Message of love and prayers before the month of the Fast

27 February 2026

To the steadfast and faithful followers of the Greatest Name in the Cradle of the Faith

Dear long-standing friends of the Almighty Lord,

At the threshold of the arrival of the month of ‘Alá’, the sacred period of the Fast, every hour of which, according to the Pen of the Most High, is blessed, sanctified, and endowed with a special virtue, we take this opportunity to convey our boundless love and affection to those wayfarers on the path of devotion and constancy, heroes in the arena of service and high endeavour. We address you at this time of bitter suffering in the history of your land, and express our sympathy and fellow feeling as we call you to mind. In the course of these days, the company of believers in the far-flung corners of the earth, relying on the spiritual forces released by the Fast and with pure motives and stainless dispositions, will be occupied in prayerful remembrance and deep reflection on the heavenly teachings, that they may burnish the mirrors of their hearts and thereby attract divine confirmations, illumine all people through the effulgent rays of the light of God, and increasingly strive to serve and show love towards those around them and to foster the oneness of the world of humanity. Be assured, also, that all the followers of the Blessed Beauty are in the course of this month united and joined with you, their spiritual sisters and brothers. They remember you and your beloved compatriots, and are broken-hearted and grief-stricken at the pain being suffered. They are engaged in intimate communion with God and are praying fervently to His Threshold, beseeching serenity and honour for the sacred land of Iran, the birthplace of Bahá’u’lláh, and entreating protection and health, well-being and comfort, for all its peoples. We, too, continually pray on your behalf and supplicate in the sacred precincts for you and for all the noble peoples of Iran, that the hearts may find consolation, universal welfare may be attained, and true prosperity may become manifest.

The Universal House of Justice

(Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

Regarding the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors

4 January 2026

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

Five days of earnest consultation among the Continental Counsellors, who are assembled here in the Holy Land for their conference on the next phase of the Nine Year Plan, have reached their conclusion today, and we send you this message at the close of that auspicious gathering. We have heard accounts from the Counsellors of your many endeavours, the advances being made in settings of all kinds, and how these have contributed to a flourishing process of learning at every level of the community. We have been delighted by descriptions of how, through various collaborative arrangements, the community itself is emerging as a more visible protagonist in the work of the Plan. And we have marvelled at what is occurring within populations that have a very high level of participation in Bahá’í activities, in places where the community’s relationship with society is deepening and rapidly evolving.

The significant contribution made to this progress by the Counsellors themselves, ably guided in all their efforts by the International Teaching Centre, is unmistakable. We have been struck by the keenness of their observations and the clarity of their reflections, both infused with their evident love for the communities they serve. The basis for their consultations has been the message we addressed to their conference on its opening day and which was immediately sent to all National Spiritual Assemblies so that it could be shared with you without delay. No time had passed before a veritable torrent of reports arrived of the message being studied by groups of eager friends, even those who had gathered for other purposes. We were deeply touched by these widespread evidences of a desire to quickly comprehend what the Bahá’í world has learned over the last four years and to ascertain what must be done to advance the Plan further over the next five. This will also be the focus of a series of institutional gatherings to be held in the coming months, during which, no doubt, the Counsellors will share insights that have arisen from their deliberations here.

Ridván 2025 Message

Ridván 2025 

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

With but a year remaining before the first phase of the Nine Year Plan concludes, we are eager to report on its progress—how, through shining examples of noble endeavour, the vision offered by the Faith is filling more and more hearts with hope.

The process of growth continues to advance. Striking breakthroughs have occurred in varied climes, where significant progress had not previously been witnessed, as the seed of the Faith has yielded new green shoots and the capacity for working with many souls at once has begun to emerge. These advances have often been made possible by devoted pioneers who, hearts aglow with the love of their Lord, have hastened to posts on the home front and abroad in impressive numbers. In clusters where a programme of growth had already begun, renewed attention has been given to applying, with creativity and ingenuity, those recognized strategies and lines of action that will enable the friends to pass the second and third milestones. And in clusters of proven strength, glimmerings of the society-building power of the Faith are becoming more visible, as a vibrant and transformative pattern of Bahá’í life is embraced by a growing company of galvanized souls.

