State and Society: Implications of the Most Holy Book
Exported from Holy-Writings.com on 2026-07-05 - 1 clipping

Web Published:
        January 2000
        Also Published: The
        Kitab-i-Aqdas, Sydney: Association for Bahá'’
        Studies, 1996 
        .

 

In speaking of the Formative Age of the Bahá'’ Faith
[1921-1944], Shoghi Effendi referred to: 

    
        .. that embryonic World Order whose advent was
        announced by the Báb in the Bayan, whose laws were
        revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and whose
        features were delineated by `Abdu'l-Bahá in His Will and
        Testament.

The provisions of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and the supplementary
works of Bahá'u'lláh, `Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, can be
regarded as a body of literature that seeks to explain, and
influence, human progress. It identifies the principles on which
individual and collective action is to be based; evaluates
current conditions and prescribes imperatives for action; and
generates a coherent vision of the future.

The Concept of Bahá'’ Law

The Kitab-i-Aqdas suggests that the purpose of law is for the
order of the world, for the security of people. Bahá'u'lláh
points out early that laws guide and assist, not merely restrict.
Bahá'’s are enjoined to obey laws for the "love of
God". The existence of laws, and the operation of laws,
implies the existance of an authority, a form of sovereignty, and
social practice. In the Bahá'’ view, Prophetic law has served
as an undeniable basis, a statement of the social grundnorm
on which more transient laws have been based. The purpose of law
is to promote the well-being of the masses, not act as
"chains that bind them". Religion has thus proven
indispensable to social order, been influential in the creation
of law, and in the establishment of morality. The Divinity has
possessed sovereignty. Religion acts in the life of the
individual as an agency that can encourage the internalization of
behaviour, and can achieve the organic emergence of communities
in which public action occurs through willing consent. The
Western legal tradition, however, has developed dichotomies not
only between divine and profane law, but between natural law and
positive law, and between the public and private legal spheres. 

The Kitab-i-Aqdas confronts modernism by reinstating authority
and renewing the linkages between society, law, and virtue. It
renews the relationship between law and spirituality, the notion
that observance of laws, ordinances and exhortations, are a means
for the development of character, for the acquisition of higher
levels of freedom. Law is an external force, which can facilitate
compliance, and even coercion, of individuals and groups. But
only the internalisation of rules of behavour, through the
individual (and society) adopting a moral code, can ultimately
ensure observance of law:

    
        In formulating the principles and laws a part hath
        been devoted to penalties which form an effective
        instrument for the security and protection of men.
        However, dread of the penalties maketh people desist only
        outwardly from committing vile and contemptible deeds,
        while that which guardeth and restraineth man both
        outwardly and inwardly hath been and still is the fear of
        God. It is man's true protector and his spiritual
        guardian.

Rules, in the Bahá'’ writings include laws, ordinances, and
exhortations. Bahá'u'lláh distinguishes between Divine law, and
human laws, and establishes authorities for each. Laws that are
of Divine origin cannot be changed by legislation. Secondary laws
are impermanent, and are open to reform. Law in Bahá'’ states
will thus be based on a hierarchy of sources, commencing with the
texts of the Bahá'’ revelation, the pronouncements of the
Universal House of Justice and possibly the decrees and
statements of its associated institutions (such as the
International Teaching Centre). Laws will also be made at
national and local level.

The Bahá'’ conception of law is as a tool for promoting
happiness and well-being. Given this perspective, Bahá'’s would
favour constant law reform, particularly where ancient codes of
law - whether written or customary - no longer protect the
welfare and interests of peoples in a period of rapid social
evolution. Bahá'’ law appears to combine what are currently
known as "code law", and "common law". That
is, some areas are codified, and penalties are known in advance.
For non-coded subjects, a case by case basis is used. In the
absence of the use of the doctrine of precedent, Bahá'’
scholars will no doubt examine such issues as ensuring
consistency in rule-making, and ensuring "equal
treatment" for individuals before the law.

