Authority and the Baha’i Faith

Never before has a religion claimed unchallengeable authority based on the explicit written mandate of the Founder.  (Even the book World Religions for Dummies remarks on the importance of this.)  The Roman Catholic Papacy is based on tradition, and on the single remark “Thou are Peter, and upon this rock I shall build my church” (translations and interpretations vary).  The greatest split in Islam is between the Sunni, who believe leadership should be elective, and Shiah, who believe leadership should have been kept within the family of Muhammad, beginning with Ali. 
The Baha’i Faith claims that the Covenant, which includes the written authority, is the only thing that can hold the Baha’is together.  This essay is a brief and unofficial look at the transitions of authority in the Baha’i Faith.  (It is written for my own benefit and shared in the hopes someone gains from it.  I look forward to thoughtful responses.  If the topic bores you, don’t read the followups.)

In follow-ups to this post, I will give more detail on the following high points:
The vast majority of the Babis became Baha’is, despite Mirza Yahya’s attempts.
Muhammad-Ali’s attempts to unseat Abdul-Baha as the Center failed.
Attempts to reject the authority of Shoghi Effendi failed.
The Ten Year World Crusade is finished ‘in the hands of the Hands’.
An attempt by Mason Remey to appoint himself the second Guardian failed.
The Universal House of Justice is elected.

No attempt to split the Unity of the Faith succeeded in more than the expulsion of a few followers of the claimants to authority.  At no point did a significant fraction of the Baha’is  separate from the main body.  
 
“Had the Covenant not come to pass, had it not been revealed from the Supreme Pen and had not the Book of the Covenant , like unto the ray of the Sun of Reality, illuminated the world, the forces of the Cause of God would have been utterly scattered and certain souls who were the prisoners of their own passions and lusts would have taken into their hands an axe, cutting the root of this Blessed Tree. Every person would have pushed forward his own desire and every individual aired his own opinion! Today no power can conserve the oneness of the Bahá'í world save the Covenant of God; otherwise differences like unto a most great tempest will encompass the Bahá'í world.” [TDP]

The Bab announces 
“Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest”

The Baha’i Faith traces its beginning to the Babi Faith founded in 1844 C.E. when Siyyid Ali Muhammad claimed to be the Bab, the Gate to God, in fulfillment of Muslim prophetic expectation.  (The expectations of the Bab, the Mahdi, the Qa’im, as interpreted by the school of thought of Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa’i and Siyyid Kazim-i-Rashti set the context for the discovery of the Bab as the Promised One by his first follower, Mulla Husayn.)  Although He founded a new and independent religion as a Messenger of God, the primary focus of His teachings revolved around the imminent arrival of “Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest”.  It is the transfer of authority from the Bab to “Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest”, a station to be claimed by Mirza Husayn Ali of Nur (Baha’u’llah), that is the first crisis of authority in the Baha’i tradition.
 Mirza Husayn Ali was a leader in the Babi Cause from the beginning, an intimate associate of the Bab’s original disciples (the Letters of the Living, such as Mulla Husayn, Tahirih, and Quddus).   After a round of massive persecution, Baha’u’llah was one of but a handful of surviving leaders of the Babis.  He was exiled from Iran.
The Bab had indicated that the Promised One would soon appear, with cryptic references to the Year Nine and the year Nineteen. He claimed that no one could falsely claim to be the promised One, and succeed in such a pretension.  The Bab nominated Mirza Yahya, a young half-brother of Baha’u’llah, to be the titular head of the Babi community until the coming of the Promised One.  (Baha’is hold that this was to allow Baha’u’llah to guide the new Faith, without the risk of clearly identifying Baha’u’llah.)  Mirza Yahya, at the behest of Siyyid Muhammad, separated himself from Baha’u’llah and claimed leadership of the Babis.
Baha’u’llah’s response was to withdraw, to let Mirza Yahya show how well he could lead the Babis on his own.  After two years of chaotic conditions, most Babis realized that Mirza Yahya was no leader and eventually the pleas to return from His exile reached Baha’u’llah. Even Mirza Yahya joined in the appeal to return.  Immediately on Baha’u’llah’s return, and for 7 years thereafter, the fortunes of the Babi community flourished. In 1863 Baha’u’llah began telling his closest followers that He was indeed the Promised One. When Mirza Yahya was informed, (shortly after he had made two attempts to kill Baha’u’llah) Mirza Yahya claimed that he and not Baha’u’llah had received the Revelation.  Those who followed Mirza Yahya (estimated by E.G. Browne as being less than 4%) were called Azalis.  I do not know of any remaining Azalis today.  When Mirza Yahya died, there were no Azalis with him at the burial.  Those who followed Baha’u’llah were henceforth called Baha’is.  There are millions in the world today.
Despite the lack of a clear, open declaration by the Bab that Baha’u’llah would be Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest, and despite the disaffection of Mirza Yahya, E.G. Browne estimated that the vast majority of Babis embraced Baha’u’llah and became Baha’is.

