Module #4

Institution of the Rulers, Election process, Convention,
Institution of the Learned, Systematic Plans, Tablets of the Divine Plan,
Cycles, Era, Ages, Epochs in Bahá’í History

“To dissociate the administrative principles of the Cause from the purely spiritual and humanitarian teachings would be tantamount to a mutilation of the body of the Cause, a separation that can only result in the disintegration of its component parts and the extinction of the Faith itself.” 
{Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 5}

OBJECTIVE :

The twin crowning institutions of the Bahá’í Administrative Order are the Guardianship. and the Universal House of Justice. In ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will and Testament , He states “Whatever they decide is of God.” Both are under the shelter and unerring guidance of the Báb. Both the Guardianship. and the Universal House of Justice are channels of infallible, divine guidance. 

The systematic plans presented by Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice focus on the individual, the community and the institutions. Every believer has the privilege and the bounty of participating in the achievement of these plans, thereby contributing to the building of a world civilization and experiencing the joy of service to Bahá’u’lláh.

	1)	What distinguishes the Bahá’í election process?  {Secret ballot, no nominations or electioneering }

	Who is elected, & how often?  {Institution of the Rulers}

		What are the state and national conventions?

	2)	Who are the 4 individuals appointed by Bahá’u’lláh, the 4 appointed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the 42 appointed by Shoghi Effendi with the duty of protecting and propagating the Faith?  {Hands of the Cause of God - see listing of their names, birth and death}

	3)	Describe the Institution of the Learned with its various components and responsibilities and limits of authority.  {The Hands of the Cause, the Counsellors, the Auxiliary Board and their assistants}

	4)	Describe the Institution of the Rulers on the local, national and international levels? What are their responsibilities, guidelines and limits of authority?  {The Universal House of Justice, The National Spiritual Assembly, The Local Spiritual Assembly }

	5)	What 14 documents revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are the mandate and the supreme charter for teaching the Faith throughout the 5 continents?  {Tablets of the Divine Plan}

	6)	How did Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice further expand, define 			and implement the “Tablets of the Divine Plan” through successive systematic plans?

	7)	What are the Ages, Cycles, Eras, and Epochs in Bahá’í History?

DEFINITIONS: (Basic Bahá’í Dictionary, Editor Wendi Momen, George Ronald Press 1989)

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Institution of the Learned & Tablets of the Divine Plan:

Assistants to the Auxiliary Board: 
Members of the appointed arm of the Administrative Order who help. with the work of Auxiliary Board Members. An Assistant’s work may either be general, though usually more limited geographically than that of the Auxiliary Board Member he/she serves, or he may be assigned a particular function, such as working with youth of encouraging the education of children. Unlike other members of the appointed arm, Assistants may simultaneously serve on the elected arm as members of the local or national spiritual assemblies or their committees. 

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Auxiliary Board: 
An institution created by Shoghi Effendi in 1954 to assist the Hands of the Cause of God. In 1968 the Auxiliary Boards were placed under the direction of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, who appoint Auxiliary Board Members from among the Baha'is living in their geographical zone. In 1973 the Universal House of Justice allowed the Continental Boards to authorize Auxiliary Board Members to appoint Assistants. Each zone has two Auxiliary Boards. The Protection Boards protect the Faith from attack by external enemies and Covenant-breakers, encourage believers to deepen their knowledge of and loyalty to the Covenant and promote unity in Bahá’í communities. The Propagation Boards promote teaching work, assist in the achievement of the goals of teaching plans and encourage contribution to the funds. The Auxiliary Board Members and their Assistants work directly with individuals, groups and local spiritual assemblies. They do not make administrative decisions or judgments, but offer advice and counsel. Auxiliary Board Members are eligible for any elective office but if elected to a local or national spiritual assembly must choose between accepting the post and remaining on the Board. If elected to the Universal House of Justice, the Auxiliary Board Member ceases to be a member of the Board.

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Continental Board of Counsellors: 
An institution created in 1968 by the Universal House of Justice as a means of developing 'the institution of the Hands of the Cause with a view to extension into the future of its appointed functions of protection and propagation,” as the House had already indicated that it saw 'no way in which additional Hands of the Cause of God” could be appointed.
{‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Selections of the Writings, p. 32}

The duties of the Counsellors include “directing the Auxiliary Boards in their respective areas, consulting and collaborating with national spiritual assemblies, and keeping the Hands of the Cause and the Universal House of Justice informed concerning the conditions of the Cause in their areas.”
{Star of the West Vol. III no. 13 p. 15}

Counsellors are appointed for terms of five years and function as Counsellors only when in the continent to which they have ben appointed, unless they are eligible for any elective office, except the Universal House of Justice. If elected to the Universal House of Justice, the Counsellor ceases to be a member of the Board of Counsellors.

