Book 8: The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh

At the most fundamental level, the identity of the Bahá’í community is shaped by the conviction that the inhabitants of the planet constitute a single people. The principle of the oneness of humankind is the pivot around which all the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith revolve. The realization of this principle in human affairs calls for far more than cooperation among people and nations. It requires that the relationships which bind them as members of one human family be completely reconceptualized—this, if a materially and spiritually prosperous world civilization is to emerge that will benefit all of humankind. In villages and neighborhoods across the globe, Bahá’ís are working to establish a pattern that can help give shape to future society, a society in which relationships among individuals, groups, institutions and nations are defined by the principle of humanity’s oneness. This book discusses how the unifying power inherent in the covenant instituted by Bahá’u’lláh enables those who embrace His teachings, the communities they build, and the institutions they raise to act as a force of unity. One important concept treated is the imperative need for a “center” in the preservation of unity. That Bahá’u’lláh, through His covenant, has established this center is an essential idea addressed in the first unit, and its implications are drawn out further in the next two, in the discussion of the features of the administrative order through which the affairs of the Bahá’í community are governed. For those galvanized by the vision of a just and peaceful world set out in the Bahá’í teachings, the study of this book will, it is hoped, strengthen their resolve in walking a path of service to their fellow human beings.