Temples: Service in Baha'i Temples
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Shoghi Effendi, Temples: Service in Baha'i Temples, bahai-library.com.
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Temples:

Service in Bahá'í Temples

Shoghi Effendi

Universal House of Justice

Universal House of Justice, Research Department

, compiler

published in

Compilation of Compilations

Volume 3,  pp. 265-274

2000

Contents:

From letters and cables written by and on behalf of Shoghi Effendi

From an article based on instructions of the Guardian:
"Directives concerning the Temple: Questions Submitted to the Guardian and his replies"

From letters written by the Universal House of Justice

From letters and cables written by and on behalf of Shoghi Effendi

[445] As to the character of the meetings in the auditorium of the
Temple, he feels that they should be purely devotional in
character, Bahá'í addresses and lectures should be strictly
excluded. For the present he feels that there would be no
objection to having Bahá'í meetings, including addresses and
the business sessions of the Convention, held in the
Foundation Hall. Shoghi Effendi would urge that 'choir'
singing by men, women and children be encouraged in the
auditorium and that rigidity in the Bahá'í service be
scrupulously avoided. The more universal and informal the
character of Bahá'í worship in the Temple the better. Images
and pictures, with the exception of the Greatest Name, should
be strictly excluded. Prayers revealed by Bahá'u'lláh and the
Master, as well as the sacred writings of the Prophets, should
be read or chanted, as well as hymns based upon Bahá'í or
non-Bahá'í sacred writings.

(From a letter dated 11 April 1931 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the
National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada)

[446] Slight alterations in the text of the prayers are permissible, and
I would advise you to give a musical form to the revealed word
itself which I feel will be exceedingly effective ...

(In the hand writing of Shoghi Effendi, appended to a letter written on his
behalf to an individual believer, dated 8 April 1931)

[447] He sincerely hopes that now that the Temple is completed it
will be filled to the full with pure seeking souls. It should be
different from the other houses of worship which even if they
are filled, their source of attraction is the music heard. Here
the spirit should be so powerful as to awaken the heart of
everyone that enters it to the glory of Bahá'u'lláh ...

(From a letter dated 31 May 1931 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an
individual believer, cited in "Bahá'í News" 55, (May 1931), p. 4)

[448] As regards the chanting of Tablets in the Temple, Shoghi
Effendi wishes in this connection to urge the friends to avoid
all forms of rigidity and uniformity in matters of worship.
There is no objection to the recital or chanting of prayers in
the Oriental language, but there is also no obligation whatever

of adopting such a form of prayer at any devotional service in
the auditorium of the Temple. It should neither be required nor
prohibited. The important thing that should always be borne in
mind is that with the exception of certain specific obligatory
prayers Bahá'u'lláh has given us no strict or special ruling in
matters of worship whether in the Temple or elsewhere.

1

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, June 15, 1935)

[449] Prayer is essentially a communion between man and God, and
as such transcends all ritualistic forms and formulae.

(From a letter dated 15 June 1935 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the
National Spiritual Assembly of the United States)

[450] MEETINGS IN TEMPLE AUDITORIUM CONFINED READING
HOLY SCRIPTURES AND PRAYERS AVOID RIGIDITY
MANNER CONDUCT MEETINGS. AUDIENCE SEATED IN
MAIN AUDITORIUM SHOULD FACE EAST. SEATS IN
SURROUNDING SPACE SHOULD FACE CENTRE
AUDITORIUM .. . AVOID ASSIGNING FIXED POSITION OR
FORMAL PROCEDURE FOR SINGERS ...

(From a cable dated I July 1946 sent by Shoghi Effendi to the National
Spiritual Assembly of the United States)

[451] He is not sufficiently informed about western musical
composition to give you any guidance on this subject; all he
can tell you is that from the Master's instructions it seems
there will be no use of any kind of musical instruments in the
Bahá'í Temples. Chanting or singing will be the only sound
(aside from reading) and what forms this will take must
depend on the artists who create the music itself.