On the occasion of Naw-Rúz 2025

Naw-Rúz 182

To the protectors of the Cause of God and the standard-bearers of the Law of God in the Cradle of His Faith

Dear long-standing friends of the Abhá Beauty,

On the occasion of the blessed festival of Naw-Rúz, we extend our warm greetings to you, cherished sisters and brothers in that land, and convey from the depths of our hearts our love and affection, our appreciation and admiration, to those dearly beloved souls. It is our hope that you, helpers of the Cause of the Lord, may receive during this delightful season your share of the bounties of the spiritual springtime; perfume your senses with the fragrance of the love of the Ancient Beauty; chant sweet melodies, like unto songbirds, in the rose garden of your homeland; and acquire warmth, light, and a new confidence and strength from the rays of the sun of divine love.

At this time, faithful friends, when the earth is caught in the grip of chaos, confusion, and instability, and its political, economic, and social order is ever more volatile and out of control; when the peoples of the world are seized by various ordeals and hardships and are struggling against incurable ills; when despair and hopelessness and a lack of confidence about the future and the erosion of the bonds of trust have led to a widespread crisis, particularly among many young people in the world—at this time, the people of Bahá across the globe, though themselves exposed to some of the same ordeals and hardships, are laying, with determination and firm resolve, the basis of a new society. They direct their efforts and endeavours towards releasing in ever-greater measures the mighty society-building power that exists in the inmost reality of the Faith; they pursue the glorious process of learning in which all the peoples and nations of the world have a share; and they are ready to collaborate with everyone and encourage them to participate in this process and assist it. Since the institution of the family is even as a bedrock and cornerstone for society, we have taken the advent of Naw-Rúz as an opportunity to address the followers of the Greatest Name throughout the world in a message on this subject. In that message, we have emphasized certain topics relating to the importance of living a Bahá’í life, family relations, and Bahá’í marriage, and have encouraged the friends to reflect on the influence of the divine teachings on the progress of the family as an institution and the significant consequences that such progress has for the advancement and upliftment of society. We hope that in the sacred country of Iran, too, this matter may receive the attention of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh and become the object of their deliberations.

Regarding family life and marriage

19 March 2025

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

The nature of the flourishing communities that the Bahá’í world is striving to raise has profound implications for the family. It is within the family that the individual is born and nurtured, and within the family that individuals begin to learn how to live together with others. The family unit is the basic building block of community, and beyond, of the entire social order. Therefore, a society fashioned to meet the requirements of the age of the maturity of the human race requires both a mature conception of family and an ability to extend the insights derived from that conception to the relationships that shape the nation and the world. “A family is a nation in miniature”, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains. “The conditions surrounding the family surround the nation.” Learning about a new pattern of family life is, therefore, an integral part of the effort to learn about the release of the society-building power of the Faith.

Historically, the family has taken different forms in response to the exigencies of the various stages of human social development. As society advanced, arrangements and definitions that may have been beneficial in a previous age reached their limits and were no longer suited to the next stage of human development. Expectations of parents suited to one period of history could hinder the development of their children’s abilities in another. Likewise, certain strong allegiances within kinship groups that allowed them to flourish at one stage could in a later one become obstacles to unity within wider social arrangements. And certain gender roles that characterized an early stage of human development could eventually impede the advancement of women and of society at another. Thoughts and theories of past ages must be re-evaluated, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains. Humanity “must now become imbued with new virtues and powers, new moral standards, new capacities.” For “the gifts and blessings of the period of youth, although timely and sufficient during the adolescence of mankind, are now incapable of meeting the requirements of its maturity.” A challenge for Bahá’í communities worldwide, then, is to examine the present practices in their societies, weigh them in light of the Teachings, weed out any undesirable tendencies, and learn to establish new patterns of family life suited to the needs of a new age.