Since the Kitab-i-Aqdas attempts to establish a core of laws
for Bahá'’ states and societies without being overly
prescriptive, societies that eventually adopt Bahá'’ beliefs
and institutions will no doubt incorporate the continued use of
laws and customs which do not conflict with Bahá'’ laws. Both
domestic and international laws in operation in states will thus
continue in force until superceded by laws enacted by Bahá'’
legislatures in the natural progression of law-making and
revision of law. Present notions of public law and private law
will no doubt continue in some form, although the Kitab-i-Aqdas
appears to give more consideration to what might be called
"private law" issues than "public law"
issues. It does not say much about, for instance, international
conflict resolution, or law-making, and does not spell out the
parameters of public authority. Bahá'u'lláh advocates the
establishment of a world tribunal, for instance, but this topic
and others related to the structural aspects of the establishment
of world order are referred to in His later tablets, and in the
writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. From this it may be
inferred that whereas the laws in the Kitab-i-Aqdas are
unchangeable, and laws established by the Universal House of
Justice are open to revision, the structures of future Bahá'’
states may be flexible, and subject to organic growth. Thus,
those laws that do not conflict with current civil laws are
already binding on Bahá'’s; other laws will be enacted later,
having been formulated "...in anticipation of a state of
society destined to emerge from the chaotic conditions that
prevail today".

Rights and Duties

In a Bahá'’ polity the democratic principle is retained, but
extreme individualism is restrained in preference for the common
good. Bahá'u'lláh states that with freedom comes
responsibility. Individuals are responsible for development, and
for contributing positively to society. The idea of
"society" is more than a collection of "free
individuals", and in Bahá'’ states individual freedoms are
placed in the context of community or group needs. The desired
condition is a "truly enlightened community" in which
social policies enhance in individuals and groups within
societies the highest expressions of the human spirit.

    
        The Bahá'’ conception of social life is essentially
        based on the subordination of the individual will to that
        of society. It neither suppresses the individual nor does
        it exalt him to the point of making him an anti-social
        creature, a menace to society. As in everything, it
        follows the 'golden mean'. The only way that society can
        function is for the minority to follow the will of the
        majority.

Restraints on Liberty are acknowledged in the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
Bahá'u'lláh referred to the need for moderation, even in
modernisation and "civilisation" which, "however
much men of understanding may favourably regard them", will,
"if carried to excess, exercise a pernicious influence upon
men". An enlightened community thus enhances the
independence of the individual in the context of social cohesion
and unity. It reduces the gap between rich and poor, distributes
power, and provides opportunities to alter, re-assess and vary
its own pace and direction. It emphasises "development of
capacities" rather than "recognition of rights",
or "provision of services". In Bahá'’ societies of
the future, the idea and ideals of "citizen" will
necessarily be expanded, and devolve more responsibility onto the
individual. The laws of Bahá'u'lláh constitute the
"divinely appointed ordinances" that will bring about
the "spiritualisation" of the masses. 

The Quest for Justice

If there is a "Bahá'’ conception of law",
emphasises the role of law in promoting justice, and in
liberating rather than confining the individual. Conceptions of
law may well move away from over-emphasis on the protection of
private property, and toward the promotion of the common good.
But law could not, under a Bahá'’ system, do other than protect
the rights and the property of individuals, for these rights are
enshrined in Bahá'u'lláh's writings.

Bahá'u'lláh criticized nineteenth century rulers for not
administering their peoples justly. But how do we define justice?
Is justice to be equated with fairness, with rights, equality, or
a combination of these? It has elements of proportionality, of
reciprocity, and of causation (responsiveness. Is justice a
"moral imperative"? a spiritual principle? or a
political ideal? How is it related to liberty and freedom? Are
there universal principles of justice? What then happens to value
relativity? Is the principle of distribution based need or on
desert? Clearly, the Bahá'’ notion of justice requires
consideration. The Kitab-i-Aqdas deals with distributive and
retributive justice and establishes that justice be sought by
society, without revenge, and without mercy. 

Although Bahá'u'lláh did not being a "complete system
of economics to the world", some basic economic principles
are evident. Bahá'’ states will incorporate a
"welfare" element, and elements of the future taxation
system can be discerned. Bahá'u'lláh seems to place tax at
local levels. A portion of all tax on trade, agriculture or other
occupation" is be spent on the education of children. The
right to private property is explicitly acknowledged, and the
condition of poverty - whether voluntary or involuntary - is
denounced. The principle of redistribution is embedded in the
systems of taxation, and in the law of Huququllah, established in
the Kitab-i-Aqdas and elaborated in the writings of
`Abdu'l-Bahá. 

