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vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" 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class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Spiritual Assembly</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 13 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-13" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">13 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assemblea_Espiritual" title="Assemblea Espiritual – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Assemblea Espiritual" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geistiger_Rat" title="Geistiger Rat – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Geistiger Rat" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asambleas_Espirituales" title="Asambleas Espirituales – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Asambleas Espirituales" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirita_Asembleo" title="Spirita Asembleo – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Spirita Asembleo" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%84_%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C" title="محفل روحانی – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="محفل روحانی" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assemblea_spirituale" title="Assemblea spirituale – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Assemblea spirituale" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%90%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%AA_%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%97%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%95%D7%AA" title="האסיפות הרוחניות – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="האסיפות הרוחניות" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perhimpunan_Rohani" title="Perhimpunan Rohani – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Perhimpunan Rohani" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geestelijke_Raad" title="Geestelijke Raad – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Geestelijke Raad" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembleia_Espiritual" title="Assembleia Espiritual – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Assembleia Espiritual" 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<div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith on the local and national level</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-Religious_text_primary plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/40px-Ambox_important.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/60px-Ambox_important.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/80px-Ambox_important.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="40" data-file-height="40" /></span></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article <b>uses <a href="/wiki/Religious_text" title="Religious text">texts from within a religion or faith system</a></b> without referring to <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:PSTS" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:PSTS">secondary sources</a> that critically 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.sidebar-list-title-c{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:center;margin:0 3.3em}@media(max-width:640px){body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:100%!important;clear:both;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important}}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .sidebar a>img{max-width:none!important}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:none!important}}</style><table class="sidebar sidebar-collapse nomobile nowraplinks hlist" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-pretitle" style="background-color: #FF8C00;">Part of <a href="/wiki/Category:Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD_Faith" title="Category:Bahá'í Faith">a series</a> on the</td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-title-with-pretitle" style="background-color: #FF8C00;;font-size:150%;"><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="Baháʼí Faith">Baháʼí Faith</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_symbols#Nine-pointed_star" title="Baháʼí symbols"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Bahai_star.svg/80px-Bahai_star.svg.png" decoding="async" width="80" height="80" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Bahai_star.svg/120px-Bahai_star.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Bahai_star.svg/160px-Bahai_star.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="400" data-file-height="400" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background-color: #FF8C00;;text-align:center;background:#FF8C00;padding-left:0.2em;;color: var(--color-base)">Central figures</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BCu%27ll%C3%A1h" title="Baháʼu'lláh">Baháʼu'lláh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/B%C3%A1b" title="Báb">The Báb</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%CA%BBAbdu%27l-Bah%C3%A1" title="ʻAbdu'l-Bahá">ʻAbdu'l-Bahá</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background-color: #FF8C00;;text-align:center;background:#FF8C00;padding-left:0.2em;;color: var(--color-base)">Basics</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_teachings" title="Baháʼí teachings">Teachings</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/God_in_the_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="God in the Baháʼí Faith">Unity of God</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith_and_the_unity_of_humanity" title="Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity">Unity of humanity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith_and_the_unity_of_religion" title="Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion">Unity of religion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_laws" title="Baháʼí laws">Laws</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prayer_in_the_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="Prayer in the Baháʼí Faith">Prayer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_calendar" title="Baháʼí calendar">Calendar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nineteen_Day_Feast" title="Nineteen Day Feast">Nineteen Day