Chapter 1

A Compilaton on Women

by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice

Edition 1, (September 2006)

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CONTENTS

Baha'i Terms of Use I. THE BAHA'I CONCEPT OF EQUALITY Extracts From the Writings of Baha'u'llah 1: O Children of Men! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust?... 2: Exalted, immensely exalted is He Who hath removed differences and... 3: This Wronged One hath heard thy voice and that which thy inner and outer... 4: By My Life! The names of handmaidens who are devoted to God are written... 5: Verily the Pen of the Most High hath borne witness unto thy recognition of... 6: We beseech God to aid all the leaves to attain the knowledge of the Tree and... 7: Throughout the centuries and ages many a man hath waited expectant for... Extracts From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Baha: 8: From the beginning of existence until the Promised Day men retained superiority... 9: O handmaid of God! In this wondrous dispensation in which the Ancient... 10: Render thanks to the Lord that among that race thou art the first... 11: The establishment of a women's assemblage for the promotion of knowledge is... 12: Know thou, O handmaid, that in the sight of Baha, women are accounted the... 13: And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is the equality of women and... 14: Inasmuch as this is the century of light, it is evident that the Sun of... 15: Today questions of the utmost importance are facing humanity, questions... 16: The world of humanity consists of two parts: male and female. Each is... 17: The status of woman in former times was exceedingly deplorable, for it was... 18: Woman's lack of progress and proficiency has been due to her need of equal... 19: He establishes the equality of man and woman. This is peculiar to the... 20: Women have equal rights with men upon earth; in religion and society they... 21: In the world of humanity ... the female sex is treated as though inferior, and... 22: Divine Justice demands that the rights of both sexes should be equally... 23: In the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah, women are advancing side by side with... 24: The woman of the East has progressed. Formerly in India, Persia and... 25: The world in the past has been ruled by force, and man has dominated over... Extracts From Letters Written on Behalf of Shoghi Effendi: 26: If presented properly the position of women in the Baha'i teachings will... 27: As regards your question concerning the membership of the Universal House... 28: As regards the membership of the International House of Justice,... Extracts From Letters Written by the Universal House of Justice: 29: It is apparent from the Guardian's writings that where Baha'u'llah... 30: Concerning your questions about the equality of men and women, this, as... 31: The primary question to be resolved is how the present world, with its... From Letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice 32: To the general premise that women and men have equality in the Faith,... 33: ...'Abdu'l-Baha asserts: "In this divine age the bounties of God have... 34: You are quite right in stating that men and women have basic and distinct... 35: It may be helpful to stress ... that the Baha'i principle of the... II. THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN Extracts From the Writings of Baha'u'llah: 36: It is the bounden duty of parents to rear their children to be staunch in... Extracts From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Baha: 37: Praised be God, the women believers have organized meetings where they will... 38: Work ye for the guidance of the women in that land, teach the young girls and... 39: ...it is incumbent upon the father and mother to train their children both in... 40: 'Abdu'l-Baha's supreme joy is in observing that a number of leaves from among... 41: ...Thou hast written about the girls' school. What was previously written... 42: ...it is incumbent upon the girls of this glorious era to be fully versed in... 43: Furthermore, the education of woman is more necessary and important than... 44: In proclaiming the oneness of mankind He taught that men and women are... 45: Why should a woman be left mentally undeveloped? Science is praiseworthy--... 46: Baha'u'llah has announced that inasmuch as ignorance and lack of... 47: The education of each child is compulsory.... In addition to this widespread... 48: Devote ye particular attention to the school for girls, for the greatness... 49: Our hearts rejoiced at thy letter concerning a school for girls.... Extract From a Letter Written by the Universal House of Justice 50: The cause of universal education, which has already enlisted in its... Extracts From Letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice: 51: A very important element in the attainment of such equality is Baha'u'llah's... 52: The House of Justice regards the need to educate and guide women in their... III. APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUALITY TO FAMILY LIFE Extracts From the Writings of Baha'u'llah: 53: Steadfastness in the Cause is mentioned in the Tablets and set forth by... 54: All should know, and in this regard attain the splendours of the sun of... Extracts From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Baha: 55: The Lord, peerless is He, hath made woman and man to abide with each other... 