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Guardian: 
The Guardianship. as an institution was anticipated in the Kitab-i-Aqdas and formally stated in. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Will and Testament, in which He named Shoghi Effendi as “the guardian of the Cause of God” and “the expounder of the words of God,” {‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Will and Testament p. 11} whose word was to be infallible and binding on all. His successor was to be appointed by him from his descendants. The Guardian was to act as sole interpreter of the Bahá’í Scriptures, while power to legislate on questions not mentioned in the Sacred Texts was given exclusively to the Universal House of Justice as whose permanent head he was to serve. When Shoghi Effendi died in 1957, however, the Universal House of Justice had not yet been elected.

The successor to the Guardian was to be his first-born son or another male member of the family of Bahá’u’lláh. However, Shoghi Effendi died without children and was unable to appoint a successor from among the members of Bahá’u’lláh’s family as they had all broken the Covenant. In 1963 the Universal House of Justice sent the following cable to the Bahá’ís of the world: “After prayerful and careful study of the Holy Texts bearing upon the question of the appointment of the successor to Shoghi Effendi as Guardian of the Cause of God, and after prolonged consultation…the Universal House of Justice finds that there is no way to appoint or legislate to make it possible to appoint a second Guardian to succeed Shoghi Effendi.” 
{Universal House of Justice in Wellspring of Guidance, p. 11}

Thus in one sense the institution of the Guardianship. came to an end, because there could be no new Guardians; but in another sense the institution continues on, as the voluminous writings of Shoghi Effendi set a lasting standard of guidance for the future.

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Hand of the Cause of God: 
Individuals appointed first by Bahá’u’lláh, and then by Shoghi Effendi, who were charged with the specific duties of protecting and propagating the Faith. Bahá’u’lláh appointed four individuals. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His book “Memorials of the Faithful”named four people as having been Hands of the Cause.

In His Will and Testament, 'Abdu'l-Baha developed the institution of the Hands of the Cause: “The Hands of the Cause of God must be nominated and appointed by the guardian of the Cause of God. All must be under his shadow and obey his command…The obligations of the Hands of the Cause are to diffuse the Divine Fragrances, to edify the souls of men, to promote learning, to improve the character of all men and to be, at all times and under all conditions, sanctified and detached from earthly things. They must manifest the fear of God by their conduct, their manners, their deeds and their words. This body of the Hands of the Cause of God is under the direction of the guardian of the Cause of God.” 
{‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will & Testament, p. 12}

One of the responsibilities of the Hands of the Cause is to protect the Faith from those wishing to harm it and to expel those who attack it: “…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.” 
{‘Abdu’l-Bahá,Will & Testament, p. 12}

Further, the Hands of the Cause must assent to the choice of a successor to the guardian. They “must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the guardian of the Cause of God. The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor.” 
{‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will & Testament, p. 12 }

Several people were posthumously appointed Hands of the Cause by Shoghi Effendi, among them Martha Root, John E. Esslemont and Louis Gregory. In December 1951 he appointed the first contingent of living Hands of the Cause, twelve in number. A second contingent of seven Hands was appointed in February 1952. Five Hands were appointed singly between March 1952 and March 1957, and a final contingent of eight Hands was appointed in October 1957.

In the letter appointing this final contingent, Shoghi Effendi referred to the Hands of the Cause as the 'Chief Stewards of Bahá’u’lláh’s Embryonic World Commonwealth' {Shoghi Effendi, Messages, p. 127} It was this phrase which enabled the Hands of the Cause legally to take charge of the Bahá’í properties in the Holy Land on the unexpected death of Shoghi Effendi in November, 1957.

In the period between the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957 and the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963, the Hands of the cause directed the affairs of the Faith, enabled the Bahá’ís to complete the Ten Year Crusade and called for the election of the House of Justice, for which they decreed themselves ineligible. This period is known as the Interregnum of the Hands of the Cause. 

In November 1964 the Universal House of Justice made the following announcement: 'There is no way to appoint, or to legislate to make it possible to appoint, Hands of the Cause of God.' {Universal House of Justice in Wellspring of Guidance, p. 41} The functions of the institution of the Hands of the Cause were extended into the future by the creation in 1968 of the Continental Boards of Counsellors.

The Universal House of Justice stated in 1964 that “the exalted rank and specific functions of the Hands of the Cause of God make it inappropriate for them to be elected or appointed to administrative institutions, or to be elected as delegates to national conventions. 'All of the Hands are, however, members of the International Teaching Center based in the Holy Land.

See the following modules for stories of several Hands of the Cause of God :

	Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum		Module 3

	Ismu'lláhu'l-Asdaq							Module 4

	Louis Gregory								Module 10

	Martha Root								Module 11

See additional references at the end of this module for a complete listing of all the Hands of the Cause of God.

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Learned: 
The appointed branch of the Bahá’í Administrative Order: “Blesses are the rulers and the learned among the people of Bahá. They are My trustees among my servants and the manifestations of My commandments admist My people.” 
{Bahá’u’lláh in Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 221}

The institution of the Learned includes the Hands of the Cause of God, the Continental Board of Counsellors and the Auxiliary Board and their assistants. The function of the learned within the Bahá’í Administrative Order is advisory and inspirational, in contrast to that of the elected branch or rulers. The members of this institution are appointed and function as individuals rather than as a body.