Feast</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background-color: #FF8C00;;text-align:center;background:#FF8C00;padding-left:0.2em;;color: var(--color-base)">Key scripture</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Kit%C3%A1b-i-Aqdas" title="Kitáb-i-Aqdas">Kitáb-i-Aqdas</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Kit%C3%A1b-i-%C3%8Dq%C3%A1n" title="Kitáb-i-Íqán">Kitáb-i-Íqán</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Hidden_Words" title="Hidden Words">The Hidden Words</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Some_Answered_Questions" title="Some Answered Questions">Some Answered Questions</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_literature" title="Baháʼí literature">Other Texts</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background-color: #FF8C00;;text-align:center;background:#FF8C00;padding-left:0.2em;;color: var(--color-base)">Institutions</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Covenant_of_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BCu%27ll%C3%A1h" title="Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh">Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_administration" title="Baháʼí administration">Administrative Order</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Guardian_(Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith)" class="mw-redirect" title="Guardian (Baháʼí Faith)">The Guardianship</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Universal_House_of_Justice" title="Universal House of Justice">Universal House of Justice</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Spiritual Assemblies</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background-color: #FF8C00;;text-align:center;background:#FF8C00;padding-left:0.2em;;color: var(--color-base)">History</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/History_of_the_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="History of the Baháʼí Faith">Baháʼí history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_timeline" title="Baháʼí timeline">Timeline</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/B%C3%A1bism" title="Bábism">Bábism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Persecution_of_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%ADs" title="Persecution of Baháʼís">Persecution</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background-color: #FF8C00;;text-align:center;background:#FF8C00;padding-left:0.2em;;color: var(--color-base)">People</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shoghi_Effendi" title="Shoghi Effendi">Shoghi Effendi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hands_of_the_Cause" title="Hands of the Cause">Hands of the Cause</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apostles_of_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BCu%27ll%C3%A1h" title="Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh">Apostles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%ADs" title="List of Baháʼís">Other Baháʼís</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/B%C3%A1bism" title="Bábism">Bábis</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Letters_of_the_Living" title="Letters of the Living">Letters of the Living</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mull%C3%A1_Husayn" title="Mullá Husayn">Mullá Husayn</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/T%C3%A1hirih" title="Táhirih">Táhirih</a></li></ul></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background-color: #FF8C00;;text-align:center;background:#FF8C00;padding-left:0.2em;;color: var(--color-base)">Places</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_House_of_Worship" title="Baháʼí House of Worship">House of Worship</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shrine_of_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BCu%27ll%C3%A1h" title="Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh">Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Qiblih" title="Qiblih">Qiblih</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shrine_of_the_B%C3%A1b" title="Shrine of the Báb">Shrine of the Báb</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/S%C3%ADy%C3%A1h-Ch%C3%A1l" title="Síyáh-Chál">Síyáh-Chál</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_World_Centre" title="Baháʼí World Centre">World Centre</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_pilgrimage" title="Baháʼí pilgrimage">Pilgrimage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Haifa" title="Haifa">Haifa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Acre,_Israel" title="Acre, Israel">Acre</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background-color: #FF8C00;;text-align:center;background:#FF8C00;padding-left:0.2em;;color: var(--color-base)">Other topics</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Tasjil" title="Tasjil">Tasjil</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Socioeconomic_development_and_the_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="Socioeconomic development and the Baháʼí Faith">Socioeconomic development</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Progressive_revelation_(Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD)" title="Progressive revelation (Baháʼí)">Progressive revelation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_cosmology" title="Baháʼí cosmology">Cosmology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_symbols" title="Baháʼí symbols">Symbols</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_views_on_homosexuality" title="Baháʼí views on homosexuality">Homosexuality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith_and_gender_equality" title="Baháʼí Faith and gender equality">Gender</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_views_on_science" title="Baháʼí views on science">Science</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_prophecies" title="Baháʼí prophecies">Prophecies</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_statistics" class="mw-redirect" title="Baháʼí statistics">Statistics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_orthography" title="Baháʼí orthography">Orthography</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-below" style="border-top:1px solid #FF8C00;border-bottom:1px solid #FF8C00;padding-bottom:0.4em;"> <ul><li><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_symbols#Nine-pointed_star" title="Baháʼí symbols"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Bahai_star.svg/16px-Bahai_star.