Payment of Ḥuqúqu’lláh is considered one of the essential spiritual obligations laid down by Bahá’u’lláh, similar to prayer and fasting. It is also a unique test used to distinguish the friend from the stranger.
It is also important to note that if Ḥuqúqu’lláh is offered, but not paid willingly, with eagerness, love, and "with the utmost joy and radiance," it will not be accepted in the sight of God.
(Extracted from Ḥuqúqu’lláh - The Right of God by Firaydoun Javaheri, 2015)
A number of prayers and invocations exist which may be used on a daily basis. Thus, in one place, Baha' Allah recommends that his followers read each day the following verses of the Qur'an: "And he that fears God, God shall make for him a passage out, and He shall provide for him in a manner that he reckoned not; and he that relies upon God, God shall be a sufficiency unto him. God shall bring His cause to maturity, for He has appointed a measure for everything" (Qur'an 65:2-3). This passage is, he says, "the source of grace and bounty, and the dawning-place of compassion. Through it, if God wills, the door that is closed shall be opened and affairs that have been delayed shall be put into motion." (In lshraq Khavari, Ma'ida, VIII, p.100).
(Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism by Denis MacEoin, London: British Academic Press, 1994)
Specific prayers and practices exist concerning sleep and dreams within the Baha'i writings, notably those authored by Baha' Allah. A Prayer of Baha' Allah requesting that God reveal matters in sleep states that whoever reads it with love of the Lord in their heart "shall behold in his sleep whatsoever he desireth of the meeting with God". Separately, Baha' Allah provided a prayer "to be said after disturbed dreams" for individuals who are "grieved and saddened," which may also be recited upon waking generally, even after undisturbed dreams. Furthermore, there are two descriptive texts prescribing rituals explicitly "for the purpose of being shown visions in sleep," though MacEoin indicates the authenticity of the original texts is unknown; these rituals require the seeker to practice physical purity (washing hands/face or the entire body, wearing clean/pure robes/gowns) and spiritual devotion (turning toward the Divine, offering prayer, and supplicating God) before sleep to ensure that the "doors of revelation shall be opened" and that they "will have visions which will cause the door of doubts to be closed," leading to "comprehend[ing] realities and meanings".
(Extracted from Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism by Denis MacEoin, London: British Academic Press, 1994)
Explicit Claims and Interpretations of Divinity:
Claims to Supreme Divine Authority and Status:
Abdul-Baha, Abuse, Covenant-Breakers, Mirza Aqa Jan
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Bab, Denis MacEoin, Imam Husayn, Rituals, Shi'ih
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Baha'i Activities, History, Personal Observations
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The following list details individuals whose remains were transferred, disinterred, reinterred, reburied, or planned to be reburied, based on Baha'i sources:
The Báb: His sacred remains were transferred from Persia. The remains had been secretly hidden for ten years in ‘Akká in the room of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Instructions for their transfer to the Holy Land were issued by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and they arrived on January 31, 1899. They were subsequently transferred to Mount Carmel in Haifa and ceremoniously deposited (reinterred) on Naw-Rúz 1909 in the sacred sarcophagus within the exalted Shrine on Mount Carmel. Prior to their final resting place, the remains had been moved from one location to another for sixty years.
Mírzá Mihdí (The Purest Branch): The martyred son of Bahá’u’lláh, he died in ‘Akká in 1870. His remains were originally buried outside the city walls in an Arab cemetery. He was reunited with his mother and sister. Shoghi Effendi personally carried his coffin and transferred the blessed remains to the hallowed precincts of the Shrines on Mount Carmel, where they were reinterred near the Greatest Holy Leaf on Christmas Day, December 25, 1939.
Ásíyih Khánum (Navváb / Most Exalted Leaf / Master’s Mother): The wife of Bahá’u’lláh. She was originally buried in a Muslim cemetery near ‘Akká. After suffering the humiliation of an alien burial-ground for over half a century, Shoghi Effendi engineered the transfer of her body. Her remains were temporarily laid in state in the Báb’s Holy Tomb before being reinterred alongside her son, Mírzá Mihdí, near the resting place of the Greatest Holy Leaf on Christmas Day, December 25, 1939, on Mount Carmel.
Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí: Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful half-brother and companion in exile. He passed away in 1910, and his remains were buried on his land at Nuqayb on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, as instructed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Due to land expropriation by the Israeli government, negotiations led to the designation of a new Bahá’í cemetery. His remains, along with eleven members of his family, were ceremoniously conveyed and reinterred in the new Bahá’í cemetery on Tel Susita on Friday, October 18, 1985.
Eleven Members of Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí’s Family: This group included his two wives, his son Dhikr'u'llah, and other relatives. Their remains were reinterred alongside Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí on October 18, 1985, in the new Bahá’í cemetery near the Sea of Galilee.
Mírzá Ḍíyáʼu'lláh Effendi: The younger brother of Mírzá Muḥammad ‘Alí, labelled a Covenant-breaker. He was initially buried next to his father at the Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh at the Mansion of Bahjí. His remains were later disinterred and removed from the immediate precincts of the Holy Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, a process announced in November 1965 as the final step in the purification of sacred endowments at Bahjí from past contamination.
Mírzá Buzurg (Father of Bahá’u’lláh): He died in 1839 and was interred in Najaf, Iraq. In 1957, his remains were located and transferred or reinterred in a Bahai cemetery in Baghdad.
Keith Ransom-Kehler, Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan (King of Martyrs), and the Beloved of Martyrs: These three martyrs were buried in a cemetery in Isfahan, Iran, which was planned for demolition. Forough Maghzi hid their remains until they could be safely reinterred at a new location.
Baháʼuʼlláh (Planned Transfer/Reburial): A misunderstanding existed among many Bahá’ís, including Corinne True, in late 1911 that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá intended to bring His sacred remains to be reburied beneath the Chicago Temple.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Discussed Transfer/Reburial): During the construction of the Shrine of the Báb, Shoghi Effendi noted that it was nearly impossible to transfer His remains to another place. If a transfer were necessary, the place where His remains would be temporarily reburied had to be worthy. Furthermore, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had expressed a wish to be buried under the sand between Haifa and ‘Akka, the pathway trodden by loved ones, with no marker. But, the UHJ is making a brand new shrine for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, near the Riḍván Garden in Israel with an estimated budget of $75 to $77 million, funded by donations from Bahá’ís.
Shoghi Effendi (Planned Future Transfer): The beloved Guardian passed away in London in 1957. Although he was interred in the Great Northern Cemetery at New Southgate, the Hands of the Cause deliberately chose a specialized casket (a hermetically sealed lead coffin within a bronze casket) so that it would be possible to convey his sacred remains to the Holy Land in the future, when quick transport became available.
Covenant-Breakers, New World Order (NWO), Personal Observations
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The Baha’i Faith presents itself as a universal world religion, claiming to complete and fulfill all previous historical faiths.
Universal Scope: The claim is explicitly universal, envisioning the eventual inclusion of all humanity within the Baha’i system.
Superseding Revelation: Baha’is regard Baha’u’llah as a new Manifestation of God with a revelation intended for the entire world. This revelation fulfills and supersedes all previous religious dispensations—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and others—rendering their laws and rites no longer binding.
Temporal Exclusivity: Baha’u’llah’s revelation inaugurates a new, all-encompassing cycle (the Baha’i Cycle). During the current thousand-year period, the Baha’i Faith is the sole divinely valid religion. The simultaneous validity of multiple independent religions is explicitly denied. The Baha’i law revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas is absolutely and universally binding.
Prophetic Authority: The authority of Baha’u’llah is regarded as absolute and infallible. No criticism of his revealed knowledge is permitted.
The Absolute Claim extends into the social realm through the goal of establishing a theocratic world order.
The envisioned system is a universal commonwealth governed exclusively by Baha’i law and principles.
Baha’i social laws are intended to be binding even for non-Baha’is within this anticipated order.
This system requires the overcoming of national sovereignty and the replacement of existing religious and political systems with a centralized Baha’i administration.
The Baha’i Faith publicly promotes significant ideals of tolerance, unity, and openness, especially in its ethical teachings and its appeals to Western audiences.
Global Unity: The Faith teaches the unity of humanity, nations, and religions, calling for the elimination of all religious, racial, and national prejudices. Loving the entire human race is presented as the highest virtue.
Peace and Nonviolence: Baha’u’llah firmly rejected holy war and violence, marking a clear departure from elements of early Babism.
