the far more dangerous, insidious, lukewarm people inside the Faith who have no real attachment to the Covenant, and consequently uphold the intellectual aspect of the teachings while at the same time undermining the spiritual foundation upon which the whole Cause of God rests.

"He feels you and your dear family should do all you can to teach the believers the Will and Testament and to strengthen their understanding of its important provisions; for all the authority of the administrative bodies, as well as of the Guardian himself, is mainly derived from this tremendous document."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, April 15, 1949, in Lights of Guidance, no. 597; in Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 2), p. 84 and Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 151)

(To add headings)[edit]

“The paramount duty of deepening the spiritual life of these newly fledged, these precious and highly esteemed co-workers, and of enlightening their minds regarding the essential verities enshrined in their Faith, its fundamental institutions, its history and genesis–the twin Covenants of Bahá’u’lláh and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the present Administrative Order, the future World Order, the Laws of the Most Holy Book, the inseparable institutions of the Guardianship and of the Universal House of Justice, the salient events of the Heroic and Formative Ages of the Faith, and its relationship with the Dispensations that have preceded it, its attitude toward the social and political organizations by which it is surrounded–must continue to constitute the most vital aspect of the great spiritual Crusade launched by the champions of the Faith from among the peoples of their sister republics in the South.”

(Shoghi Effendi, Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 85)

“Above all the utmost endeavour should be exerted by your Assembly to familiarize the newly enrolled believers with the fundamental and spiritual verities of the Faith, and with the origins, the aims and purposes, as well as the processes of a divinely appointed Administrative Order, to acquaint them more fully with the history of the Faith, to instil in them a deeper understanding of the Covenants of both Bahá’u’lláh and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to enrich their spiritual life, to rouse them to a greater effort and a closer participation in both the teaching of the Faith and the administration of its activities, and to inspire them to make the necessary sacrifices for the furtherance of its vital interests.”

(Shoghi Effendi, Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 89)

“A firmer grasp of the essential verities of the Faith; a more profound study of its history and a deeper understanding of its genesis, the significance, the workings, and the present status and achievements of its embryonic World Order and of the Covenant to which it owes its birth and vitality–these remain the rock bottom requirements which alone can guarantee the opening, and hasten the advent, of that blissful era which every British Bahá’í heart so eagerly anticipates, and the glories of which can, at present, be but dimly discerned.”

(Shoghi Effendi, Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 90)

“It is better to have one Bahá’í who understands the Teachings and is wholeheartedly convinced of their truth, than a number of Bahá’ís who are not well aware of the Cause, and deep-rooted in the Covenant.”

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 159)

“The deepening and enrichment of the spiritual life of the individual believer, his increasing comprehension of the essential verities underlying his Faith, his training in its administrative processes, his understanding of the fundamentals of the Covenants established by its Author and the authorized Interpreter of its teachings should be made the supreme objectives of the national representatives responsible for the edification, the progress and consolidation of these communities.”

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 86)

“. . .it is one of the important duties of the Bahá'í institutions . . , to educate Bahá'ís in the Covenant, and to encourage them to study carefully the writings of the beloved Guardian which provide lasting guidance for the establishment of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.”

(From a letter dated 24 December 1984 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, quoted in the compilation “Studying the Writings of Shoghi Effendi” on-line at https://bahai-library.com/compilation_studying_writings_guardian ))

"...a constant and complete awareness of the nature, the sacredness and vital importance of the Covenants established successively by Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá...these stand out as the urgent, the sacred and inescapable obligations and responsibilities facing its promoters at this fateful hour in their history."

(Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 1), p. 155)

"He was also very pleased to see the program for the Youth Week being held in the Schwarzwald, and the emphasis which is being placed on teaching the Covenant in both Esslingen and this Youth week he considers very important.

"The German Bahá'ís, like all the believers everywhere, will be strong, united and protected to the degree to which they are firm in the Covenants of both Bahá'u'lláh and the Master.

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 1), pp. 157-158)

"The education of the members of the community in the principles and essential verities underlying the Covenants of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá as well as the Administrative Order of the Faith--the twin pillars sustaining the spiritual life and the institutions of every organized Bahá'í community--must, at all costs, be vigorously pursued and systematically intensified."

(Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 1), p. 162)

"The whole-hearted response made by the German Bahá'ís to his appeal last year to become united and to deepen their understanding of the Covenant pleases him greatly. He feels this has demonstrated anew the loyalty and faith of this Community, and justifies his hopes for the brilliant future he is convinced lies ahead of them."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 1), p. 161)

"The thing the German believers must do is to deepen themselves in the Covenants of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá. Mere intellectual understanding of the teachings is not enough. Deep spirituality is essential, and the foundation of true spirituality is steadfastness in the Covenant."