Bahá'’ States

The Bahá'’ Writings articulate future societal structures at
two levels: within the Bahá'’ community, and within states in
general. Appreciation for the origins and purposes for which
governments are created lies at the heart of Bahá'u'lláh's
instructions. States exist to promote the interests of the whole
of humanity, but their existence is not taken as proof of man's
inherent selfishness, so much as evidence of the complexity of
human society. They are thus regarded as necessary and positive
institutions, which are required to oversee the satisfaction of
individual and collective aspirations. 

The definition of "state" in the Bahá'’ context
has not been examined. At international law, a "state"
as currently defined, is an entity having a stable population,
stable territory, and recognizable authority. As is well known,
however, the states as now constituted on each of the five
continents mostly emerged consequent to colonial rule, and are
largely the result of historical "accidents" and
imperial design. Few states have been defined in accordance with
the wishes of their peoples, and the inadequacy of national
boundaries has resulted in many of the conflicts of the present
century. The fact that 'Abdu'l-Bahá pointed to the need for the
boundaries of the nations to be firmly established by an
independent authority is a clear indication of his
dissatisfaction with present definitions of "nations". 

The size of future states, their spheres of state
responsibility, and the parameters of individual responsibility,
have not been fully articulated. Whether future states will
comprise nations or ethnic communities is not clear. The
distinction that exists between the "government" and
the "territorial state" allows the possibility that
forms government within a state might completely change, without
affecting the continued existence of the state.

What, then, are the elements of social practice that the laws
and ordinances of the Kitab-i-Aqdas will bring into play, that
will pave the way to the eventual creation of Bahá'’ states?
Bahá'’ states will be constitutional, in that their form, and
the powers given their authorities, will be clearly defined. They
will originate in the Laws and Ordinances of Bahá'u'lláh, and
their later elaboration will continue to occur on the basis of
His Writings, as well as on the decisions of the Universal House
of Justice, which will necessarily be in accordance with these
Writings:

    
        It is incumbent upon the Trustees of the House of
        Justice to take counsel together regarding those things
        which have not outwardly been revealed in the Book, and
        to enforce that which is agreeable to them.
        According to the fundamental laws which We have
        formerly revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas and other Tablets,
        all affairs are committed to the care of just kings and
        presidents and of the Trustees of the House of Justice.
        Having pondered on that which We have enunciated, every
        man of equity and discernment will readily perceive, with
        his inner and outer eyes, the splendours of the day-star
        of justice which radiate therefrom. 

Bahá'’ States will have the position of head of state, whose
powers and functions will include both ceremonial and executive
capacities. That the head of state, or monarch, will have a
ceremonial role, is evident from Bahá'u'lláh's statement that
Kingship is the "sign of God on earth". That the King
will have more weighty responsibilities than merely ceremonial is
indicated by Bahá'u'lláh's statements that no individual would
wish for the burden of responsibilites of future monarchs. The
implication is that the head of state will be a constitutional
monarch. Bahá'u'lláh praised both the republican and
monarchical forms of government, and suggested that the best
model would combine elements of both. If, by
"republic", Bahá'u'lláh was referring to the model of
a president and congress (or parliament), it is not clear how
such a form could also include a monarch, unless the president
hold powers of head of government, rather than head of state. In
which case, the position of prime minister is being referred to.
Elsewhere, Bahá'u'lláh has praised the British system of
government, which consists of a monarch and parliament, rather
than a president and congress.

Regardless of nomenclature, what is clear is that
Bahá'u'lláh advocated government based on deliberation and
consultation, and having as its essential focus the quest for
just rule, achieved through the effective application of rewards
for merit, and punishments for activities which are outside the
law. In this formula there is emphasis on close recognition of
the condition of society, and on an active and effective system
of justice.

Federalism

The model favoured in the Bahá'’ writings has elements of
federalism, mixed with elements of more centralised
decision-making. The need for a supra-national political
authority is becoming increasingly obvious. The implication of
decentralisation, or devolution, is that not all states will have
the same form of government. The concept of "unity in
diversity" implies an appreciation of difference, and
capacity for flexibility. The "order and system" of the
modern age must thus give way to more flexible modes of acting
(although variations on the patterns of presidential and
parliamentary forms of government will doubtless continue). 

If the Bahá'’ World Commonwealth is to consist of a world
government based on a federal model, the implication is that the
states tie themselves to each other on a basis of equal powers,
which agree to allocate some power at the federal or global
level, and some at the state level. Although it is impossible to
forsee the details of this arrangement, Shoghi Effendi referred
to the need to avoid the extremes of "excessive
centralism" and of extreme decentralisation. The National
Assembly is empowered to decide whether an issue is local or
national in character.

