Chapter 46
---------------
Conflicting writings on "Covenant-Breaking". Last updated: October 12th, 2024.
As indicated by Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha in this compilation on the Covenant as relates to the Prophets, a Covenant-Breaker is one who rejects or disbelieves the Manifestation of God, one of the two classes of Prophets;
be it Independent Prophets like Jesus, Muhammad and Baha'u'llah; or
Dependent/Lesser Prophets like Imam Ali, Imam Husayn, and David. Baha'u'llah says of the Manifestations of God (who are the Face of God on earth): "there is no relation, connection, similarity or reference between that Throne and all else save it", and "Nay,
all in their holy presence fade into utter nothingness, and are a thing
forgotten. Human tongue can never befittingly sing their praise, and
human speech can never unfold their mystery. These Tabernacles of
holiness, these primal Mirrors which reflect the light of unfading
glory, are but expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of the
Invisibles. By the revelation
of these gems of divine virtue all the names and attributes of God,
such as knowledge and power, sovereignty and dominion, mercy and
wisdom, glory, bounty and grace, are made manifest." Shoghi
Effendi and the House are not Manifestations of God; therefore,
the concept cannot be similarly applied to them. However, that's what passage
1 by the House does. According to Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi and the
House are not to deviate from Baha'u'llah's Holy Tablets -- if they do, they will be held accountable by to God, as indicated in passages 2.1 and 2.2. Also, as indicated by Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha in passages 3.1 and 3.2,
believers are to refute that which is not in
keeping with the Holy Writings. In passage 1, the House says, "When
a person declares his acceptance of Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of
God he becomes a party to the Covenant and accepts the totality of His
Revelation." Have Shoghi Effendi and the House accepted "the totality of His [Bahá'u'lláh's] Revelation" when, for example, they claim (in Chapter 1) that only Independent Prophets are Manifestations of God? It's evident from the writings of Baha'u'llah that "All the Prophets",
including Dependent/Lesser Prophets like the Holy Imams and David, are
Manifestations of God, a fundamental divine teaching. Using
the House's definition of a "Covenant-Breaker" provided in passage 1, can Shoghi Effendi and the House be therefore
considered "Covenant-Breakers", be considered "internal sources of opposition to the
Cause", given the many conflicts in their
writings (detailed in previous and subsequent chapters) when compared to Baha'u'llah? Baha'u'llah says the following about those who deny that Dependent/Lesser Prophets are Manifestations of God: "Whosoever denieth this,
hath denied Thy unity, and disputed with Thee about Thy sovereignty,
and contended with Thee in Thy realm, and repudiated Thy commandments". In passage 2.3, Baha'u'llah also states, "They
that have violated the Covenant of God by breaking His commandments,
and have turned back on their heels, these have erred grievously in the
sight of God, the All-Possessing, the Most High." From another perspective, can the House, by interpreting, as shown in Chapter 2, Chapter 8 and Chapter 10; which the Guardian said "is strictly forbidden"; be considered "Covenant-Breakers", or be subject to the following directive in the Will and Testament, "cast him out from the congregation of the people of Baha and in no wise
accept any excuse from him"; by virtue of disobeying the Guardian or deviating from him, as indicated in passages 4.1 and 4.2? Searches of the officially translated writings have not found any place where Baha'u'llah, the Most Great Infallibility, says the House can declare believers "Covenant-Breakers", and require that they be shunned by Baha'is, as stated by the House in passage 1: "in accordance with the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh Himself, be shunned as a Covenant-breaker."
Is the House speaking the truth when it makes that statement, or not?
In contrast, in passage 5 (written on October 19, 1957) it states, "up to the present time, no one has been permitted to pronounce anybody a Covenant-breaker but the Guardian himself." In practice, according to this Wikipedia link, the Universal House of Justice has declared some individuals to be Covenant-Breakers.
