20  Trusteeship

So far in Part 3, we have looked at how the Kitab-i-Aqdas guides us through the rights of all people and the responsibilities we have as peers. The Cause of God has first been introduced in our social life, which is an integral baseline in our interactions with others. This is not all the Cause is. I feel the most important aspect of the Cause of God is trusteeship.

A trust is a type of custodial relationship in which a person, people, or organization are charged to care for another. It is usually considered a legal term, but surprisingly describes responsibilities of trustees regularly in His revelation. A trustee is person, organization, or legal entity who is designated to be responsible for a trust. Typically a trustee is responsible for property or any other contractually obligated purpose. Trusteeship is how we describe the position, function, and duties of a trustee in relationship to the trust.

There are many kinds of trusteeships expressed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Baha’u’llah describes trusts for orphans, widows,1 weak descendants,2 the destitute3, and the kingdom.4 The trustees are the Houses of Justice, fathers, the wealthy, and God. To frame the rest of this chapter, let us take a look at the sacred trust of God with God as the Trustee.

20.1 God as Trustee - Kingdom as Trust

In verse 172, Baha’u’llah outlines the Sacred Trust. The trust includes three closely interconnected realities. They are dominion, the kingdom, and the realm of power. A dominion is an area or territory where sovereignty is exercised. Baha’u’llah associates dominion with the role of God the Witness. A kingdom is a specific type of dominion ruled by a monarch and the law the monarch governs by. Baha’u’llah associates the kingdom with the role of God the Trustee. The realm of power is a more broad concept which can include any area or subject where authority is exercised. The realm of power includes any place where there is a power dynamic within the political, social, and spiritual spheres. It is associated with the role of God the Helper.

Knowing God is sufficient to be a Witness, we understand He is the Judge in all of creation. He does observe how sovereignty is used and for what ends sovereignty achieves. We need to be constantly diligent in how we use sovereignty. Knowing God is sufficient to be a Trustee, we can trust God will be a steward of us, sharing what the Cause of God is for the liberation of our souls and ensuring the Kingdom of God is a sovereignty deep within our hearts. Knowing God is sufficient to be a Helper, we can be assured of support and sustenance as we live our lives in remembrance of Him.

These three roles, Witness, Trustee, and Helper are three roles we can also serve as we align our souls with God’s Names. If we serve as witness without serving as trustee or helper, we are merely judgemental. We exalt over others and use power to subdue and illicitly gain, even if those gains are according to the rules of society. If we merely try to be a helper, but we do not witness a root cause nor understand our roles as a steward, our efforts might only be temporary or cause further harm, even if unintentional. Trusteeship requires both witnessing and helping to be fully dynamic, just as God serves as Trustee of us. Most of the rest of the book will be framed within the context of Trusteeship, as we have moved into the realm of power and the dynamics power causes. This chapter will look at Trusteeship with weak descendants, widows, and the destitute.

20.2 Weak Descendants as Trust - Parents as Trust

Weak descendants include any children from the time they are conceived until they reach maturity and any adult descendants who are unable to attain maturity due to circumstances such as a developmental handicap. The Kitab-i-Aqdas first associates them with a trust related to inheritance. All rules regarding inheritance will be discussed at the end of this chapter. A trustee is recommended to manage their inheritance until they reach maturity, with an agreed upon rightful share of the profits paid to the trustee. The inheritance is to be invested with the purpose of gaining profit, also known as acting as a fiduciary.

Every father is enjoined to educate their sons and daughters in learning and writing, and also what has been prescribed.5 This includes the teachings of Baha’u’llah and other subjects, such as sciences which profit mankind and the ability to recite the verses in Mashriq’ul-Adhkars in the best of melodies. Baha’u’llah says any father who fulfills this duty for their children or even other children is the same as educating one of Baha’u’llah’s children. It is an honor. If the father fails to educate their children, the trustees of the House of Justice are to take from the father whatever is necessary for their education if the father is wealthy. If the father is not wealthy, the matter is to be referred to the House of Justice. A negligent father has lost the right of fatherhood.6

In Chapter 14, many rights were defined for every person. The parents are entrusted with the responsibility in ensuring these rights as the child’s trustee. The trust includes the right to life, identity, purity, dignified appearance, love and kindness, freedom from oppression, to skilled physicians, to inheritance, to worship, and to education. This responsibility lasts until the child reaches the age of 19. If there are periods when the mature child needs assistance, the parents must do so if they are able to.7

The specifics does not have to be the same for every family, as each family has different environmental, cultural, and economic contexts. However, sincerity to the framework is vital. With the purpose of marriage being to create one who makes mention of God, the foundation of this could be teaching the names of God and nurturing souls who desire to mirror those names. Subtlety through Purity and the way they reflect will be unique as the child’s iris’s. Their right to identity includes their ability to shape this identity through these Names, which all lead back to One.