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Tablets of the Divine Plan : 
Fourteen Tablets revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during the First World War, addressed to the Bahá’ís in North America and received by them in 1919, which Shoghi Effendi has called the “mandate” and “the supreme charter for teaching.” {‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. vii} They are addressed either to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada as one body or to one of five regional areas of North America.

The “mandate” was to carry the “fame of the Cause of God” to the East and to the West and to spread the Glad Tidings of the coming of Bahá’u’lláh throughout the five continents of the world. {‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 38} In all, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá mentioned some 120 territories and islands to which the message of Bahá’u’lláh was to be carried.

The first eight Tablets were revealed between 26 March and 22 April 1916, and the final six between 2 February and 8 March 1917. Of the first group, five Tablets reached America and were published in the 8 September 1916 issue of Star of the West. After that, communication with the Holy Land was cut off and the rest of the Tablets remained in the vault under the Shrine of the Báb until the end of the war. They were dispatched to America and unveiled in a ceremony during the “Convention of the Covenant” held at the Hotel McAlpin in New York in April, 1919.

An immediate response to the Tablets was made by Martha Root, who began her world travels, and by Mr and Mrs Hyde Dunn, who arose to move to Australia. However, it was not until 1937, when Shoghi Effendi gave the American believers the First Seven Year Plan, that the Divine Plan began to be generally implemented.

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Institution of the Rulers & the Election Process

Convention: 
A gathering of delegates for the purpose of electing an administrative body or for electing delegates who will in turn elect that body. Unit, district, state or other sub-national conventions are held to elect delegates who will in turn vote for the national spiritual assembly.

All the adult Bahá’ís in a given geographic locality will comprise the delegates for a particular sub-national convention, which takes place annually. They elect one of their number to serve as a delegate to the National Convention. The number of delegates to the National Convention is determined by the Universal House of Justice and advised to the national assembly which draws up. the electoral units.

The National Convention is generally held annually during the Ridvan period (21 April-2 May). The delegates to the National Convention vote for the members of the national assembly. They are free to vote for any adult Bahá’í in the country and are not limited to voting for other delegates. Apart from this election, the function of the Convention is to consult with the incoming national assembly.

Shoghi Effendi wrote: “It is the vital duty of the delegates to unburden their hearts, state their grievances, disclose their views, and explain their motives. It is the duty of the National Assembly to give earnest, prompt and prayerful consideration to the views of the delegates, weigh carefully their arguments and ponder their considered judgments, before they resort to voting and undertake to arrive at a decision according to the dictates of their conscience. They should explain their motives and not dictate: seek information and invite discussion.”
{Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, #391}

The International Convention takes place in Haifa during the Ridvan period, at present once every five years. Its purpose is to elect the members of the Universal House of Justice. The delegates to this convention are the members of the national spiritual assemblies currently serving. They are free to vote for any adult male Bahá’í in the world and are not limited to voting for other national assembly members. In addition to the election, delegates also consult on a variety of topics of importance to the Faith.

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Election: 
The selection of membership. of local and national spiritual assemblies and the Universal House of Justice. All Bahá’í elections are conducted by secret ballot without nomination, canvassing or any form of electioneering. 

The election process requires the elector to write down the names of those individuals (presently nine for local and national spiritual assemblies and the Universal House of Justice, generally one for election of delegates to the national convention) whom he feels are the most suitable for service. There is no discussion of personalities before an election. Those people with the highest number of votes assume office. Local and national assemblies elect their officers from among their own number. The election of officers is conducted as other Bahá’í elections, except that a person must receive at least five votes to be elected to a particular office.

All adult Bahá’ís in good standing in a specific locality are eligible to vote for, and to be elected to, the local spiritual assembly. All adult Bahá’ís in good standing in a particular electoral unit are eligible to vote for, or to be elected as, a delegate to the national convention. Delegates to the national convention vote for the members of the national spiritual assembly, the members of which are drawn from all adult Bahá’ís in the country, and not merely from the body of the delegates. National spiritual assembly members elect the members of the Universal House of Justice from among the adult Bahá’í males of the world community.

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House of Justice: 
The administrative and governing institution of a Bahá’í community. Local and national (or secondary) Houses of Justice are presently called spiritual assemblies, but Shoghi Effendi has stated that these will eventually evolve into and be named “Houses of Justice.” {Shoghi Effendi,  World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 5-7 }At the international level, however, the name of the supreme authority in the Bahá’í world is the Universal House of Justice.

The House of Justice was first ordained in the Kitab-i-Aqdas of Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá’u’lláh calls for the formation of a House of Justice wherever 'shall gather counsellors to the number of Bahá (9) {Local Spiritual Assemblies Compilation, p. 3}‘Abdu’l-Bahá laid down that they should be elected bodies: the local Houses of Justice to be elected by all the Bahá’ís in an area; the national body through indirect election by delegates; and the Universal House of Justice by the national bodies.

