Understanding the Covenant ›
God’s eternal Covenant with humanity assures us that we will never be left alone and empowers humanity to reflect the qualities of love and nobility with which it has been endowed.
- What is the Covenant?
- What is the “Greater Covenant”?
- What is the “Lesser Covenant”?
- What are the powers and blessings manifested through the Covenant?
- Why is it important to study the Covenant?
- What does it mean to be firm in the Covenant?
- What should we do when we are faced with a Bahá’í law or teaching that we do not understand?
- What is the role of freedom in relation to the Covenant?
- What should we do if we disagree with a decision that has been made by a Bahá’í Institution?
- What is the role of questioning and criticism in the Bahá’í community?
- What is the difference between individual and authoritative interpretation?
- What is the difference between interpretations of the Guardian and elucidations of the Universal House of Justice?
- What is the relationship between Church and State in the context of the Covenant?
The History of the Bahá’í Covenant ›
Bahá’u’lláh, as the Revealer of God’s Word in this Day, has inaugurated “the Day which shall not be followed by night” by enunciating principles, formulating laws and ordinances, and establishing the institutions to bring about a “wellspring of enduring justice and peace—not for one place or one people, but for all places and all peoples”-–the Kingdom of God on earth.
- Where did ‘Abdu’l-Bahá derive His authority as the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant?
- What is the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá?
- Where did Shoghi Effendi derive his authority as Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith?
- Where does the Universal House of Justice derive its authority as head of the Bahá’í Faith?
- What is the role of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause of God?
- What were the conditions set by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for the appointment of a Guardian after Shoghi Effendi?
- Did Shoghi Effendi appoint a successor?
- Can the Universal House of Justice function properly without a living Guardian?
Challenges to the Covenant ›
This section explores different challenges to the Covenant which have arisen. In studying the questions explored, students will see how attacks on the Covenant have been ineffective and come to understand that future attacks will also be futile.
- Has the Covenant faced challenges in the history of the Bahá’í Faith?
- What purposes do challenges to the Covenant serve?
- How should we respond to challenges to the Covenant?
- What does the term “Covenant-breaking” mean?
- What challenges to the Covenant emerged after the passing of Baha’u’llah?
- What challenges to the Covenant occured after the passing of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá?
- What challenge to the Covenant occurred after the passing of Shoghi Effendi?
- How did the Hands of the Cause protect the Bahá’í Faith after the passing of Shoghi Effendi?
- What kinds of challenges will the Covenant face in the future?
Documents ›
Baha’u’llah’s Covenant was ordained in His own Writings by calling into being institutions upon which He promised to unerringly guide so that His Teachings, Laws, and Ordinances would not only be safeguarded but also promulgated and applied to the needs of an evolving global civilization.
- Kitáb-i-‘Ahd
- The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá
- The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh
- The Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice
- The Covenant — A Compilation
- Issues Related to the Study of the Faith
- Rights and Responsibilities
- Mason Remey and Those Who Followed Him
- Issues Relating to the Development of the Bahá'í Administrative Order
- The Universal House of Justice — A Compilation