Handling emergencies between Spiritual Assembly meetings - July 2, 1971

It is for your Assembly to define the limits placed upon an emergency committee appointed by you from among your own membership to take action when absolutely necessary on emergencies which arise between meetings. Decisions of the committee of course always are subject to the subsequent approval of the National Assembly as a whole and you should assure yourselves that you are adequately informed of all its actions taken in your name. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated July 2, 1971 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

The 95 days engagement period -June 29, 1971

In principle, according to the decisive text of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the period of ninety-five days should commence only when the two parties have been betrothed, and the marriage is agreed. Therefore, the breaking of an engagement, although possible, should rarely occur. The Assemblies should, when the reason for breaking, or extending the fixed period of engagement is valid, render every assistance to the parties involved to remove their difficulties and facilitate their observance of the ordinance of the Book. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated June 29, 1971, to a National Spiritual Assembly; Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities, NSA of USA, edition)

National Teaching Committee - June 23, 1971

There is no objection to a National Spiritual Assembly member serving on the National Teaching Committee, but if National Spiritual Assembly members were to predominate on the Committee the purpose of appointing it, which is to relieve the National Assembly of the details of the work, would be defeated. It is also preferable for some qualified native believers to serve on the National Teaching Committee so that they may thus be trained to carry on with the work.

... the beloved Guardian paid great attention to the administrative arrangements for teaching and was highly in favour of one central National Teaching Committee with Regional Committees responsible to it. He once pointed out that absorption of petty details of Bahá'í administration by the personnel of the National Spiritual Assembly is manifestly injurious to efficiency and an expert discharge of Bahá'í duties. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 23 June, 1971 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

Treasurer of an Assembly - June 8, 1971

...The Treasurer of a Bahá'í Spiritual Assembly, even if momentarily holding Bahá'í funds in his own name, must take the greatest care never to commingle his own funds with those of the Faith or to leave the funds of the Faith subject to the vagaries of fortune which can afflict any one of us. 

- The Universal House of justice  (From a letter dated 8 June 1971 to an individual believer, included in a compilation of extracts concerning "The Need for Care in Handling Bahá'í Funds; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

Cremation – wisdom of burial - June 6, 1971

Be sure that your letter was not a bother to us. Indeed, we were happy to learn that in the autumn years of your physical life your soul was illumined by the eternal light shed upon the world by Bahá'u'lláh.

Concerning your question about cremation, the Bahá'í law stipulates burial. The instructions of Bahá'u'lláh contained in His most holy book make this law clear. Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written on his behalf to an individual believer in 1955, comments that 'Abdu'l-Bahá “...also explained that burial is natural and should be followed.” The explanation of the master referred to by Shoghi Effendi is found in Tablets revealed by Him. One of those was published in Star of The West, Volume XI, No. 19, page 317, from which we quote:

"Thy letter has been received. Due to scarcity of time, I write the answer briefly: The body of man, which has been formed gradually, must similarly be decomposed gradually. This is according to the real and natural order and divine law. If it had been better for it to be burned after death, in its very creation it would have been so planned that the body would automatically become ignited after death, be consumed and turned into ashes. But the divine order formulated by the heavenly ordinance is that after death, this body shall be transferred from one stage to another different from the preceding one, so that according to the relations which exist in the world, it may gradually combine and mix other elements, thus going through stages until it arrives in the vegetable kingdom, there turning into plants and flowers, developing into trees of the highest paradise, becoming perfumed and attaining the beauty of colour.“

"Cremation suppresses it speedily from attainment to these transformations, the elements becoming so quickly decomposed that transformation to these various stages is checked”. 

When we realize that our physical bodies actually are composed of elements place in the earth by their creator, and which through the orderly processed of His Law are continually being used in the formation of beings, we can better understand the necessity for our physical bodies to be subjected to the gradual process of decomposition. As at the time of death, the real and eternal self of man, his soul, abandons its physical garment to soar in the realms of God, we may compare the body to a vehicle which has been used for the journey through earthly life and no longer needed once the destination has been reached." 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 6 June 1971 to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

Circumstances under which parental consent for Bahá'í marriage not required - May 30, 1971

In reply to your letter about the problem of... who is unable to locate the natural father of her fiancé we are glad to offer you the following guidance:

The only circumstances under which parental consent for Bahá'í marriage is not required are the following:

1. If the parent is dead.

2. If the parent has absented himself to the degree that he can be adjudged legally dead.

3. If the parent is certified insane and therefore legally incompetent to give consent

4. If the parent is a Covenant-breaker.

5. It is possible under Bahá'í Law, in certain very rare cases, to recognize that a state of disownment exists. All such cases should be referred to the Universal House of Justice.

