Guardianship or 'Badah'? Investigating the Mason Remey Claim and the Hands of the Cause Decision

 

The International Baha’i Council (IBC) was an administrative body established by Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, in 1951. It was intended to be an "embryonic" Universal House of Justice, the supreme institution of the Baha’i Faith. Shoghi Effendi appointed Charles Mason Remey as the president of the IBC and gave him a prominent role in the development of the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, Israel.

 

Remey was a prominent American Baha’i who had been a close associate of 'Abdu’l-Baha, the son of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith. 'Abdu’l-Baha had praised Remey as "my dear son" and had prophesied that he would be "a sign of guidance unto mankind". Remey was also considered to be an adopted Aghsan (Branch), a term used for the male descendants of Baha’u’llah.

 

According to the Will and Testament of 'Abdu’l-Baha, which established the Guardianship as a hereditary institution, the Guardian had to appoint his successor in his lifetime from among his male relatives. However, Shoghi Effendi died in 1957 without leaving a will or apparently appointing a successor. This created a crisis in the Baha’i community, as many believed that the Guardianship was essential for the protection and guidance of the Faith.

 

Some Baha’is approached Remey after he became the president of the IBC and expressed their belief that he would be the next Guardian if Shoghi Effendi did not appoint one. They based their belief on several arguments:

 

a. Remey’s appointment as the president of the IBC implied that he was designated by Shoghi Effendi to be his successor, as the president of the Universal House of Justice was supposed to be the Guardian.

 

b. Remey’s status as an adopted Aghsan qualified him to be a Guardian, as 'Abdu’l-Baha had stated that the Guardian could choose "another branch" besides his eldest son.

 

c. Remey’s prophecies by 'Abdu’l-Baha indicated that he had a special role to play in the future of the Faith.

 

Mason Remey has indicated that after his appointment as president, some prominent Baha’is (later appointed hands of the cause) told him that if Shoghi Effendi died without appointing another, he would be the next guardian. This recognition explains why Remey, as he says, waited for someone other than himself to make the stand that the guardianship be continued. As he says, he was "waiting to be wanted" (Remey, Last Appeal, p. 33).

 

However, his legitimate claim was rejected by those who broke the covenant, including the Hands who were supported by Shoghi Effendi's widow. They gave no heed to the Will and Testament of Abdul Baha and pronounced the concept of Guardianship to be ‘Badah’ (a change in the plan of God).

 

In future articles, we will explore whether the Hands and Ruhiyyih Khanum had the authority to pronounce the Guardianship as 'Badah' and prove Abdul Baha's prophecy to be false, or whether they were the ones who conspired against the faith. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into this topic.