Chapter 8
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Conflicting interpretations of the words, "the day which will not be followed by night". Last updated: 2024/03/16.
In passage 1 below, the Guardian says, "There are no other Interpreters
whatsoever", and interpretation "is strictly forbidden". In passage 2 below, the House says, "The Guardian reveals what the Scripture means; his
interpretation is a statement of truth which cannot be varied" (related theme in passage 3). Passage 4 from the Will and Testament also indicates that
the House and others may not deviate from what the Guardian has interpreted. In line with those statements, in passage 5, the Guardian interprets the following words as a reference to the "divine guidance" of the Guardians: "This is what is meant by 'this is the day which will not
be followed by night.' In this Dispensation, divine guidance flows on
to us in this world after the Prophet's ascension, through first the
Master, and then the Guardians".
However, in passage 6, it states, 'The election of the Universal
House of Justice was greeted with great joy by the world-wide Bahá'í
community, for it ensured the continuation of divine guidance until the
advent of the next Manifestation of God, thereby fulfilling the
prophecy that there would come a "Day which shall not be followed by
night."', which is interpretation. It also deviates
from the Guardian's prior interpretation of, "the day which will not
be followed by night", which has already been applied to the
Guardians, who rank above and have authority over the House. An interpretation which the House itself states, "is a statement of truth which cannot be varied [i.e. it cannot be later changed or added to by the House, a House which does not have interpretive authority]". Any mention of "fulfilling the
prophecy" (found in the Surih of the Temple) and the like is interpretation, which the Guardian has said, "is strictly forbidden". Also, according to the Will and Testament, the House are "to show their
obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the Guardian of the
Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before him". The Guardian also says, "It
is not for individual believers [or the House..] to limit the sphere of the Guardian's
authority, or to judge when they have to obey the Guardian and when
they are free to reject his judgment. Such an attitude would evidently
lead to confusion and to schism." Passage 7 shows the words, "This is the Day that shall not be followed by night..", in the 63rd paragraph (#1.63) of the Surih of the Temple (a mystical tablet); a paragraph which refers to a "Temple
of Holiness". A number of paragraphs in the tablet refer to "Temples".
1)
1056. He is the Interpreter of the Word: Divine Truth is Relative
"The Will and Testament of Bahá'u'lláh and The Will and Testament of
the Master clearly and explicitly indicate that the Interpreter of the
Word was the Centre of the Covenant and now is the Guardian. There are
no other Interpreters whatsoever and no individual may interpret. This
is strictly forbidden.
"Divine Truth is relative and that is why we are enjoined to constantly
refer the seeker to the Word itself -- and why any explanations we make
to ease the journey of the soul of any individual must be based on the
Word -- and the Word alone."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, June 4, 1957)
-- Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 313
2)
There is a profound difference between the interpretations of the
Guardian and the elucidations of the House of Justice in exercise of
its function to "deliberate upon all problems which have caused
difference, questions that are obscure, and matters that are not
expressly recorded in the Book." The Guardian reveals what the Scripture means; his interpretation is a statement of truth which cannot be varied.
-- The Universal House of Justice, 1965 Mar 09, Appointment of Guardian
3)
Shoghi Effendi was asked several times during his ministry to define
the sphere of his operation and his infallibility. The replies he gave
and which were written on his behalf are most illuminating. He explains
that he is not an infallible authority on subjects such as economics
and science, nor does he go into technical matters since his
infallibility is confined to "matters which are related strictly to the
Cause." He further points out that "he is not, like the Prophet,
omniscient at will," that his "infallibility covers interpretation of
the revealed word and its application," and that he is also "infallible
in the protection of the Faith." Furthermore, in one of the letters,
the following guideline is set forth:
...It is not for individual believers to limit the sphere of the Guardian's authority, or
to judge when they have to obey the Guardian and when they are free to
reject his judgment. Such an attitude would evidently lead to confusion
and to schism. The Guardian being the appointed interpreter of
the Teachings, it is his responsibility to state what matters which,
affecting the interests of the Faith, demand on the part of the
believers complete and unqualified obedience to his instructions.
It must always be
remembered that authoritative interpretation of the Teachings was,
after 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the exclusive right of the Guardian, and
fell within the "sacred and prescribed domain" of the Guardianship, and
therefore the Universal House of Justice cannot and will not infringe
upon that domain.
-- The Universal House of Justice, 1977 Aug 22, Clarification on Infallibility
4)
... whoso deviateth, separateth himself and turneth aside from him [the Guardian] hath in truth deviated, separated himself and turned aside from God.