1)
The Nature of Covenant-Breaking
Every Bahá'í is at liberty, nay is urged,
to freely express his opinion and his understanding of the Teachings,
but all this is in a totally different category from that of a Bahá'í
who opposes the clear Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh [for example, in Chapter 10 (on political Zionism), the House opposes clear teachings of Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha] or who asserts his own
opinion as an authoritative and correct interpretation of the
teachings [for example, Shoghi Effendi's erroneous statements about Baha'u'llah and polygamy (Chapter 9) and his erroneous statements about Muhammad and Islam (Chapter 7), along with many other statements he has made that conflict with the Holy Writings], and attacks or opposes the very Institutions which
Bahá'u'lláh has created to protect His Covenant. When a person declares
his acceptance of Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God he becomes a
party to the Covenant and accepts the totality of His Revelation. If he
then turns round and attacks Bahá'u'lláh or the Central Institution of
the Faith he violates the Covenant. If this happens every effort is
made to help that person to see the illogicality and error of his actions [the statement "to help that person to see the illogicality and error of his
actions" can be similarly applied to the House when their statements conflict with the Holy Writings, Holy Writings they are not to deviate from], but if he persists he must, in accordance with the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh Himself, be shunned as a Covenant-breaker.
Letter from the Universal House of Justice, dated March 23, 1975, to an individual believer
-- Compilations, NSA USA - Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities
COVENANT-BREAKER -- A Bahá'í who attempts
to disrupt the unity of the Faith by defying and opposing the authority
of Bahá'u'lláh as the Manifestation of God for this Age [for example, in Chapter 10 (on political Zionism), the House opposes clear teachings of Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha], or His
appointed successor, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, or after Him, the Guardian and the
Universal House of Justice. Bahá'ís who continue, despite
remonstrances, to violate the Covenant are expelled from the Faith by
the Universal House of Justice. This provision preserves the unity of
the Faith, which is essential to achieving its cardinal purpose of
uniting humankind. It also preserves the purity of Bahá'u'lláh's
teachings from the disruptive influence of egoistic individuals who, in
past Dispensations, have been responsible for dividing every religion
into sects, disrupting its mission, and frustrating to a large degree
the intention of its Founder. See also Covenant.
-- The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 737
The International Teaching Centre is
invested with the mandate to watch over the security and ensure the
protection of the Faith of God. It must investigate all cases of
incipient Covenant-breaking -- employing, as necessary, the services of
the Continental Counsellors and their auxiliaries and evaluating their
reports -- and decide whether the offender should be expelled from the
Cause, submitting the decision to the Universal House of Justice for
its consideration. It follows a similar procedure for the reinstatement
of a contrite Covenant-breaker. More broadly, it needs to be attentive
to the spiritual health of the Bahá'í community, urging the Counsellors
and their auxiliaries to strengthen the believers to resist the
influence of both external and internal sources of opposition to the
Cause, and to assist National and Local Spiritual Assemblies in
resolving questions that could raise doubt about the integrity of the
Faith and its Teachings.
-- The Universal House of Justice, The Institution of the Counsellors, p. 4
2.1)
However, the Most Great Infallibility
[Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet] is confined to the One Whose station is immeasurably exalted beyond
ordinances or prohibitions and is sanctified from errors and omissions.
Indeed He is a Light which is not followed by darkness and a Truth not
overtaken by error. Were He to pronounce water to be wine or heaven to
be earth or light to be fire, He speaketh the truth and no doubt would
there be about it; and unto no one is given the right to question His
authority or to say why or wherefore. Whosoever raiseth objections will
be numbered with the froward in the Book of God, the Lord of the
worlds. 'Verily He shall not be asked of His doings but all others
shall be asked of their doings.' [1] He is come from the invisible
heaven, bearing the banner 'He doeth whatsoever He willeth' and is
accompanied by hosts of power and authority while it is the duty of all
besides Him to strictly observe whatever laws and ordinances have been
enjoined upon them, and should anyone deviate therefrom, even to the
extent of a hair's breadth, his work would be brought to naught.
[1 cf. Qur'án 21:23.]
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 108
2.2)
Briefly, it is said that the "Dayspring of Revelation" is the manifestation of these words, "He doeth whatsoever He willeth"; this condition is peculiar to that Holy Being, and others have no share of this essential perfection. That is to say, that as the supreme Manifestations certainly possess essential infallibility, therefore whatever emanates from Them is identical with the truth, and conformable to reality.
They are not under the shadow of the former laws. Whatever They say is
the word of God, and whatever They perform is an upright action. No
believer has any right to criticize; his condition must be one of
absolute submission, for the Manifestation arises with perfect
wisdom--so that whatever the supreme Manifestation says and does is
absolute wisdom, and is in accordance with reality...