Among the functions of the House of Justice are the following: to promulgate the Cause of God; to educate the souls of men; to preserve the law; to make the land prosperous; to administer social affairs; to educate the children; and to take care of the old, the weak and the ill who have fallen into poverty.

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Local Spiritual Assembly: 
The local administrative body of the Bahá’í community. The nine members are directly elected from among the body of the believers in a community every Ridvan and serve for a period of one year. All adult believers in a given community are eligible for election to the local spiritual assembly. The assembly elects its own officers for the year and meets as often as it sees necessary. The local assembly oversees the teaching and other work of the Bahá’í community, conducts marriages and funerals, provides for the Bahá’í education of the children in its community, ensures the holding of the Bahá’í Holy Days and the Nineteen Day Feasts, and provides advice, guidance and assistance for those in difficulty. All its decisions are made after consultation.

Bahá’u’lláh called for the creation of local spiritual assemblies in the Kitab-i-Aqdas: “The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counsellors to the number of Baha (9)…” {Local Spiritual Assemblies Compilation, p. 5} The Local House of Justice is presently called the local spiritual assembly, but it is clear that the two institutions are the same: “…the Spiritual Assemblies of today will be replaced in time by the Houses of Justice, and are to all intents and purposes identical and not separate bodies.” {Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 6}“For reasons which are not difficult to discover, it has been found advisable to bestow upon the elected representatives of Bahá’í communities throughout the world the temporary appellation of Spiritual Assemblies…” {Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 7}

Shoghi Effendi has characterized the local spiritual assemblies thus: “instituted, without any exception, where nine or more adult believers are resident, annually and directly elected, on the first day of the greatest Bahá’í Festival [Ridvan] by all adult believers, man and woman alike; invested with an authority rendering them unanswerable for their acts and decisions to those who elect them; solemnly pledged to follow, under all conditions, the dictates of the “Most Great Justice”…charged with the responsibility of promoting at all times the best interests of the communities within their jurisdiction, of familiarizing them with their plans and activities, and of inviting them to offer any recommendations they might wish to make…supported by local funds to which all believers voluntarily contribute…” 
{Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 331}

“Regarding the relationship. of the Cause to the Administration; the Bahá'í Faith, as the Guardian himself has repeatedly and emphatically stated cannot be confined to a mere system of organization, however elaborate in its features and universal in its scope it may be. Organization is only a means to the realization of its aims and ideals, and not an end in itself. To divorce the two, however, would be to mutilate the Cause itself, as they stand inseparably bound to each other, in very much the same relationship. existing between the soul and body in the world of human existence.”
{Shoghi Effendi, April 19, 1939,  Lights of Guidance, p. 2}

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National Spiritual Assembly: 
The national administrative body of the Bahá’í Faith. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will and Testament wrote: “in all countries a secondary House of Justice must be instituted, and these secondary Houses of Justice must elect the members of the Universal One”  {‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will and Testament, p. 14} The secondary House of Justice is for the present called the national spiritual assembly.

Shoghi Effendi has outlined the election, work and responsibilities of the national spiritual assemblies: “In countries where the local Bahá’í communities had sufficiently advanced in number and in influence measures were taken for the initiation of National Assemblies, the pivots round which all national undertakings must revolve. Designated by 'Abdu'l-Baha in His Will as the “Secondary House of Justice,” they constitute the electoral bodies in the formation of the International House of Justice, and are empowered to direct, unify, coordinate and stimulate the activities of individuals as well as local Assemblies within their jurisdiction. Resting on the broad base of organized local communities, themselves pillars sustaining the institution which must be regarded as the apex of the Bahá’í Administrative Order, these Assemblies are elected, according to the principle of proportional representation, by delegates representative of Bahá’í local communities assembled at Convention during the period of the Ridvan Festival; are possessed of the necessary authority to enable them to insure the harmonious and efficient development of Bahá’í activity within their respective spheres; are freed from all direct responsibility for their policies and decisions to their electorates; are charged with the sacred duty of consulting the views, of inviting the recommendations and of securing the confidence and cooperation of the delegates and of acquainting them with their plans, problems and actions; and are supported by the resources of national funds to which all ranks of the faithful are urged to contribute.”
{Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 332}

In 1988 there were 148 national spiritual assemblies.

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Rulers: 
The elected branch of the Bahá’í Administrative Order which includes the Local, National and International Houses of Justice ( presently called the Local and National Spiritual Assemblies and the Universal House of Justice ). The function of the institution of the rulers in contrast to that of the learned is decision making and legislative. 

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Universal House of Justice: 
Supreme administrative body of the Bahá’í Faith, ordained by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Its membership. is confined to men, at present fixed at nine. The Universal House of Justice is elected every five years by the members of the national spiritual assemblies who gather at an International Convention for the purpose. The Universal House of Justice is infallible.