In fulfilling this trust, how does acting as a witness and helper help the parents? To a young child, a parent already seems so powerful and capable. The parent has full dominion. They are a witness to their child, their welfare, their personality, their environment, and everything else which affects the child. While the parent seems so powerful and capable, they witness the weakness and vulnerability of their child. They use their power in trust to nurture within that framework of responsibilities and belief. The purpose is to help the child become strong, mature, and not only a noble soul at birth, but an adult who retained their nobility. The framework of spiritual, educational, and full legal maturity at ages 11, 15, and 19 offer goals of refinement and targets for parents to achieve. Finally, the framework of witness, trustee, and helper also aligns with the Bayanic calendar’s rhythm of maturity.

Age Bayánic Month Meaning Spiritual Station
11 Masá’il “Questions” — awakening of understanding Witness
15 Sultán “Sovereignty” — command and responsibility Trustee
19 ’Alá “Loftiness” — fulfillment and unity Helper

If the child for some reason is unable to become mature and independent due to unplanned circumstances, these responsibilities for the parents never end.

20.3 Orphans as Trust - Houses of Justice as Trustee

Sometimes a child loses both parents. Throughout history, this has caused undue hardship upon children. Baha’u’llah laments this in the Lawh-i-Sultan, describing how the rulings of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar is causing new orphans to be made. The Kitab-i-Aqdas designates the Trustees of the Houses of Justice to be in trust of orphans.8 The funds are to be derived from any inheritance which is supposed to go to descendants when there are no dependents. This money is also to be used for widows and the general benefit of others.

Baha’u’llah served as the trustee for orphans in His lifetime. For example, he provided fifty tumens for the orphans of Ḥájí ’Alí Qarabagí.9 While orphans are being care for in trust by the Houses of Justice, it would also be good if a person chose to adopt an orphaned child. As Baha’u’llah had described the honor it is for a father to educate a child that is not his own, imagine the glory in raising a child as if it were Baha’u’llah’s? Orphans have a right to be taken care of. Their rights are not lost when their parents are lost.

20.4 Aging Parents as Trust - Mature Children as Trustee

For parents who have not forfeited their rights as parents due to neglect of their children, Baha’u’llah says the second greatest fruit is regard for the rights of one’s parents.10 The Bab says we are to provide for our parents if they are not self-sufficient11 once we have reached maturity at age 19.

This helps establish a lifelong bond of mutual assistance between parents and children. All mature people are obligated to earn a living if they are able to, so this would mostly be assistance as parents age or random circumstances of life impact their ability to earn, even if temporarily. The parents are a trust with mature children serving as trustee.

Now, even as parents age, they must still be treated with the full dignity, respect, and rights of every person. Authority over their possessions cannot be denied unless a skilled physician has determined there is an onset of true mental incapacity.12 If an adult has lost their mental capacity but does not have mature children, the authority over their possessions, if not clearly defined by a legal contract, would be entrusted to the Houses of Justice.

In regards to aging, there are some rights and responsibilities associated with decaying health and the potential of dying. We had prior established the right to skilled physicians. If there is illness, seek a physician.13 Baha’u’llah uses a candle as an instructive metaphor. He says “Consider the candle and its light. If you protect it from outward elements through means such as a lantern or otherwise, then as long as the wax and wick remain, it is possible to preserve it from temporal vicissitudes. However, if it reaches its end - that is, if the wax and wick are exhausted - in this case the continuation of light is impossible. This latter state is determined, while the former state is conditional.” He also says the preservation of human life is greater than any other matter.14

Forcing a person to artificially be alive would be a violation of the trust. Medical care has to be focused on healing a condition. It would be vital for parents and children to understand their rights and responsibilities in a spirit of consultation, especially in stressful and painful times.

20.5 Widows as Trust - Houses of Justice as Trustee

Sometimes a wife loses her husband. Like orphans, this has often caused undue hardship to the widow. While she has the ability to work and earn a living, she may have also been provided for by her deceased husband. She may still be nurturing a child. We do not know her circumstances. While she has full autonomy of her life without losing any rights she had before and during her marriage, her care is entrusted to the Houses of Justice.

