>>Abdu'l-Baha envisioned a Universal House of Justice that would have a living >>Guardian serving on it at all times, and as its Head. In that formulation, >>why wouldn't the infallibility of the House come through the Guardian?>>
I would like to offer some thoughts on this subject raised by Haji Mirza Jinab-i-Ahang Texas-i. The House of Justice has itself confirmed that Shoghi Effendi "obviously envisaged" the House of Justice and the Guardian functioning together. (Messages 1963-1986, p. 87) The House of Justice continues, however, that "it cannot logically be deduced from this that one is unable to function in the absence of the other. During the whole thirty-six years of his Guardianship Shoghi Effendi functioned without the Universal House of Justice. Now the Universal House of Justice must function without the Guardian..." (Ibid.) The House of Justice has published a number of quotations from the Master and from Shoghi Effendi that state that the divine guidance flowing to the Universal House of Justice comes through its elected members and is not derived from the Guardian: "Nowhere is it stated that the infallibility of the Universal House of Justice is by virtue of the Guardian's membership or presence on that body. Indeed, Abdu'l-Bahá in His Will and Shoghi Effendi in his 'Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh' have both explicitly stated that the elected members of the Universal House of Justice in consultation are recipients of unfailing Divine Guidance." (Messages, p. 157) This is one of the themes throughout the three great letters of the House of Justice on the subject of the House of Justice and the Guardian. This is not to minimize the role of the Guardian on that Body. As the Master's title is "Ghusn-i-Azam", Most Mighty Branch, Shoghi Effendi's title given him by the Master in His Will is "Ghusn-i-Mumtaz" which he translates as "Chosen Branch." The word "mumtaz" has a range of meanings, and it appears again in the Master's Will in this verse, translated by Shoghi Effendi as "distinguished": "By this body all the difficult problems are to be resolved and the Guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body." (The Will and Testament, p. 14) As the House says, though the vision of the Master was that these institutions would function together, the view that the infallibility of the House was through the Guardian is not supported in the Writings. There are several statements in the Master's Tablets and in the Guardian's writings that expressly state that infallible divine guidance flows directly to the elected members. This one is from the Will itself: "Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the Truth and the Purpose of God Himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath shown forth malice and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant. By this House is meant that Universal House of Justice *which is to be elected* from all countries, that is from those parts in the East and West where the loved ones are to be found, after the manner of the customary elections in Western countries such as those of England.... It is incumbent upon *these members* (of the Universal House of Justice) to gather in a certain place and deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book. Whatsoever *they* decide has the same effect as the Text itself." (Will and Testament p. 20; emphasis added). The point is made even more sharp by realizing that this verse, contained in the second part of the Will, was written when "not an hour's life" was left to the Master, and that there is no reference to Shoghi Effendi or to the institution of Guardianship in this second part of the Will. In a Tablet the Master refers to the guidance flowing to "the body of the House of Justice whose members are elected by and known to the worldwide Baha'i community" in these words: "Let it not be imagined that the House of Justice will take any decision according to its own concepts and opinions. God forbid! The Supreme House of Justice will take decisions and establish laws through the inspiration and confirmation of the Holy Spirit, because it is in the safekeeping and under the shelter and protection of the Ancient Beauty, and obedience to its decisions is a bounden and essential duty and an absolute obligation, and there is no escape for anyone. "Say, O People: Verily the Supreme House of Justice is under the wings of your Lord, the Compassionate, the All Merciful, that is under His protection, His care, and His shelter; for He has commanded the firm believers to obey that blessed, sanctified, and all-subduing body, whose sovereignty is divinely ordained and of the Kingdom of Heaven and whose laws are inspired and spiritual." (Quoted in Messages from the House of Justice p. 85) Then there is the passage from Shoghi Effendi's Dispensation letter referred to above by the House of Justice, which Mr. Nakhjavani told a 1973 audience he felt "should be written in gold": "'God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth,' is Baha'u'llah's incontrovertible assurance. They, and not the body of those who either directly or indirectly elect them, have thus been made the recipients of the divine guidance which is at once the life-blood and ultimate safeguard of this Revelation." (WOB 153 and quoted on p. 6 of the Constitution of the House of Justice) Brent __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