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Bahai_star.svg/24px-Bahai_star.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Bahai_star.svg/32px-Bahai_star.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="400" data-file-height="400" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Category:Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD_Faith" title="Category:Bahá'í Faith">Category</a></li></ul></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_sidebar" title="Template:Baháʼí sidebar"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_sidebar" title="Template talk:Baháʼí sidebar"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_sidebar" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Baháʼí sidebar"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b>Spiritual Assembly</b> is a term given by <a href="/wiki/%CA%BBAbdu%27l-Bah%C3%A1" title="ʻAbdu'l-Bahá">ʻAbdu'l-Bahá</a> to refer to elected councils that govern the <a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="Baháʼí Faith">Baháʼí Faith</a>. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no <a href="/wiki/Clergy" title="Clergy">clergy</a>, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level, there are national Spiritual Assemblies (although "national" in some cases refers to a portion of a country or to a group of countries). Spiritual Assemblies form part of the elected branch of the <a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_administration" title="Baháʼí administration">Baháʼí administration</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-warburg_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-warburg-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Nature_and_purpose">Nature and purpose</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Spiritual_Assembly&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Nature and purpose"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BCu%27ll%C3%A1h" title="Baháʼu'lláh">Baháʼu'lláh</a>, <a href="/wiki/%CA%BBAbdu%27l-Bah%C3%A1" title="ʻAbdu'l-Bahá">ʻAbdu'l-Bahá</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Shoghi_Effendi" title="Shoghi Effendi">Shoghi Effendi</a> stated how Spiritual Assemblies should be elected by the Baháʼís, defined their nature and purposes, and described in considerable detail how they should function. Since these institutions are grounded in the Baháʼí authoritative texts, Baháʼís regard them as divine in nature, and contrast the wealth of scriptural guidance with the paucity of scriptural texts on which Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religious institutions are based.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Universal_House_of_Justice" title="Universal House of Justice">Universal House of Justice</a> has added that among the responsibilities of Local Spiritual Assemblies are to be “channels of divine guidance, planners of the teaching work, developers of human resources, builders of communities, and loving shepherds of the multitudes.” <sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On a practical level, they organize local Baháʼí communities by maintaining a local Baháʼí Fund, owning the local <a href="/wiki/Haziratu%27l-Quds" title="Haziratu'l-Quds">Baháʼí center</a> (if one exists), organizing Baháʼí events, counseling Baháʼís about personal difficulties, assisting with <a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_marriage" title="Baháʼí marriage">Baháʼí marriages</a> and funerals, providing educational programs to adults and children, publicizing the Baháʼí Faith locally, fostering projects for the social and economic development of the region, and enrolling new members of the religion. Spiritual Assemblies appoint individuals, task forces, and committees to carry out many of their functions.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> National Spiritual Assemblies have a similar mandate at the national level: they coordinate publishing and distribution of <a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_literature" title="Baháʼí literature">Baháʼí literature</a>, direct relations with national organizations and governmental agencies, oversee the work of local spiritual assemblies, and (in some countries) Regional Councils, set local Baháʼí jurisdictional boundaries, provide various educational services and programs, and set the overall tone and direction of the national community. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Local_Spiritual_Assemblies">Local Spiritual Assemblies</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Spiritual_Assembly&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Local Spiritual Assemblies"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The origin of the institution of the local Spiritual Assembly originates from <a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BCu%27ll%C3%A1h" title="Baháʼu'lláh">Baháʼu'lláh</a>'s book of laws, the <a href="/wiki/Kit%C3%A1b-i-Aqdas" title="Kitáb-i-Aqdas">Kitáb-i-Aqdas</a>: </p> <dl><dd>The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counsellors to the number of Baha, and should it exceed this number it doth not matter. They should consider themselves as entering the Court of the presence of God, the Exalted, the Most High, and as beholding Him Who is the Unseen. It behoveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></dd></dl> <p>The passage gives the institution a name, a minimum number (nine, for “the number of <a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_symbols#Baháʼ" title="Baháʼí symbols">Baha</a>” refers to the numerical value of the letters of that word, which is nine), and a general responsibility to take care of the welfare of others even as they would take care of their own. While the resulting institution is local, in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Baháʼu'lláh also spoke about the responsibilities of the supreme or <a href="/wiki/Universal_House_of_Justice" title="Universal House of Justice">Universal House of Justice</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In response to the passage, Mírzá Asadu'lláh Isfahání, a prominent Baháʼí teacher, organized an unofficial Baháʼí consultative body in Tehran, Iran, about 1878.