Announcing new Houses of Worship

16 October 2024

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

We indicated in our Riḍván 2022 message our expectation that periodically more places will be identified where Houses of Worship are to be raised up. We are delighted that the national Temple in Papua New Guinea was recently inaugurated, and that progress is being made towards realization of the previously announced Temples in Bihar Sharif, India; Toronto, Canada; Kanchanpur, Nepal; and Mwinilunga, Zambia. With praise and gratitude to the Blessed Beauty, we joyfully announce that conditions make it possible for a further two national Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs to be erected, one in Brasília, Brazil, and the other in Lilongwe, Malawi, as well as a local Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Batouri, Cameroon.

May the initiation of plans to build three additional Temples fill your hearts with joy and serve as a source of inspiration in your sustained efforts to advance everywhere the processes of community building and engagement with society.

The Universal House of Justice

(Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

Marking the dedication of the House of Worship for Papua New Guinea

25 May 2024

To the Friends Gathered in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, for the Dedication of the House of Worship

Dearly loved Friends,

With hearts filled with love and abundant joy, we greet you on this auspicious occasion, the inauguration of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár for Papua New Guinea. The emergence of this national House of Worship is a testimony to the rapid progress of the Faith across the country. We join you in expressing heartfelt praise and gratitude to Bahá’u’lláh, Who has showered upon you His grace throughout the history of the Cause in your land and now has blessed you with this momentous accomplishment.

The raising of a House of Worship in Papua New Guinea, this crowning achievement, has called forth your community’s resilience, resourcefulness, and determination, as demonstrated through years of strenuous labour, earnest consultation, and ardent supplication of the Almighty. Through your dedicated efforts, a sacred space has been created in which all may, in the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “gather together, and, harmoniously attuned one to another, engage in prayer; with the result that out of this coming together, unity and affection shall grow and flourish in the human heart.”

Ridván Message 2024

Ridván 2024 

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

Two years of a formidable nine-year endeavour have sped by. The friends of God have taken its objectives firmly to heart. Across the Bahá’í world there is an increased depth of understanding about what is required to further extend the process of community building and effect profound social transformation. But with every passing day, we see too the condition of the world grow more desperate, its divisions more severe. The escalating tensions within societies and between nations affect peoples and places in a myriad ways.

This demands from every conscientious soul a response. We are all too aware that the community of the Greatest Name cannot expect to be unaffected by the travails of society. Yet, though it is affected by these travails, it is not confused by them; it is saddened by humanity’s sufferings, but not paralysed by them. Heartfelt concern must prompt sustained effort to build communities that offer hope in place of despair, unity in place of conflict.

Shoghi Effendi described clearly how a process of “progressive deterioration in human affairs” is occurring in parallel with another process, a process of integration, through which the “Ark of human salvation”, society’s “ultimate haven”, is being built up. We rejoice to see, in every country and region, true practitioners of peace occupied with building this haven. We see it in every account of a heart being enkindled with the love of God, a family opening up its home to new friends, collaborators drawing on Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to address a social problem, a community strengthening a culture of mutual support, a neighbourhood or village learning to initiate and sustain the actions necessary for its own spiritual and material progress, a locality being blessed with the emergence of a new Spiritual Assembly.

On the occasion of Naw-Rúz 2024

Naw-Rúz 181

To the followers of the Greatest Name and the helpers of the Ancient Beauty in the sacred land of Iran

Dear sisters, brothers, the solace of our eyes,

Today is the day of Naw-Rúz and the beginning of the soul-stirring spring. This ancient and glorious festival of the Persian people has, with the coming of Bahá’u’lláh, found a new splendour and vibrancy, for it has become a symbol of the arrival of the divine springtime and a reminder of the renewal, regeneration, and transformation that is made possible in the human world after the rising of the Sun of Truth. Praise be to God that in this spiritual springtime you cherished friends are like sweetly singing birds raised by the Beloved’s own hand, warbling in the garden of rapture and servitude, your hearts aflame with the fire of the love of God, and your breasts illumined by His heavenly counsels. Know of a certainty that we remember you at every moment, laud your perseverance in the face of unnumbered adversities, and, particularly at the start of the new year, beseech at the Sacred Threshold well-being, genuine happiness, and true liberty for those beloved of our hearts and souls.

