The Kitab-i-Aqdas Part 22

67. revert to the people of Baha #42

Baha'u'llah provides for the possibility that the line of Ag_h_san would terminate prior to the establishment of the Universal House of Justice. He designated that in such a situation "endowments shall revert to the people of Baha". The term "people of Baha" is used with a number of different meanings in the Baha'i Writings. In this instance, they are described as those "who speak not except by His leave and judge not save in accordance with what G.o.d hath decreed in this Tablet". Following the pa.s.sing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, the Hands of the Cause of G.o.d directed the affairs of the Cause until the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963 (see note 183).

68. Shave not your heads #44

In some religious traditions it is considered desirable to shave one's head. The shaving of the head is forbidden by Baha'u'llah, and He makes it clear that the provision contained in His Suriy-i-Hajj requiring pilgrims to the Holy House in S_h_iraz to shave their heads has been superseded through this verse of the Kitab-i-Aqdas (Q and A 10).

69. it is not seemly to let the hair pa.s.s beyond the limit of the ears #44

Shoghi Effendi has made clear that, unlike the prohibition on shaving the head, this law forbidding the growing of the hair beyond the lobe of the ear pertains only to men. The application of this law will require clarification by the Universal House of Justice.

70. Exile and imprisonment are decreed for the thief #45

Baha'u'llah states that the determination of the degree of penalty, in accordance with the seriousness of the offence, rests with the House of Justice (Q and A 49). The punishments for theft are intended for a future condition of society, when they will be supplemented and applied by the Universal House of Justice.

71. on the third offence, place ye a mark upon his brow so that, thus identified, he may not be accepted in the cities of G.o.d and His countries #45

The mark to be placed on the thief's forehead serves the purpose of warning people of his proclivities. All details concerning the nature of the mark, how the mark is to be applied, how long it must be worn, on what conditions it may be removed, as well as the seriousness of various degrees of theft have been left by Baha'u'llah for the Universal House of Justice to determine when the law is applied.

72. Whoso wisheth to make use of vessels of silver and gold is at liberty to do so. #46

In the Bayan the Bab allowed the use of gold and silver utensils, thus abrogating the Islamic condemnation of their use which stems not from an explicit injunction of the Qur'an but from Muslim traditions. Baha'u'llah here confirms the Bab's ruling.

73. Take heed lest, when partaking of food, ye plunge your hands into the contents of bowls and platters. #46

This prohibition was defined by Shoghi Effendi as "plunging one's hand in food". In many parts of the world it has been customary to eat with the hands from a communal bowl.

74. Adopt ye such usages as are most in keeping with refinement. #46

This is the first of several pa.s.sages referring to the importance of refinement and cleanliness. The original Arabic word "latafah", rendered here as "refinement", has a wide range of meanings with both spiritual and physical implications, such as elegance, gracefulness, cleanliness, civility, politeness, gentleness, delicacy and graciousness, as well as being subtle, refined, sanctified and pure. In accordance with the context of the various pa.s.sages where it occurs in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, it has been translated either as "refinement" or "cleanliness".

75. He Who is the Dawning-place of G.o.d's Cause hath no partner in the Most Great Infallibility. #47

In the Tablet of Is_h_raqat, Baha'u'llah affirms that the Most Great Infallibility is confined to the Manifestations of G.o.d.

Chapter 45 in Some Answered Questions is devoted to an explanation by 'Abdu'l-Baha of this verse of the Aqdas. In this chapter He stresses, among other things, the inseparability of essential "infallibility" from the Manifestations of G.o.d, and a.s.serts that "whatever emanates from Them is identical with the truth, and conformable to reality", that "They are not under the shadow of the former laws", and "Whatever They say is the word of G.o.d, and whatever They perform is an upright action".

76. Unto every father hath been enjoined the instruction of his son and daughter in the art of reading and writing #48

'Abdu'l-Baha, in His Tablets, not only calls attention to the responsibility of parents to educate all their children, but He also clearly specifies that the "training and culture of daughters is more necessary than that of sons", for girls will one day be mothers, and mothers are the first educators of the new generation. If it is not possible, therefore, for a family to educate all the children, preference is to be accorded to daughters since, through educated mothers, the benefits of knowledge can be most effectively and rapidly diffused throughout society.

77. G.o.d hath imposed a fine on every adulterer and adulteress, to be paid to the House of Justice #49

Although the term translated here as adultery refers, in its broadest sense, to unlawful s.e.xual intercourse between either married or unmarried individuals (see note 36 for a definition of the term), 'Abdu'l-Baha has specified that the punishment here prescribed is for s.e.xual intercourse between persons who are unmarried. He indicates that it remains for the Universal House of Justice to determine the penalty for adultery committed by a married individual. (See also Q and A 49.)

In one of His Tablets, 'Abdu'l-Baha refers to some of the spiritual and social implications of the violation of the laws of morality and, concerning the penalty here described, He indicates that the aim of this law is to make clear to all that such an action is shameful in the eyes of G.o.d and that, in the event that the offence can be established and the fine imposed, the princ.i.p.al purpose is the exposure of the offenders-that they are shamed and disgraced in the eyes of society. He affirms that such exposure is in itself the greatest punishment.

The House of Justice referred to in this verse is presumably the Local House of Justice, currently known as the Local Spiritual a.s.sembly.

78. nine mit_h_qals of gold, to be doubled if they should repeat the offence #49

A mit_h_qal is a unit of weight. The weight of the traditional mit_h_qal used in the Middle East is equivalent to 24 nak_h_uds. However, the mit_h_qal used by the Baha'is consists of 19 nak_h_uds, "in accordance with the specification of the Bayan" (Q and A 23). The weight of nine of these mit_h_qals equals 32.775 grammes or 1.05374 troy ounces.