The first Guardian of the Baháí Faith, Shoghi Effendi, declared
that the Most Holy Book revealed by Baháulláh, the AQDAS,
and the WILL AND TESTAMENT of `Abdul-Bahá "mutually confirm
one another, and are inseparable parts of one complete unit." All Baháís believe that the Laws of the AQDAS are sacred
and immutable and, therefore, not subject to abrogation or alteration during
the entire Dispensation of Baháulláh. It is clear from the
words of Shoghi Effendi quoted above that the sacredness and immutability
of the AQDAS equally applies to the Will and Testament of `Abdul-Bahá.
Shoghi Effendi has further extolled this "immortal Document"
as: "His greatest legacy to posterity," "The
brightest emanation of His mind," "The Charter of
the New World Order," "The offspring resulting from
the mystic intercourse between Him Who had generated the forces of a God-given
Faith and the One Who had been made its sole interpreter and was recognized
as its perfect Exemplar," "the fruit of this divine
union thus becoming the "Child of the Covenant" and "Their
Will." Since the passing of Shoghi of Effendi you have repudiated the major
provisions of this "Divine Charter" bequeathed by
the "Architect of the Administrative Order" in declaring
the following chief Institutions of the Administrative Order null and void:
Towards the close of his ministry Shoghi Effendi acclaimed the culmination
of his labors to erect the international institutions of the Faith at its
World Center with the announcement that "at long last the machinery
of its highest institutions has been erected."
"These supreme organs of its unfolding Order" included
the embryonic Universal House of Justice which he proclaimed on 9 January
1951 "as the greatest event shedding lustre upon the second epoch
of the Formative Age of the Baháí Dispensation"
and "the most significant milestone in the evolution of the Administrative
Order." He did not assume the Presidency of this body but retained
it in an embryonic inactive state and appointed its embryonic head, Mason
Remey. It was in this appointment that was to be found the key to the continuity
of the Guardianship as Presidency of the Universal House of Justice and
Guardianship are synonymous terms. For this reason Shoghi Effendi did not
authorize the President of this embryonic institution to convene it into
a functioning body during the remaining years of his ministry. To further
preclude direct contact with this body he announced a "chosen
liaison" between himself and this body symbolizing thereby
an umbilical cord relationship with this embryonic body. This embryonic
Universal House of Justice emerged into active and functioning life coincident
with the passing of Shoghi Effendi, and its appointed head then became the
fully functioning President of this body and none other than the second
Guardian of the Faith. Re-examination of the Writings of Baháulláh and `Abdul-Bahá
reveal the primary importance placed by Them on spiritual relationships;
for example, `Abdul-Bahá states:"Muhammad was the root,
and Ali the branch like Moses and Joshua" (See
S.A.Q.). In this Dispensation Baháulláh is "The
Ancient Root," `Abdul-Bahá, "The Most Mighty
Branch" "The Primal Branch" and the successive
Guardians of the Faith the offshoots or spiritual twigs (or branches) of
this Primal Branch of the Tree of the Covenant. Not finding a successor to Shoghi Effendi according to your preconceptions
you lost faith in the Immutability and continued validity of every Clause
of `Abdul-Bahás Will and Testament and consequently failed to recognize
his duly appointed successor. As a result, the Faith is now faced with the
greatest violation of the Covenant in its history and the World Order of
Baháulláh is threatened with destruction "this
wondrous System the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed." It is my fervent hope that you will, at long last, return to the
Fold of the Covenant, rally to the support of the living Guardian of the
Faith and join those fellow-believers who have labored so steadfastly these
many years and with such exemplary fidelity to the Covenant to preserve
the Baháí Administrative Order which "the masterhand
of its perfect Architect" has fashioned in all of its divinely conceived
perfection and glory.
The Baháís universally failed to perceive that Shoghi Effendi
had appointed his successor in this way primarily due to the following:
The Third Guardian
of the Baháí Faith
For further information write to:
Orthodox Baháís
of the United States
P.O. Box 3201
Roswell, N . M. 88202-3201
To contact the Orthodox Baháí Faith for more information send an email to email:obfusa@rt66.com
or write to:
Orthodox Baháí Faith
P.O. Box 3201
Roswell, New Mexico,
USA 88202-3201