Concern about the Covenant

The Covenant of Baha’u’llah is such a new thing in the history of mankind, and so early in its existence, that confusion and misunderstanding is to be expected.

Other religions seem to have flourished without such a covenant, so why would it be so important? Many people are unaware of the brutal massacres that have happened within every other religion: Christians murdering Christians, Muslims murdering Muslims, etc. Did any Messenger or Prophet want his followers to murder each other? It would be rather pointless.

The Covenant of Baha’u’llah was created by Baha’u’llah to prevent such schism and division between His followers.

For the first time in the history of the human race, the Messenger of God, Baha’u’llah, has written down the details of authoritative succession. By accepting Baha’u’llah as the current Messenger, one also accepts His covenant. A person who accepts this covenant, then repudiates and fights against it, is a breaker of that covenant. It is the responsibility of the Head of the Faith, as specified in the covenant, to protect the rest of the Baha’i community from that violater. It is simple and logical.

Baha’u’llah wrote that His son, ‘Abdu’l-Baha was to be the authority after Him and the Center of His Covenant. He also wrote the outline of the organizational structure to administer the community of His followers: councils of nine members. Never has an administrative system been provided by a Messenger of God.

‘Abdu’l-Baha wrote that His successor would be His grandson, Shoghi Effendi and began the establishment of the first administrative councils (in Tehran, Chicago, and other places). Shoghi Effendi did not appoint a successor in the same way. He built up the councils on the local and secondary levels and appointed “Chief Stewards,” of Hands of the Cause of God, to assist the Baha’i community. Shoghi Effendi also appointed a preliminary international council as a step toward the eventual international council that would be elected. When he died the Stewards continued his plans and arranged for the election of the international council which was designated the Universal House of Justice, the more formal name.

All the Stewards signed a statement that there was no successor to Shoghi Effendi as specified by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, therefore there could not be a successor. Shortly after than one of the Stewards proclaimed himself to be a successor of Shoghi Effendi as an imaginary “adopted son” of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. He then called on all Baha’is to turn to himself and away from the Universal House of Justice and the other Stewards, thus he broke the covenant Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha had established. He was no longer a member of the Baha’i community (by the definition set by Baha’u’llah), nor are his followers.

This attempt to divide the Baha’i community was not successful and itself became divided and subdivided – clearly evidence that the unity of the covenant of Baha’u’llah did not extend to these efforts. Just as the branch of a tree can stay green for a while after being cut from the tree, there appears to be some life in these groups, but they do not flourish. The Baha’i community, on the other hand, continues to grow and develop and increase its effectiveness in transforming the lives of its members and the communities they live in.