FAQ About Covenant Breakers
Do I Have to Shun Covenant Breakers?
Is The Material On This Site Covenant Breaking Material?
Do you have more questions? SEND THEM INThe Bahá'í Writings teach that covenant breaking is a spiritual disease and the Writings are replete with warnings about the great harm that will come to the Cause unless Bahá'ís everywhere are vigilant about avoiding them.[FN1]
But exactly what is a covenant breaker, how does a Bahá'í become one, and what can we do to make sure that we do not fall under their influence?
For a full explanation of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, read the article What does He want you to do as a community? For a complete discussion of how the Center of the Cause was rejected by most Bahá'ís, read the article on The Great Violation.
It is important to distinguish between persons whom have broken the Covenant and others whom have been merely misled away from the Covenant. A covenant breaker is a Bahá'í who fully understands and grasps the significance of the Covenant and recognizes the Center of the Cause. However, a covenant breaker knowingly and purposefully betrays the Center of the Cause due to personal and selfish concerns or pursuits. This condition is born of an arrogance that leads the wayward Bahá'í into believing that he or she has a better approach than what has been put forth by the Will of God. The covenant breaker believes that he or she knows better or has a compelling personal reason to reject and betray the Center of the Cause.[FN2]
A misled believer, on the other hand, does not have knowledge but comes under the influence of a covenant breaker and blindly accepts whatever he or she has to say. This is not covenant breaking. This condition arises from a shallowness of belief---a lack of faith. These misled and faithless believers must not be shunned. Instead they must be lovingly nurtured and deepened until their faith goes deeper.
Faithfulness to the Covenant should be understood as a spiritual process and journey. In order for a Bahá'í to properly take this journey, he or she must deepen in the Writings, become a sincere and independent investigator of Truth, and become a True Seeker. [FN3] Bahá'u'lláh did not come to bring humanity another religion filled with "nice" people who profess their belief in God and try to live a moral and decent life. He came to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. If one is to be a true Bahá'í, one must recognize and obey the Guardian. To do this, one must grow spiritually until there is the capacity to see and accept the Center of the Cause. It is not enough to remain on the surface of the Ocean of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation. He requires a deeper understanding and acceptance of the Faith. The independent investigation of Truth is our spiritual obligation.
A True Seeker does not have pre-conceived notions of what he or she will accept. The True Seeker knows that Truth is. All else is error and has no meaning or existence. Thus, the True Seeker will go wherever the Truth may lead. When a deaf, dumb, and blind Bahá'í awakens, True Faith is born and the wayward Bahá'í awakens to the truths of the Covenant. In other words, a deepened Bahá'í is a Bahá'í that has recognized the living Guardian of the Faith and obeys him.
There is a community of deepened Bahá'ís who remain completely unkown to the larger group of "blind, deaf, and dumb" Bahá'ís (those who have no capacity for the truth of the Covenant). Only those believers who remain faithful to the Center of the Cause--- the living Guardian of the Cause-- can be said to be True Bahá'ís. They understand that God really meant everything uttered from the mouths of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu´l-Bahá. They accept that the Bahá'í Revelation is a blueprint for God's Plan for our society. This blueprint must be followed exactly. It is not acceptable to deviate at all from the Plan established by God Himself.
To be True Bahá'ís, it is required that we be fully prepared to render instant, exact, and complete obedience to the Center of the Cause. [FN4]
When we have become deepened in the Bahá'í Revelation, and we have sincere, unyielding and complete faith in the Truth, we no longer have anything to fear. We have no doubt about our position. There is nobody to convince or convert. We simply stand for the Truth with full knowledge that the Truth will prevail and will be victorious.
Covenant breakers and the misled shallow believers who follow them are not characterized by the peaceful and fearless traits of the True Bahá'ís. Because they have no Faith, they respond with fear and frustration, and the urgent desire to proselytize and convert others to their position. They have great fear that something will go wrong and that the Bahá'í Revelation will come to naught. Since they don't really accept the validity of the Bahá'í Revelation, they have doubts about it. They desire to make changes and to improve it. They want to substitute their own judgment for the Will of God. They attack and fear anybody who challenges their belief system because they are not so sure about it themselves. The more converts they can find, the better they feel that they are on the right course. If they can find leaders to guide them, they can let go of their fear and simply be a follower without question.
All Bahá'ís must come into the Light. It is time for Bahá'ís everywhere to begin their spiritual journey back to the shade of the Tree of the Covenant. Know that God is, and that all of His attributes, such as Love, Knowledge, and Glory, are the only things that really exist. All else is falsehood. Our job is to turn to Bahá'u'lláh, render instant, exact, and complete obedience to the Guardian, and allow God's attributes to shine within our souls.
Return to Top
Do I Have to Shun Covenant Breakers?
