Lesser Covenant and the Line of Succession

Definition and Purpose of the Lesser Covenant

The Lesser Covenant represents a "specific teaching not given by any of the Prophets of the past". Its most significant feature is the "ordination and appointment of the Center of the Covenant". Baháʼu’lláh established this Covenant with "all the people of the world, including the interpreter and explainer of His teachings".

The fundamental object of the Lesser Covenant is to "safeguard and protect the religion of God against differences and schisms," thereby making it "impossible for anyone to create a new sect or faction of belief". It is designed "To ensure unity and agreement" by preventing individuals from interpreting or explaining the religion according to their "own view or opinion".

Lesser Covenant and the Line of Succession

'Abdu'l-Bahá is the immediate fulfillment of this aspect of the Lesser Covenant. Baháʼu’lláh's Kitáb-i-Aqdas and Kitáb-i-'Ahd explicitly instruct His followers to "turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root," stating that this "Most Mighty Branch" is none other than 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the "Center of the Covenant".

This appointment of 'Abdu'l-Bahá as the Center of the Covenant by Baháʼu’lláh initiates the divinely-appointed line of succession, which is paramount for maintaining the integrity and unity of the Faith, as intended by the Lesser Covenant.

Connection to Twin Institutions and Challenges

The Lesser Covenant provides the foundational principle for the continuous, divinely-guided authority that is subsequently embodied in the Twin Institutions of the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice (UHJ).

Continuity of Divine Guidance: 'Abdu'l-Bahá, acting under the authority established by the Lesser Covenant, appointed Shoghi Effendi as the First Guardian. The sources assert that divine guidance flows after the Prophet's ascension "through, first the Master, and then the Guardians". The Guardianship is crucial for the "World Order of Bahá’u’lláh," as "divorced from the institution of the Guardianship the World Order... would be mutilated" and its "integrity... imperiled, and the stability of the entire fabric would be gravely endangered".

Preventing Deviation and Schism: The explicit purpose of the Lesser Covenant—to prevent "differences and schisms" and ensure unity—is directly linked by the sources to the continuous presence of a Guardian. The sources emphasize that a "Guardian on this earth" is necessary "to keep us from deviating from the truth" and to "guide us to God's Kingdom". Without a Guardian, the sources question how the "large body of Bahá'ís keep themselves from deviating from the truth" and assert that if the Will and Testament is not followed, they "must be already deviating".

The Guardianship as Head of the UHJ: The Lesser Covenant's establishment of a successive authority is further critical because, as 'Abdu'l-Bahá decreed, "the guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body [the UHJ]". The sources repeatedly challenge the legitimacy of a Universal House of Justice without a living Guardian, asking, "How can a body live without a head?".

Line of Succession as a Safeguard: The sources, representing the "North-East Indian Baha'is," present a continuous line of Guardians: Baháʼu’lláh to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, then to Shoghi Effendi (First Guardian), Charles Mason Remey (Second Guardian), Joel Bray Marangella (Third Guardian), and Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand as the current Guardian. This unbroken chain is viewed as the mechanism through which the Baháʼí Faith remains "impregnable and safe", directly upholding the protective function of the Lesser Covenant against schism and deviation.

Challenges Arising from Perceived Deviation: The challenges to the Administrative Order discussed in previous interactions, such as the "rampant immorality in Haifan Baha'i Faith", the "illegitimate" collection of Huququ'llah by an unauthorized UHJ, and the "never ending humiliation for sincere Baha'is" within local administrative bodies, are attributed to the perceived breakdown of this divinely ordained succession. Specifically, the "illegitimate UHJ" is described as having been "spuriously created by the former Hands of the Cause, without authority and in total contradiction to the provisions of the sacred Will and Testament of 'Abdu’l-Bahá". This perceived fundamental departure from the established line of succession, rooted in the principles of the Lesser Covenant, is seen as the cause of the Faith's "problem" and deviation from "the truth".

In essence, the Lesser Covenant, by ordaining and appointing a continuous, authoritative succession beginning with the Center of the Covenant, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, is presented by these sources as the fundamental safeguard against disunity and misinterpretation. The challenges to the Baháʼí Administrative Order are consequently framed as direct consequences of a perceived breach in this divinely established line of authority, particularly regarding the Guardianship, which is viewed as essential for upholding the Covenant's protective purpose.