Religious Dialogue: The Faith affirms the divine origin of the major scriptural religions and views them as different expressions of one eternal religious truth.
Intellectual Freedom and Science: The human intellect is held in high regard, and the Faith teaches the harmony of science and religion: “Any religion not in accord with science is ignorance.” It also upholds the principle of the independent search for truth and states that no one should be coerced into belief.
The period of ‘Abdu’l-Baha (1892–1921) was marked by an outward emphasis on tolerance and flexibility.
‘Abdu’l-Baha minimized complex Persian theosophy and legal details when addressing Western audiences, presenting the Faith primarily as a religion of unity, love, and reason.
He largely refrained from emphasizing the absolute doctrinal claims of Baha’u’llah and instead portrayed the Faith as an inclusive, ecumenical movement, easing Western concerns about the strict legal prescriptions of the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
Despite its public message of freedom, unity, and tolerance, the inner reality of the Baha’i Faith is one of dogmatic exclusivity and strict authoritarianism, especially within its administrative order.
Exclusion of Alternatives: The Faith is considered formally intolerant due to its goal of imposing a universal religious law upon all peoples, and internally intolerant because it rejects positive recognition of internal diversity.
Infallible Authority: The Baha’i administrative order consists of two institutions endowed with infallibility: the Guardian and the Universal House of Justice. This structure combines the absolute spiritual authority of the Shi‘ite Imamate with the collective infallibility associated with Sunni consensus.
Submission and Freedom: While publicly advocating freedom, the system teaches that real freedom lies only in complete obedience to divine law. Human autonomy is treated as merely formal, and deviation from divine ordinances is condemned.
Rejection of Independent Thought: Although the “independent search for truth” is emphasized for seekers, the principle becomes limited after conversion. Individual believers are barred from independent interpretation or expressing dissenting theological views. This rigid uniformity risks intellectual stagnation.
Maintaining unity of the Faith is considered paramount and is strictly enforced.
Covenant-breaking: Refusal to accept the authority or infallibility of the institutions, or criticism of their decisions, is labeled “Covenant-breaking,” understood as an attack on the divine order.
Excommunication: Covenant-breakers are excommunicated and subjected to complete social shunning, dissolving all ties—including family relations—and rendering the individual a complete outcast.
(Extracted from Francesco Ficicchia's Der Baha'ismus: Weltreligion der Zukunft? Geschichte, Lehre und Organisation in kritischer Anfrage, Stuttgart: Quell Verlag, 1981)
The Guardianship is a central institution of the Baha’i Administrative Order, established to ensure the continuity and authorized interpretation of the teachings following the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha.
Origin and Authority
The Guardianship is not mentioned in Baha’u’llah’s Kitab-i-Aqdas. In the Aqdas, authority after ‘Abdu’l-Baha was assigned to the elected bodies known as the Houses of Justice.
The institution was established by ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Will and Testament, regarded as His most important constitutional document.
The Guardianship is described as a central element of the Covenant.
The Guardian is the “Sign of God” and the “chief cornerstone of the Administrative Order.”
The Guardian is the sacred head of the Baha’i community.
The institution has a hereditary and monarchical character.
The First Guardian
Shoghi Effendi Rabbani was named the first Guardian.
He was the eldest son of Diya’iyyih Khanum, the oldest daughter of ‘Abdu’l-Baha.
His appointment at age 24 surprised many believers, especially in Persian circles, who had expected the immediate establishment of the Houses of Justice.
Infallibility
The Guardian is invested with a unique authority described as unassailable in religious history.
He possesses a conferred infallibility—not inherent or congenital—bestowed through the Covenant.
He is under the protection of the unerring guidance of Baha’u’llah, and his authoritative interpretations are considered divinely guided.
Obedience and loyalty to the Guardian are obligatory for all believers, including the Hands of the Cause and future members of the Universal House of Justice.
Key Powers
Interpretive Authority: The Guardian holds the exclusive right to interpret the Sacred Texts. His interpretations define what the believers must accept as the meaning of the Revelation.
Administrative Head: He is designated as the sacred and permanent head of the Universal House of Justice.
Right of Veto: He may reject decisions of the House of Justice if they contradict the spirit or meaning of the Revelation.
