Q: If the Bahá’í Faith has no living Guardian after Shoghi Effendi, how can the current Bahá’í administrative system (the Universal House of Justice) still be legitimate and faithful to the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (which many or all Baha’i’s believe is sacred and infallible)?
By Daniel Pschaida | FāVS News Columnist
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News.
These institutions are inseparable, yet the first (and only) Guardian — Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957) — led the Bahá’í world before the Universal House of Justice was inaugurated.
When the Universal House of Justice was elected in 1963, they studied the matter and found that no second Guardian was or could be appointed, by the terms of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that had appointed Shoghi Effendi, since the Guardian is supposed to be a son of the previous Guardian, and Shoghi Effendi did not have any children at all.
Meanwhile, the Universal House of Justice studies closely the many written volumes of guidance and interpretations that Shoghi Effendi made whenever this global governing body is deciding on any matter, and so, in a manner — for Bahá’ís — the Guardianship survives Shoghi Effendi’s physical death and continues to guide the Universal House of Justice.
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