In the Tablet of Carmel Bahá’u’lláh refers to the Ark which will sail upon Mount Carmel. Shoghi Effendi states, “Bahá’u’lláh refers to an “Ark,” whose dwellers are the men of the Supreme House of Justice...The “sailing of the Ark” of His laws is a establishment of the Universal House of Justice.”
{Dr. Ruhe,  Door of Hope, p. 171}

In His Will and Testament ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states that the Universal House of Justice, with the Guardian, is under the care and protection of the Abhá Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of His Holiness, the Exalted One “. . . Whatsoever they decide is of God. Whoso obeyeth him not, neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God; whoso rebelleth against him and against them hath rebelled against God; whoso opposeth him hath opposed God; whoso contendeth with them hath contended with God…” {‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will & Testament, p. 11} The Universal House of Justice is the “source of all good and freed from all error.” {‘Abdu’l-Bahá,  Will & Testament, p. 14 } “Everything which is not expressly recorded in the Writings 'must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority cloth carry, that is verily the Truth and the Purpose of God himself.” {‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will & Testament, p. 19}The Universal House of Justice has power to enact laws that are not expressly recorded in the Book and power to repeal the same...The House of Justice is both the Initiator and the Abrogator of its own laws.
{‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will & Testament, p. 20 }

The Universal House of Justice was elected for the first time in 1963. See following for a list of its membership. 

See additional references at the end of this module for a complete listing of all the members of the Universal House of Justice.

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Elements of Bahá’í History: Age, Cycle, Era, Epoch

Age: 
Divisions of the Bahá’í Era corresponding to stages in the development and growth of the Bahá’í Faith. The first century of the Bahá’í Era (1844-1944) may be said to comprise the Heroic, Primitive or Apostolic Age as well as the initial stages of the Formative, Transitional or Iron Age, which is the present Age. The future will see the Golden Age, which will witness the establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth.

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Bahá’í Cycle:
A period of time beginning with the Declaration of the Báb, including the Bahá’í Dispensation (the Bahá’í Era) and extending beyond it into the future, to include the dispensations of future Manifestations of God who shall be under the shadow of Bahá’u’lláh. In a letter interpreting a Zoroastrian prophecy, 'Abdu'l-Baha described the Bahá’í Cycle as lasting “at least five hundred thousand years.” {Shoghi Effendi in World Order of Bahá’u’lláh p. 102 }The Bahá’í Cycle is also called by Shoghi Effendi the “Era of Fulfillment,” which succeeded the “Prophetic Era” or “Adamic Cycle.”

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Bahá’í Era: 
The period of the Bahá’í dispensation beginning with the Declaration of the Báb on 23 May 1844, and ending with the appearance of a new Manifestation of God at some date in the future. The Bahá’í Era is promised by Bahá’u’lláh to last no less than a thousand years. The opening of the Bahá’í Era marks the end of the Prophetic Era (Adamic Cycle) and the beginning of the Era of Fulfillment or Bahá’í Cycle.

Shoghi Effendi has identified three phases or “Ages” of the Bahá’í Era. These are the Apostolic, Heroic or Primitive Age (1-77 BE/AD 1844-1921), which began with the Declaration of the Báb and included three epoches comprising the Bábí dispensation and the ministries of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ; the Transitional, Formative or Iron Age (77 BE or 1921 ) which began with the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and includes the time in which we live now; and the Golden Age, which shall see the achievement of world civilization and the Most Great Peace.

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Epoch: 
Period or division of the three ages through which the Bahá’í Faith must pass. The Heroic, or Apostolic Age, “fell into three distinct epochs, of nine, of thirty-nine and of twenty-nine years” duration, associated respectively with the Bábi Dispensation and the ministries of Bahá’u’lláh and of 'Abdu'l-Baha.” {Shoghi Effendi, Letter dated June 5, 1949} The first epoch of the Formative Age (1921-44/46) witnessed the “birth and the primary stages in the erection of the framework of the Administrative Order of the Faith.” {Shoghi Effendi, Citadels of Faith, p. 5} The second epoch (1946-63) witnessed the “formulation of a succession of teaching plans designed to facilitate the development of the Faith beyond the confines of the Western Hemisphere and the continent of Europe.” {Shoghi Effendi, Citadels of Faith, p. 6}The second epoch also witnessed the “appointment of the Hands of the Cause, the introduction of Auxiliary Boards and the establishment of the International Bahá’í Council. The culminating event of the epoch was the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963.” {Research Dept. of the Universal House of Justice, Feb., 1986} The third epoch (1963-86) witnessed “the emergence of the Faith from obscurity and the initiation of activities designed to foster the social and economic development of communities…” {Research Dept. of the Universal House of Justice, Feb., 1986 } The Institution of the Continental Boards of Counsellors was brought into existence leading to the establishment of the International Teaching Centre. Assistants to the Auxiliary Boards were also introduced. The Seat of the Universal House of Justice was designed and built in this epoch. The fourth epoch (1986-) saw the beginning of the process whereby “the specific goals for each national community will be formulated, within the framework of the overall objectives of the [Six Year Teaching] Plan, by means of consultation between the particular National Spiritual Assembly and the Continental Board of Counsellors.” {Research Dept. of the Universal House of Justice, Feb., 1986}

In addition, the term “epochs” was also used by Shoghi Effendi to refer to the phases in the unfoldment of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan. The first epoch of this Plan began in 1937 with the inception of the First Seven Year Plan by the North American Bahá’í community and concluded with the completion of the Ten Year Crusade in 1963. The second epoch began in 1964 with the inauguration of the Nine Year Plan of the Universal House of Justice.

