A new version of the Bahá’í Reference Library is now available. This ‘old version’ of the Bahá’í Reference Library will be replaced at a later date.
The new version of the Bahá’i Reference Library can be accessed here »
A new version of the Bahá’í Reference Library is now available. This ‘old version’ of the Bahá’í Reference Library will be replaced at a later date.
The new version of the Bahá’i Reference Library can be accessed here »
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49. The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established # 30 |
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The institution of the House of Justice consists of elected
councils which operate at the local, national and international
levels of society. Bahá’u’lláh ordains both the
Universal House of Justice and the Local Houses of Justice
in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in His Will and
Testament, provides for the Secondary (National or
Regional) Houses of Justice and outlines the method to be
pursued for the election of the Universal House of Justice.
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In the verse cited above, the reference is to the Local
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House of Justice, an institution which is to be elected in a
locality whenever there are nine or more resident adult
Bahá’ís. For this purpose, the definition of adult was
temporarily fixed at the age of 21 years by the Guardian,
who indicated it was open to change by the Universal House
of Justice in the future.
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…as the position and aims of the Bahá’í Faith are
better understood and more fully recognized, will
gradually be superseded by the permanent and more
appropriate designation of House of Justice. Not only
will the present-day Spiritual Assemblies be styled
differently in future, but they will be enabled also to add
to their present functions those powers, duties, and
prerogatives necessitated by the recognition of the Faith
of Bahá’u’lláh, not merely as one of the recognized
religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion
of an independent and Sovereign Power.
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