Excommunication: He holds the right to declare Covenant-breakers and to expel members, including members of the House of Justice.
Authority of the Will and Testament: The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha is regarded as completing and supplementing the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Shoghi Effendi emphasized its constitutional authority.
Huququ’llah: The Right of God was to be administered through the Guardian.
The Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice are described as inseparable twin institutions of the Administrative Order.
The Guardian possesses interpretive authority, while the Universal House of Justice exercises legislative and jurisdictional authority in matters not explicitly covered in the Sacred Texts.
Hereditary Principle and Appointment
The Guardianship is hereditary, intended to pass by primogeniture to the eldest son of the Guardian’s male descendants.
The Guardian must appoint his successor in his lifetime.
If the eldest son lacks the necessary spiritual qualities, the Guardian may appoint another male branch of the family.
The Hands of the Cause of God must approve the appointment.
Women are not eligible to serve as Guardian.
The End of the Institution
Shoghi Effendi passed away on November 4, 1957, in London.
His marriage to Ruhiyyih Khanum was childless.
He left no will and appointed no successor.
All other surviving male branches of Baha’u’llah’s family had been declared Covenant-breakers, leaving no eligible successor.
This resulted in the end of the line of Guardians.
The Universal House of Justice, elected in 1963, assumed the responsibilities defined for it in the Sacred Texts. The House later stated that Shoghi Effendi’s inability to appoint a successor should be viewed as an expression of “infallible wisdom.”
Shoghi Effendi’s leadership was marked by firm administration, sometimes referred to as the “Iron Age.”
He lived a highly disciplined and secluded life, rarely appearing publicly and maintaining limited personal contact with the broader community.
He enforced strict control over publications to maintain doctrinal unity.
The authenticity of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Will and Testament was strongly disputed by Baha’is such as Ruth White and Hermann Zimmer, who claimed that the document was a forgery produced by Shoghi Effendi. They pointed to its unusually severe tone and to the introduction of the previously unforeseen and infallible institution of the Guardianship. Their suspicions were reinforced when a handwriting analyst, Dr. Ainsworth Mitchell, stated—based on photocopies—that the writing and signatures did not correspond to those of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. The Baha’i leadership declined to allow examination of the original manuscript, preventing a conclusive verification. The Will, which appointed Shoghi Effendi as the infallible head of the Faith, generated significant opposition among many Persian believers and led to a serious schism, including the excommunication of nearly all of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s extended family.
During his ministry (1921–1957), he exercised sole leadership, and the Universal House of Justice was not convened, making him effectively the holder of both interpretive and administrative authority.
The devotional and legal ordinances in the Baha’i Faith are primarily derived from the rulings of the Kitab-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book), which superseded the previous Islamic shari‘a. While initially influenced by certain Babi forms, the Baha’i Faith is a law-based and statutory religious system.
The central devotional aspects and regulations include:
Recognition: The foundational duty is the recognition of Baha’u’llah as the Manifestation of God in this age. Every believer is also required to repeat the invocation Allah-u-Abha 95 times daily.
Obligatory Prayer: Obligatory prayers are prescribed three times daily (morning, noon, and evening). They are performed individually and in private. They involve a brief washing of the hands and face and specific postures.
Qiblih: The direction of obligatory prayer is toward ‘Akka, the resting place of Baha’u’llah.
Age and Exemptions: Obligatory prayer becomes binding at age 15 for both men and women. Exemptions include the sick, the elderly, and women during their monthly cycle (who recite a brief prescribed verse instead).
Texts of Prayer: Only the prayers and meditations revealed by Baha’u’llah, the Bab, and ‘Abdu’l-Baha are used in worship.
Communal Prayer: Public liturgical congregational prayer is abolished, except for the special funeral prayer. Islamic roles such as the muezzin, imam, and khutbih have no equivalent in the Baha’i Faith.
Fasting: The Baha’i fast lasts nineteen days, during the final month of the Baha’i year (‘Ala), immediately before Naw-Ruz. It involves abstention from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.
Huququ’llah (Right of God): Instead of the traditional alms-tax, believers who meet specified conditions pay an annual nineteen percent levy on surplus wealth, known as Huququ’llah, to the House of Justice. Begging is prohibited.