May the wrath, the fierce indignation, the vengeance of God rest upon
him! The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through
obedience to him who is the Guardian of the Cause of God. It is
incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice, upon all the
Aghsan, the Afnan, the Hands of the Cause of God to show their
obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the Guardian of the
Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before him. He that
opposeth him hath opposed the True One, will make a breach in the Cause
of God, will subvert His Word and will become a manifestation of the
Center of Sedition... My object is to show that the Hands of the Cause
of God must be ever watchful and so soon as they find anyone beginning
to oppose and protest against the Guardian of the Cause of God, cast
him out from the congregation of the people of Baha and in no wise
accept any excuse from him. How often hath grievous error been
disguised in the garb of truth, that it might sow the seeds of doubt in
the hearts of men!
-- Abdu'l-Baha, The Will and Testament, p. 11
5)
89 GUIDANCE, DIVINE (Of Guardian)
"He feels that if ... ponders more deeply about the fundamentals of
Divine Revelation, she will also come to understand the Guardianship.
Once the mind and heart have grasped the fact that God guides men
through a Mouthpiece, a human being, a Prophet, infallible and
unerring, it is only a logical projection of this acceptance to also
accept the station of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the Guardians. The Guardians are
the evidence of the maturity of mankind in the sense that at long last
men have progressed to the point of having one world, and of needing
one world management for human affairs. In the spiritual realm they
have also reached the point where God could leave, in human hands (i.e.
the Guardians) guided directly by the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, as the
Master states in His Will, the affairs of His Faith for this
Dispensation. This is what is meant by 'this is the day which will not
be followed by night.' In this Dispensation, divine guidance flows on
to us in this world after the Prophet's ascension, through first the
Master, and then the Guardians. If a person can accept Bahá'u'lláh's
function, it should not present any difficulty to them to also accept
what He has ordained in a Divinely guided individual in matters
pertaining to the Faith."
-- Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 34
6)
Foreword
On 21 April 1963, one hundred years after Bahá'u'lláh's public
declaration of His world-redeeming mission, the first International
Bahá'í Convention was held on the majestic slopes of Mount Carmel in
Haifa, Israel. The purpose of this momentous gathering was to elect,
for the first time, the Universal House of Justice, the supreme
governing and legislative body of the Bahá'í Faith.
The election of the Universal House of Justice was greeted with great
joy by the world-wide Bahá'í community, for it ensured the continuation
of divine guidance until the advent of the next Manifestation of God,
thereby fulfilling the prophecy that there would come a "Day which shall not be followed by night."
-- The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. v
The Bahá'í Dispensation is described in the words of its Founder as "a day that shall not be followed by night".
Through His Covenant, Bahá'u'lláh has provided an unfailing source of
divine guidance that will endure throughout the Dispensation. Authority
to administer the affairs of the community and to ensure both the
integrity of the Word of God and the promotion of the Faith's message
is conferred upon the Administrative Order to which the Covenant has
given birth.
-- The Universal House of Justice, 1997 Jul 20, Scholarship and Related Subjects
7)
1.12
O Pen of the Most High! Hearken unto the Call of Thy Lord, raised from
the Divine Lote-Tree in the holy and luminous Spot, that the sweet
accents of Thy Lord, the All-Merciful, may fill Thy soul with joy and
fervour, and that the breezes that waft from My name, the
Ever-Forgiving, may dispel Thy cares and sorrows. Raise up, then, from
this Temple, the temples of the Oneness of God,
that they may tell out, in the kingdom of creation, the tidings of
their Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and be of them that are
illumined by His light.
1.13
We, verily, have ordained this Temple to be the source of all existence
in the new creation, that all may know of a certainty My power to
accomplish that which I have purposed through My word "Be", and it is!
Beneath the shadow of every letter of this Temple We shall raise up a people whose number none can reckon save God, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Erelong shall God bring forth from
His Temple such souls as will remain unswayed by the insinuations of
the rebellious, and who will quaff at all times of the cup that is life
indeed. These, truly, are of the blissful.
...
1.63
O Temple
of Holiness! We, verily, have cleansed Thy breast from the whisperings
of the people and sanctified it from earthly allusions, that the light
of My beauty
may appear therein and be reflected in the mirrors of all the worlds.
Thus have We singled Thee out above all that hath been created in the
heavens and the earth, and above all that hath been decreed in the
realms of revelation and creation, and chosen Thee for Our own Self.
This is but an evidence of the bounty which God hath vouchsafed unto
Thee, a bounty which shall last until the Day that hath no end in this
contingent world. It shall endure so long as God, the Supreme King, the
Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Wise, shall endure. For the Day of God
is none other but His own Self, Who hath appeared with the power of
truth. This is the Day that shall not be followed by night, nor shall it be bounded by any praise, would that ye might understand!
...