State and Society

Bahá'’ societies, and future Bahá'’ states, will be
patterned on Local and Secondary Houses of Justice. Local level
communication between Local Houses of Justice and the people will
occur through the Feast. The Bahá'’ approach to social
engagement institutionalises participation. Welfare services will
surround the structure of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár.
Bahá'’ government will be concerned largely with the provision
of such services as schools, hospitals, orphanages, even food
storage facilities. Agriculture will be given renewed emphasis.
These and other insititutions associated with the
responsibilities of government are set out in the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
Interaction between members of Assemblies and those they govern
is based on cooperation, which in turn requires sympathy and the
confidence of the community. Decision-making at national and
International levels will be mediated through national and
international conventions.

Current principles of democratic government contain some, but
not all, elements of the Bahá'’ model. At a fundamental level,
for instance, the Bahá'’ approach retains the principle of
elected leadership while abandoning current notions of electoral
"campaigning", and upholds the necessity for
contestation of important issues while denying the necessity for
institutionalised opposition. In every country where any of this
people reside", is his injunction, "they must at
country with loyalty, honesty and truthfulness". Similarly,
he exorts governments to hold in highest regard the principles of
reward and punishment, these being the "two pillars"
which "traineth the world". When this princple is
recognised, public offices are best filled according to
"desert and merit". 

Representation

The notions of responsibility and accountability occur in the
Bahá'’ system. Public offices are to be filled on the basis of
merit. Bahá'u'lláh places great emphasis on the need for
representatives to acquaint themselves thoroughly with the
conditions of those whom they govern. Governments in Bahá'’
states will thus be based on a representative system in which
leaders will be elected. The notions of
"representation", and the system of election, however,
may differ from those currently in use. Bahá'’ government is
based on the expression of popular opinion, and this is through,
firstly, the institution of the feast. 

    
        And in case there should arise some disputes between
        them, they could arbitrate before the Parliament of Man,
        the representatives of which should be chosen from among
        the wisest and most judicious men of all the nations of
        the world. 

Obviously, when public leaders fail to be guided by notions of
equity and justice in their operation of the organs of state,
they can become instruments of human avariceness. Thus
Bahá'u'lláh stressed the need for structures of government led
by the learned and the wise, yet responsive to the will of the
masses. The Bahá'’ electoral system is based on universal
suffrage for elections at local level. Secondary Houses of
Justice are to be elected by electoral colleges. The Universal
House of Justice is elected by members of the secondary Houses of
Justice. Bahá'’ elections make those elected responsible to
their consciences, not to the electorate. At the same time their
future service in the legislature remains in the hands of the
people. The Bahá'’ administrative order offers a method of
filtering in the selection of its leaders. It provides a basis
for consultation and decision-making, a desire for excellence,
and a freedom from selfish motives.

The formation of political parties, and by implication,
sectional interests, is forbidden, and the electoral process
prohibits all forms of nomination, candidacy, and electioneering.
The implications of such electoral restrictions, and the impact
they have on the selection of representatives, require closer
examination than has so far occured. Without electoral campaigns,
how are we to judge the qualities of those for whom we vote?
Firstly, it appears society will be reconstituted so as to
provide more meaningful interaction between individuals, of a
nature that will facilitate learning about each others'
characters and capacities. Secondly, a rejuvenated press,
reporting accurately on the affairs of society, free of the
pressures that currently distort reporting on current events,
will become the "mirror of the world". The
transformation of the Bahá'’ administrative order, and the key
to its successful functioning, lies in the transformation of a
passive electorate into an intelligent community of voters:

    
        ...They should be encouraged to think more, not only
        about the qualifications of their elected bodies, but
        also about ...the law of averages, the age and
        indisposition of some of the members, etc...Far greater
        tasks lie ahead, but the Guardian does not feel that the
        way to meet them is to change the present system but
        rather to perfect it by educating the believers and
        training them, holding more conferences, publishing more
        news for Bahá'’s, getting more people active.

Although no formal qualifications are required for candidacy -
since all members of the Bahá'’ population are eligible for
election to Houses of Justice (apart from the limitation that men
and not women be elected to the Universal House of Justice), the
Bahá'’ writings contain numerous passages concerning qualities
that it would be most desirable for representatives to possess.
Many of these are set out by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Secret of Divine
Civilisation. For more immediate purposes, they are expanded
on in the communications of Shoghi Effendi.