We hope that by now you have received our recent letter addressed to the Bahá’ís of the world, which describes and analyses events of the first century of the Formative Age and reflects on a hundred years of striving and effort by the community of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh. From the condition of burning grief and painful uncertainty that afflicted the Bahá’í community immediately following the ascension of its loving Master, that same community has reached a stage in which its endeavours now far transcend internal concerns and are centred on society building. In the course of that century, the Faith gradually reached the peoples of the world, and the community of the Greatest Name became a reflection of the beauty of humanity and a symbol of the efficacy of unity in diversity. Wherever people encountered this Faith, they quickly made it their own and strove to draw on the teachings and the spiritual power of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh in order to achieve practical advancement in their individual and collective lives. Reflection on this process of transformation and progress reveals the latent power vested in this Faith for the realization of the oneness of the world of humanity and the establishment of universal peace. In this eventful century, the followers of the Cause of the Almighty clearly demonstrated their commitment to the process of learning as they strove to reinforce a fundamental understanding of the Covenant, to establish Bahá’í communities around the world, and to raise the pillars of the Administrative Order. And through the power of divine assistance, they attained worthy accomplishments in this path.

Reflections on the First Century of the Formative Age

28 November 2023

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

On 27 November 2021, in the middle of the still, dark night, nearly six hundred representatives of National Spiritual Assemblies and Regional Bahá’í Councils gathered, together with members of the Universal House of Justice and the International Teaching Centre, as well as the staff at the Bahá’í World Centre, to commemorate with due solemnity, in the precincts of His Holy Shrine, the centenary of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Throughout that night, with the turn of the globe, Bahá’í communities worldwide also gathered in reverent devotion, in neighbourhoods and villages, towns and cities, to pay homage to a Figure without parallel in religious history, and in contemplation of the century of achievement that He Himself had set in motion.

This community—the people of Bahá, ardent lovers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—now millions strong, has today spread to some one hundred thousand localities in 235 countries and territories. It has emerged from obscurity to occupy its place on the world stage. It has raised a network of thousands of institutions, from the grassroots to the international level, uniting divers peoples in the common purpose of giving expression to Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings for spiritual transformation and social progress. In many a region, its pattern of building vibrant local communities has embraced thousands—and in some, tens of thousands—of souls. In such settings, a new way of life is taking shape, distinguished by its devotional character; the commitment of youth to education and service; purposeful conversation among families, friends, and acquaintances on themes of spiritual and social import; and collective endeavours for material and social progress. {The Sacred Writings of the Faith have been translated into more than eight hundred languages.} The raising of national and local Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs heralds the appearance of thousands of future centres dedicated to worship and service. The world spiritual and administrative centre of the Faith has been established across the twin holy cities of ‘Akká and Haifa. And despite the community’s current, all too obvious limitations when viewed in relation to its ideals and highest aspirations—as well as the distance separating it from the attainment of its ultimate objective, the realization of the oneness of humankind—its resources, its institutional capacity, its ability to sustain systematic growth and development, its engagement with like-minded institutions, and its involvement in and constructive influence on society stand at an unprecedented height of historical achievement.

Ridván 2023 Message

Ridván 2023

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

We feel tremendous joy to be addressing a community whose high-mindedness and high resolve are befitting of its high calling. How great, how very great is our love for you, and how our spirits soar as we see your sincere and devoted striving to live lives shaped by the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and to proffer the life-giving waters of His Revelation to a world that is sore athirst. Your strong sense of purpose is plain to see. Expansion and consolidation, social action, and participation in the discourses of society proceed apace, and the natural coherence of these undertakings at the level of the cluster is becoming ever more visible. Nowhere is this clearer than in places where growing numbers are becoming engaged in a range of endeavours, each one a means to release the society-building power of the Faith.