1.65
O Temple
of Holiness! We, verily, have made Thine inmost heart the treasury of
all the knowledge of past and future ages, and the dawning-place of Our
own knowledge which We have ordained for the dwellers of earth and
heaven, that all creation may partake of the outpourings of Thy grace
and may attain, through the wonders of Thy knowledge, unto the
recognition of God, the Exalted, the Powerful, the Great. In truth,
that knowledge which belongeth unto Mine own Essence is such as none
hath ever attained or will ever grasp, nor shall any heart be capable
of bearing its weight. Were We to disclose but a single word of this
knowledge, the hearts of all men would be filled with consternation,
the foundations of all things would crumble into ruin, and the feet of
even the wisest among men would be made to slip.
...
1.72
O Living Temple!
We have made Thee the Dayspring of each one of Our most excellent
titles, the Dawning-Place of each one of Our most august attributes,
and the Fountainhead of each one of Our manifold virtues unto the
denizens of earth and heaven. Thereafter have We raised Thee up in Our
own image betwixt the heavens and the earth, and ordained Thee to be
the sign of Our glory unto all who are in the realms of revelation and
creation, that My servants may follow in Thy footsteps, and be of them
who are guided aright. We have appointed Thee the Tree of grace and
bounty unto the dwellers of both the heavens and the earth. Well is it
with them who seek the shelter of Thy shade and who draw nigh unto Thy
Self, the omnipotent Protector of the worlds.
...
1.81
O Living Temple!
We, verily, have made Thee a mirror unto the kingdom of names, that
Thou mayest be, amidst all mankind, a sign of My sovereignty, a herald
unto My presence, a summoner unto My beauty, and a guide unto My
straight and perspicuous Path. We have exalted Thy Name among Our
servants as a bounty from Our presence. I, verily, am the
All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. We have, moreover, adorned Thee
with the ornament of Our own Self, and have imparted unto Thee Our
Word, that Thou mayest ordain in this contingent world whatsoever Thou
willest and accomplish whatsoever Thou pleasest. We have destined for
Thee all the good of the heavens and of the earth, and decreed that
none may attain unto a portion thereof unless he entereth beneath Thy
shadow, as bidden by Thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We
have conferred upon Thee the Staff of authority and the Writ of
judgement, that Thou mayest test the wisdom of every command. We have
caused the oceans of inner meaning and explanation to surge from Thy
heart in remembrance of Thy Lord, the God of mercy, that Thou mayest
render thanks and praise unto Him and be of those who are truly
thankful. We have singled Thee out from amongst all Our creatures, and
have appointed Thee as the Manifestation of Our own Self unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth.
...
1.84
O Temple
of My Cause! Say: Should I wish to transform, in a single moment, all
things into mirrors of My Names, this undoubtedly is in My power, how
much more in the power of My Lord, Who hath called Me into being
through His all-compelling and inscrutable command. And should I choose
to revolutionize the entire creation in the twinkling of an eye, this
assuredly is possible unto Me, how much more unto that sovereign
Purpose enshrined in the Will of God, My Lord and the Lord of all the
worlds.
...
1.100
O Temple of Divine Revelation! Sound the trumpet in My Name! O Temple of Divine mysteries! Raise the clarion call of Thy Lord, the Unconditioned, the Unconstrained! O Maid of Heaven!
Step forth from the chambers of paradise and announce unto the people
of the world: By the righteousness of God! He Who is the Best-Beloved
of the worlds -- He Who hath ever been the Desire of every perceiving
heart, the Object of the adoration of all that are in heaven and on
earth, and the Cynosure of the former and the latter generations -- is
now come!
1.101
Take heed lest ye hesitate in recognizing this resplendent Beauty when
once He hath appeared in the plenitude of His sovereign might and
majesty. He, verily, is the True One, and all else besides Him is as
naught before a single one of His servants, and paleth into nothingness when brought face to face with the revelation of His splendours. Hasten, then, to attain the living waters of His grace,
and be not of the negligent. As to him who hesitateth, though it be for
less than a moment, God shall verily bring his works to naught and
return him to the seat of wrath; wretched indeed is the abode of them
that tarry!
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 32
Know then that "life" hath a twofold meaning. The first pertaineth to
the appearance of man in an elemental body, and is as manifest to thine
eminence and to others as the midday sun. This life cometh to an end
with physical death, which is a God-ordained and inescapable reality.
That life, however, which is mentioned in the Books of the Prophets and
the Chosen Ones of God is the life of knowledge; that is to say, the
servant's recognition of the sign of the splendours wherewith He Who is
the Source of all splendour hath Himself invested him, and his
certitude of attaining unto the presence of God through the
Manifestations of His Cause. This is that blessed and everlasting life
that perisheth not: whosoever is quickened thereby shall never die, but
will endure as long as His Lord and Creator will endure.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 48
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