56: ...following the precepts of God and the holy Law, suckle your children from... 57: ...it is enjoined upon the father and mother, as a duty, to strive with all... 58: O ye loving mothers, know ye that in God's sight, the best of all ways to... 59: Note ye how easily, where unity existeth in a given family, the affairs of... 60: You have asked whether a husband would be able to prevent his wife from... 61: Question: What is the attitude of your belief toward the family?... Extracts From letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to individual believers unless otherwise cited 62: When such difference of opinion and belief occurs between husband and wife it... 63: Shoghi Effendi trusts that as a result of his cable and this letter your... 64: The Guardian, in his remarks ... about parents' and children's, wives' and... 65: It is one of the essential teachings of the Faith that unity should be... 66: The Guardian fully appreciates your desire to go forth as a pioneer at... 67: Wherever there is a Baha'i family, those concerned should by all means... Extracts From letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice to individual believers unless otherwise cited 68: That the first teacher of the child is the mother should not be startling,... 69: In considering the problems that you and your wife are experiencing, the... 70: Noting that you and your husband have consulted about your family problems... 71: The members of a family all have duties and responsibilities towards one... 72: You have asked, however, for specific rules of conduct to govern the... 73: You ask about the admonition that everyone must work, and want to know if... 74: With regard to your question whether mothers should work outside the home,... 75: The great importance attached to the mother's role derives from the fact... IV. WOMEN IN THE WORLD AT LARGE Extract From the Writings of Baha'u'llah 76: It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation,... Extracts From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Baha: 77: The handmaidens of God and the bondsmaids in His divine Court should... 78: Until the reality of equality between man and woman is fully established and... 79: ...the principle of religion has been revealed by Baha'u'llah that woman... 80: Again, it is well established in history that where woman has not... 81: Question: Is it not a fact that universal peace cannot be accomplished... 82: When all mankind shall receive the same opportunity of education and the... 84: Woman must especially devote her energies and abilities toward the industrial... 85: Therefore, strive to show in the human world that women are most capable... 86: ...imbued with the same virtues as man, rising through all the degrees of human... 87: According to the spirit of this age, women must advance and fulfill their... 88: ...The woman is indeed of the greater importance to the race. She has the... 89: Concerning Baha'i representation at the All-Asian Women's Conference: this... 90: What 'Abdu'l-Baha meant about the women arising for peace is that this is a... Extract From a Letter Written by the Universal House of Justice 91: The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality between the... Extracts From Letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice: 92: ...there is a much wider sphere of relationships between men and women than in... 93: The duty of women in being the first educators of mankind is clearly set... V. FOSTERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN Extracts From the Writings of Baha'u'llah: 94: In this Day the Blessed Tree of Remembrance speaketh forth in the Kingdom... 95: We beseech the True One to adorn His handmaidens with the ornament of... Extracts From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Baha: 96: The effulgence of the rays of the Sun of Truth is abundant and the favours... 97: In this great Cycle and wondrous Dispensation some women have been raised... 98: Confirmations from the kingdom of God will assuredly be received, enabling... 99: In this wondrous Dispensation the favours of the Glorious Lord are vouchsafed... 100: Blessed, blessed are ye for ye have arranged spiritual meetings and... 101: In this day the duty of everyone, whether man or woman, is to teach the Cause.... 102: Now is the time to speak forth and to deliver speeches, the time to teach... 103: O handmaid of God!... To the mothers must be given the divine Teachings... 104: ...we must not make distinctions between individual members of the human... 105: In brief, the assumption of superiority by man will continue to be depressing... 106: The purpose, in brief, is this: that if woman be fully educated and... 107: The realities of things have been revealed in this radiant century, and... 108: Equality of the sexes will be established in proportion to the increased... 109: Woman must endeavour then to attain greater perfection, to be man's equal... Extracts From Letters Written by Shoghi Effendi: 110: Regarding the position of the Baha'i women in India and Burma, and their... 111: Full rights have been accorded to Baha'i women residing in the cradle of the... 113: That the members of this community, of either sex and of every age, of... Extracts From Letters and a Telex Written by the Universal House of Justice: 114: 'Abdu'l-Baha has pointed out that "Among the miracles which distinguish... 115: PARTICULARLY CALL UPON BAHA'I WOMEN, WHOSE CAPACITIES IN MANY LANDS STILL... 116: The youth have long been in the forefront of the teaching work, and now our... 117: At the heart of all activities, the spiritual, intellectual and community... 118: The equality of men and women is not, at the present time, universally applied.... 119: Calling upon local and national Baha'i communities to sponsor a wide... Extracts From Letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice: 120: The House of Justice regards the need to educate and guide women in their... 121: The principle of the equality between women and men, like the other... VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. THE BAHA'I CONCEPT OF EQUALITY