Baha’u’llah appoints 
the Center of the Covenant

 Baha’u’llah, despite 40 years of prison and exile, revealed the scriptures that are the heart and core of the Baha’i Writings.   It is the challenge to the appointment of Abdul-Baha (Abbas Effendi, the Master, the Most Mighty Branch) by his half brother Muhammad-Ali, which is the second crisis of authority in the Baha’i Faith.
During the lifetime of Baha’u’llah, Abdul-Baha was totally devoted to serving his Father.  The practical affairs were often left in the hands of Abdul-Baha.  E.G. Browne described him by saying “One more eloquent of speech, more ready of argument, more apt of illustration, more intimately acquainted with the sacred books of the Jews, Christians, and Muhammadans, could, I should think, scarcely be found even amongst the eloquent, ready, and subtle race to which he belongs.”  Surely no one was surprised that Baha’u’llah appointed Abdul-Baha as leader of the Baha’is following His passing.   (Abdul-Baha’s brother, Muhammad-Ali, was clearly placed second after Abdul-Baha.) References to Abdul-Baha are made in the Book of the Covenant and in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, but I like this quote from the Tablet of the Branch:
 "There hath branched from the Sadratu'l-Muntaha this sacred and glorious Being, this Branch of Holiness; well is it with him that hath sought His shelter and abideth beneath His shadow. Verily the Limb of the Law of God hath sprung forth from this Root which God hath firmly implanted in the Ground of His will, and Whose Branch hath been so uplifted as to encompass the whole of creation. . . . Render thanks unto God, O people, for His appearance; for verily He is the most great Favour unto you, the most perfect bounty upon you; and through Him every mouldering bone is quickened. Whoso turneth towards Him hath turned towards God, and whoso turneth away from Him hath turned away from my Beauty, hath repudiated My Proof, and transgressed against Me. He is the Trust of God amongst you, His charge within you, His manifestation unto you and His among His favoured servants . . . We have sent Him down in the form of a human temple. Blest and sanctified be God Who createth whatsoever He willeth through His inviolable, His infallible decree. They who deprive themselves of the shadow of the Branch, are lost in the wilderness of error, are consumed by the heat of worldly desires, and are of those who will assuredly perish."[italics mine]
Apparently Muhammad-Ali did not enjoy being number 2 under his older brother.  He was unable, however, to directly challenge the appointment of Abdul-Baha that was made so clearly by Baha’u’llah. For four years Abdul-Baha tried to deal with the jealousy and envy showed by Muhammad-Ali.   Muhammad-Ali succeeded in getting almost the entire family of Baha’u’llah to support him.  Muhammad-Ali and his cohorts occupied the Mansion of Baha’u’llah, leaving Abdul-Baha and the few supporting members of the Holy Family (mostly women) isolated.    He falsely accused Abdul-Baha of claiming to be the Return of Christ, coequal to his Father.  (Ironically, Muhammad-Ali himself had attempted to make such a claim during the lifetime of Baha’u’llah.)  Had Abdul-Baha made such a claim, it would have been unacceptable according to the following quote:
   “ Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying impostor....  Whosoever interpreteth this verse otherwise than its obvious meaning is deprived of the Spirit of God and of His mercy which encompasseth all created things.” [KA]
Abdul-Baha [which means Servant of the Glory] was always very clear about his relationship to his Father:
"My name is 'Abdu'l-Baha.  My qualification is 'Abdu'l-Baha.  My reality is 'Abdu'l-Baha.  My praise is 'Abdu'l-Baha.  Thraldom to the  Blessed Perfection is my glorious and refulgent diadem, and servitude to the human race my perpetual region.... No name, no title, no mention, no commendation have I, nor will ever have, except 'Abdu'l-Baha.  This is my longing.  This is my greatest yearning.  This is my eternal life.  This is my everlasting glory." [WOB]
The intrigues and misrepresentations of Muhammad-Ali failed to create a schism in the ranks of the believers but drew many members of the Holy Family away from the Faith, and the Covenant Breakers illegally occupied the House of Baha’u’llah for many years.  They also succeeded in arousing the suspicion of the Turkish government which imposed new restrictions on Abdul-Baha.  It was during that dark hour that he began his Will and Testament.  During a time when rumors abounded that he would be cast into the sea, exiled to a new place, or hanged, Abdul-Baha minister to the sick and poor, continued to write Tablets to the Baha’is of the world, and continued the construction of the Shrine of the Bab.  The restrictions were lifted when the Young Turks revolution caused the release of all religious and political prisoners, finally releasing Abdul-Baha from prison, in 1908.  Mirza Muhammad-Ali outlived Abdul-Baha by 20 years, long enough to be expelled from the House of Baha’u’llah he had seized again after the passing of Abdul-Baha, long enough to see his supporters dwindle to a relative handful, and was buried according to Muslim rites, without even a tombstone.

Abdul-Baha appoints the Guardian

After the passing of Abdul-Baha, the challenge of the appointment of Shoghi Effendi to the Guardianship was the third crisis of authority in the Baha’i Faith.  Baha’u’llah alluded to a line of Aghsan in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, but it was Abdul-Baha  who clearly delineated the Guardianship in his Will and Testament.  