In the twelve months that have elapsed since the commencement of the Nine Year Plan, we have been delighted to see how this global spiritual enterprise has inspired and galvanized the friends and given impetus to particular lines of action. An immediate focus has been to put into effect plans which ensure that, in each country and region, there emerges at least one cluster where the third milestone has been passed: a place where large numbers of people are working together and contributing to the life of a vibrant community. Conscious, however, that the goal for this twenty-five-year period is to establish an intensive programme of growth in every cluster in the world, the believers have also set about opening new clusters to the Faith as well as intensifying their efforts in places with an existing programme of growth. There is a heightened awareness of the opportunity for pioneers to arise in all parts of the world—many devoted souls are considering how they might respond to this opportunity, and many others have already filled posts, noticeably on the home front but increasingly in the

Marking the dedication of the House of Worship for the Democratic Republic of the Congo

25 March 2023

To the Friends Gathered in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, for the Dedication of the House of Worship

Dearly loved Friends,

Our joyful hearts turn towards you who have gathered in the city of Kinshasa for an occasion that is of great significance in the history of your community: the dedication of the first House of Worship in your country, the first national House of Worship to be raised in the Bahá’í world. We send you loving greetings and wish for you a celebration that will join together your hearts and souls in praise and thanksgiving for the divine bounty represented by the erection of this House of Worship in a nation that is in the heart of Africa.

The edifice whose doors open today represents an institution inaugurated by Bahá’u’lláh Himself in His Most Holy Book. Charging His followers with building “houses of worship throughout the lands in the name of Him Who is the Lord of all religions”, He exhorted them to make these Temples as perfect as possible and, “with radiance and joy, celebrate therein the praise of your Lord, the Most Compassionate.” This worship and praise of God finds its highest expression in its translation into dynamic and disinterested service to humanity. The House of Worship raised in this Congolese metropolis is thus dedicated to uniting the worship of God and service to humanity, both vital to the regeneration of the world. It emerges, in the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as a “collective centre” for all souls. Open to the followers of all religions, it enables all who inhale the sweet savours of its spirit to become “harmoniously attuned one to another”.

On the occasion of Naw-Rúz 2023

Naw-Rúz 180

To the followers of the Divine Beloved in the sacred land of Iran

Dear spiritual sisters and brothers, vigilant protectors of the Cause of God,

The arrival of Naw-Rúz and the coming of the soul-stirring springtime is a welcome opportunity to express our deep love and affection and our profound appreciation and admiration for you, dwellers of the abode of faith in the sacred land of Iran. We convey our greetings to each and every one of those beloved of our hearts and souls on this joyous occasion and beseech the threshold of the Almighty to bestow upon you ever-greater confirmation as you tread the path of faithfulness.

The start of the new year is an opportune time to reflect on what has taken place in the past year and to give special attention to those truths about spiritual and social reality to which world events attest. It is of course clear to you, long-standing servants of the Abhá Beauty, that the revolution in the ordered life of the world and the chaos in the affairs of humanity are evidence of the advent of a new chapter in the never-ending story of the evolution of the social life of the human race. The suffering and pain currently afflicting the world are the inevitable labour pains of the birth of the next stage in the development of humanity from childhood to maturity, which is the realization of the unity of humankind and the establishment of a world civilization. The infinite bounties bestowed upon the world by the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh make possible the attainment of that stage, so that universal peace may be firmly established, the earth become the mirror of the highest paradise, and the Most Great Justice, awaited with hope by all peoples throughout the ages and centuries, become manifest. As He states in the Kitáb-i-Íqán:

“The universe is pregnant with these manifold bounties, awaiting the hour when the effects of Its unseen gifts will be made manifest in this world, when the languishing and sore athirst will attain the living Kawthar of their Well-Beloved, and the erring wanderer, lost in the wilds of remoteness and nothingness, will enter the tabernacle of life, and attain reunion with his heart’s desire. In the soil of whose heart will these holy seeds germinate? From the garden of whose soul will the blossoms of the invisible realities spring forth?”