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The first official Baháʼí consultative body was organized under ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's direction by <a href="/wiki/Hand_of_the_Cause" class="mw-redirect" title="Hand of the Cause">Hand of the Cause</a> <a href="/wiki/Haj%C3%AD_%C3%81kh%C3%BAnd" title="Hají Ákhúnd">Hají Ákhúnd</a> in Tehran in 1897; by 1899 it was an elected body. Because of the difficulties in Iran caused by persecution of the Baháʼí Faith, the <a href="/wiki/Tehran" title="Tehran">Tehran</a> body served to coordinate both local and national Baháʼí activities.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It is not known what name the body was organized under. </p><p>The development of a Baháʼí community in the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a> in the 1890s necessitated the creation of local Baháʼí consultative bodies there. In 1899 the Baháʼís of <a href="/wiki/Chicago" title="Chicago">Chicago</a> elected a local council based on their awareness of the provisions of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (which was circulated in provisional English translation as a typescript as early as 1900).<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The New York Baháʼís elected a “Board of Counsel” in December 1900. In 1901 the Chicago body was reorganized and re-elected and took the name “House of Justice of Bahais of Chicago, Ills.”<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In response, <a href="/wiki/%CA%BBAbdu%27l-Bah%C3%A1" title="ʻAbdu'l-Bahá">ʻAbdu'l-Bahá</a> revealed three tablets of encouragement and guidance to the body, including prayers to say at the beginning and end of their meetings, prayers that Baháʼís use around the world today for their Spiritual Assembly meetings. </p><p>In 1902 ʻAbdu'l-Bahá sent a very important tablet to the Chicago governing body where he said "let the designation of that body be 'Spiritual Assembly'—this for the reason that, were it to use the term 'House of Justice', the government might hereafter come to suppose that it was acting as a court of law, or concerning itself in political matters, or that, at some indeterminate future time, it would involve itself in the affairs of government.... This same designation hath been universally adopted throughout Iran."<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> For this reason, Baháʼí local and national governing bodies are designated “Spiritual Assemblies” to this day. </p><p>The first decade of the twentieth century saw the proliferation of local Baháʼí governing bodies. Often unaware of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's guidance, they had a variety of titles in <a href="/wiki/English_language" title="English language">English</a> and <a href="/wiki/Persian_language" title="Persian language">Persian</a>, such as “Council Board, “Board of Consultation,” “House of Spirituality,” and "Executive Committee." Unaware ʻAbdu'l-Bahá had told the Chicago Baháʼís to elect their body every five years, they were usually elected annually or even semi-annually. The number of members varied from five to nineteen (except in New York City, where ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, in 1911, said they should elect twenty-seven members in order to be inclusive of and to foster unity between that city's diverse Baháʼí groups). They were male only until ʻAbdu'l-Bahá said, in 1911, that women should be elected to the local governing bodies existing in the United States; their exclusion from local bodies continued in Iran until the 1950s, because of Iranian cultural conventions.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the period of 1900 - 1911, consultative bodies are known to have existed in <a href="/wiki/Kenosha,_Wisconsin" title="Kenosha, Wisconsin">Kenosha, Wisconsin</a>, <a href="/wiki/Boston,_Massachusetts" class="mw-redirect" title="Boston, Massachusetts">Boston, Massachusetts</a>, <a href="/wiki/Washington,_D.C." title="Washington, D.C.">Washington, D.C.</a>, <a href="/wiki/Spokane,_Washington" title="Spokane, Washington">Spokane, Washington</a>, northern <a href="/wiki/Hudson_County" class="mw-redirect" title="Hudson County">Hudson County</a>, <a href="/wiki/New_Jersey" title="New Jersey">New Jersey</a>, the greater <a href="/wiki/San_Francisco" title="San Francisco">San Francisco</a> area, California, in the United States; and in <a href="/wiki/Bombay" class="mw-redirect" title="Bombay">Bombay</a>, <a href="/wiki/British_Raj" title="British Raj">British Raj</a> India; <a href="/wiki/Cairo" title="Cairo">Cairo</a>, <a href="/wiki/Khedivate_of_Egypt" title="Khedivate of Egypt">Khedivate of Egypt</a>; <a href="/wiki/Acre,_Israel" title="Acre, Israel">Acre</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ottoman_Syria" title="Ottoman Syria">Ottoman Syria</a>; <a href="/wiki/Baku" title="Baku">Baku</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tbilisi" title="Tbilisi">Tbilisi</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ashgabat" title="Ashgabat">Ashgabat</a> and <a href="/wiki/Samarqand" class="mw-redirect" title="Samarqand">Samarqand</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Russian_Empire" title="Russian Empire">Russian Empire</a>; and <a href="/wiki/Mashhad" title="Mashhad">Mashhad</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Abadih&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Abadih (page does not exist)">Abadih</a>, <a href="/wiki/Qazvin" title="Qazvin">Qazvin</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Tabriz" title="Tabriz">Tabriz</a>, <a href="/wiki/Qajar_dynasty" title="Qajar dynasty">Persia</a>. Consultative bodies also existed for the <a href="/wiki/Judaism" title="Judaism">Jewish</a> and <a href="/wiki/Zoroastrianism" title="Zoroastrianism">Zoroastrian</a> Baháʼís in Tehran and for the women of a few Baháʼí communities.