In short, the meaning of "He
doeth whatsoever He willeth" is that if the Manifestation says
something, or gives a command, or performs an action, and believers do
not understand its wisdom, they still ought not to oppose it by a
single thought, seeking to know why He spoke so, or why He did such a
thing. The other souls who are under the shadow of the supreme
Manifestations are submissive to the commandments of the Law of God,
and are not to deviate as much as a hairsbreadth from it; they must
conform their acts and words to the Law of God. If they do deviate from
it, they will be held responsible and reproved in the presence of God.
It is certain that they have no share in the permission "He doeth
whatsoever He willeth," for this condition is peculiar to the supreme
Manifestations.
So Christ--may my spirit be sacrificed to Him!--was the manifestation
of these words, "He doeth whatsoever He willeth," but the disciples
were not partakers of this condition; for as they were under the shadow
of Christ, they could not deviate from His command and will.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 171-174
This is the foundation of the belief of the people of Baha (may my life
be offered up for them): "His Holiness, the Exalted One (the Bab), is
the Manifestation of the Unity and Oneness of God and the Forerunner of
the Ancient Beauty. His Holiness the Abha Beauty (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."
-- Abdu'l-Baha, The Will and Testament, p. 19
2.3)
They whom God hath endued with insight will readily recognize that the
precepts laid down by God constitute the highest means for the
maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples. He
that turneth away from them, is accounted among the abject and foolish.
We, verily, have commanded you to refuse the dictates of your evil
passions and corrupt desires, and not to transgress the bounds which
the Pen of the Most High hath fixed, for these are the breath of life
unto all created things. The seas of Divine wisdom and divine utterance
have risen under the breath of the breeze of the All-Merciful. Hasten
to drink your fill, O men of understanding! They that have violated the
Covenant of God by breaking His commandments, and have turned back on
their heels, these have erred grievously in the sight of God, the
All-Possessing, the Most High.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 330
3.1)
Those men, however, who, in this Day, have
been led to assail, in their inflammatory writings, the tenets of the
Cause of God, are to be treated differently. It is incumbent upon all
men, each according to his ability, to refute the arguments of those
that have attacked the Faith of God. Thus hath it been decreed by Him
Who is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 329
3.2)
O my God, aid Thou Thy servant
to raise up the Word, and to refute what is vain and false, to
establish the truth, to spread the sacred verses abroad, reveal the
splendours, and make the morning's light to dawn in the hearts of the
righteous.
Thou art verily the Generous, the Forgiving.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 250
4.1)
612. All Covenant-Breakers Regardless of Nature of Disobedience Must Be Treated in Exactly the Same Manner
"Reference is made to your letter of April 8th in which you ask: 'Does
a disciplinary action for disobedience to the Guardian carry the same
implications as Covenant-breaking of an ideological order?'
There is no distinction between the two concepts. All
Covenant-breakers, regardless of the nature of the disobedience to the
Covenant should be treated in exactly the same manner."
(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, July 19, 1964)
-- Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 186
4.2)
... whoso deviateth, separateth himself and turneth aside from him [the Guardian] hath in truth deviated, separated himself and turned aside from God.
May the wrath, the fierce indignation, the vengeance of God rest upon
him! The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through
obedience to him who is the Guardian of the Cause of God. It is
incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice, upon all the
Aghsan, the Afnan, the Hands of the Cause of God to show their
obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the Guardian of the
Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before him. He that
opposeth him hath opposed the True One, will make a breach in the Cause
of God, will subvert His Word and will become a manifestation of the
Center of Sedition... 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 Baha and in no wise
accept any excuse from him. How often hath grievous error been
disguised in the garb of truth, that it might sow the seeds of doubt in
the hearts of men!
-- Abdu'l-Baha, The Will and Testament, p. 11
5)
... As you know, up to the present time, no one has been permitted to pronounce anybody a Covenant-breaker but the Guardian himself.
With warm Bahá'í greetings, and assuring you all of his prayers for the success of your important work,
R. RABBANI.
Haifa, Israel,
October 19, 1957.
-- Shoghi Effendi, Messages to Canada, p. 64
Back to Table of Contents.