From Letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice
About the dependencies of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, there are a number of references to these “important accessories” in the Tablets and Addresses of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. For example, He lists a school for orphan children, hospital and dispensary for the poor, home for the incapable, college for higher scientific education and hospice. In another place after listing the foregoing institutions He states that other philanthropic buildings are to be built.… The Universal House of Justice has also said that it has not seen any text requiring that the number of dependencies should be nine.
(From a letter dated 18 March 1974 to an individual believer) [71]
A symbol of this process [Bahá’í involvement in development projects] may be seen in the House of Worship and its dependencies. The first part to be built is the central edifice which is the spiritual heart of the community. Then, gradually, as the outward expression of this spiritual heart, the various dependencies, those “institutions of social service as shall afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved, and education to the ignorant” are erected and function. This process begins in an embryonic way long before a Bahá’í community reaches the stage of building its own Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, for even the first local centre that a Bahá’í community erects can begin to serve not only as the spiritual and administrative centre and gathering place of the community, but also as the site of a tutorial school and the heart of other aspects of community life. The principle remains, however, that the spiritual precedes the material. First comes the illumination of hearts and minds by the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, and then the grass roots stirring of the believers wishing to apply these teachings to the daily life of their community.
(From a letter dated 8 May 1984 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil) [72]
The term “Mashriqu’l-Adhkár” has been used in the Writings to describe various things: the gathering of the friends for prayers at dawn; a building where this activity takes place; the complete institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, with its dependencies; the central edifice of that institution, often described as a “House of Worship” or “Temple”. These variants can all be seen as denoting stages or aspects of the gradual introduction of Bahá’u’lláh’s concept as promulgated in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. For the development of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, several lines of action have been set in motion, and it is to these that the believers should devote their efforts and attention.
(From a letter dated 20 April 1997 to an individual believer) [73]
The term “Mashriqu’l-Adhkár”, when it refers to a House of Worship, denotes a building, the centre in which the people gather to hear the Word of God and to worship Him. Surrounding this central House of Worship are the dependencies of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, which express worship in the form of service to humanity.
(From a letter dated 24 February 1998 to an individual believer) [74]
In carrying out this review, it should be noted that it is permissible to use selections from the Holy Writings as lyrics to be accompanied by musical compositions, and to repeat verses or words. A composer is free to determine the musical style, bearing in mind the spiritual obligation to treat the Sacred Texts with propriety, dignity and reverence.…
Furthermore, there is no objection to the repetition of verses from prayers or selections from the Writings in songs in order to conform with musical requirements.
As stated above, slight alterations in the text are permissible, as is repetition of lines as a chorus or of short phrases such as “O God, my God” in order to conform with musical requirements. The musical style of the piece can be determined by the composer, provided that he or she bears in mind the spiritual obligation to treat the Sacred Texts with the propriety, dignity and reverence due them.
(From a letter dated 14 February 2001 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia) [75]
The House of Justice was especially delighted to learn of the significant increase in the level of activity at the Temple, including the growing number of core activities involving participants from the wider community…. Building on this foundation, an issue of central importance for your National Assembly to earnestly address concerns the need to foster unity of thought and purpose among the believers regarding ways to bring about an even greater degree of coherence between the endeavours at the House of Worship and the work of expansion and consolidation in the Upolu cluster.
At the heart of these exertions will be the teaching activities and processes of community-building taking place at the Temple. In particular, efforts to share the fundamental teachings of the Faith with visitors and those living in the vicinity and to extend to them an invitation to engage in study circles, devotional gatherings, children’s classes, and junior youth groups held on the Temple grounds and in other parts of the cluster will need to be systematized and supported with the necessary human and financial resources. Consideration may also be given to developing a special programme that aims to share a vision of the House of Worship as the spiritual centre of the community and of the influence it can exert in the lives of the surrounding population—a vision of a Temple for the people of Samoa.