(On behalf of? Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 2), p. 83)

"The Guardian has been considerably disturbed by the inharmony that has arisen in Germany. He feels that what the German Bahá'ís need--and must have--more than anything else in the world is a far deeper understanding of the Covenants of both Bahá'u'lláh and the Master. This is the rock foundation without which no sound super-structure can be built. Neither the administration, nor the general teaching work of the Cause in Germany, will progress, or be able to accomplish anything, unless the believers are truly firm, deep, spiritually convinced Bahá'ís. An intellectual grasp of the teachings is purely superficial; with the first real test such believers are shaken from the bough! But once a Bahá'í has the profound conviction of the authority from God, nested in the Prophet, passed on to the Master, and by Him, to the Guardians, and which flows out through the assemblies and creates order based on obedience--once a Bahá'í has this, nothing can shake him. He, therefore, urges you, and the other members of the N.G.R., to devote as much time as you possibly can, to educating the believers in the Covenant."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 2), pp. 83-84)

"Firmness in the Covenant is their Fortress, their greatest protection, and new Bahá'ís should be taught this before they are admitted into the Community. In this way they will be given the spiritual strength to overcome the tests which are inevitable, and which strengthen the growth of the Community and drive its roots deeper in the soil of faith.

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 2), p. 86)

"He read with interest the report of the activities of the Youth, and was particularly pleased to see that Dr. Grossmann had given a course on the Covenant. The Youth must ponder deeply over the significance and implications of the Covenants of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá, for these form the hub of the Bahá'í wheel, so to speak, the point of unity and strength for all the believers all over the world. Without these Covenants the Divine Protection of God over this new world Faith would not exist. Obedience to these Covenants is the stronghold of all the Bahá'ís, everywhere."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 2), p. 89)

"May the Beloved bless, sustain and guide you, to enable you, to acquire a fuller understanding of the implications of God's Covenant in this day, and contribute effectively to its clarification and its comprehension by the believers."

(Shoghi Effendi in a postscript, Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 2), p. 89)

"It is the privilege of youth not to commit the same mistakes all over again of the older generations, and he hopes the German youth will rise above personalities, adhere to the principles of the Cause and its administration, be examples of firmness in the Covenant, and thus carry the Faith forward in Germany on a higher plane of development."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 2), p. 91)

"...he has received reports of the excellent teaching work on the Covenant that your dear husband is doing. This is very important, especially at this time when Ahmad Sohrab is trying to again become active in Germany."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance (vol. 2), pp. 91-92)

General issues (Greater and Lesser)[edit]

The Bahá'í Covenant[edit]

"As regards the meaning of the Bahá'í Covenant: The Guardian considers the existence of two forms of Covenant both of which are explicitly mentioned in the literature of the Cause. First is the covenant that every Prophet makes with humanity or, more definitely, with His people that they will accept and follow the coming Manifestation Who will be the reappearance of His reality. The second form of covenant is such as the one Bahá'u'lláh made with His people that they should accept the Master. This is merely to establish and strengthen the succession of the series of Lights that appear after every Manifestation. Under the same category falls the covenant the Master made with the Bahá'ís that they should accept His administration after Him..."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual, October 21, 1921, in Lights of Guidance, no. 593)

"The Most Great Covenant is different from the Everlasting Covenant."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, November 19, 1945: Bahá'í News, No. 210, August 1948 p. 3, in Lights of Guidance, no. 593)

Firmness in the Covenant--"Be He an Insignificant Ant..."[edit]

"...Rest ye assured that if a soul ariseth in the utmost perseverance and raiseth the Call of the Kingdom and resolutely promulgateth the Covenant, be he an insignificant ant he shall be enabled to drive away the formidable elephant from the arena, and if he be a feeble moth he shall cut to pieces the plumage of the rapacious vulture."

('Abdu'l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 209, in Lights of Guidance, no. 594)

Regarding Covenant Entered into on Mount Paran[edit]

"As for the reference in The Hidden Words regarding the Covenant entered into on Mount Paran, this signifieth that in the sight of God the past, the present and the future are all one and the same--whereas, relative to man, the past is gone and forgotten, the present is fleeting, and the future is within the realm of hope. And it is a basic principle of the Law of God that in every Prophetic Mission, He entereth into a Covenant with all believers--a Covenant that endureth until the end of that Mission, until the promised day when the Personage stipulated at the outset of the Mission is made manifest. Consider Moses, He Who conversed with God. Verily, upon Mount Sinai, Moses entered into a Covenant regarding the Messiah, with all those souls who would live in the day of the Messiah. And those souls, although they appeared many centuries after Moses, were nevertheless--so far as the Covenant, which is outside time, was concerned--present there with Moses. The Jews, however, were heedless of this and remembered it not, and thus they suffered a great and clear loss."