No doubt prayers and parts of the Tablets, "Hidden Words",
etc., will be suitable, but he does not feel it would be advisable
to abridge any given part, in other words to leave out parts of a
paragraph or a meditation and foreshorten it in this manner.

(From a letter dated 3 July 1949 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an
individual believer)

[452] NOT PERMISSIBLE

2

(From a cable dated 10 February 1953 sent by Shoghi Effendi to the National
Spiritual Assembly of the United States)

[453] It is permissible and satisfactory to use the Prayers of
'Abdu'l-Bahá in the devotional services in the Temple. His
public talks and Tablets should not be used, but His prayers
may be used.

It is understood of course that there is to be no talking in the
auditorium of the Temple. However, the Guardian does feel
that in an emergency it may be necessary to carry on a
conversation for a very limited period, in a subdued tone of
voice. The Guardian feels that in matters of this type, careful
judgment must be used.

(From a letter dated 3 October 19,53 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the
National Spiritual Assembly of the United States)

[454] As regards producing a book of Bahá'í songs, your
understanding that there is no cultural expression which could
be called Bahá'í at this time (distinctive music, literature, art,
architecture, etc., being the flower of the civilization and not
coming at the beginning of a new Revelation), is correct.
However, that does not mean that we haven't Bahá'í songs, in
other words, songs written by Bahá'ís on Bahá'í subjects.
There is no objection to getting out a compilation of these, but
he does not think money should be spent in printing it, in view
of the state of the National Fund, and the much more
important work in the teaching field which needs to be
undertaken this year. If you can get out such a book in a
mimeographed form, he feels this would be sufficient to meet
the needs at this time.

(From a letter dated 21 September 1957 written on behalf of the Guardian to
the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States)

From an article based on instructions of the Guardian

Directives concerning the Temple: Questions Submitted to the Guardian and his replies
(To the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States)

[455]

Question:
On what schedule are meetings of public worship
to be held in the auditorium: daily, weekly, or at other
intervals, or at stated periods during the day?

Reply:
Weekly, or more often, if your Assembly deems
advisable.

Question:
Are such meetings, if weekly, to be held on Sunday
and if so noon?

Reply:
Left to your discretion.

Question:
Should the auditorium be open daily from dawn for
individual prayer and meditation?

Reply:
Yes.

Question:
Can photographs be taken, for historic record or
publicity, of any meeting of worship held for Bahá'ís only, and
of any meeting open to the public?

Reply:
Yes.

Question:
The present plan is to hold a meeting of dedication
for Bahá'ís only, followed by a public dedication on the same
day. Is this plan approved?

Reply:
Yes.

Question:
Should an order of service or program be printed
with the list of readings selected for each service?

Reply:
Left to your discretion.

Question:
Are the present weekly public lectures to be
continued in Foundation Hall?

Reply:
There is no objection to this until such time as we have
a suitable meeting place at our disposal.

Question:
As there is no trained Bahá'í choir or chorus for
singing, shall we begin to train a choir? Can non-Bahá'ís be
included among the singers? Are soloists permitted, Bahá'í or
non-Bahá'í?

Reply:
By all means prepare a choir. There is no objection to
non-Bahá'í singers or to soloists, Bahá'í or non-Bahá'í.

Question:
Is the auditorium to be open for special prayer by
Bahá'í Committees meeting in the vicinity, or by visiting
groups who may arrive at times when no general meeting is
scheduled?

Reply:
The auditorium may be used for such purposes.

Question:
In preparing the readings, shall we use only Holy
Books extant and available in English for religions listed by
you in the series of recognized Revelations?

Reply:
Yes. But if occasionally a reading is in another
language there can be no objection, as long as the text is from
a Holy Scripture. Persian, Arabic and Hebrew are all very
beautiful when chanted.