I want to explore the witness, trustee, and helper model with widows. How would witnessing manifest itself while respecting the rights and autonomy of the widow? Witnessing does not equal surveillance or invading privacy. That is contrary to our constellation of virtues such as courtesy. The House is not to serve as her master. Witnessing involves seeing their dominion clearly. This means ensuring she is safe from exploitation in a vulnerable time and she receives what is due to her from inheritance. If she is economically or socially vulnerable, it should be acknowledged without stripping her of her agency.

As trustee, the Houses are stewards of fairness. They do not act as her decision maker. They ensure systems of support are fairly distributed when requested, and they are freely available to be requested. They do not manage her choices, relationships, or property. Instead they oversee any process of communal support without favoritism or corruption. The purpose of this trusteeship is to offer help and assistance when needed, without coercion. They provide resources, which does not need to be limited to money. These resources could be access to a grief counselor, support groups, protection from social pressures, and introductions to new opportunities. The process of witness, trustee, and helper is an extremely simple yet thorough model to exercise power as an act of service.

20.6 The Destitute as Trust - The Wealthy as Trustee

In Chapter 18, we described the prohibition on begging. We also have a responsibility to never give to beggars, no matter what is desperately being asked of. This seems contrary to generosity, but we have outlined such responsibilities as Huquq’u’llah and Zakat. The goal is to create a community where no person would need to beg. No person deserves to be destitute nor desperate. Every person has a right to provision.

There are two trustees of the destitute. The first are the Houses of Justice.15 The second are the wealthy. Each are to provide what is necessary. The Houses of Justice can consult on what is necessary, but with it could fall within the right of provision from Chapter 14 Section 7.7. A wealthy individual could also make this determination, according to how generous their spirit is.

Who is wealthy? I would define wealthy as any person who has wealth. Wealth is an abundance of resources which can be used to invest or make transactions without worry of running out of resources. The wealthy have plenty. The destitute or impoverished have nothing or very little. They are a trust and the wealthy are meant to serve as their trustees.

As a potential conflict of interest, a community might want to consider limiting how many wealthy people serve on Houses of Justice. Trusts struggle with ethical issues when there are conflicts of interest.

20.7 Animals and the Earth as Trust - Believers as Trustee

The Kitab-i-Aqdas does not explicitly tell us to take care of the Earth and all that is contained within the environment. There are allusions throughout. So far we have learned God has created everything, with the Earth made the vessel of our provision. While the parents have a responsibility to provide provision to their children, God has provided the provision for everyone. We also described how all people have a right to provision. I would say these provisions themselves have rights, and the living things of earth have a right to provision.

One of these provisions is water, which we have described as a purifying agent. How can water purify if the water is polluted? Baha’u’llah says rivers of fresh water gush forth from the stones (a natural spring) due to the sweetness of our Lord.16 The water is created pure, just as we are. Yet, when God discusses our purity with lewdness and oppression, He says “beware that you do not corrupt the Earth after it has been reformed.”17 What if one can be lewd and oppressive to water, which causes it to become impure? If oppression defiles the heart, pollution defiles the spring. Both are violations of purity, and both begin with heedlessness. The Bab describes the four elements of fire, air, water, and earth as purifying agents18 and are integrated within the Bayanic Calendar.19 Chapter 12.7 includes these elements in the table describing the calendar.

Creation is where we recognize the names of God and develop our virtues, a corrupted Earth would greatly increase the difficulty in achieving this spiritual progress. Thus, we have a moral ecology in which we operate.

20.7.1 Moral Ecology

Moral ecology can refer to the pragmatic evolution of ethics over time as if it were an ecosystem. It can also refer to the study of human interactions with the natural environment and the ethics of these interactions. Much like the water example, both of these definitions seem to be rather integrated. The environment shapes our morals, and our morals help shape the environment. None can actually ever be divorced from the other.

In numerous instances, Baha’u’llah describes Earth, or parts of the Earth, as having feelings, expressing feelings, and having spiritual experiences. Usually this is used as metaphor to describe feelings, expressions, and spiritual experiences people should be having. What if Earth does have feelings, expresses those feelings, and have spiritual experiences? “Every stone and tree has cried out with the loudest voice, Bethlehem has been moved by the breath of God, and the trembling of reunion has seized Mount Sinai.20 The Land of T (Tehran) is instructed not to grieve the injustice perpetuated upon it.21 The Land of Ba rejoiced when Baha’u’llah arrived after being released from the land of prison, which the land of prison became saddened.22 Flowers, fruits, trees, leaves, and rivers are pleasing examples of divine power and craftsmanship in honor of the passing of a believer.23 In the same tablet He says the trees, stones, clay, and pebbles serve as witnesses.