The Writings are clear that covenant breaking is a spiritual disease and that we must avoid contact with them for our own spiritual health. [FN5] However, it is important to understand that only persons whom have been declared to be covenant-breakers by the living Guardian of the Cause are to be shunned. [FN6]
Return to Top
Is The Material On This Site Covenant Breaking Material?
The heterodox organization claims that it fears our materials are covenant breaking material and that you will catch a spiritual disease if you read them. In fact, our materials contain or are based upon the unadulterated Holy Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and '`Abdu´l-Bahá, and the statements of Shoghi Effendi. All of the statements and claims made by the Orthodox Bahá'í Faith are backed up by the Writings. How could that material be harmful at all?
Do you have more questions? SEND THEM IN
[FN1] "And now, one of the greatest and most fundamental principles of the Cause of God is to shun and avoid entirely the Covenant-breakers, for they will utterly destroy the Cause of God, exterminate His Law and render of no account all efforts exerted in the past. O friends! It behooveth you to call to mind with tenderness the trials of His Holiness, the Exalted One, and show your fidelity to the Ever-Blest Beauty. The utmost endeavor must be exerted lest all these woes, trials and afflictions, all this pure and sacred blood that hath been shed so profusely in the Path of God, may prove to be in vain." `Abdu´l-Bahá, Will and Testament p. 20
[FN2] "In all His Books and Tablets He [Bahá'u'lláh} has praised those who are firm in the Covenant and rebuked those who are not. He said, "Verily, shun those who are shaken in the Covenant. Verily, God is the Confirmer of the firm ones." In His prayers He has said, "O God! Render those who are firm in the Covenant blessed, and degrade those who are not. O God! Be the Protector of him who protecteth Him, and confirm him who confirms the Center of the Covenant." Many utterances are directed against the violators of the Covenant, the purpose being that no dissension should arise in the blessed Cause; that no one should say, "My opinion is this"; and that all may know Who is the authoritative expounder and whatsoever He says is correct. Bahá'u'lláh has not left any possible room for dissension. Naturally, there are some who are antagonistic, some who are followers of self-desire, others who hold to their own ideas and still others who wish to create dissension in the Cause. For example, Judas Iscariot was one of the disciples, yet he betrayed Christ. Such a thing has happened in the past, but in this day the Blessed Perfection has declared, "This person is the expounder of My Book and all must turn to Him." The purpose is to ward off dissension and differences among His followers. Notwithstanding this safeguard and provision against disagreement, there are certain souls here in America and a few in Akka who have violated this explicit command." `Abdu´l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 382
[FN3] "O My brother! When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in this Day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the Embodiments of the Divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error.
"That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vain-glory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century.
"That seeker should, also, regard backbiting as grievous error, and keep himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul. He should be content with little, and be freed from all inordinate desire. He should treasure the companionship of them that have renounced the world, and regard avoidance of boastful and worldly people a precious benefit. At the dawn of every day he should commune with God, and, with all his soul, persevere in the quest of his Beloved. He should consume every wayward thought with the flame of His loving mention, and, with the swiftness of lightning, pass by all else save Him. He should succor the dispossessed, and never withhold his favor from the destitute. He should show kindness to animals, how much more unto his fellow-man, to him who is endowed with the power of utterance. He should not hesitate to offer up his life for his Beloved, nor allow the censure of the people to turn him away from the Truth. He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfil. With all his heart he should avoid fellowship with evil-doers, and pray for the remission of their sins. He should forgive the sinful, and never despise his low estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath a sinner attained, at the hour of death, to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal draught, hath taken his flight unto the Concourse on high! And how often hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul's ascension, been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire!
"Our purpose in revealing these convincing and weighty utterances is to impress upon the seeker that he should regard all else beside God as transient, and count all things save Him, Who is the Object of all adoration, as utter nothingness.
"These are among the attributes of the exalted, and constitute the hall-mark of the spiritually-minded. They have already been mentioned in connection with the requirements of the wayfarers that tread the path of Positive Knowledge. When the detached wayfarer and sincere seeker hath fulfilled these essential conditions, then and only then can he be called a true seeker. Whensoever he hath fulfilled the conditions implied in the verse: "Whoso maketh efforts for Us," he shall enjoy the blessings conferred by the words: "In Our Ways shall We assuredly guide him."
"Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker's heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being. At that hour will the Mystic Herald, bearing the joyful tidings of the Spirit, shine forth from the City of God resplendent as the morn, and, through the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will awaken the heart, the soul, and the spirit from the slumber of heedlessness. Then will the manifold favors and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of Divine Revelation, and the evidences of an everlasting Manifestation.