 Cycles / Era / Ages / Epochs

Bahá’í Cycle			1844 -> 500,000 years

Bahá’í Era			1844 -> 1,000 years Báb + Bahá’u’lláh Dispensation

Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh	1863 -> 1,000 years minimum
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
Heroic Age / Primitive / Apostolic	1844-1921
	1st Epoch			1844-1850 Ministry of the Báb

	2nd Epoch			1853-1892 Ministry of Bahá’u’lláh

	3rd Epoch			1892-1921 Ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
Formative Age / Transitional / Iron	1921 ->
	1st Epoch			1921 - 1944 or 1946
		1st stage			1st plan-> 7 years 1937-1944

	2nd Epoch			1944-1963
		2nd stage			2nd plan-> 7 years 1946-1953
		3rd stage			3rd plan -> 10 years 1953-1963

	3rd Epoch			1963-1986
		1st stage			4th plan -> 9 years 1964-1973
		2nd stage			5th plan -> 5 years 1974-1979
		3rd stage			6th plan-> 7 years 1979-1986

	4th Epoch			1986-
		1st stage			7th plan-> 6 years 1986-1992
		2nd stage			8th plan-> 3 years 1992-1996
						9th plan -> 4 years 1996-2000
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
Golden Age			  	Establishment of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh
						  	Unification of all peoples & nations of the world
						  	Establishment of the Most Great Peace
						  	Inaugurate the Kingdom of the Father on earth
						  	Coming of age of the entire human race
						  	Birth of a world civilization, inspired and directed by the creative energies  released by Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order

QUOTES:

“It is incumbent upon everyone to aid those daysprings of authority and sources of command who are adorned with the ornament of equity and justice. Blessed are the rulers and the learned among the people of Baha. They are My trustees among My servants and the manifestations of My commandments amidst My people. Upon them rest My glory.
{Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 221}

“This Administrative Order consists, on the one hand, of a series of elected councils, universal, secondary and local, in which are vested legislative, executive and judicial powers over the Baha'i community and, on the other, of eminent and devoted believers appointed for the specific purposes of protecting and propagating the Faith of Baha'u'llah under the guidance of the Head of that Faith.”
{The Universal House of Justice, The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice, p. 8}

In the Kitab-i-‘Ahd (the Book of His Covenant) Baha'u'llah wrote “Blessed are the rulers and the learned in Al-Baha,” and referring to this very passage the beloved Guardian wrote on 4 November 1931: “In this holy cycle the ‘learned' are, on the one hand, the Hands of the Cause of God, and, on the other, the teachers and diffusers of His teachings who do not rank as Hands, but who have attained an eminent position in the teaching work. As to the ‘rulers' they refer to the members of the Local, National and International Houses of Justice. The duties of each of these souls will be determined in the future.” 
(Baha'u'llah, Translated from the Persian)

RECOMMENDED READINGS :

	“Bahá’í Electoral Process” by Daniel Jordan
	“The Spiritual Conquest of the Planet” by the National Teaching Committee
	Principles of Bahá’í Administration - a compilation
	“Developing Distinctive Communities” - Guidelines for the Local Spiritual Assembly
	“Tablets of the Divine Plan” by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 
	Brilliant Star Magazine
	The Collected writings of the Guardian of the Faith - Shoghi Effendi
	Advent of Divine Justice (1938)
	Bahá’í Administration (1922-1932)
	Dawn of a New Day (1923-1957)
	Directives Guardian
	God Passes By (1944)
	High Endeavors Alaska
	Letters to Australia  (1923-1957)
	Light Divine Guidance   (1923 -1957)
	Messages to America  (1932-1946)
	Messages to Canada  (1923-1957)
	Messages of Shoghi Effendi
	Messages to the Bahá’í World  (1950-1957)
	Promised Day is Come  (1941)
	Unfolding Destiny
	World Order of Bahá’u’lláh  (1938)
	Collected Letters and compilations of the Universal House of Justice

Hands of the Cause of God

Appointed by Bahá’u’lláh (# 4, all posthumously)

Hájí Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar-i-Shahmírzádí or Hájí Akhúnd		1842-1910
Hájí Mírzá Muhammad Taqíy-i-Abharíor or Ibd-i-Abhar	?-1917 Ishqábáb 
Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan or Adíbu’l-’Ulamá or Abíd or	1848-1919
Mírzá ‘Alí-Muhammad or Ibn-i-Asdaq
Martyr, son of Martyr