Consultation

The consultative principle, already found in most systems of
government, is applauded as "a lamp of guidance which
leadeth the way". A principle with which it must be
associated - albeit an association as yet unappreciated by
theories of bureaucratic effectiveness - is that of compassion.
The presence of these two capacities allow governments to
"be able to fully acquaint themselves with the condition of
the people they govern". The Bahá'’ state will incorporate
the institutions of the "rulers", who are elected, and
the "learned", who are appointed. The mechanisms by
which the former are advised by the latter will necessarily
undergo considerable evolution and elaboration. The institution
of the "learned" commenced with the "Hands of the
Cause" - individuals appointed by Bahá'u'lláh, and later
by Shoghi Effendi. With the closure of the line of hereditary
Guardianship, and the consequent impossibility of appointment of
further Hands of the Cause, the Universal House of Justice
established the Continental Boards of Counsellors, empowered to
fulfil most, if not all, functions formerly fulfilled by the
Hands of the Cause.

Tolerance

Bahá'u'lláh encourages "free association" between
peoples, since familiarity between people leads to "concord,
which is conducive to order". But this policy requires
"tolerance and righteousness. Bahá'u'lláh refers at length
to the promotion of "fellowship, kindliness and unity"
and continually warns of the need to "flee" from
"anything from which the odour of mischief can be
detected."

An additional aspect of the principle of tolerance concerns
treatment of minorities, who live in all societies. The Bahá'’
teachings against prejudice of all kinds will work to produce
greater social equality that in the past, and the prohibition on
laws that keep peoples and groups apart will ensure this. One's
social status cannot be legally enforced. Furthermore, the rights
of individuals and of minorities are secured.

Whereas the rights of individuals and of minorities are
protected, there is not necessarily in Bahá'’ law the degree of
individual rights that exists in modern society. The Bahá'’
writings speak of the rights of peoples to their own lands, and
it is not clear whether this suggests that "original
inhabitants" will be allowed to claim preferential rights
over others who have entered their lands in subsequent years. 

The Transition

While it is not possible to attempt to envisage the course of
future society in detail, the attempt to make plausable
projections into the future, however - based on current trends
and on the vision of the future embedded in Bahá'’ texts -
allows the Bahá'’ community to anticipate developments, and
indeed positively prepare for them. For sure, the attitude toward
the future espoused by the Bahá'’ Writings is to create it, to
shape it in accord with preferred options, rather that to
acquiesce in a passive way to developments which are perceived to
be outside individual or even collective grasp. The Bahá'’
vision of the future, furthermore, is not utopian. Rather, it is
a sophisticated approach to solving the challenging problems of
organising the global human community. Given this perspective of
cautious projection, we may suggest that the structures of the
Bahá'’ state presume vigorous interactions between state and
society, at both national and international levels. Current
conceptions of "civil society" give some indication of
future potential for the emergence of new forms of democratic
culture, in which individuals and interest groups are well placed
to articulate their needs to the state, and to have their needs
addressed.

There are two presuppositions that are central to the Bahá'’
vision of future states. One is the planetary vision, the
world-embracing scope of the future political order; the other is
the transfer to a new paradigm of values. Discussion of the
Bahá'’ approach to state-hood and to the principles and
practice of government can only procede on the presumptions that
the principles are trans-global, trans-cultural, trans-ethnic,
etc, and that they are to occur within a different mileau than
that which pervades the late twentieth century. This implies that
they will emerge in some relationship to the transition from the
current milleau, and that the emergence of a different of a new
set of values is in some sense a prerequisite to institutional
change. 

How will Bahá'’ states emerge? The Universal House of
Justice envisages "several stages in the adjustment of
national political attitudes, which now verge on anarchy in the
absence of clearly defined laws or universally accepted and
enforceable principles regulating the relationships between
nations." The evolution of Bahá'’ states may occur in the
context of the continued dissolution of existing states. Some may
emerge rapidly, through the support of a monarch, or other
national leadership. They may evolve slowly, through the gradual
adoption of Bahá'’ procedures and principles, which will in
time be formally recognised. Through such international
structures as the United Nations Organisation and its various
organs, the World Wide Fund for Nature, UNICEF, and other
agencies, the Bahá'’ International Community (BIC) already
contributes to the setting of global standards. 

