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Introduction to Reform Bahai Faith, A Talk Presented to the Troy Interfaith Group
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Long suppressed by Bahais of other denominations,
Reform Bahais have returned to, and renewed,
Abdul-Baha's 1912 Authentic Covenant
www.reformbahai.org/Covenant.html

"After Abdul-Baha—whenever the Universal House of Justice is organized it will ward off differences."

Of the several Bahai denominations, the Reform Bahai Faith is the only denomination that follows Abdul-Baha'is authentic Covenant— delivered in New York, which is why it came to be called the City of the Covenant—not the fraudulent will and testament of 1921.
An Analysis of Abdul-Baha's 1912 Authentic Covenant
https://reformbahai.org/Covenant_comments.html


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Download Facsimile of Abdul-Baha's 1912 Covenant in PDF 2 megs. (or print)

The "Address Upon the Covenant" was first published as a pamphlet in 1912 and then subsequently collected in the 1917 booklet Bahai Teaching


"Address upon the Covenant" by Abdul-Baha in text format:

New York City, June 19th, 1912.
Translated by Dr. Ameen U. Fareed.
Parentheses supplied.
 

Tomorrow I wish to go to Montclair [New Jersey]. Today is the last day in which we gather together with you to say farewell to you. Therefore, I wish to expound for you an important question, and that question concerns The Covenant.

In former cycles no distinct Covenant had been made in writing by the Supreme Pen; no distinct personage had been appointed to be the Standard differentiating falsehood from truth, so that whatsoever he was to say was to stand as truth and that which he repudiated was to be known as falsehood. At most, His Holiness Jesus Christ gave only an intimation, a symbol, and that was but an indication of the solidity of Peter’s faith. When he mentioned his faith, His Holiness said, “Thou art Peter”- which means rock-“and upon this rock will I build my church.” This was a sanction of Peter’s faith; it was not indicative of his (Peter) being the expounder of the Book, but was a confirmation of Peter’s faith.

But in this dispensation of the Blessed Beauty, (Baha’u’llah) among its distinctions is that He did not leave people in perplexity. He entered into a covenant and testament with the people. He appointed a Center of the Covenant. He wrote with His own pen and revealed it in the Kitab-el-Akdas, the Book of Laws, the Book of the Covenant, appointing him (Abdul-Baha) the Expounder of the Book. You must ask him Abdul-Baha) regarding the meanings of the texts of the verses. Whatsoever he says is correct. Outside of this, in numerous tablets He (Baha’u’llah) has explicitly recorded it, with clear, sufficient, valid and forceful statements. In the tablet of The Branch He explicitly states, “Whatsoever The Branch says is right, or correct; and every person must obey The Branch with his life, with his heart, with his tongue. Without his will not a word shall anyone utter.” This is an explicit text of the Blessed Beauty. So there is no rescue left for anybody. No soul shall, of himself, speak anything. Whatsoever his (Abdul-Baha’s) tongue utters, whatsoever his pen records, that is correct; according to the explicit text of Baha’u’llah in the tablet of The Branch.

His Holiness Abraham covenanted with regard to Moses. His Holiness Moses was the Promised One of Abraham, and He, Moses, covenanted with regard to His Holiness Christ, saying that Christ was the Promised One. His Holiness Christ covenanted with regard to His Holiness “The Paraclete,” which means His Holiness Mohammed. His Holiness Mohammed covenanted as regards The Bab, whom He called, “My Promised One,” His Holiness The Bab, in all His books, in all His epistles, explicitly covenanted with regard to the Blessed Beauty, Baha’u’llah—-that Baha’u’llah was the Promised One of His Holiness The Bab. His Holiness Baha’u’llah covenanted, not that I (Abdul-Baha) am the Promised One, but that Abdul-Baha is the Expounder of the Book and The Center of His Covenant, and that the Promised One of Baha’u’llah will appear after one thousand or thousands of years. This is the Covenant which Baha’u’llah made. If a person shall deviate, he is not acceptable at the Threshold of Baha’u’llah. In case of difference—Abdul-Baha must be consulted. They must revolve around his good pleasure. After Abdul-Baha—whenever the Universal House of Justice is organized it will ward off differences.

Now I pray for you that GOD may aid you, may confirm you, may appoint you for His service; that He may suffer you to be as radiant candles; that He may accept you in His Kingdom; that He may make you the cause of the spread of the light of Baha’u’llah in these countries, and that the teachings of Baha’u’llah may be spread broadcast.

I pray for you, and I am pleased with all of you, each one, one by one; and I pray that GOD may aid and confirm you. From Montclair I will come back to you. New York is favored, I go away and I come back to it. The friends in New York must appreciate this. At present, farewell to you!


Published November the Twelfth,
nineteen hundred and twelve.

The ninety-fifth anniversary of the birth
of Baha’u’llah.

The Bahai Assembly of Washington, D.C.


An Analysis of Abdul-Baha's 1912 Authentic Covenant
https://reformbahai.org/Covenant_comments.html


Early Reform Bahais

Ruth White

Julie Chanler

Ahmad Sohrab

Jenabe Fazel Mazandarani