Appointed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (# 4, all posthumously)

Aqá Muhammad-i-Qá’iní or Nábil-i-Akbar
Mírzá ‘Alí-Muhammad-i-Varqá or the martyr
Shaykh Muhammad-Ridáy-i-Yazdí
Mullá Sádiq-i-Muqaddas or Ismu’lláhu’l-Asdaq

Appointed by Shoghi Effendi (# 42, with 10 of that number posthumously)

								Birth						Death					Appoint

Shu'á'u'lláh 'Alá'í				1888 	Tehran, Persia		1984 	Scottsdale, AZ		1952
Hájí Abú'l-Hasan, (Hájí Amin )	   ?								1928 					1928; ph 
Agnes Alexander 			1875 	Honolulu, Hawaii	1971	 Honolulu, Hawaii		1957
Dorothy Baker 					1898 	Newark, NJ		1954	 Mediterranean		1951
Hasan Balyuzi 					1908	Shiraz, Persia		1980	 London, England		1957
Músá Banání 					1886	Baghdad			1971	 Kampala, Uganda		1952
Amelia Collins 					1873	Pittsburgh, PA		1962	 Haifa			1951
Clara Dunn 					1869 	London, England	1960	 Sydney, Australia		1952
John Henry Hyde-Dunn 		1855 	London, England	1941	 Sydney, Australia		1952; ph
John Esslemont 				1874 	Aberdeenshire		1925	 Haifa			1925; ph
Abu'l-Qásim Faizí 			1906 	Qum, Persia		1980	 Haifa			1957
Collis Featherstone			1913 	Quorn, Australia	1990	 Katmandu, Nepal		1957
John Ferraby 					1914 	South Sea, England	1973	 Cambridge, England	1957
'Ali-Akbar Furútan 			1905						ALIVE				1951
Ugo Giachery 					1896 	Italy				1989	 Western Samoa		1951
Louis Gregory 					1874 	Charleston, SC		1951	 Eliot, Maine		1951; ph
Hermann Grossman 			1899 	Germany			1968	 Rosario, Argentina 	1951
Paul Haney					1909 	Evanston, IL		1982	 Haifa			1954
Horace Holley 					1887 	Torrington, CN		1960	 Haifa			1951
Leroy Ioas 					1896	Wilmington, IL		1965 	Haifa			1951
Amatu'l-Báhá Rúhíyyih Khánum 1910 	Montreal, Canada	ALIVE				1952
Jalál Kházeh					1897						1989					1953
Dhikru'lláh Khádem 			1905	Tehran, Persia		1986 	Chicago, Il		1952
William Sutherland Maxwell	1874	Montreal			1952	 Montreal, Canada		1951
Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir 		1923	Persia			1979	 Quito, Ecuador		1957
Adelbert Muhlschlegel 		1897	Berlin, Germany	1980	 Greece			1952
Enoch Olinga 					1926	Abaango,Uganda	1979	 Uganda			1957
Keith Ransom-Kehler 		1876 	Chicago, Ill		1933 	Isfahan, Persia		1933;ph
Charles Mason Remey		1874 	Burlington, Ohio	1974					1951
John Robarts 					1901						1991					1957
Martha Root 					1872 	Richwood, Ohio		1939	 Honolulu		1939;ph 
Mustafá Rúmí					  ? 			Baghdad, Iraq			1942 	Thingaygum,Burm	1945;ph
'Abdu'l-Jalíl Bey Sa'ad		  ?			Egypt				1942 	Egypt			1942;ph 
Tárázu'llah Samandari		1874 	Qazvin, Persia			1968	 Haifa			1951
Siegfried Schopflocher 		1877 	Germany				1953 	Montreal, Canada		1952
William Sears 					1911 	Duluth, MN			1992 	Tuscon, Arizona		1957
Muhammad Taqíy-i-Isfahání	  ? 			Persia				1946	 Egypt			1946;ph
George Townshend 			1899 	Dublin, Ireland			1957	 Dublin, Ireland		1951
Corinne True 					1861 	Oldham,Kentucky		1961	 Chicago		1952
Jináb-i-Valíyu'lláh Varqá 		1884 	Tabriz				1955	Stuggart, Germany	1951
Jináb-i-Hájí 'Ali-Muhammad
   Varqá 						1911							ALIVE			1955
Roy Wilhelm 					1875 	Zanesville, OH			1951 	N Lovell, Maine		1951;ph

