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.