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Because efforts to organize local Baháʼí consultative bodies remained informal, few additional ones had formed by 1921 (notable exceptions being <a href="/wiki/Cleveland,_Ohio" class="mw-redirect" title="Cleveland, Ohio">Cleveland, Ohio</a>, and <a href="/wiki/London" title="London">London</a>), and some of the ones in the United States had lapsed. Upon assuming the <a href="/wiki/Guardian_(Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith)" class="mw-redirect" title="Guardian (Baháʼí Faith)">Guardianship</a> of the Baháʼí Faith, <a href="/wiki/Shoghi_Effendi" title="Shoghi Effendi">Shoghi Effendi</a> read ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's <a href="/wiki/Will_and_Testament_of_%CA%BBAbdu%27l-Bah%C3%A1" title="Will and Testament of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá">Will and Testament</a> and made establishment of local spiritual assemblies an early priority. His second general letter to the Baháʼís of the world, dated March 5, 1922, referred to the “vital necessity of having a local Spiritual Assembly in every locality where the number of adult declared believers exceeds nine.”<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The letter also quoted extensively from Baháʼu'lláh and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá about the purposes and duties of Spiritual Assemblies. </p><p>The result was a rapid proliferation of local Spiritual Assemblies; a 1928 list had the following: Australia, 6; Brazil, 1; Burma, 3; Canada, 2; China, 1; Egypt, 1; England, 4; France, 1; India, 4; Japan, 1; Korea, 1; Lebanon, 1; New Zealand, 1; Palestine, 1; Iran, 5; Russia, 1; South Africa, 1; Switzerland, 1; Syria, 1; Turkey, 1; and the United States, 47, for a total of 85 local Spiritual Assemblies worldwide.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The number has grown ever since<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (October 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup>; in 2001 there were 11,740 local Spiritual Assemblies worldwide. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="National_Spiritual_Assemblies">National Spiritual Assemblies</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Spiritual_Assembly&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: National Spiritual Assemblies"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>National Spiritual Assemblies are first mentioned in ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's <a href="/wiki/Will_and_Testament_of_%CA%BBAbdu%27l-Bah%C3%A1" title="Will and Testament of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá">Will and Testament</a>, but the fact that they would be established circulated for years before the contents of the Will became publicly available in early 1922. In 1909, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Hippolyte_Dreyfus&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Hippolyte Dreyfus (page does not exist)">Hippolyte Dreyfus</a><span class="noprint" style="font-size:85%; font-style: normal;"> [<a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippolyte_Dreyfus-Barney" class="extiw" title="fr:Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney">fr</a>]</span> wrote extensively about the role of the national House of Justice (as it would have been known then) in his <i>The Universal Religion: Bahaism, Its Rise and Social Import.</i><sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In that year, also, the Baháʼís of the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a> and <a href="/wiki/Canada" title="Canada">Canada</a> elected a nine-member “Executive Committee” for the Bahai Temple Unity, a continental consultative body formed to build the <a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_House_of_Worship" title="Baháʼí House of Worship">Baháʼí House of Worship</a> in <a href="/wiki/Wilmette,_Illinois" title="Wilmette, Illinois">Wilmette, Illinois</a>, a suburb of Chicago. Subsequently, the Bahai Temple Unity, which held annual conventions, appointed committees to publish <a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_literature" title="Baháʼí literature">Baháʼí literature</a>, coordinate the spread of the Baháʼí Faith across North America, and review Baháʼí publications for their accuracy. By the time of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's passing in November 1921, the Bahai Temple Unity functioned as a “national” Baháʼí coordinating body. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Bahai-House-New-Delhi-03.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Bahai-House-New-Delhi-03.JPG/220px-Bahai-House-New-Delhi-03.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Bahai-House-New-Delhi-03.JPG/330px-Bahai-House-New-Delhi-03.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Bahai-House-New-Delhi-03.JPG/440px-Bahai-House-New-Delhi-03.JPG 2x" data-file-width="3024" data-file-height="2016" /></a><figcaption>Baháʼí House, New Delhi.</figcaption></figure> <p>In the same March 5, 1922 letter to the Baháʼís of the world that called for the election of local Spiritual Assemblies, Shoghi Effendi called on them to “indirectly” elect National Spiritual Assemblies. He also enumerated committees that a National Spiritual Assembly should have in order to carry out its responsibilities. “Indirect” <a href="/wiki/Election" title="Election">election</a> referred to the process, mentioned in the Will and Testament of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, of the Baháʼís electing one or more delegates from each locality, who would represent them at a national convention and would vote for the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly. The 1928 issue of <i>The Baháʼí World</i> listed nine National Spiritual Assemblies: Persia (<a href="/wiki/Iran" title="Iran">Iran</a>); the United States and Canada; <a href="/wiki/Germany" title="Germany">Germany</a>; <a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Ireland" title="United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland">Great Britain and Ireland</a>; <a href="/wiki/India" title="India">India</a> and <a href="/wiki/Burma" class="mw-redirect" title="Burma">Burma</a>; <a href="/wiki/Egypt" title="Egypt">Egypt</a>; <a href="/wiki/Turkestan" title="Turkestan">Turkistan</a>; <a href="/wiki/Caucasus" title="Caucasus">Caucasus</a>; and <a href="/wiki/Iraq" title="Iraq">Iraq</a>. Of these, the Iranian body was still the “Central Spiritual Assembly” in Tehran, elected by the Baháʼís of that community; it was not until 1934 that a national Baháʼí membership list could be drawn up that allowed the election of delegates and convening of a fully representative national convention. It is possible that the Turkistan and Caucasus bodies were preliminary as well. By 1953 the number of National Spiritual Assemblies worldwide had increased to 12; in 1963, 