The problem therefore is reduced to the simple question of whether your National Assembly accepts that Miss...'s father-in-law elect cannot be traced and therefore may, to your satisfaction, be presumed to be legally dead. You should of course ascertain that Miss ... has made every effort possible to trace her fiancé’s father. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 30 May 1971 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

Exclusion of women on the Universal House of Justice - May 26, 1971

Your letter of March 26th, 1971 asking for clarification of the exclusion of women from membership in the Universal House of Justice in view of the great principle of the Cause of the equality of men and women has been received and we offer you the following comments.

In a Tablet to an early woman believer 'Abdu'l-Bahá stated:

'O maidservant of God! Know thou that in the sight of God, the conduct of women is the same as that of men... From the spiritual point of view ... there is no difference between women and men ....' He added, however: 'As to the House of Justice: according to the explicit text of the Law of God, its membership is exclusively reserved to men. There is Divine wisdom in this which will presently be made manifest even as the mid-day sun.'

The beloved Guardian in reply to the same query from a believer pointed out in a letter written on his behalf on July 15th 1947: 'People must just accept the fact that women are not eligible to the International House of Justice. As the Master says the wisdom of this will be known in the future, we can only accept, believing it is right, but not able to give an explanation calculated to silence an ardent feminist!’

We must have faith in the Supreme Manifestation of God and His Exemplar, Whose prescience is revealed in such provisions which will one day 'be made manifest even as the mid-day sun. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 26 May 1971 to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

Repeated warnings to an offender - May 20, 1971

The principle that an Assembly should repeatedly warn an offender to correct his ways before it deprives him of his voting rights applies to such continuing offenses as flagrant immorality, or membership in non-Bahá'í religious organizations. It cannot be applied in the same way to a one-time offense such as a breach of Bahá'í marriage laws. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated May 20, 1971, to a National Spiritual Assembly. Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

Sanctions when a breach of Bahá'í Marriage Law has been committed - May 20, 1971

As soon as the Assembly has evidence satisfying it that a breach of Bahá'í Marriage Law has been committed, and if it is satisfied that the party concerned knew the law, it should not delay deprivation of voting rights beyond a reasonable time. It does not have to wait for a response from the offender. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated May 20, 1971, to a National Spiritual Assembly. Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

Having a belated marriage ceremony - May 20, 1971

Where, for example, the only offense is that no Bahá'í ceremony took place, it may be possible to contact the couple concerned and arrange for the early celebration of the Bahá'í marriage, and thus avoid the necessity of depriving them of their voting rights. But such a delay between the ascertainment of the offense . . . and the imposition of sanctions should not extend into months, and certainly not into years. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated May 20, 1971, to a National Spiritual Assembly; Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

When a Bahá'í divorce or observance of a year of waiting is not required - May 20, 1971

If a Bahá'í has married without a Bahá'í ceremony, after becoming a Bahá'í, and then dissolves this marriage by divorce, there is no question of requiring a Bahá'í divorce or observance of a year of waiting, because there was, in Bahá'í law, no recognized marriage. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated May 20, 1971, to a National Spiritual Assembly; Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

Ignorance of the Baha’i law and sanctions - May 20, 1971

If the Assembly has reason to suspect that the person concerned was ignorant of Bahá'í Law it will wish to investigate this fact before applying sanctions. . . . This should not involve unreasonable delay, especially if the Assembly is unable to evoke any response from the offender.