('Abdu'l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 207, in Lights of Guidance, no. 596)

Accomplishments to be Attained with the Covenant of the Everlasting Father[edit]

"The progress of the Cause of God gathers increasing momentum and we may with confidence look forward to the day when this Community, in God's good time, shall have traversed the stages predicated for it by its Guardian, and shall have raised on this tormented planet the fair mansions of God's Own Kingdom wherein humanity may find surcease from its self-induced confusion and chaos and ruin, and the hatreds and violence of this time shall be transmuted into an abiding sense of world brotherhood and peace. All this shall be accomplished within the Covenant of the everlasting Father, the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh."

(From the message of the Universal House of Justice to Bahá'ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in Lights of Guidance, no. 624)

Obedience to the Center of the Covenant[edit]

"...whosoever obeys the Center of the Covenant appointed by Bahá'u'lláh has obeyed Bahá'u'lláh, and whosoever disobeys Him has disobeyed Bahá'u'lláh...."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 323, in Lights of Guidance, no. 629)

If a person feels that a view contradicts or undermines the Covenant, he should be free to say so candidly and courteously, while the person who made the statement can re-evaluate and if he still believes his opinion, explain why it is not contrary to the Covenant[edit]

"...if any participant in an email discussion feels that a view put forward appears to contradict or undermine the provisions of the Covenant, he should be free to say so, explaining candidly and courteously why he feels as he does. The person who made the initial statement will then be able to re-evaluate his opinion and, if he still believes it to be valid, he should be able to explain why it is not contrary to either the letter or the spirit of the Covenant. The participants in such a discussion should avoid disputation and, if they are unable to resolve an issue, they should refer the point to the Universal House of Justice since, in accordance with the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, "By this body all the difficult problems are to be resolved..." and it has the authority to decide upon "all problems which have caused difference, questions that are obscure, and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book." In this way the Covenant can illuminate and temper the discourse and make it fruitful."

(On behalf of the Universal House of Justice, at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_virgin-birth_encyclopedia_administration#s1 )

Covenant pertaining to succession from Bahá'u'lláh to 'Abdu'l-Bahá[edit]

Works of Bahá'u'lláh praising or appointing 'Abdu'l-Bahá[edit]

The Crimson Book[edit]

"...what Bahá'u'lláh did not elaborate but what He meant by the 'word' recorded in the Crimson Book was the power of the Covenant.

"The Crimson Book refers to the Book of His Covenant, and the reference above means the power for unity which the Covenant possesses and radiates. On Page 238 of God Passes By you will find the cross-reference to the Crimson Book and the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, January 5, 1948: Bahá'í News, No. 210, August 1948, p. 3, in Lights of Guidance, no. 595)

Covenant pertaining to succession from 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice[edit]

Works anticipating, praising, or appointing Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice[edit]

The Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá--Needs a Century to Comprehend[edit]

"The contents of the Will of the Master is far too much for the present generation to comprehend. It needs at least a century of actual working before the treasures of wisdom hidden in it can be revealed. How can we at this stage and with our limited understanding denounce its spirit and purport."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, March 25, 1930, in Lights of Guidance, no. 598)

The Will and Testament Safeguards the Unity of the Cause[edit]

"What he considers, however, to be now of the utmost importance is for the believers, each and all, to cling firmly to the provisions of our beloved Master's Will and Testament, as by this means alone the unity of the Cause, and its safe and speedy growth can be maintained, safeguarded and insured. Such an absolute and unwavering fidelity to Abdu'l-Bahá's Will, and firm adherence to the principles of the Administrative Order is indeed incumbent upon every one of the friends, without any distinction whatever. Upon this basis alone the Faith can be safeguarded and flourish."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, July 18, 1938, in Lights of Guidance, no. 599)

Speaking Against the Covenant[edit]

"My purpose is to explain to you that it is your duty to guard the religion of God so that none shall be able to assail it outwardly or inwardly. If you find harmful teachings are being set forth by some individual no matter who that individual be, even though he should be my own son, know verily that I am completely severed from him. If anyone speaks against the Covenant, even though he be my own son, know that I am opposed to him. Those who speak falsehoods, who covet worldly things and seek to accumulate the riches of this earth are not of me. But when you find a person living up to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, following the precepts of the Hidden Words, know that he belongs to Bahá'u'lláh and verily I proclaim that he is of me..."

('Abdu'l-Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 456-457, in Lights of Guidance, no. 600)

See also[edit]

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