Extracts From the Writings of Baha'u'llah

1: O Children of Men! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust?...

O Children of Men! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.

("The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah", Arabic no. 68, rev. ed. (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1985), p. 20) [1]

2: Exalted, immensely exalted is He Who hath removed differences and...

Exalted, immensely exalted is He Who hath removed differences and established harmony. Glorified, infinitely glorified is He Who hath caused discord to cease, and decreed solidarity and unity. Praised be God, the Pen of the Most High hath lifted distinctions from between His servants and handmaidens, and, through His consummate favours and all-encompassing mercy, hath conferred upon all a station and rank of the same plane. He hath broken the back of vain imaginings with the sword of utterance and hath obliterated the perils of idle fancies through the pervasive power of His might.

(From a Tablet - translated from the Persian) [2]

3: This Wronged One hath heard thy voice and that which thy inner and outer...

This Wronged One hath heard thy voice and that which thy inner and outer tongue hath uttered in praise of thy Lord. By the righteousness of God! That which the people possess, and the treasures of the earth, and that which the rulers and kings own, are not equal in this day to the singing of His praise. The Lord of the Kingdom beareth witness unto this at this glorious moment. And having heard thy groaning and lamentation, We are responding with a Tablet which calleth out betwixt earth and heaven and maketh mention of thee with words that immortalize what hath appeared from thee in His love, in His service, in His remembrance and in His praise. And He hath made that which hath issued forth from thy mouth a trust with Him for thee. He is verily the Most Bounteous, the Most Generous. If thou truly givest ear to that which hath been revealed for thee from My Supreme Pen at this moment, thou shalt soar with the wings of eagerness in the heaven of love for the Lord of the Day of the Covenant, and wilt say during all the days of thy life: Thanks be unto Thee, O Thou the Desire of the world, and praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Beloved of the people of understanding. May all existence be a sacrifice for Thy favour, and all that hath been and will ever be, a ransom for Thy Word, O Thou the Wronged One amongst the people of enmity, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all who are in heaven and on earth....

In this Day the Hand of divine grace hath removed all distinctions. The servants of God and His handmaidens are regarded on the same plane. Blessed is the servant who hath attained unto that which God hath decreed, and likewise the leaf moving in accordance with the breezes of His will. This favour is great and this station lofty. His bounties and bestowals are ever present and manifest. Who is able to offer befitting gratitude for His successive bestowals and continuous favours?

(From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic) [3]

4: By My Life! The names of handmaidens who are devoted to God are written...

By My Life! The names of handmaidens who are devoted to God are written and set down by the Pen of the Most High in the Crimson Book. They excel over men in the sight of God. How numerous are the heroes and knights in the field who are bereft of the True One and have no share in His recognition, but thou hast attained and received thy fill.

(From a Tablet - translated from the Persian) [4]

5: Verily the Pen of the Most High hath borne witness unto thy recognition of...

Verily the Pen of the Most High hath borne witness unto thy recognition of Him, thy love for Him and thy turning towards the Ancient Countenance at a time when the world hath rejected Him, save those whom God, the Most High, hath willed....

Well is it with thee for having adorned thyself with the ornament of the love of God and for having been enabled to make mention of Him and utter His praise. Divine grace, in its entirety, is in the mighty grasp of God, exalted be He. He conferreth it upon whomsoever He willeth. How many a man considered himself a celebrated divine and a repository of heavenly mysteries, and yet when the slightest test visited him, he arose with such opposition and denial as to cause the Concourse on high to moan and lament. Through the bestowals of the Lord, however, and His infinite favour, thou hast attained unto the hidden secret and the well-guarded treasure. Preserve then, in the name of God, this lofty station and conceal it from the eyes of betrayers. The glory shining from the horizon of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon every handmaiden who hath attained the splendours of My sublime Throne.