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated May 20, 1971, to a National Spiritual Assembly; Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

Withdrawing to Avoid Bahá'í Law and the rejoin with impunity - May 20, 1971

A believer cannot escape administrative expulsion by the ruse of resigning from the Faith in order to break its law with impunity. However, the Assembly should be satisfied that there was indeed such an ulterior motive behind the withdrawal. A believer's record of inactivity and his general attitude to the Faith may well lead the Assembly to conclude that his withdrawal was bona fide . . . and in such a case the withdrawal may be accepted. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated May 20, 1971, to a National Spiritual Assembly; Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

Bahá'í and civil marriage ceremonies - April 23, 1971

As to the holding of the Bahá'í and civil marriage ceremonies on the same day, as the consummation of the marriage should not take place until both ceremonies have been held, a night should not intervene between the two ceremonies. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated April 23, 1971, published in Handbook for Local Spiritual Assemblies in Australia; Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

Marriages according to native custom prior to enrollment - April 6, 1971

We have reviewed your letter ... about the application of Bahá'í marriage laws to persons who had married according to the native custom, which we assume was prior to their enrollment in the Faith.

Persons who are married according to native custom prior to their enrollment as Bahá'ís are fully married in the eyes of the Faith, and there is no point in their going through a Bahá'í ceremony.

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 6 April 1971 to a National Spiritual Assembly; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Cultural Diversity in the Age of Maturity)

Who is a Pioneer - March 30, 1971

The place of settlement of any pioneer depends on his circumstances. If therefore, he can not settle in the localities suggested by the receiving National Spiritual Assembly, this does not mean that he should not be considered a pioneer. Any believer who arises and leaves his home to journey to another country for the purpose of teaching the Cause is a pioneer.

As you know, one of the objectives of every pioneer is to settle and become self-supporting, if possible. If the localities where this condition can be met are not the same as the goals of the National Spiritual Assembly, such goals may have to be filled by the National Assembly making use of home-front pioneers. The friends are free to go wherever they like and even those supported by the Fund should not be subjected to rigid rules. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 30 March, 1971 to a National Spiritual Assembly, March 30, 1971; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

Fitting songs for devotional portion of 19-Day Feasts - February 22, 1971

...we feel that it will be helpful to you to know that songs whose words are the primary Writings of the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh or ‘Abdu'l-Bahá are all quite fitting for the devotional portion of the Feast. Indeed, the Persian chants are such songs, out of a different tradition; they are a way of giving music to the holy Word, and each person who chants does it in a way which mirrors his feeling and expression of the Words he is uttering. As for songs whose words are poetic and the composition of persons other than the Figures of the Faith, these may be desirable but in their proper place, for, as you know, "music is the language of the spirit.

Inasmuch as the spirit of our gatherings is so much affected by the tone and quality of our worship, of our feeling and appreciation of the Word of God for this day, we would hope that you would encourage the most beautiful possible expression of the human spirits in your communities, through music among other modes of feeling. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 22 February 1971 to a National Spiritual Assembly; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, The Importance of Arts in Promoting the Faith)

Baha’i funerals - January 31, 1971

We have received your letter of 14th December inquiring which funeral prayer is considered as the desirable one for use in Europe, whether there is any obligatory prayer and what instructions are concerning standing at a Bahá'í funeral service.

The only obligatory prayer for use at Bahá'í funerals is the prayer No. 167 in 'Prayers and Meditations'. This prayer should be recited by one of those present and all present should stand while it is being read. There is no requirement to face the Qiblih or any other particular direction while this prayer is being read.

The reading of any other prayers or writings at a Bahá'í funeral is entirely optional. In general it is desirable to keep the service simple and dignified. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 31 January 1971 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Finland; Compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

Earmarking to other Funds - January 29, 1971

Care must be taken that the purpose of earmarking is not defeated. Thus the use of earmarked funds to defray the expense of particular items in your budget has the effect of reducing, pro tanto, the amount of general contribution needed to be applied to the budget. In effect, this practice may result in there being no difference between an earmarked contribution and one not earmarked. For example: A friend may earmark a contribution to the Bahá'í International Fund. To apply this to the contributions to the Bahá'í International funds from your National Fund would be wrong unless the earmarked so specifies. Funds earmarked merely to the Bahá'í International Fund should be sent to the World Centre in addition to whatever contribution is made from the National Fund. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 29 January 1971 to a National Spiritual Assembly, published in a compilation of extracts concerning "The Need for Care in Handling Bahá'í Funds; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)