"I swear by God! Were he that treadeth the path of guidance and seeketh to scale the heights of righteousness to attain unto this glorious and exalted station, he would inhale, at a distance of a thousand leagues, the fragrance of God, and would perceive the resplendent morn of a Divine guidance rising above the Day Spring of all things. Each and every thing, however small, would be to him a revelation, leading him to his Beloved, the Object of his quest. So great shall be the discernment of this seeker that he will discriminate between truth and falsehood, even as he doth distinguish the sun from shadow. If in the uttermost corners of the East the sweet savors of God be wafted, he will assuredly recognize and inhale their fragrance, even though he be dwelling in the uttermost ends of the West. He will, likewise, clearly distinguish all the signs of God--His wondrous utterances, His great works, and mighty deeds--from the doings, the words and ways of men, even as the jeweler who knoweth the gem from the stone, or the man who distinguisheth the spring from autumn, and heat from cold. When the channel of the human soul is cleansed of all worldly and impeding attachments, it will unfailingly perceive the breath of the Beloved across immeasurable distances, and will, led by its perfume, attain and enter the City of Certitude.
"Therein he will discern the wonders of His ancient Wisdom, and will perceive all the hidden teachings from the rustling leaves of the Tree that flourisheth in that City. With both his inner and outer ear, he will hear from its dust the hymns of glory and praise ascending unto the Lord of Lords, and with his inner eye will he discover the mysteries of "return" and "revival."
"How unspeakably glorious are the signs, the tokens, the revelations, and splendors which He, Who is the King of Names and Attributes, hath destined for that City! The attainment unto this City quencheth thirst without water, and kindleth the love of God without fire. Within every blade of grass are enshrined the mysteries of an inscrutable Wisdom, and upon every rose-bush a myriad nightingales pour out, in blissful rapture, their melody. Its wondrous tulips unfold the mystery of the undying Fire in the Burning Bush, and its sweet savors of holiness breathe the perfume of the Messianic Spirit. It bestoweth wealth without gold, and conferreth immortality without death. In each one of its leaves ineffable delights are treasured, and within every chamber unnumbered mysteries lie hidden.
"They that valiantly labor in quest of God, will, when once they have renounced all else but Him, be so attached and wedded unto that City, that a moment's separation from it would to them be unthinkable. They will hearken unto infallible proofs from the Hyacinth of that assembly, and will receive the surest testimonies from the beauty of its Rose, and the melody of its Nightingale. Once in about a thousand years shall this City be renewed and readorned....
"That City is none other than the Word of God revealed in every age and dispensation. In the days of Moses it was the Pentateuch; in the days of Jesus, the Gospel; in the days of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, the Qur'an; in this day, the Bayan; and in the Dispensation of Him Whom God will make manifest, His own Book--the Book unto which all the Books of former Dispensations must needs be referred, the Book that standeth amongst them all transcendent and supreme." Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 264-270
[FN4] "Any opinion expressed by the Center of the Covenant is correct, and there is no reason for disobedience by anyone. Be watchful, for perchance there may be violators (naqidin) of the Covenant among you. Do not listen to them. Read the Book of the Covenant. All have been commanded to obey the Covenant, and the first admonition is addressed to the sons of Bahá'u'lláh, the Branches: "You must turn to the appointed Center; He is the expounder of the Book."
"Should any soul so clearly violate and disobey this command, can he even say he is a Bahá'í? If anyone disobeys the explicit command of Christ, can he truthfully say he is a Christian?" `Abdu´l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 386
[FN5]"....Baha'u'llah and the Master in many places and very emphatically have told us to shun entirely all Covenant breakers as they are afflicted with what we might try and define as a contagious spiritual disease; they have also told us, however, to pray for them. These souls are not lost forever. In the Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh says that God will forgive Mirza Yahya if he repents. It follows, therefore, that God will forgive any soul if he repents. Most of them don't want to repent, unfortunately. If the leaders can be forgiven it goes without saying that their followers can also be forgiven..." Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, pp. 16-17
[FN6] "The Guardian, like the Master before him, has not considered it advisable to as yet permit any person or Assembly to put another person out of the Cause of God. There is a sharp distinction between depriving a believer of his voting rights, which is a severe disciplinary measure and not a spiritual sanction, and pronouncing a former believer to be a truly spiritually diseased soul, a soul in the condition the Master referred to when, in His last cable to America before His ascension, He said: `He who sitteth with a leper catcheth leprosy.' The Guardian has, within the last few years, considered the National Assemblies strong enough to wield the instrument of sanction in the sense of depriving a Bahá'í of his voting rights. But no one but himself can pronounce a person to be in that diseased condition we call `Covenant Breaking' and no one but he can reinstate a Covenant Breaker. No National Assembly has been given this right and cannot therefore review the question or reinstate anyone..." Shoghi Effendi (on behalf of), Directives from the Guardian p. 16