“This statement appears in Questions and Answers, described by Shoghi Effendi as an appendix to The Kitáb-i-Aqdas. It was revealed before Spiritual Assemblies had been established and was in answer to a question about the Bahá’í teaching on consultation. The emergence of Spiritual Assemblies, to which the friends may always turn, in no way prohibits them from following, if they wish, the procedure outlined in the above passage when they desire to consult on their personal problems. The quotation clearly indicates Bahá’u’lláh’s preference for unanimity.” (From a letter dated 28 February 1978 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies)
Cf. “Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá” [rev. ed.] (Haifa Bahá’í World Centre, 1982), Sec. 102, pp. 128-29.
This is a process of divination, such as is done through bibliomancy, when a Holy Book is opened at random and guidance is sought for one’s problem by reading passages of the Book on the opened page.
This advice was given by the Guardian in a case when the inquirer sought the Guardian’s counsel, since one doctor’s view was that an operation was needed, while another doctor did not consider such an operation necessary.