Whereas it is not clear as to where and when Bahá'’ states
will first emerge, it is most likely that those countries in
which the Bahá'’ population is highest in relation to the
population as a whole will be amongst the first to become
Bahá'’ states. These may be small states, which are of little
consequence to the larger states in the world system, and in
which such a change - while attracting the curiosity of a
distracted world community - will be not be taken as a threat to
the system as a whole. Opposition to the creation of the first
Bahá'’ states will most likely come from traditional religious
bodies seeking to preserve their rapidly diminishing realms of
influence and resource, as well as from the remaining adherents
of secular ideologies.

There is no indication that the establishment of the Most
Great Peace will be established rapidly. In his World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh, Shoghi Effendi outlined the constitutional and
socio-economic characteristics he envisaged would characterise
the Bahá'’ Commonwealth: a) Constitutional characteristics:
World Executive; World Parliament; World Tribunal; Protection of
individual freedom b) Socio-economic characteristics: World
intercommunication; World language; World Metropolis; World
script/literature; Common currency, weights, and measures;
harmony of science of religion; World press; re-organization of
economics; coordination of markets; regulation of distribution;
extensions of science and technology; extermination of disease;
improved standards of health; and intellectual refinement.

Whereas all religions, in the Bahá'’ view, share a common,
divine source, they have differed in their content and form
merely to suit the requirements of diverse societies during
successive stages of social, economic and political evolution.
Thus Bahá'u'lláh proposed a set of social values and
intellectual precepts he suggests are essential to the future
well-being of the world community: the principle of an unfettered
search after truth and condemnation of all forms of superstition
and prejudice; the fundamental unity of religion and science; the
principle of equal opportunity, rights and privileges for both
sexes; advocacy of compulsory education and of the abolition of
extremes of poverty and wealth; the need for a universal
auxiliary language, and for universal systems of currency, weight
and measurement; and the exaltation of work performed in the
spirit of service to the rank of worship. Whereas once such
principles were regarded as mere idealism, and unfocused
universalism, they are becoming, on an individual basis, the
pragmatic basis for policy creation, particularly in discourses
of international relations.

Whereas the task of Bahá'’ communities world-wide has
heretofore been focused on internal coherence and consolidation,
the next decade must see an outward expression of Bahá'’ values
in order for these communities to achieve further definition and
to fulfil their intended purpose, namely, contribution to the
spiritual, moral and social regeneration of humankind. While the
intellectual horizon of the Bahá'’ community has been fixed on
an ideal vision and promise of the "greater peace",
there now exists need for consideration of the ways in which
Bahá'’ communities can contribute to the life of the wider
community in the years leading to, and during, the "lesser
peace". Given the rich sources within the Bahá'’ writings
for the generation of policy perspectives and principles, little
has occured in the way of their critical assessment. 

The progressive introduction and spread of the laws and
ordinances of the Kitab-i-Aqdas will be evolutionary. Numerous
laws are already enforced in the Bahá'’ community. As
particular communities expand in absolute size and in size
relative to the population of their countries, the influence of
Bahá'’ values on the surrounding populations will increase.
Shoghi Effendi has explained that Bahá'’ communities will move
through stages of obscurity, repression, emancipation,
establishment as the state religion, and eventually evolve into
Bahá'’ states. This process is expected to occur at different
speeds in different nations. As the size of a Bahá'’ community
grows, so too do its institutions expand and exercise their
powers more fully. In giving expression to the laws and
principles embedded in the Bahá'’ world-view, Bahá'’
approaches to social functioning and to state functioning, will
become more apparent, and the contrast between Bahá'’
approaches and those of the declining orders will become more
apparent, and the contrast between Bahá'’ approaches and those
of the declining orders will become more stark. Bahá'’ practice
will prove more persuasive than any theory.

Bibliography

Bahá'u'lláh, The Writings of Bahá'u'lláh.

" The Kitab-i-Aqdas.

Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, Wilmette: Bahá'’
Publishing Trust, 1970.

" Directives from the Guardian, New Delhi:
Bahá'’ Publishing Trust, 1973.

    
        " Messages to the Bahá'’ World 1950-1957,
        Wilmette: Bahá'’ Publishing Trust, 1958.

Universal House of Justice, Individual Rights and Freedoms
in the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh (to the followers of
Bahá'u'lláh in the United States of America), Bahá'’
Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1989.
-- State and Society: Implications of the Most Holy Book (Used by permission of the curator)