It is the ardent hope of the House of Justice that the agencies and believers serving in the Upolu cluster will be empowered to take full advantage of the presence of the House of Worship in their midst as they labour to advance the process of growth and that means of attracting visitors and enhancing their experience will be further refined over time. As with other aspects of Bahá’í community life, success in this endeavour will rest largely upon the friends functioning in a learning mode to ensure that methods and activities are continually reflected upon and improved.
(From a letter dated 27 December 2011 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa) [76]
The House of Justice was delighted to learn that discussions among the believers about the significance of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár are creating strong connections with the undertaking and are leading to a broader participation of the Bahá’ís and their friends in this collective endeavour. Increased awareness among the believers in Colombia of the significance of the House of Worship has also generated material contributions from them; this is yet another sign of their spiritual commitment. It is hoped that this initial response will be sustained throughout the life of the project and foster a pattern of regular giving to the funds of the Faith.
(From a letter dated 10 December 2013 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Colombia) [77]
A House of Worship is, of course, an integral part of the process of community building, and its construction represents an important milestone in the development of a community. It is the hope of the House of Justice that the friends in … will, through the zeal and determination with which they pursue the essential activities of the Five Year Plan, hasten the day when it will be timely for a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár to be built in your country.
(From a letter dated 12 December 2013 to an individual believer) [78]
In addition, since it is envisioned that the design of the Temple will “harmonize naturally with the local culture and the daily lives of those who will gather to pray and meditate therein”, the friends could be encouraged to generate some preliminary ideas about its physical appearance. It is hoped that, ultimately, the design of the House of Worship will draw on elements and symbols with which the people of Kenya naturally identify. These ideas, forwarded to the construction office soon to be established, could be incorporated into the architectural brief defining the requirements for the project.
(From a letter dated 24 September 2014 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Kenya) [79]
With regard to your questions concerning the difference between continental, national and local Houses of Worship, the establishment of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár began with the construction of a Temple in various regions of the world. As they were erected, the role of these Houses of Worship in signalling the presence and promise of the Faith was emphasized often in figurative language. The Guardian wrote that a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is a “symbol and harbinger of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh” and frequently called the first in each continent or region a “mother temple”. The House of Justice, when referring to the initiation of projects to construct national Houses of Worship, beginning in the Fifth Epoch and following the commencement of the construction in Chile of the last of the continental Temples, writes that it “offers yet another gratifying evidence of the penetration of the Faith of God into the soil of society.”
Beyond this symbolic significance, the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is an institution with tremendous practical potentialities. It is envisioned that wherever an Assembly is established, whether local or national, the institutions of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár and Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds will in time be raised. “From the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, ordained as a house of worship by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas,” Shoghi Effendi wrote, “the representatives of Bahá’í communities, both local and national, together with the members of their respective committees, will, as they gather daily within its walls at the hour of dawn, derive the necessary inspiration that will enable them to discharge, in the course of their day-to-day exertions in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds—the scene of their administrative activities—their duties and responsibilities as befits the chosen stewards of His Faith.”
Furthermore, a House of Worship is to be the spiritual centre of a community and, together with its dependencies that will be created, contributes to a flourishing pattern of collective life. Currently, the first Houses of Worship of each continent serve as the national Temples of the countries in which they are located, and they also serve the communities in their vicinity, playing a significant role in local activities. As the process of growth unfolds, Temples will increasingly be raised at the national and local levels, and much will be learned about their nature and how they contribute to the community-building process. The many aspects of the functioning of this institution will then gradually be manifest. As Shoghi Effendi wrote, “None save the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár can most adequately provide the essentials of Bahá’í worship and service, both so vital to the regeneration of the world.”