Pilgrimage: Pilgrimage is obligatory for men, to one of two places designated by Baha’u’llah: the House of Baha’u’llah in Baghdad (Iraq) and the House of the Bab in Shiraz (Iran).
Calendar: The Baha’i year begins on Naw-Ruz (the spring equinox, March 21). The calendar is structured around the number nineteen.
Intercalary Days: The Ayyam-i-Ha—four or five days before the fast—serve as days of hospitality and celebration.
Holy Days: There are nine Holy Days on which work is suspended, connected with the lives of the Manifestations and key sacred events.
Nineteen Day Feast: This is the central regular community gathering. Held on the first day of every Baha’i month, it includes devotional readings, consultation on community affairs, and fellowship. Attendance is expected of believers aged 15 and above and is a community-only gathering.
Mashriqu’l-Adhkar (House of Worship): This is the Baha’i public house of worship. Devotions consist of reading and chanting from the Sacred Texts. There is no clergy, no pulpit, no images, no candles, and no instrumental music.
Burial Laws: Cremation is forbidden. Burial must take place in the earth, within a distance of one hour’s travel from the place of death. The deceased is interred with a burial ring bearing the “Greatest Name” of Baha’u’llah.
Purity: The Islamic concept of ritual impurity is abolished in the Baha’i Faith. Semen is not considered unclean and pork is not forbidden.
The station of Subh-i Azal, whose given name was Mirza Yahya, was that of the designated successor (wali) to the Bab following the Bab’s martyrdom in 1850.
He was the younger half-brother of Baha’u’llah. The Bab had bestowed upon him the name Subh-i Azal (“Morning of Eternity”) and granted him titles such as “Second Point” (Nuqtih-i Thani) and “Fruit of the Bayan.” He was initially recognized as the undisputed leader of the Babi community. However, he was an introverted youth inclined toward mystical withdrawal and was not equipped for the responsibilities before him.
What happened to him after Baha’u’llah gained power?
Rivalry and Schism: Baha’u’llah, who was older, more capable, and possessed strong leadership qualities, increasingly gained influence, leading to an irreconcilable conflict between the brothers. Baha’u’llah eventually proclaimed Himself to be Man Yuzhiruhu’llah (the Promised One foretold by the Bab). Subh-i Azal and his followers (the Azalis or orthodox Babis) rejected this claim, arguing that such a revelation could not follow so soon (before 1,000 years had passed).
Defeat and Exile: Subh-i Azal was able to retain only a small group of followers. The tensions and mutual accusations between the factions (Azalis and Baha’is) in Edirne (Adrianople) led the Ottoman authorities to separate the two leaders.
Final Destination: Baha’u’llah was banished to the penal colony of Akka, while Subh-i Azal and his small group of followers were banished to Famagusta in Cyprus.
Isolation: Subh-i Azal remained in Cyprus until his death in 1912. There he was largely cut off from his followers and isolated, partly due to Baha’i agents assigned to accompany him. His wing of the movement, the orthodox Babism, declined religiously, though the Azalis later retained some political influence among Iranian revolutionaries.
Covenant, Independent Investigation of Truth, New World Order (NWO), Women
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Muhammed Ali (Ghusn), Personal Observations, Shoghi Effendi
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Covenant-Breakers, Edward Browne, Muhammed Ali (Ghusn)
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Covenant, Muhammed Ali (Ghusn), Will & Testament
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Covenant-Breakers, House of Justice (UHJ), Shoghi Effendi
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‘Abdu’l-Baha had already considered establishing the Universal House of Justice when Shoghi Effendi was still a child in case he, ‘Abdu’l-Baha, should be separated from the community through death or imprisonment in solitary confinement. As a precaution, he therefore gave instructions for the election of the Universal House of Justice to Haji Mirza Taqi Afnan, the architect of the House of Worship in ‘Ishqabad (letter from the Universal House of Justice dated 9 March 1965, in Wellspring of Guidance, pp. 48f.).
(Making the Crooked Straight: A Contribution to Bahá'í Apologetics, by Udo Schaefer, p. 721)
Abdul-Baha, Guardianship, Shoghi Effendi, Will & Testament
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New World Order (NWO), Prophecy, Shoghi Effendi, World Peace
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House of Justice (UHJ), Infallibility, Shoghi Effendi
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