Were ye to refer to history, ye would find countless similar
instances, each and all due to the interference of religious leaders in
political affairs. These souls are meant to issue the ordinances of God, not to
enforce them. That is, whenever the government inquireth of them, in matters of
greater or lesser consequence, concerning the exigencies of the law of God and
the true purport of His ordinances, they should set forth that which hath been
deduced from His laws and is consonant with His religion. Beyond this, what can
they know of political matters, of the protection of the subjects, the
management of important affairs, the welfare and prosperity of the nation, the
administration of the laws and statutes of the realm, and of internal and
external issues?
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Extract from Risaliy-i-Siyasiyyih, authorized
translation by the Baha’i World Center; included in a letter dated 18 April
2001 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual
believer)