(From a letter dated 26 January 2015 to an individual believer) [80]
Lyrics used in songs being performed in the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár need not be confined to the Writings; rather, what is required is that they be based upon Bahá’í or other sacred writings and contain Bahá’í themes. It should be noted that the standard for lyrics used in songs performed is somewhat different from the standard for Writings and prayers to be read or chanted in devotional programmes in Houses of Worship. There is therefore no objection to the use of songs based on the Writings and talks of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
(From a letter dated 2 November 2015 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia) [81]
Selected Prayers for the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
O Lord, my God! Confirm them in Thy service! Strengthen their backs in bearing the stones for the erection of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár! O Lord, my God! Illumine the faces of these righteous ones with the light that shineth from the dawning-place of Thy mysteries. Verily, thou art the Mighty and the Unconstrained and verily, Thou art the Merciful and the Compassionate.
Lowly, humble, and tearful, I turn my face unto the Kingdom of Thy mercy and the realm of Thy singleness and fervently entreat Thee at the Threshold of Thy oneness to assist Thy true lovers to offer their contribution to the rearing of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in that land—that from this edifice, the splendours of His light may be shed abroad in every direction, and the joyous cries that extol and magnify Thy name may be raised at morn and eventide, ascending upward towards Thy celestial Concourse and Thine all-glorious Horizon.
O Lord, my God! Cause me to hear the accents of their voices and the lamentations of their hearts, despite the great distance that separateth this nearer side of the valley and that “faraway side,”3 in order that my spirit may rejoice, my heart be gladdened, mine eyes be consoled, my whole being tremble for joy, and mine inmost essence be filled with bliss at such an outpouring of grace, at such manifest splendour.
O Lord, my God! Open wide the doors of Thy blessings unto every soul who ariseth to make offerings for this exalted edifice, this wondrous House of Prayer, this Dayspring of light.
Verily art Thou the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Tender, the Gracious.
O God, my God! I implore Thee with a throbbing heart and streaming tears to aid whosoever expendeth his energy for the erection of this House, and the construction of this Building wherein Thy name is mentioned every morn and every eve.
O God! Send down Thy divine increase on whosoever endeavoureth to serve this edifice and exerteth himself to raise it amongst the kindreds and religions of the world. Confirm him in every good deed in promoting the welfare of mankind. Open Thou the doors of wealth and abundance unto him and make him an heir to the treasures of the Kingdom, which perish not. Make him a sign of Thy bestowals among the peoples and reinforce him by the sea of Thy generosity and bounty, surging with waves of Thy grace and favour. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Merciful and the Bountiful.
O God, my God! Illumine the brows of Thy true lovers and support them with angelic hosts of certain triumph. Set firm their feet on Thy straight path, and out of Thine ancient bounty open before them the portals of Thy blessings; for they are expending on Thy pathway what Thou hast bestowed upon them, safeguarding Thy Faith, putting their trust in their remembrance of Thee, offering up their hearts for love of Thee, and withholding not what they possess in adoration for Thy Beauty and in their search for ways to please Thee.
O my Lord! Ordain for them a plenteous share, a destined recompense and sure reward.
Verily, Thou art the Sustainer, the Helper, the Generous, the Bountiful, the Ever-Bestowing.
(Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, no. 235) [85]
The photograph which thou hadst sent of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár hath been received. It was a source of immense joy, for praise be to God, the beloved of God gathered in the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár with their faces aglow like unto candles, illumining that assemblage with the light of spiritual sentiments.
My God, my Beloved, my heart’s Desire! These are servants of the Threshold of Thy holiness who have prostrated themselves before the door of Thy singleness. They have entered the Dawning-Place of Thy praise and the assemblage of Thy light, beseeching Thee, humbly supplicating the Kingdom of Thy oneness, and praying fervently to Thee with their hearts fixed steadfastly upon Thee.
O my Lord! Accept their deeds, commune with them in their prayers, and inspire them with the wonders of Thy mysteries, that they may become the manifestations of Thy bounty amidst Thy creatures and the company of Thy chosen ones amongst Thy people. Verily, Thou art the Gentle, the All-Bountiful, the Gracious, the Merciful, the All-Loving.