The Universal House of Justice
"The essence of all that We have revealed for thee,"
Bahá'u'lláh declares, "is Justice." The chief instrument for the
transformation of society and the achievement of lasting peace, He
asserts, is the establishment of justice in every aspect of life.
Bahá'u'lláh explains that the "purpose of justice is the appearance of
unity among men." A conviction of the practicality of world unity,
coupled with a dedication and willingness to work toward this goal, is the
single most distinguishing characteristic of the Bahá'í community. The
efforts of Bahá'ís around the world to build communities founded on
cooperation and justice are guided by a unique system of administration
established by Bahá'u'lláh Himself.
The practical expression of the religious impulse in the modern age,
Bahá'u'lláh says, is collective decision-making and collective action based
on spiritual principles. To ensure that power is used as an instrument of
justice, and that governance serves humanity's true needs, decision-making
authority, He insists, must rest with corporate bodies and not be left in
the hands of individuals. "In all things it is necessary to consult,"
is His advice. "The maturity of the gift of understanding is made
manifest through consultation." Thus, although Bahá'u'lláh, like all
Manifestations of God before Him, enunciated and reiterated certain
fundamental spiritual truths, and through His appearance imbued humankind
with a "new and regenerating Spirit," He also established laws and
institutional mechanisms to ensure the realization of justice in human
affairs.
Bahá'ís believe that the "Administrative Order" created by Bahá'u'lláh,
and built up by His successors `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, defines a
pattern of cooperative decision-making and social interaction that
cultivates the moral and creative capacities latent in human nature. It
provides a model of the institutional structures necessary for global
community life--a pattern of living that embraces diversity and fosters
mutuality of purpose, compassion, and rectitude of conduct. A singular
feature of this administrative system is the balance it strikes between
preserving individual freedom and promoting the collective good. Shoghi
Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, wrote:
"...this Administrative Order is fundamentally different from anything
that any Prophet has previously established, inasmuch as Bahá'u'lláh
Himself revealed its principles, established its institutions, appointed
the person to interpret His Word, and conferred the necessary authority on
the body [the Universal House of Justice] designed to supplement and apply
His legislative ordinances".
Shoghi Effendi
Founded on a set of unique electoral and consultative principles that are
democratic in spirit and method, the Bahá'í administrative order is
organized around freely elected governing councils which operate at the
local, national, and international levels. This hierarchy devolves
decision-making to the lowest practicable level--thereby instituting a
unique vehicle for grassroots participation in governance--while at the same
time providing a level of coordination and authority that makes possible
cooperation on a global scale. Bahá'u'lláh called these governing councils
"Houses of Justice."
The Universal House of Justice today guides the activities of the global
Bahá'í community. This body was instituted by Bahá'u'lláh Himself as the
supreme legislative organ of the Bahá'í administrative order. Its members,
Bahá'u'lláh wrote, are "the Trustees of God among His servants."
The Universal House of Justice itself states that "The provenance, the
authority, the duties, the sphere of action of the Universal House of
Justice all derive from the revealed Word of Bahá'u'lláh which, together
with the interpretations and expositions of the Centre of the Covenant and
of the Guardian of the Cause -- who, after `Abdu'l-Bahá, is the sole
authority in the interpretation of Bahá'í Scripture -- constitute the
binding terms of reference of the Universal House of Justice and are its
bedrock foundation."
According to the explicit texts of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá, the
legislative enactments of the Universal House of Justice have the same
authority for Bahá'ís as do the sacred texts themselves. The difference is
that the House of Justice has the right to repeal and alter any of its
enactments as the Bahá'í community evolves and new conditions emerge,
whereas the laws enshrined in the Bahá'í texts will remain unchanged. `Abdu'l-Bahá
states that all questions and issues not explicitly addressed in the Bahá'í
sacred writings "must be referred to the Universal House of Justice.
That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that
is verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself."
The administration of the Bahá'í Faith on the national and local levels
is presently carried out by national and local "Spiritual Assemblies." These
elected institutions function in accordance with the same consultative
principles as the Universal House of Justice and will eventually be called
"Houses of Justice." Bahá'ís believe that, while local and national Houses
of Justice will be the instruments for ensuring human well-being, the
decisions of the Universal House of Justice are uniquely inspired and
authoritative. Bahá'u'lláh stated that God Himself has made this possible
and will preserve the enactments of the Universal House of Justice from
error: "It is incumbent upon the Trustees of the House of Justice to
take counsel together regarding those things which have not outwardly been
revealed in the Book, and to enforce that which is agreeable to them. God
will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is the
Provider, the Omniscient. Bahá'u'lláh wrote that since for "each
day there is a new problem and for every problem an expedient solution, such
affairs should be referred to the Ministers of the House of Justice that
they may act according to the needs and requirements of the time. They...are
the recipients of divine inspiration from the unseen kingdom."
Thus, the Universal House of Justice has been ordained by Bahá'u'lláh as
an instrument of divine guidance and is not to be considered as merely the
international administrative body of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá confirms
that the Universal House of Justice is "under the protection and the
unerring guidance of God." However, it is
only the corporate body itself that has been endowed with such guidance and
not the individual members.
With the coming into being of the Universal House of Justice a new era
opened in the history of the Bahá'í Faith. Authoritative direction flowed to
the Bahá'í community first through the Manifestation of God (Bahá'u'lláh),
then through the chosen Center of the Faith (`Abdu'l-Bahá) and the Guardian
of the Faith (Shoghi Effendi). But with the passing of Shoghi Effendi and
the establishment of the Universal House of Justice, guidance for the Bahá'í
community no longer came from a personal channel, organically linked to the
Manifestation of God, but from an elected body chosen by the Bahá'í
membership itself.