Every instance we observe Baha’u’llah’s metaphors and descriptions of the earthly creation, maybe we should also consider the idea Baha’u’llah is describing that which is real in metaphorical ways. When He says “plant nothing in the garden of the heart except the flower of love”24 maybe we have two things to consider. The obvious is the heart should have love inside of it, so that love is what courses through our body and is able to be freely expressed outwardly, seen and admired by those who are able to observe this flower of love in the garden of the heart. The less obvious might be we should sometimes plant flowers out of love for the garden itself. Why not both? The flower we plant may inspire love by a person who witnesses it, whether the garden is in our heart or made from the Earth we were created from, and the Earth we will return to.

Trusteeship within moral ecology would be to view the ecology of the Earth, its minerals, its air, its water, its living things as an integral part of who we are. We witness it, we preside over it as trustees instead of as masters, and serve to help it thrive. When we are instructed to build up the lands and cities, this is definitely not an act of destruction. It is an act of construction, but in a way which is reverent to the idea the Earth is sacred, our provision for ourselves and future generations must be provided, and we are not the only things on Earth which has feelings and spiritual journeys. Imagine when the next future Manifestation of God appears hundreds of years from now. Will they witness an Earth and people who are more purified than when Baha’u’llah lived among us?

The Bab even included a prohibition from buying or selling the four elements of fire, air, water, and earth.25 I do not see this prohibition continued by Baha’u’llah, nor do I see Baha’u’llah expressing a permission. In consideration of what the Bab intended, how might we adapt our economies to be mindful of how we use those four purifying elements in commerce? I personally witness how water is extracted from aquifers which cannot be replenished, bottled into plastic, and the plastic is thrown back into surface water. The profit margins of bottled water bring large, multinational corporations significant profits, yet it comes at potentially significant long-term externalized costs elsewhere. It may not reflect God’s vision of justice for a few to profit at the cost of many. A trusteeship of these four elements could develop methods to account for externalized costs, or find ways for markets which believers operate in to guide the Bab’s vision at various levels. Helping would find ways to ensure extraction does not exclude giving, that there are pathways to achieving a true accounting balance, tied to the virtue of moderation.

20.7.2 Animals

Baha’u’llah does tell us not to load an animal with more than it can bear.26 He associates justice and fairness between the heavens and Earth. Loading an animal would explicitly mean examples such as ensuring a pack animal is not carrying excessive weight for an excessive duration. This also implies the burden is undue suffering, physical pain, and in this example, cruelty. When I consider other ways living creatures can suffer or face physical pain due to human activity, I also consider habitat loss where animals lose their shelter, food, and water. I consider pollution which makes a creature sick, disoriented, or in places like Chernobyl, mutated.

Baha’u’llah also says we should not be excessive in hunting27 for prey. Again, this is an act of provision without excess. This again is associated with justice and fairness. If animals are used to hunt, the names of God should be mentioned. If we are taking the life for provision, it comes with a spiritual act of reverence towards that which is lost, that which was provided by God. Should we hunt for sport and entertainment? If so, how does this reflect the names of God? Should we kill anything which attempts to eat our food sources? Should we use pesticides to spray yards, gardens, and fields and killing every insect which ventures onto that land? If we are viewing Earth as our dominion, do we have the power to do anything we wish for entertainment and comfort, or do we have a role as trustees? These are all types of questions we should consult on as we build up these lands and cities for the Cause of God.

In considering the witness, trustee, and helper model, we can be guided by the virtues of moderation, courtesy, and thankfulness. These can ensure that for anything we take, we are willing to give back something equal or more to that which we have taken from.

20.8 Wills and Testaments - Houses of Justice as Trustees

Every soul has been ordained to write a will.28 The will must have certain features:

  1. Heading with the Greatest Name,

  2. Declaration of the oneness of God in the Manifestation of His appearance,

  3. Good deeds they wish to be remembered for,

  4. How they wish to be buried, and

  5. The distribution of inheritance according to their wishes.

A will and testament is a legal contract, to be executed upon the death of a person, who is known as the testator. They entrust the Houses of Justice to act as the trustee of the contract, also known as the executor of the will. A testator can designate another person to execute, but the Houses of Justice still have the final responsibility to ensure the contract is fulfilled. If a will is not made prior to a person’s death, then the local House of Justice will act according to the Kitab-i-Aqdas and a few amendments to the law afterwards.

