1. The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the
recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and
the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both
the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso
achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is
deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of
every righteous deed. It behoveth everyone who reacheth this
most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to
observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world.
These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable
without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the
Source of Divine inspiration.
(Bahá'u'lláh:
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 19)
2. The Lord of
the universe hath never raised up a prophet nor hath He sent
down a Book unless He hath established His covenant with all
men, calling for their acceptance of the next Revelation and
of the next Book; inasmuch as the outpourings of His bounty
are ceaseless and without limit.
(The Báb:
Selections from the Báb, p. 87)
3. His Holiness
Abraham, on Him be peace, made a covenant concerning His
Holiness Moses and gave the glad-tidings of His coming. His
Holiness Moses made a covenant concerning the Promised One,
i.e. His Holiness Christ, and announced the good news of His
Manifestation to the world. His Holiness Christ made a
covenant concerning the Paraclete and gave the tidings of His
coming. His Holiness the Prophet Muhammad made a covenant
concerning His Holiness the Báb and the Báb was the One
promised by Muhammad, for Muhammad gave the tidings of His
coming. The Báb made a Covenant concerning the Blessed Beauty
of Bahá'u'lláh and gave the glad-tidings of His coming for
the Blessed Beauty was the One promised by His Holiness the
Báb. Bahá'u'lláh made a covenant concerning a promised One
who will become manifest after one thousand or thousands of
years. He likewise, with His Supreme Pen, entered into a great
Covenant and Testament with all the Bahá'ís whereby they
were all commanded to follow the Center of the Covenant after
His departure, and turn not away even to a hair's breadth from
obeying Him.
('Abdu'l-Baha:
Bahá'í World Faith, p. 358)
4. Bahá'u'lláh
covenanted, not that I (Abdu'l-Baha) am the Promised One, but
that Abdu'l-Baha is the Expounder of the Book and the Centre
of His Covenant, and that the Promised One of Bahá'u'lláh
will appear after one thousand or thousands of years. This is
the Covenant which Bahá'u'lláh made. If a person shall
deviate, he is not acceptable at the Threshold of
Bahá'u'lláh. In case of differences, Abdu'l-Baha must be
consulted. They must revolve around his good pleasure. After
Abdu'l-Baha, whenever the Universal House of Justice is
organized it will ward off differences.
('Abdu'l-Baha:
The Covenant, p. 117)
5. Inasmuch as
great differences and divergences of denominational belief had
arisen throughout the past, every man with a new idea
attributing it to God, Bahá'u'lláh desired that there should
not be any ground or reason for disagreement among the
Bahá'ís. Therefore, with His own pen He wrote the Book of
His Covenant, addressing His relations and all people of the
world, saying, "Verily, I have appointed One Who is the
Center of My Covenant. All must obey Him; all must turn to
Him; He is the Expounder of My Book, and He is informed of My
purpose. All must turn to Him. Whatsoever He says is correct,
for, verily, He knoweth the texts of My Book. Other than He,
no one doth know My Book."
('Abdu'l-Baha:
Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 322-323)
6. As to the most
great characteristic of the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, a
specific teaching not given by any of the Prophets of the
past: It is the ordination and appointment of the Center of
the Covenant. By this appointment and provision He has
safeguarded and protected the religion of God against
differences and schisms, making it impossible for anyone to
create a new sect or faction of belief. To ensure unity and
agreement He has entered into a Covenant with all the people
of the world, including the interpreter and explainer of His
teachings, so that no one may interpret or explain the
religion of God according to his own view or opinion and thus
create a sect founded upon his individual understanding of the
divine Words. The Book of the Covenant or Testament of
Bahá'u'lláh is the means of preventing such a possibility,
for whosoever shall speak from the authority of himself alone
shall be degraded.
('Abdu'l-Baha:
Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 455-456)
7. The first
condition is firmness in the Covenant of God. For the power of
the Covenant will protect the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh from the
doubts of the people of error. It is the fortified fortress of
the Cause of God and the firm pillar of the religion of God.
Today no power can conserve the oneness of the Bahá'í world
save the Covenant of God; otherwise differences like unto a
most great tempest will encompass the Bahá'í world. It is
evident that the axis of the oneness of the world of humanity
is the power of the Covenant and nothing else. Had the
Covenant not come to pass, had it not been revealed from the
Supreme Pen and had not the Book of the Covenant, like unto
the ray of the Sun of Reality, illuminated the world, the
forces of the Cause of God would have been utterly scattered
and certain souls who were the prisoners of their own passions
and lusts would have taken into their hands an axe, cutting
the root of this Blessed Tree. Every person would have pushed
forward his own desire and every individual aired his own
opinion! Notwithstanding this great Covenant, a few negligent
souls galloped with their chargers into the battlefield,
thinking perchance they might be able to weaken the foundation
of the Cause of God: but praise be to God all of them were
afflicted with regret and loss, and erelong they shall see
themselves in poignant despair. Therefore, in the beginning
the believers must make their steps firm in the Covenant so
that the confirmations of Bahá'u'lláh may encircle them from
all sides, the cohorts of the Supreme Concourse may become
their supporters and helpers, and the exhortations and advices
of Abdu'l-Baha, like unto the pictures engraved on stone, may
remain permanent and ineffaceable in the tablets of all
hearts.
('Abdu'l-Baha:
Tablets of the Divine Plan, pp. 51-52)
8. Referring to
both the Guardian and the Universal House of Justice we read
these emphatic words: "The sacred and youthful Branch,
the Guardian of the Cause of God, as well as the Universal
House of Justice to be universally elected and established,
are both under the care and protection of the Abhá Beauty,
under the shelter and unerring guidance of the Exalted One
(the Báb) (may my life be offered up for them both).
Whatsoever they decide is of God."
(Shoghi Effendi:
World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 149)
9. ...They [Bahá'u'lláh
and 'Abdu'l-Baha] have ... in unequivocal and emphatic
language, appointed those twin institutions of the House of
Justice and of the Guardianship as their chosen Successors,
destined to apply the principles, promulgate the laws, protect
the institutions, adapt loyally and intelligently the Faith to
the requirements of progressive society, and consummate the
incorruptible inheritance which the Founders of the Faith have
bequeathed to the world.
(Shoghi Effendi:
Lights of Guidance, p. 319)
