The Bahá’í Covenant The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh

How the Covenant in the Bahá’í Faith creates and maintains a unified religious community.

About this site

The goal of this Web site is to provide a place to study the Writings of the Bahá’í Faith on the subject of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, and is informed by these fundamental concepts:

  • Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb are the Twin Manifestations of God for this day.
  • Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the Kitab-i-Ahd appointed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Center of His Covenant and the infallible interpreter of His Cause. As He said: “When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.”
  • ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will and Testament appointed his grandson Shoghi Effendi as the Guardian of the Cause of God, the “…priceless pearl that doth gleam from out the Twin surging seas…” and said: “…the beloved of the Lord must obey him and turn unto him. He that obeyeth him not, hath not obeyed God; he that turneth away from him, hath turned away from God and he that denieth him, hath denied the True One.”
  • Since the beloved Guardian had no children (and the remainder of his family had broken the Covenant) and thus could not appoint a successor, after his passing the Hands of the Cause of God as the “Chief Stewards of Bahá’u'lláh’s embryonic World Commonwealth” called for the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963.
  • The Universal House of Justice — a body that was ordained by Bahá’u'lláh and confirmed in the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi — is now the sole and the infallible head of the Bahá’í Faith. It is to this body that all Bahá’ís must turn and in the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “…that House is under the protection, unerring guidance and care of the one true Lord. He shall guard it from error and will protect it under the wing of His sanctity and infallibility.” and again “…whoso contendeth with them hath contended with God…”

It is hoped that students of the Bahá’í Covenant will draw from the materials gathered here a stronger connection with the unerring divine guidance that has been provided to the Bahá’í Community in its efforts to transform humanity. This guidance has protected the Bahá’í Faith from breaking into schism for the past 177 years and will ensure its ability to grow from strength to strength in the coming centuries. Through our understanding and deepening knowledge of this “unique and wondrous system”, we will ensure that our steps will walk firmly in the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh and enable us to more fittingly protect and preserve the Cause of God.

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