56; by 1968, 81, by 1988, 148; by 2001, 182. </p><p>An important part of the process was the establishment of “regional” National Spiritual Assemblies; thus in 1951 all of <a href="/wiki/South_America" title="South America">South America</a> elected a single National Spiritual Assembly, but by 1963 nearly every nation on that continent had its own. National Spiritual Assemblies are still being formed as areas of the world achieve religious freedom. Some National Spiritual Assemblies have been formed in areas smaller than a nation: <a href="/wiki/Alaska" title="Alaska">Alaska</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hawaii" title="Hawaii">Hawaii</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Puerto_Rico" title="Puerto Rico">Puerto Rico</a> have their own “national” bodies because they are geographically separated from the lower forty-eight states; <a href="/wiki/Sicily" title="Sicily">Sicily</a> has its own because <a href="/wiki/Shoghi_Effendi" title="Shoghi Effendi">Shoghi Effendi</a> said major islands also like in the Caribbean should elect independent National Spiritual Assemblies. </p><p>Like local Spiritual Assemblies, all National Spiritual Assemblies have nine members and are elected annually, usually during the <a href="/wiki/Ridv%C3%A1n" title="Ridván">Ridván Festival</a> (April 21-May 2). All Baháʼí elections occur in an atmosphere of prayer where nominations, campaigning, and all discussion of persons is forbidden. </p><p>The members of the National Spiritual Assemblies collectively serve as the electoral college for electing the <a href="/wiki/Universal_House_of_Justice" title="Universal House of Justice">Universal House of Justice</a>, the supreme governing body of the Baháʼí Faith, which was first formed in 1963. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Spiritual_Assembly&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith_by_country" title="Baháʼí Faith by country">Baháʼí Faith by country</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Spiritual_Assembly&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-warburg-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-warburg_1-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFWarburg,_Margit.2006" class="citation book cs1">Warburg, Margit. (2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/234309958"><i>Citizens of the world : a history and sociology of the Bahaʹis from a globalisation perspective</i></a>. Leiden: Brill. p. 209. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-90-474-0746-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-90-474-0746-1"><bdi>978-90-474-0746-1</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/234309958">234309958</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Citizens+of+the+world+%3A+a+history+and+sociology+of+the+Baha%CA%B9is+from+a+globalisation+perspective&rft.place=Leiden&rft.pages=209&rft.pub=Brill&rft.date=2006&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F234309958&rft.isbn=978-90-474-0746-1&rft.au=Warburg%2C+Margit.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldcat.org%2Foclc%2F234309958&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpiritual+Assembly" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Shoghi_Effendi" title="Shoghi Effendi">Shoghi Effendi</a> (1974) [1938]. <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/shoghi-effendi/world-order-bahaullah/">The World Order of Baha'u'llah</a></i>. Baháʼí Publishing Trust, Wilmette, USA. pp. 144.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Universal_House_of_Justice" title="Universal House of Justice">Universal House of Justice</a> (1996). <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/#d=19960421_001&f=f1-2">Message to the Baháʼís of the World, Ridvan 153</a></i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The best general source of information about local spiritual assemblies and their functioning is National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States (1998). <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://bahai-library.com/nsa_developing_distinctive_communities">Developing Distinctive Baháʼí Communities: Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies</a></i>. Office of Assembly Development, Evanston, Ill.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Baháʼu'lláh (1992) [1873]. <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/kitab-i-aqdas">The Kitab-i-Aqdas</a></i>. Baháʼí World Centre, Haifa. p. 29.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Baháʼu'lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 183.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Ruhu'llah Mihrabkhani, “Maháfil-i-shur dar 'ahd-i Jamál-i-Aqdas-i-Abhá,” (“Assemblies of Consultation at the time of Baha'u'llah”), <i>Payam-i-Baháʼí,</i> nos. 28 and 29, pp 9-11 and pp 8-9 respectively.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Moojan_Momen" title="Moojan Momen">Moojan Momen</a>, <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.northill.demon.co.uk/relstud/akhund.htm">Haji Akhund</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060507053240/http://www.northill.demon.co.uk/relstud/akhund.htm">Archived</a> 2006-05-07 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The translator was Anton Haddad, a Baháʼí of Lebanese background.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Robert_Stockman" title="Robert Stockman">Robert H. Stockman</a>, <i>The Bahaʼi Faith in America, Early Expansion, 1900-1912, Vol. 2</i> (Oxford: George Ronald, 1996), 48.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Robert_Stockman" title="Robert Stockman">Robert Stockman</a><i>The Baháʼí Faith in America,</i> vol. 2, 72 (the new translated quoted in this article is found in footnote 139, pp. 448-49).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Robert_Stockman" title="Robert Stockman">Robert Stockman</a>, <i>The Baháʼí Faith in America,</i> vol. 2, 338.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Robert_Stockman" title="Robert Stockman">Robert H. Stockman</a>, <i>The Baháʼí Faith and American Protestantism,</i> Th.D. dissertation, Harvard University, 1990, p. 168.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Shoghi_Effendi" title="Shoghi Effendi">Shoghi Effendi</a> (1968). <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/shoghi-effendi/bahai-administration">Baháʼí Administration - Selected Messages 1922–1932</a></i>. Baháʼí Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Ill. p. 20.