				IBC	UHJ	UHJ	UHJ	UHJ	UHJ	UHJ	UHJ

# of voting NSAs				56	81	113	123	133	132	165

YEAR =>			1961	1963	1968	1973	1978	1983	1988	1993
		=====================================================================
Farzam Arbáb			-	-	-	-	-	-	-	93
Hugh Chance			-	63	68	73	78	83	88	-
Hooper Dunbar			-	-	-	-	-	-	88	93
Hushmand Fatheazam			-	63	68	73	78	83	88	93
Amoz Gibson (death 1982)		-	63	68	73	78	-	-	-
Lutfu’llah Hakim (death 1968)	61	63	-	-	-	-	-	-
David Hofman			-	63	68	73	78	83	-	-
Sylvia Ioas			61	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Borrah Kavelin (death)		61	63	68	73	78	83	-	-
Peter Khan			-	-	-	-	-	(87)	88	93
Douglas Martin			-	-	-	-	-	-	-	93
Glenford Mitchell			-	-	-	-	(82)	83	88	93
Mildred Mottahedeh			61	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ali Nakhjavani			61	63	68	73	78	83	88	93
Ethel Revell			61	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jessie Revell			61	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
David Ruhe			-	-	68	73	78	83	88	-
Ian Semple			61	63	68	73	78	83	88	93
Adib Taherzadeh			-	-	-	-	-	-	88	93
Charles Wolcott (death 1987)		61	63	68	73	78	83	-	-	

Story of Ismu’lláhu’l-Asdaq 
Hand of the Cause of God

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
“Memorials of the Faithful”

Ismu'lláhu'l-Asdaq was truly a servant of the Lord from the beginning of life till his last breath. When young, he joined the circle of the late Siyyid Kazim and became one of his disciples. He was known in Persia for his purity of life, winning fame as Mulla Sadiq the saintly. He was a blessed individual, a man accomplished, learned, and much honored. The people of Khurasan were strongly attached to him, for he was a great scholar and among the most renowned of matchless and unique divines. As a teacher of the Faith, he spoke with such eloquence, such extraordinary power, that his hearers were won over with great ease. 

After he had come to Baghdad and attained the presence of Baha’u’lláh, he was seated one day in the courtyard of the men's apartments, by the little garden. I was in one of the rooms just above, that gave onto the courtyard. At that moment a Persian prince, a grandson of Fath-'Ali Shah, arrived at the house. The prince said to him, "Who are you?" Ismu'llah answered, "I am a servant of this Threshhold. I am one of the keepers of this door." And as I listened from above, he began to teach the Faith. The prince at first objected violently; and yet, in a quarter of an hour, gently and benignly, Jinab-i-Ismu'llah had quieted him down. After the prince had so sharply denied what was said, and his face had so clearly reflected his fury, now his wrath was changed to smiles and he expressed the greatest satisfaction at having encountered Ismu'llah and heard what he had to say. 

He always taught cheerfully and with gaiety, and would respond gently and with good humor, no matter how much passionate anger might be turned against him by the one with whom he spoke. His way of teaching was excellent. He was truly Ismu'llah, the Name of God, not for his fame but because he was a chosen soul. 

Ismu'llah had memorized a great number of Islamic traditions and had mastered the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazim. He became a believer in Shiraz, in the early days of the Faith, and was soon widely known as such. And because he began to teach openly and boldly, they hung a halter on him and led him about the streets and bazars of the city. Even in that condition, composed and smiling, he kept on speaking to the people. He did not yield; he was not silenced. When they freed him he left Shiraz and went to Khurasan, and there, too, began to spread the Faith, following which he traveled on, in the company of Babu'l-Bab, to Fort Tabarsi. Here he endured intense sufferings as a member of that band of sacrificial victims. They took him prisoner at the Fort and delivered him over to the chiefs of Mazindaran, to lead him about and finally kill him in a certain district of that province. When, bound with chains, Ismu'llah was brought to the appointed place, God put it into one man's heart to free him from prison in the middle of the night and guide him to a place where he was safe. Throughout all these agonizing trials he remained staunch in his faith. 

Ismu'llah did not slacken under fire. Once freed, he taught more widely than ever. He spent every waking breath in calling the people to the Kingdom of God. In Iraq, he attained the presence of Baha'u'llah, and again in the Most Great Prison, receiving from Him grace and favor. 

He was like a surging sea, a falcon that soared high. His visage shone, his tongue was eloquent, his strength and steadfastness astounding. When he opened his lips to teach, the proofs would stream out; when he chanted or prayed, his eyes shed tears like a spring cloud. His face was luminous, his life spiritual, his knowledge both acquired and innate; and celestial was his ardor, his detachment from the world, his righteousness, his piety and fear of God. 

Ismu'llah's tomb is in Hamadan. Many a Tablet was revealed for him by the Supreme Pen of Baha'u'llah, including a special Visitation Tablet after his passing. He was a great personage, perfect in all things. 

Such blessed beings have now left this world. Thank God, they did not linger on, to witness the agonies that followed the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh--the intense afflictions; for firmly rooted mountains will shake and tremble at these, and the high-towering hills bow down. 

He was truly Ismu'llah, the Name of God. Fortunate is the one who circumambulates that tomb, who blesses himself with the dust of that grave. Upon him be salutations and praise in the Abhá Realm.