The Universal House of Justice as a Twin Institution

View of the Universal House of Justice (UHJ) within the Baháʼí Faith

The Universal House of Justice is unequivocally stated to be a divine institution, twin to the Guardianship, both essential in their functions and complementary in their aim and purpose. These twin institutions were appointed by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as their chosen successors. Their fundamental object is to ensure the continuity of divinely-appointed authority, safeguard the unity of followers, maintain the integrity and flexibility of the Faith's teachings, and administer its laws. They are designed to apply principles, promulgate laws, protect institutions, adapt the Faith to societal requirements, and consummate the inheritance of the Faith's founders.

Inseparable and Complementary Roles: The UHJ and the Guardianship are described as "inseparable institutions" that act in conjunction to administer the Faith's affairs, coordinate activities, promote its interests, execute its laws, and defend subsidiary institutions. While each operates within its own defined sphere of jurisdiction, their powers, authority, rights, and prerogatives are not contradictory but supplement each other's functions and are fundamentally united in their aims.

Distinguishing Feature of the Baháʼí Revelation: The administrative provisions and the matter of succession, as embodied in the twin institutions of the House of Justice and the Guardianship, offer "irrefutable evidences of Divine Guidance" that distinguish the Baháʼí Revelation and form the "strength of the unity of the Faith". Neither the Christian nor Islamic Dispensations offer a parallel system or safeguards for preservation and advancement.

Election and Value: The Universal House of Justice "must be elected by universal suffrage". Its ultimate value will only be fully realized by future generations.

The Universal House of Justice in Relation to the Guardianship

A central theme in the sources is the indispensable link between the UHJ and the Guardianship:

The Guardian as its "Sacred Head": 'Abdu'l-Bahá decreed that the "guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body".

Role of the Guardian for the UHJ: The Guardianship is stated to enhance the prestige of the Universal House of Justice, stabilize its supreme position, safeguard its unity, and assure the continuity of its labors. Crucially, the Guardian provides the "necessary guidance to define the sphere of the legislative action of its elected representatives".

Interplay of Authority: While the Guardian "cannot override the decision of the majority of his fellow-members" in the UHJ, he "is bound to insist upon a reconsideration by them of any enactment he conscientiously believes to conflict with the meaning and to depart from the spirit of Bahá’u’lláh’s revealed utterances".

Indispensability of Guardianship: Shoghi Effendi emphasized that "divorced from the institution of the Guardianship the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh would be mutilated" and its integrity imperiled. Without a Guardian, the stability of the entire fabric of the Faith would be gravely endangered, its prestige would suffer, and the means to take a long, uninterrupted view over generations would be lacking.

Succession and the Orthdox Baháʼí Perspective on the Current UHJ

The sources from "North-East Indian Baha'is" highlight a significant divergence in understanding regarding the current state of the UHJ and the Guardianship, advocating for what they term the "Orthodox Bahá'í Faith."

The Chain of Succession: The sources present a direct line of succession: Bahá’u’lláh appointed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá appointed Shoghi Effendi as the First Guardian, Shoghi Effendi appointed Charles Mason Remey as the Second Guardian, and Mason Remey appointed Joel Bray Marangella as the Third Guardian. This line implies a continuous, living Guardianship.

Illegitimacy of the Current Universal House of Justice:

Absence of a Guardian: The "Orthodox Bahá'í" view asserts that the "large body of Bahá'ís don't believe this to be true" that there is a living Guardian today. This is seen as a fundamental problem, because if there is no Guardian, then there is "no sacred head" for the UHJ, questioning "How can a body live without a head?". This is believed to cause the Faith to deviate from the truth, as the Guardian is meant to keep it from doing so.

Spurious Creation: It is argued that the current Universal House of Justice is "illegitimate" and "bogus," having been "spuriously created by the former Hands of the Cause, without authority and in total contradiction to the provisions of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu’l-Bahá". The Will and Testament clearly ordains the Guardian as its "sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body". A legitimate Universal House of Justice, according to this view, will only be established "in the future and in due time, in accordance to the provisions of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu’l-Bahá".

Non-Compliance with Will and Testament: The absence of a Guardian means that several instructions from 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament cannot be followed, such as the Hands of the Cause electing nine persons to serve the Guardian, or the general obedience due to the Guardian.

Controversy over Huququ'llah (Right of God):

Guardian's Sole Authority: 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament explicitly states that "only the Guardian is the right authority of the Cause, and the Guardians will be the sole lawful recipients of the Huququ’llah". Shoghi Effendi confirmed that "the Huquq goes only to the Guardian".

Illegitimate Collection by UHJ: The "illegitimate UHJ" is accused of "wrong doing" by demanding and collecting Huququ’llah without authority, in contradiction to the Will and Testament. It allegedly used a selectively picked 13-word answer from a Tablet by 'Abdu’l-Bahá in 1972, adding its own words to claim authority, but has failed to provide substantiating references for this claim, as no such tablet is believed to exist. The "authority to whom all must turn" regarding Huququ'llah is asserted to be the Guardian, not the UHJ.

Current Guardian's Stance: Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand, identified as the current Guardian, considers that paying Huququ’llah is "not obligatory for the Bahá’is" presently.

Lack of Transparency: The UHJ is criticized for not providing annual financial reports for donations, Huququ’llah, and other funds received, leading to accusations of misappropriation for bureaucratic expansion and salaries rather than public welfare or the promotion of the word of God.

Moral Failures and Administrative Order: The "Haifan Baha'i Faith" (implicitly its administration) is criticized for "rampant immorality" and "moral failure" among its teachers and key administration members (counselors, NSA members), with examples including widespread divorce and sexual misconduct. The administration is accused of "overlook[ing] it and show[ing] love to her" in cases of disgrace, while simultaneously focusing on collecting Huququ’llah. This is contrasted with Shoghi Effendi's instruction for National Assemblies to take "immediate action" to protect the Faith and deprive offenders of voting rights to preserve purity. This perceived moral failing and lack of proper administrative action, combined with the absence of a Guardian, has led to a loss of faith in the administrative order among some sincere Baháʼís.