14.   Bahai Administration

14.2  The Umumi House of Justice
The Umumi House of Justice is the legislative authority and the government the executive authority (see the house of justice). For some reasons or other the word ‘government’ does not appear in the excerpts quoted in the Bahai world.
The passage ‘the government is the legislative force’ presupposes the existence of a Bahai state to enforce the laws to be enforced by the Umumi House of Justice. In the absence of a government machinery the Umumi House of Justice is a name without form and a title without reality.

At the time of the passing of Sir Abbas Effendi there were Bahai bodies settled the spiritual assemblies (Mahfil-i-Bahai). In compliance with the Shoghi Effendi’s directive that in every locality, be the city or hamlet, when the number of adult believers exceeds nine, a local spiritual assembly must be forthwith established’ additional local spiritual assemblies were set up. The local spiritual assemblies of a country are linked together by another elected body of nine members of national spiritual assembly, referred to in the text as the Hususi House of Justice and rendered in the excerpts as the Secondary House of Justice (see the house of justice). The Hususi House of Justice exercises full authority over all the local spiritual assemblies.

These Hususi Houses of Justice throughout the world are to elect directly the members of another body, referred to in the text as the Umumi House of Justice and rendered in the excerpts as the universal or international House of Justice (see the house of justice) that will guide, organise and unify all the affairs of the movement throughout the world:”- Shoghi Effendi’s directive, p.44, the Bahai World, ibid.

Such was Sir Abbas Effendi’s charter of a House of Justice, national and international or universal establishing of the institution of the guardianship as a hereditary affair, with the Huququllah (Right of god), the purificatory tax, appertaining thereto.

In his marginal note penned in his own handwriting on page 16 of the printed copy of Sir Abbas Effendi’s Will, Baha’s youngest son Mirza Badiullah observes: “The House of Justice meant by Baha is a parliamentary system of government. At the time of the promulgation of this commandment no such assembly existed in Iran, Russia (now the Soviet Union), and Turkey. The purpose underlying this commandment is that matters should be dealt with by consultation and not by one man rule. All political matters, national and external, fall within the competence of such assembly. What has such assembly to do with his [i.e Sir Abbas Effendi’s] grandson [i.e. Shoghi Effendi], so that he may function as the head thereof? Where is his [i.e. Shoghi Effendi’s state]?
These written statements [of Sir Abbas Effendi] are held up by gentle folk and commons.”

The text sums as follows:

« بیت عدل که جمال قدم فرمود پارلمان دولتی مقصود است که در زمان صدور به این امر در ایران و رؤس و ترکیا این مجلس نبود و مقصود از آن آنکه امور به مشورت باشد نه منحصر به حکم و جمیع امور مجلس باشد دولتی کدامست الا آنکه این مرقومات موجب استهزا خاص وعام است اگر نظر بهائیان ایران در این مراتب کبتاه است در نظر دیگران عموما بازیچه صبیان محسوب »

Mirza Badiullah’s considered opinion of the House of Justice agrees entirely with Baha’s concept of the House of Justice and is endorsed by Mirza Muhammad Ali. See the overview to Mirza Muhammad Ali's Will & Testament (not available yet.
In Aqdas (English Translation, PP.31, 32) Baha says “God has ordained that in every city they make a House of Justice and the souls according to the number of al-Baha (i.e. 9) will assemble in it. There is no harm if the number increases. They shall see as though they are entering the presence of god, the High, the Most High, and they shall see Him who is not seen. They must be stewards of the merciful among (those in the realm of) the possible and agents of god for the whole earth, and god has ordained that they shall consult about the welfare of creatures for the sake of god, just as they consult about their own affairs, and that they choose what is the choice, thus commanded your lord, the mighty one, the Forgiver. Beware lest you neglect what is inscribed in the tablet.

The Supreme Pen denotes Baha, as the instrument whereby god’s pleasure is made known to men. The original drafts called “Nuzuli” were written on pieces of paper called tablet, the supreme pen moved on those tablets. The Aqdas is made up of a number of tablets written at different times. They were then deciphered and incorporated in the Aqdas. The tablet referred to in the text denotes the particular tablet embodying this commandment as reproduced in the Aqdas. This provision in the Aqdas was amended by the Eighth Ishraq in Baha’s Book of Ishraqat, Tarazat, Tajalliat, Bombay Edition. The text of the amendment sums as follows:
“The Eighth Ishraq: This passage by the supreme pen has been written at this moment and shall be read [together with and] as forming part of the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Affairs of the people [Millat] are dependent on godly men of the House of Justice. They are the agents of god among his creatures and the Rising-Places of the Cause in His dominions. O Sect of god! The Educator of the world is just, because he is the possessor of two pillars, that of Punishment and that of Rewards. These two pillars are the two fountains for the life of the people of the world, because each day calls for an order, and each moment for an expediency.
Consequently matters should be referred to the House of justice so that it may put into practice whatever it considers to be the refinement of expediency. Souls who, for the sake of god, rise up for the service of the Cause are inspired by the divine inscriptions of the Unseen, and obedience to them is incumbent upon all. All political matters shall be referable to the House of Justice and the ordinances of divine worship to what god has sent down in the Book [.e. the Aqdas].
Baha’s provisions for the House of Justice implicitly assumes a time when a state having a parliamentary system of government, shall have adopted Bahaism as the state religion, with full authority to legislate for the conduct of such state subject to the provisions of the Aqdas.
Sir Abbas Effendi’s charter of a House of Justice, establishing the institution of the guardianship as a hereditary office is, null and void.

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