(From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic) [5]

6: We beseech God to aid all the leaves to attain the knowledge of the Tree and...

We beseech God to aid all the leaves to attain the knowledge of the Tree and deprive them not of the ocean of His generosity. In this day no regard is paid to loftiness or lowliness, to poverty or wealth, to nobility and lineage, to weakness or might. Whosoever recognizeth the incomparable Beloved is the possessor of true wealth and occupieth a divine station. Today, in the court of the True One, the queen of the world and her like are not worth a mustard seed, because although she may speak in the name of God, invoke the Lord of creation every day in the temple of her body, and spend large sums of earthly wealth for the development of her nation, she is deprived of recognition of the Sun of His Manifestation and is barred from the True One in Whose remembrance she is engaged....

(From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic) [6]

7: Throughout the centuries and ages many a man hath waited expectant for...

Throughout the centuries and ages many a man hath waited expectant for God's Revelation, and yet when the Light shone forth from the horizon of the world, all but a few turned their faces away from it. Whosoever from amongst the handmaidens hath recognized the Lord of all Names is recorded in the Book as one of those men by the Pen of the Most High. Offer thou praise to the Beloved of the world for having aided thee to recognize the Dayspring of His Signs and the Revealer of the evidences of His Glory. This is a great bounty, a bounteous favour. Preserve it in the name of the True One....

(From a Tablet - translated from the Persian and Arabic) [7]

Extracts From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Baha:

8: From the beginning of existence until the Promised Day men retained superiority...

From the beginning of existence until the Promised Day men retained superiority over women in every respect. It is revealed in the Qur'an: "Men have superiority over women." But in this wondrous Dispensation, the supreme outpouring of the Glorious Lord became the cause of manifest achievements by women. Some handmaidens arose who excelled men in the arena of knowledge. They arose with such love and spirituality that they became the cause of the outpouring of the bounty of the Sovereign Lord upon mankind, and with their sanctity, purity and attributes of the spirit led a great many to the shore of unity. They became a guiding torch to the wanderers in the wastes of bewilderment, and enkindled the despondent in the nether world with the flame of the love of the Lord. This is a bounteous characteristic of this wondrous Age which hath granted strength to the weaker sex and hath bestowed masculine might upon womanhood....

(From a Tablet - translated from the Persian) [8]

9: O handmaid of God! In this wondrous dispensation in which the Ancient...

O handmaid of God! In this wondrous dispensation in which the Ancient Beauty and the Manifest Light--may my spirit be sacrificed for His loved ones--hath risen from the horizon of age-old hopes, women have assumed the attributes of men in showing forth steadfastness in the Cause of God, and revealing the heroism and might of fearless men. They invaded the arena of mystic knowledge and hoisted aloft the banner on the heights of certitude. Thou, too, must make a mighty effort and show forth supreme courage. Exert thyself and taste of the sweetness of a heavenly draught, for the sweet taste of the love of God will linger on to the end that hath no end.

(From a Tablet - translated from the Persian) [9]

10: Render thanks to the Lord that among that race thou art the first...

Render thanks to the Lord that among that race thou art the first believer,(1) that thou hast engaged in spreading sweet-scented breezes, and hast arisen to guide others. It is my hope that through the bounties and favours of the Abha Beauty thy countenance may be illumined, thy disposition pleasing, and thy fragrance diffused, that thine eyes may be seeing, thine ears attentive, thy tongue eloquent, thy heart filled with supreme glad-tidings, and thy soul refreshed by divine fragrances, so that thou mayest arise among that race and occupy thyself with the edification of the people, and become filled with light. Although the pupil of the eye is black, it is the source of light. Thou shalt likewise be. The disposition should be bright, not the appearance. Therefore, with supreme confidence and certitude, say: "O God! Make me a radiant light, a shining lamp, and a brilliant star, so that I may illumine the hearts with an effulgent ray from Thy Kingdom of Abha...."

(From a Tablet - translated from the Persian) [10]