The relationship between the Universal House of Justice and the national
and local governing bodies that support it has an extremely important
feature. Having arrived at a period in which humanity is awakening to new
powers of reason and perception, Bahá'u'lláh pays particular attention to
the development of decision-making skills at the grassroots of human
society. Thus, the Bahá'í administrative order devolves authority to
national and local levels to engender new patterns of interaction and
participation, especially among individuals and groups that have been
historically excluded from decision-making. Consequently, responsibility for
the implementation of Bahá'u'lláh's spiritual and social principles
essentially resides with National and Local Spiritual Assemblies. It is
these bodies that are charged with ensuring that Bahá'u'lláh's prescription
of moral renewal and harmonious community life is realized. In addition,
national and local Bahá'í administrative institutions are enjoined by
Bahá'u'lláh to ensure that Bahá'í communities promote the interests and
abide by the laws of localities, regions, and nations. He emphatically
declares that He has only "singled out the hearts of men as His Own
domain." Loyalty and obedience to the
governments under which Bahá'ís reside obtain whether or not Bahá'ís
constitute numerical majorities. In any particular nation, the National
Spiritual Assembly has specific responsibility for effecting conformity with
this vital principle. In this regard, the Universal House of Justice serves
as the ultimate guarantor of the Bahá'í community's adherence to the laws
and ordinances of Bahá'u'lláh in all parts of the world.
The Universal House of Justice was instituted when, in 1963, members of
National Spiritual Assemblies from around the globe, in an atmosphere of
deep reflection and profound devotion, elected nine individuals from among
the Bahá'ís of the world as members of this institution. The occasion is
considered by Bahá'ís to be, next to the appointment of Shoghi Effendi as
the Guardian of the Faith, the most momentous event in the history of what
is known as the "Formative Age" of the Bahá'í Faith. Even the manner of the
election itself was befitting that institution described by `Abdu'l-Bahá as
the "source of all good." Conducted
by secret ballot, the Bahá'í electoral process prohibits the nomination and
presentation of candidates, thereby giving maximum freedom of choice to each
elector and avoiding the partisanship and power-seeking behavior so
characteristic of conventional political elections. The election of the
Universal House of Justice takes place every five years in the same
atmosphere of spirituality and dedication. At the most recent international
convention in April 1998, delegates from more than 160 national communities
participated in the election.
Beyond its institutional importance, the establishment of the Universal
House of Justice symbolized the distinguishing characteristic which Bahá'ís
regard as the essence of their Faith: unity. No matter how wholehearted and
sincere, faith alone cannot ensure that the unity of a religious community
will endure. The emergence of the Universal House of Justice as the guiding
authority in all the affairs of the community meant that the Bahá'í Faith
had remained united through the most critical period of a religion's
history, the vulnerable first century during which schism almost invariably
takes root. Shortly after its formation in 1963, the Universal House of
Justice wrote: "The Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh is unbroken, its
all-encompassing power inviolate...The channel of Divine guidance, providing
flexibility in all the affairs of mankind, remains open through that
institution which was founded by Bahá'u'lláh and endowed by Him with supreme
authority and unfailing guidance..." For Bahá'ís, the emphatic promise of
Bahá'u'lláh had been realized: "The Hand of Omnipotence hath established
His Revelation upon an enduring foundation. Storms of human strife are
powerless to undermine its basis, nor will men's fanciful theories succeed
in damaging its structure."
In its position at the apex of the Bahá'í administrative order, the
Universal House of Justice protects the spiritual inheritance bequeathed to
it by promoting "the attainment of those spiritual qualities which should
characterize Bahá'í life individually and collectively"; preserving the
Bahá'í Sacred Texts and safeguarding their "inviolability"; defending and
protecting the Bahá'í community and emancipating it from the "fetters of
repression and persecution"; preserving and developing the world spiritual
and administrative centre of the Bahá'í Faith; and safeguarding "the
personal rights, freedom and initiative of individuals." It is also given
the charge of adapting the Bahá'í Faith to the "requirements of progressive
society," and thus is empowered to legislate on matters not explicitly
covered in the Bahá'í sacred texts. The
approach to legislation in the Bahá'í Faith is explained in a letter written
on behalf of the Universal House of Justice: "The human tendency in past
[religious] Dispensations has been to want every question answered and to
arrive at a binding decision affecting every small detail of belief or
practice. The tendency in the Bahá'í Dispensation, from the time of
Bahá'u'lláh Himself, has been to clarify the governing principles, to make
binding pronouncements on details that are considered essential, but to
leave a wide area to the conscience of the individual. The same tendency
appears also in administrative matters."
In addition to its responsibility for guiding the growth and development
of the global Bahá'í community, the Universal House of Justice is counseled
by Bahá'u'lláh to exert a positive influence on the general welfare of
humankind. It is called upon by Him to promote a permanent peace among the
nations of the world so that "the people of the earth may be relieved
from the burden of exorbitant expenditures," and freed from the
"affliction" of "conflict." It is also exhorted to take steps
to ensure the "training of peoples, the up building of nations, the
protection of man and the safeguarding of his honor. "In accordance with
these injunctions of Bahá'u'lláh, the Universal House of Justice has
vigorously pursued a campaign promoting international peace and stability,
and has set in motion a variety of initiatives in the areas of human rights,
the advancement of women, and social and economic development. In 1985, in a
message entitled "The Promise of World Peace," addressed to "the peoples of
the world" and presented to nearly all heads of state around the world, the
Universal House of Justice outlined the essential prerequisites for the
establishment of global peace and prosperity.
As stipulated by Bahá'u'lláh, the Seat of the Universal House of Justice
is located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, in close proximity to the
resting places of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh.
.