14.   Bahai Administration

14.3  Council of Nine
The council of nine appeared to be a makeshift improvised by the Hands of the Cause to serve as a bell-wether, consequent upon the death of Shoghi Effendi without issue, and without a Will.
Whether or not the Hands of the Cause, nominated and appointed by Shoghi Effendi, elected a council of nine to assist Shoghi Effendi in his work, and to “give their assent to the choice of the one whom the guardian has chosen as his successor” is immaterial because with the death of Shoghi Effendi without issue, the institution of guardianship ceased to exist, and the council of nine lapsed, as there is no lineal guardian to serve.
With the death of Shoghi Effendi without issue, their appointor, the appointment of the Hands of the Cause, the electors of the Council of nine also ceased and determined.

Even under the terms of Sir Abbas Effendi’s Will and Testament, the international or Universal House of Justice empowered to enact legislation needs a “government” as an “executive power” to enforce the legislation..

In the absence of such a machinery, Shoghi Effendi’s embryonic House of Justice, or, the International House of Justice sponsored by the Hands of the Cause, whose power to act has lapsed, is a dead letter.
The guardianship is a prerogative executive to Shoghi Effendi’s lineal descendants. No outsider may, therefore set up a pretension to the office of guardianship.

The text sums as follows:

« .... و مقصود بیت عدل عمومی است یعنی در جمیع بلاد بیت عدل خصوصی تشکیل شود و تن بیوت عدل عمومی انتخاب نماید. این مجمع مرجع کل امور است و مؤسس قوانین و احکامی که در نصوص الهی موجود نه و اگر چنانچه عضوی از اعضاء گناهی ارتکاب نماید که در حق عموم ضرری حاصل شود ولی امرالله صلاحیت اخراج او را دارد. بعد خلق شخص دیگر انتخاب نماید. این بیت عدل و مصدر تشریعست و حکومت قوه تنفیذ. تشریع باید مؤید تنفیذ باید طهیر و معین شود تا از ارتباط و التیام این دو فوق بنیان عدل و انصاف متین و رزیل کرده و اقالیم جنت النعیم و بهشت برین شود »

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