When distributing the estate, there is an order of priorities. The funeral expenses are to be paid first, then any outstanding debts. If any money remains, the payment of Huquq’u’llah for any portions of wealth Huquq’u’llah was not paid on. If there is any money after Huquq’u’llah, then the estate will be distributed as inheritance.29

20.8.1 Inheritance Without a Will

The Arabic Bayan introduces the inheritance distribution with 2520 shares divided between seven categories (Books) of inheritors.30 Baha’u’llah kept this exactly the same in the Kitab-i-Aqdas but later changed it in BH01964. Below is the distribution. I listed the categories as described in the Bayan and Kitab-i-Aqdas, with the original number struck out. The changes from BH01964 are added or subtracted with the final total and percentage calculated.

Split from the Letter Z (Number 7)

  1. Descendants - Book Ṭ (9) according to number of M, Q, T – 540 + 540 = 1080 (42.8%)
  2. Spouses - Book Ḥ (8) according to number T and F – 480 - 90 = 390 (15.5%)
  3. Fathers - Book Z (7) according to number T and K – 420 - 90 = 330 (13.1%)
  4. Mothers - Book W (6) according to number R, F, Y, A – 360 - 90 = 270 (10.7%)
  5. Brothers - Book H (5) according to number Sh – 300 - 90 = 210 (8.3%)
  6. Sisters - Book D (4) according to number R and M – 240 - 90 = 150 (6.0%)
  7. Teachers - Book J (3) according to number Q and F – 180 - 90 = 90 (3.6%)

20.8.2 Items Excluded From Sale

If the house is inhabited by descendants, the male descendants inherit the house.31

Specific garments are to be given to the male descendants. This may not exactly mean common clothing defined by gender roles. Instead, this could mean garments which have a significant meaning or purpose within the family. Ceremonial, spiritual, and culturally significant garments would be included. This also implies these types of garments are not to be sold as part of the estate, and remain a part of the family. An example of how a ceremonial garment might be designed could take inspiration from the Persian Bayan Vahid 5, Gate 10.

20.8.3 When an Inheritor Does Not Exist

It might not be guaranteed all seven categories of inheritors were born or are still alive when the deceased passes away. The Kitab-i-Aqdas provides guidance in these situations.

If there are no descendants, their portion will go to the House of Justice.32 (1080 of 2520 shares)

If the deceased has descendants but no other specified heirs, 2/3rds will go to the descendants and 1/3rd will go to the House of Justice.33 For example, if there is no spouse, 260 of 2520 shares will be added to the descendants for a total of 1340 shares. 130 shares will go to the House of Justice.

If there are no direct heirs from the first 6 categories but there are nephews, nieces, or their children, 2/3rds will go to them and 1/3rd to the House of Justice.34

If there are no direct heirs and no nephews, nieces, or their children, the inheritance from the first 6 categories will go to the House of Justice.35

20.8.4 The Funeral

The funeral is mostly derived from the Persian Bayan Vahid 5, Gate 12 and Vahid 8, Gate 11 with some adjustments in the Kitab-i-Aqdas #128-130. The Bayan describes the cleansing and burial process as preparing the temple of the body for purification at the return of all things (resurrection). It is a process which much be done with the deepest honor of the person who passed. The following are the steps for the full funeral.

20.8.4.1 Preparation

  1. Handle the body with dignity and stillness.
  2. Repeat the six Names of God—or “God” alone—from the moment of death until burial.
  3. Prepare pure water, optionally mixed with camphor and lotus leaves.
  4. Ensure the washing is performed by the righteous.

20.8.4.2 Washing of the Body

  1. Wash the head — “O Singular One.”
  2. Wash the abdomen — “O Living One.”
  3. Wash the right side — “O Self-Subsisting One.”
  4. Wash the left side — “O Wise One.”
  5. Wash the right foot — “O Just One.”
  6. Wash the left foot — “O Powerful One.”
  7. Perform one washing; up to three or five permitted.
  8. Use water (warm or cool) suitable to the condition of the body.
  9. After washing, perfume the body with fresh fragrance.

20.8.4.3 Shrouding

  1. Shroud the body in five layers of silk or fine cotton.
  2. Up to nineteen Names of God may be inscribed on the shroud.
  3. Wrap the body with calm and reverence.

20.8.4.4 The Ring

  1. Place on the right hand:

Men: “To God belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and God is All-Knowing of all things.” Women: “To God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and God is over all things Powerful.”