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Baháʼí Publishing Committee (1928). <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bahai.org/library/other-literature/periodicals-supplementary-materials/bahai-world">The Baháʼí World: A Biennial International Record, Volume II, 1926-1928</a></i>. Baháʼí Publishing Trust, New York City. pp. 182-85. Data for Germany arrived too late to be included in the list; that year, Germany had Baháʼís in 37 localities.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Hippolyte_Dreyfus&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Hippolyte Dreyfus (page does not exist)">Hippolyte Dreyfus</a><span class="noprint" style="font-size:85%; font-style: normal;"> [<a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippolyte_Dreyfus-Barney" class="extiw" title="fr:Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney">fr</a>]</span>(1909). <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/A-E/D/dreyfus/ur.htm">The Universal Religion: Bahaism, Its Rise and Social Import</a></i>. Cope and Fenwick, London. pp. 126-51.</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Spiritual_Assembly&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFEffendi1974" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Shoghi_Effendi" title="Shoghi Effendi">Effendi, Shoghi</a> (1974). <span class="id-lock-registration" title="Free registration required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/bahaiadministrat0000shog"><i>Baháʼí Administration</i></a></span>. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87743-166-3" title="Special:BookSources/0-87743-166-3"><bdi>0-87743-166-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD+Administration&rft.place=Wilmette%2C+Illinois%2C+USA&rft.pub=Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD+Publishing+Trust&rft.date=1974&rft.isbn=0-87743-166-3&rft.aulast=Effendi&rft.aufirst=Shoghi&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fbahaiadministrat0000shog&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpiritual+Assembly" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFEffendi1976" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Shoghi_Effendi" title="Shoghi Effendi">Effendi, Shoghi</a> (1976). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://bahai-library.com/compilation_principles_bahai_administration"><i>Principles of Baháʼí Administration</i></a> (4th ed.). London, UK: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-900125-13-6" title="Special:BookSources/0-900125-13-6"><bdi>0-900125-13-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Principles+of+Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD+Administration&rft.place=London%2C+UK&rft.edition=4th&rft.pub=Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD+Publishing+Trust&rft.date=1976&rft.isbn=0-900125-13-6&rft.aulast=Effendi&rft.aufirst=Shoghi&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fbahai-library.com%2Fcompilation_principles_bahai_administration&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpiritual+Assembly" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Spiritual_Assembly&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237033735">@media 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.navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Baháʼí_Faith_topics" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="3"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD" title="Template:Baháʼí"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD" title="Template talk:Baháʼí"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Baháʼí"><abbr title="Edit this 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href="/wiki/File:Bahai_star.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Bahai_star.svg/70px-Bahai_star.svg.png" decoding="async" width="70" height="70" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Bahai_star.svg/105px-Bahai_star.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Bahai_star.svg/140px-Bahai_star.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="400" data-file-height="400" /></a></span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_teachings" title="Baháʼí teachings">Baháʼí teachings</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/God_in_the_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="God in the Baháʼí Faith">Unity of God</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith_and_the_unity_of_humanity" title="Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity">Unity of humanity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith_and_the_unity_of_religion" title="Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion">Unity of religion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/New_world_order_(Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD)" title="New world order (Baháʼí)">New World Order</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Progressive_revelation_(Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD)" title="Progressive revelation (Baháʼí)">Progressive revelation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Covenant_of_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BCu%27ll%C3%A1h" title="Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh">Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_laws" title="Baháʼí laws">Laws</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prayer_in_the_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="Prayer in the Baháʼí Faith">Prayer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_pilgrimage" title="Baháʼí pilgrimage">Pilgrimage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nineteen_Day_Feast" title="Nineteen Day Feast">Nineteen Day Feast</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_literature" title="Baháʼí literature">Baháʼí literature</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Kit%C3%A1b-i-Aqdas" title="Kitáb-i-Aqdas">Kitáb-i-Aqdas</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Kit%C3%A1b-i-%C3%8Dq%C3%A1n" title="Kitáb-i-Íqán">Kitáb-i-Íqán</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Hidden_Words" title="Hidden Words">The Hidden Words</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Some_Answered_Questions" title="Some Answered Questions">Some