Question:
At the opening of a meeting of worship is any
reader to explain the nature of Bahá'í worship or are the
readings to proceed without any announcement?

Reply:
This is not permissible: there must be no speeches in
the auditorium.

Question:
Can meetings of worship be broadcast over the
radio or television? Can special meetings be recorded for
reproduction by believers locally?

Reply:
There is no objection to this.

(October 1952, published in Bahá'í News" No. 260 (October 1952), pp. 1-2)

From letters written by the Universal House of Justice

[456]  We have given careful consideration to the questions you have
raised in your letter of January 23, 1964 about the use of the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkár.

Your Assembly is free to use its discretion in choosing
excerpts from the generally recognized scriptures of the older
religions.

With reference to your query about the use of several readers
in unison, this is permissible provided it does not seem, or
become theatrical in the view of your Assembly. Concerning
the placement of the reader, the beloved Guardian has already
indicated, "the reader should stand where he or she will best
be seen and heard by all."

Music in the House of Worship is to be vocal only, whether by
singers or a singer. It does not matter if a guest a cappella
choir, or soloist is used, provided such use is not made the
occasion to publicise services of Worship and the precautions
you mention are taken. No doubt the excellent recordings
available today would assure the highest quality of
performance at low cost, but all references to vocal music in
the central Edifice imply the physical presence of the singers.

In a letter through his secretary to a Chicago believer in 1931,
"Bahá'í News", No. 55, page 4, Shoghi Effendi expressed the
hope that "... now that the Temple is completed it will be filled
to the full with pure seeking souls. It should be different from
the other houses of worship which even if they are filled, their
source of attraction is the music heard. Here the spirit should
be so powerful as to awaken the heart of every one that enters
it to the glory of Bahá'u'lláh ..."

In conclusion, a review of the closing paragraphs of the
beloved Guardian's illuminating message of October 25, 1929,
addressed to the American Bahá'í Community, clearly reveals
the true nature of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár. In them he decries
the trappings of elaborate and ostentatious ceremony and
warns against any inference "that the interior of the central
Edifice itself will be converted into a conglomeration of
religious services" offering "a spectacle of incoherent and
confused sectarian observances and rites." In his concluding
words, Shoghi Effendi links Bahá'í worship and service
arising from the Institution of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár as vital
to the regeneration of the world, and the secret of the unique
position occupied by this lofty, potent and outstanding
institution.

We understand and commend your wish to fully utilize the
House of Worship in service to humanity. We feel the
Guardian's letter alluded to above offers the necessary
guidance you desire.

(13 March 1964 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States)

[457] With reference to your letter of August 2, 1964, and the
questions you have asked concerning services at the House of
Worship, we have now had opportunity to study your
questions in the light of available texts, and we are glad to
share with you our conclusions.

We will set forth your questions, which fall under five
categories and then make our comments at the end of each
section:

Is congregational singing the same as congregational
worship? Is it permissible to have singing in which anyone

can join? If so, is it permissible for "Alláh'u'Abhá" or "Yá
Bahá'u'l-Abhá" to be sung?

Singing by a congregation present at a service in the House
of Worship should not be confused with congregational
prayer prescribed by Bahá'u'lláh for the dead. As the
Guardian in a letter written on his behalf by his secretary
pointed out: "When the Aqdas is published the form of
congregational prayer prescribed by Bahá'u'lláh will be
made clear to all the friends." (Bahá'í Procedure, 1942,
page 5.) Regarding singing in the Temple, we must bear in
mind the reference made by Bahá'u'lláh in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas to the need for the person who enters the
Temple to sit silent and listen to the chanting of the verses
of God, as well as the statements made by the Guardian
regarding "the reader" or "a number of readers" or a
"choir".

In connection with the desire of the Africans to sing, this
aptitude in them should be encouraged. The Guardian
elucidated this principle in a letter written on his behalf by
his Secretary: "Shoghi Effendi would urge that choir
singing by men, women, and children be encouraged in the
Auditorium, and that rigidity in the Bahá'í service be
scrupulously avoided."

