Nov. 26 - The Day of the Covenant

Day of the Covenant

In addition to being Thanksgiving day in the U.S. for Baha’is the world over, Nov. 26 is a holy day. It is ‘The Day of the Covenant.’ This holy day commemorates Baha’u’llah’s appointment of His eldest son, Abdu’l-Baha, as the protector of the Covenant of Baha’u’llah. This was established by Baha’u’llah to ensure the unity of the Baha'i Faith. He also defined his true followers as those who abide by his covenant.

As protector of the Covenant, Abdu’l-Baha, (sometimes referred as the Center of the Covenant), was charged with safeguarding and protecting the Baha’i Faith against schisms, making it impossible for anyone to create a new sect or faction of belief. He, in turn, appointed Shoghi Effendi as the first Guardian of the Baha’i Faith and set forth conditions for future Guardians. He also encouraged Baha’is to create the local councils which Baha’u’llah had ordained to guide the affairs of local Baha’i communities. All are elements of the Covenant of Baha’u’llah.

The Covenant of Baha’u’llah is unique in religious history. No other world religion’s sacred scriptures provide such explicit instructions for succession and the organization of the community of believers after the founder’s passing. As a result the Baha'i Faith is the first religion in history that has survived its critical first century with its unity clearly established. And, in addition, it has a blueprint for a divinely ordered global civilization to bring unity to the world.

After the death of Baha’u’llah in1892, Abdu’l-Baha assumed the role he was appointed to. He carried forth his father’s mission until he died in 1921 at age 77. Abdu’l-Baha was known as an ambassador of peace, a promoter of justice and the head and authority of the new religion. During visits to Europe and more than 40 cities in the United States and Canada in 1911-1913, he was greeted with respect and honor by Baha’is and others. In city after city, he was invited to speak at churches, synagogues and organizations promoting the improvement of society. This resulted in establishing the Baha'i Faith as a new force for social reform and religious renewal.

Affirming that "Love is the most great law" and that the "supreme need of humanity is cooperation and reciprocity" among all its peoples, Abdu'l-Baha reached out to all – to every soul who crossed his path. He was so well-regarded that his funeral, on Mt Carmel in the holy land, was attended by 10,000 mourners from all persuasions and denominations. He is buried in a vault on the north side of the Shrine of the Báb now surrounded by terraced gardens that are the pride of Haifa.

Two days after the Day of the Covenant is the Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha, marking the anniversary of his death in 1921.

In the decades since the passing of Abdu’l-Baha, the efficacy of the Covenant has been proved time and time again. At the passing of Shoghi Effendi, the conditions for future Guardians were not possible, so the Baha’i community elected the Universal House of Justice in 1963. This agency had been ordained by Baha’u’llah to be the supreme governing council of the Baha’i community.

Baha’is see the power of the Covenant operating on an on-going basis in the functioning of their administrative order, the system of governing councils on the local, national and international levels with their auxiliary agencies and appointed individuals. There is no professional priesthood or clergy, the work of the Faith is carried out exclusively by lay members. From remote jungle villages to the most cosmopolitan urban centers, the Baha’i community is a self-governing society based on the same spiritual and administrative principles in over 130,000 communities worldwide. That, in itself, is some kind of miracle.