March 26
The sacred and youthful branch, the Guardian of the Cause of
God, as well as the Universal House of Justice to be universally elected and
established, are both under the care and protection of the Abhá Beauty, under
the shelter and unerring guidance of the Exalted One (may my life be offered up
for them both). Whatsoever they decide is of God. Whoso obeyeth him not,
neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God; whoso rebelleth against him and
against them hath rebelled against God; whoso opposeth him hath opposed God;
whoso contendeth with them hath contended with God; whoso disputeth with him
hath disputed with God; whoso denieth him hath denied God; whoso disbelieveth
in him hath disbelieved in God; whoso deviateth, separateth himself and turneth
aside from him hath in truth deviated, separated himself and turned aside from
God. May the wrath, the fierce indignation, the vengeance of God rest upon him!
The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to
him who is the Guardian of the Cause of God. It is incumbent upon the members
of the House of Justice, upon all the Aghsán, the Afnán, the Hands of
the Cause of God to show their obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto
the Guardian of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before him. He
that opposeth him hath opposed the True One, will make a breach in the Cause of
God, will subvert His Word and will become a manifestation of the Center of
Sedition. Beware, beware, lest the days after the ascension (of Bahá’u’lláh) be
repeated when the Center of Sedition waxed haughty and rebellious and with
Divine Unity for his excuse deprived himself and perturbed and poisoned others.
No doubt every vainglorious one that purposeth dissension and discord will not
openly declare his evil purposes, nay rather, even as impure gold, will he
seize upon divers measures and various pretexts that he may separate the
gathering of the people of Bahá. My object is to show that the Hands of the
Cause of God must be ever watchful and so soon as they find anyone beginning to
oppose and protest against the Guardian of the Cause of God, cast him out from
the congregation of the people of Bahá and in no wise accept any excuse from
him. How often hath grievous error been disguised in the garb of truth, that it
might sow the seeds of doubt in the hearts of men! (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘The Will and
Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