(Bahá'í News, September 1931).

Could we develop musical programmes with words not
necessarily from Sacred Scriptures? Could Christian hymn
tunes with Bahá'í words be used?

We feel that the first question is covered by the following
instruction given by the Guardian: "Prayers ... should be
read or chanted, as well as hymns based upon Bahá'í or
non-Bahá'í sacred writings." (Bahá'í News, September
1931). As regards using hymn tunes of other religions there
is no objection to this. As the Guardian once pointed out,
we do not have at this time distinctive music which could
be called Bahá'í, as such a cultural expression is the flower
of the civilization and does not come at the beginning of a
new Revelation.

Is it necessary at the present time to uphold at all costs a
standard of excellence in Temple singing? If so, should it be
a Western or an African standard?

In everything we do we should always try to attain a
standard of excellence. Bearing in mind the basic principle
of unity in diversity and the undesirability of attempting
uniformity, the National Assembly should do all possible to
ensure the dignified presentation of whatever is sung in the
Temple, African, Western, or other.

In view of current difficulties in having a printed
programme available, may the reader preface his reading by
"This reading is from ..." or words to that effect? Is it
permissible to make short comments which might add to
the understanding and effectiveness of the readings, such
as: "The following readings are on the subject of humility
..." or "the following healing prayer is for ..."

There is no objection to the reader very briefly stating at the
beginning of his reading, the reference and source of the
passage he is about to read. Beyond this, any other
comment regarding the passage to be read is inappropriate.
If in the future, your Assembly is able to overcome the
difficulty of making a printed programme available, if
would be far better to have such a programme.

May the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá be used in the Temple as
these are most easily translatable and many are already
prepared in the most common local language – Luganda?

The Guardian's advice on this point is: "Prayers revealed by
Bahá'u'lláh and the Master, as well as the sacred writings
of the Prophets, should be read or chanted ..." (Bahá'í
News, September 1931). In response to a specific question
put to the Guardian regarding the Public Talks and Tablets
of 'Abdu'l-Bahá the Guardian advised that these should not
be used in the devotional services in the Temple.

We hope the above comments will prove useful to your
National Spiritual Assembly in working out the

programmes and arranging the services at the Mother
Temple of Africa. The Bahá'í House of Worship is one of
the most mighty institutions of our beloved Faith. It is the
privilege of your National Assembly to administer such an
institution "wherein", in the words of the beloved Guardian,
"spirit unconquerable Faith can dwell within whose walls
African adherents Faith Bahá'u'lláh can congregate, from
which anthems praise glorifying Most Great Name can
ascend Concourse Abhá Kingdom."

(19 August 1965 to the National Spiritual Assemblies of
Uganda and Central Africa)

[458] In your letter of 4 October 1965 we note your request for
further clarification of points (a) and (b) of your August 2nd
communication concerning services at the House of Worship.

With reference to point (a), it would be undesirable to include
in the program singing by the congregation in unison.
However, if the congregation should spontaneously join in
singing with the choir or solo singer they, of course, should not
be stopped. This is not a matter that should be circulated
among the friends in your news bulletin.

With reference to point (b), the nature of the hymns sung in
the House of Worship we leave to your discretion for the time
being. Whatever policy you have currently adopted in this
matter you should continue to follow. Should we in future
make any specific rulings on this subject we will advise you.

(8 November 19-65 to the National Spiritual Assembly of
Uganda and Central Africa)

Notes

1

. In reply to a question whether minor changes, such as the addition of a word, or
the repetition of an important passage, are permissible when adapting prayers to
music. The letter also asks if prayers could be set to music, and whether the
music should conform only to the Persian idea of the chant.

2

. In reply to a question whether it was permissible to use appropriate recorded a
cappella music in the auditorium.

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-- Temples: Service in Baha'i Temples (Used by permission of the curator)