Answered Questions</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_administration" title="Baháʼí administration">Baháʼí administration</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Universal_House_of_Justice" title="Universal House of Justice">Universal House of Justice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_International_Community" title="Baháʼí International Community">Baháʼí International Community</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/International_Teaching_Centre" title="International Teaching Centre">International Teaching Centre</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Institution_of_the_Counsellors" title="Institution of the Counsellors">Institution of the Counsellors</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Spiritual Assemblies</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/History_of_the_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="History of the Baháʼí Faith">History</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_timeline" title="Baháʼí timeline">Timeline</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/B%C3%A1bism" title="Bábism">Bábism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Letters_of_the_Living" title="Letters of the Living">Letters of the Living</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mull%C3%A1_Husayn" title="Mullá Husayn">Mullá Husayn</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/T%C3%A1hirih" title="Táhirih">Táhirih</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD%E2%80%93Azali_split" title="Baháʼí–Azali split">Baháʼí–Azali split</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">People</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shoghi_Effendi" title="Shoghi Effendi">Shoghi Effendi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hands_of_the_Cause" title="Hands of the Cause">Hands of the Cause</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apostles_of_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BCu%27ll%C3%A1h" title="Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh">Apostles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%ADs" title="List of Baháʼís">Others</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_converts_to_the_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="List of converts to the Baháʼí Faith">Converts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_former_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%ADs" title="List of former Baháʼís">Ex-Baháʼís</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Places</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_World_Centre" title="Baháʼí World Centre">World Centre</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_House_of_Worship" title="Baháʼí House of Worship">Mashriqu'l-Adhkár</a></i> (<a href="/wiki/List_of_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Houses_of_Worship" title="List of Baháʼí Houses of Worship">List</a>)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Haziratu%27l-Quds" title="Haziratu'l-Quds">Haziratu'l-Quds</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shrine_of_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BCu%27ll%C3%A1h" title="Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh">Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shrine_of_the_B%C3%A1b" title="Shrine of the Báb">Shrine of the Báb</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shrine_of_%CA%BBAbdu%27l-Bah%C3%A1" title="Shrine of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá">Shrine of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Montr%C3%A9al_Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD_Shrine" title="Montréal Bahá'í Shrine">Montréal Bahá'í Shrine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/S%C3%ADy%C3%A1h-Ch%C3%A1l" title="Síyáh-Chál">Síyáh-Chál</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/B%C3%A1b%27s_house" title="Báb's house">Báb's house</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/House_of_Bah%C3%A1%27u%27ll%C3%A1h_in_Baghdad" title="House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad">House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Garden_of_Ridv%C3%A1n,_Baghdad" title="Garden of Ridván, Baghdad">Garden of Ridván, Baghdad</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other topics</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Socioeconomic_development_and_the_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="Socioeconomic development and the Baháʼí Faith">Socioeconomic development</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_cosmology" title="Baháʼí cosmology">Cosmology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_symbols" title="Baháʼí symbols">Symbols</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_prophecies" title="Baháʼí prophecies">Prophecies</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_views_on_homosexuality" title="Baháʼí views on homosexuality">Homosexuality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith_and_gender_equality" title="Baháʼí Faith and gender equality">Gender</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_views_on_science" title="Baháʼí views on science">Science</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith_by_country" title="Baháʼí Faith by country">Statistics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_orthography" title="Baháʼí orthography">Orthography</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_calendar" title="Baháʼí calendar">Calendar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tasjil" title="Tasjil">Tasjil</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Persecution_of_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%ADs" title="Persecution of Baháʼís">Persecution</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_review" title="Baháʼí review">Review</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith_in_fiction" title="Baháʼí Faith in fiction">Baháʼí Faith in fiction</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Attempted_schisms_in_the_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="Attempted schisms in the Baháʼí Faith">Attempted schisms</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Orthodox_Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith" title="Orthodox Baháʼí 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