20.8.4.5 The Coffin

  1. Place the body in a coffin of crystal, stone resistant to decay, or fine, hard wood.
  2. Place fragrance within the coffin before closing it.

20.8.4.6 The Funeral Prayer (Ṣalát al-Janázah)

  1. The congregation stands; no bowing or prostration is performed.
  2. The prayer is said once only, facing toward God.

O my God, this is Your servant (maidservant) and the son (daughter) of Your servant who has believed in You and Your signs, and has turned towards You, detached from all else but You. You are indeed the Most Merciful of the merciful. I beseech You, O Forgiver of sins and Concealer of faults, to deal with him in accordance with Your heavenly grace and ocean of bounty, and to admit him into the shelter of Your supreme mercy, which has preceded the earth and the heavens. There is no God but You, the Forgiving, the Generous.

Then recite:

  1. “Allah-u-Abhá”, then “We all, verily, worship God” — 19 times.
  2. “Allah-u-Abhá”, then “We all, verily, bow down to God” — 19 times.
  3. “Allah-u-Abhá”, then “We all, verily, are devoted to God” — 19 times.
  4. “Allah-u-Abhá”, then “We all, verily, remember God” — 19 times.
  5. “Allah-u-Abhá”, then “We all, verily, are grateful to God” — 19 times.
  6. “Allah-u-Abhá”, then “We all, verily, are patient for God” — 19 times.

20.8.4.7 Burial

  1. Following the prayer, the coffin is carried reverently to the grave.
  2. Bury the body within one hour’s distance from the place of death.
  3. Bury the body with spirit and fragrance in a nearby place.
  4. As the body is lowered, one may say:

“I began from God and returned to Him, detached from all else, and clinging to His Name, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.”

  1. Maintain silence and remembrance until the burial is complete.

20.9 Closing Thoughts About Trusteeship

There are many aspects of life which could be covered regarding trusteeship, especially within our social lives and relationships. I hope covering these major themes helps provide a vision and framework in how to apply these ideas in the various complicated situations which arise in life. Trusteeship, as when it is applied to the raising of children in relation to the Bayanic Calendar, is an enriching way to add to the practice of Honoring God.

The key foundation of trusteeship, outside of viewing it as a spiritual or legal obligation, is the act of consultation. Everything regarding trusteeship, marriage, and other important matters requires the ability to consult. The last chapter of Part 3 is going to discuss consultation. With unity being the bridge between spiritual practices and virtue development and our rights and responsibilities, consultation is the bridge between unity and trusteeship. Consultation is the practical application of unity. Consultation is the engine that drives witnessing, the mechanism that enacts trusteeship, and the means through which we learn how best to help.

  1. Kitab-i-Aqdas #21↩︎

  2. Kitab-i-Aqdas #27↩︎

  3. Kitab-i-Aqdas #147↩︎

  4. Kitab-i-Aqdas #172↩︎

  5. Kitab-i-Aqdas #48↩︎

  6. BH09698↩︎

  7. Arabic Bayan Vahid 10, Gate 14↩︎

  8. Kitab-i-Aqdas #21↩︎

  9. BH00332↩︎

  10. BH02374↩︎

  11. Arabic Bayan Vahid 10, Gate 14↩︎

  12. BH00035↩︎

  13. Kitab-i-Aqdas #113↩︎

  14. BH00093↩︎

  15. Kitab-i-Aqdas #147↩︎

  16. Kitab-i-Aqdas #54↩︎

  17. Kitab-i-Aqdas #64↩︎

  18. Persian Bayan Vahid 5 Gate 14↩︎

  19. Persian Bayan Vahid 5 Gate 3↩︎

  20. The Lawh-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Tablet)↩︎

  21. Kitab-i-Aqdas #91↩︎

  22. Lawh-i-Ard-i-Ba (Tablet of the Land of Ba)↩︎

  23. BH00010↩︎

  24. The Hidden Words of Persian #2↩︎

  25. The Arabic Bayan Vahid 9, Gate 10↩︎

  26. Kitab-i-Aqdas #187↩︎

  27. Kitab-i-Aqdas #60↩︎

  28. Kitab-i-Aqdas #109↩︎

  29. BH00984↩︎

  30. Arabic Bayan Vahid 10, Gate 14↩︎

  31. Kitab-i-Aqdas #25↩︎

  32. Kitab-i-Aqdas #21↩︎

  33. Kitab-i-Aqdas #22↩︎

  34. Kitab-i-Aqdas #23↩︎

  35. Kitab-i-Aqdas #24↩︎