“O my loving friends! After the passing away of this wronged one, it is incumbent upon the
Aghsan (Branches), the Afnán (Twigs) of the Sacred Lote‑Tree, the Hands (pillars) of the
Cause of God and the loved ones of the Abha Beauty to turn unto Shoghi Effendi‑‑the youthful
branch branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote‑Trees and the fruit grown from the
union of the two offshoots of the Tree of Holiness,‑‑ as he is the sign of God, the chosen branch,
the Guardian of the Cause of God, he unto whom all the Aghsan, the Afnán, the Hands of the
Cause of God and His loved ones must turn. He is the Interpreter of the Word of God and after
him will succeed the first‑born of his lineal descendents.”[WT] 

“For he is, after Abdu'l‑Baha, the Guardian of the Cause of God, the Afnán, the Hands
(pillars) of the Cause and the beloved of the Lord must obey him and turn unto him. He that
obeyeth him not, hath not obeyed God; he that turneth away from him, hath turned away from
God and he that denieth him, hath denied the True One.” [WT, italics mine]

There were a couple of challenges to the Administrative Order. There was an attempt to found a competing ‘Scientific Society’ and there was an attempt to have the Will and Testament declared a forgery. The attempt by Ruth White to have Shoghi Effendi branded as a fraud depended on a single British handwriting ‘expert’ who never saw the original document.   Even though the Covenant Breakers again seized the keys to the House of Baha’u’llah, and caused trouble in other ways at this critical time, the disloyal family members of Abdul-Baha never joined the claim that the Will and Testament was a forgery.  
It is also worth mentioning (for future reference) that there was no serious challenge to the authority of the Guardian due to lack of an elected Universal House of Justice, even though the two institutions were envisioned in the Will and Testament as functioning together.  

The Ministry of the Custodians

The Baha’i World loved Shoghi Effendi, and loved having a Guardian.  The sudden passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957 was the fourth crisis of authority in the Baha’i Faith. 
In 1953 (the Centenary of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah in the Siyah-Chal) the House of Worship in Wilmette and the Shrine of the Bab superstructure were both brand new.  There were only a handful of National Spiritual Assemblies.  The Guardian launched the Baha’is on the Ten Year World Crusade, with the goals including opening 132 new countries and territories to the Faith, and expanding the communities in 120 countries and territories, electing  National Spiritual Assemblies in most countries in Europe and Latin America.  By 1957 Shoghi Effendi had appointed 27 (living) Hands of the Cause of God, whose job was to assist the Guardian.  In what turned out to be one of his last messages to the Baha’i World, he referred to them as the Chief Stewards of the embryonic World Order of Baha’u’llah.  On November 4th, 1957, less than halfway through the Ten Year World Crusade, Shoghi Effendi died suddenly of a heart attack following the flu.
Consider the magnitude of the disaster.  After more than a century of guidance, beginning with the Bab, Shoghi Effendi died with no Will and no obvious Successor.  The Baha’i World knew that the Guardianship was an important part of the World Order, and that the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice were envisioned as functioning together.  The UHJ had not been elected yet, despite the recent appointment of a forerunner of the supreme administrative institution, the International Baha’i Council.  
What were the Baha’is to do?  This was clearly a situation not covered in the Baha’i Writings.  But...only the Universal House of Justice had the authority to rule in the case of an issue not covered in the Writings, and they had not been elected yet.  “Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn, and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself. ” 

The Hands of the Cause considered.  Who could be the second Guardian?

Abdul-Baha said:
“He is the Interpreter of the Word of God and after him will succeed the first‑born of his lineal descendents.” 
[Shoghi Effendi had no children, and the logician in me says this is clearly the NULL set.]

But Abdul-Baha provided for the possibility Shoghi Effendi might need to appoint another:
“It is incumbent upon the Guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in
his own life‑time him that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his
passing. He that is appointed must manifest in himself detachment from all worldly things, must
be the essence of purity, must show in himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and
learning. Thus, should the first‑born of the Guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself
the truth of the words:–‘The child is the secret essence of its sire,’ that is, should he not inherit
of the spiritual within him (the Guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be
matched with a goodly character, then must he, (the Guardian of the Cause of God) choose
another branch to succeed him.”
[The branches (Aghsan), family members of Baha’u’llah, had all passed on or broken the Covenant.
The set of possible alternates looks like the NULL set to me too.] 

Abdul-Baha set another criterion for a second Guardian:
The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all
times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God.
The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company
of the Hands of the Cause of God and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must
give their assent to the choice of the one whom the Guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as
his successor. This assent must be given in such wise as the assenting and dissenting voices may
not be distinguished (i.e., secret ballot).
[All 27 Hands, including Mason Remey, signed that there was no choice to approve.]  

To summarize:
according to the Sacred Text, a Second Guardian should be a lineal descendant of Baha’u’llah [none available], or at least an Aghsan [none available], appointed by Shoghi Effendi in his lifetime [no one was], approved by the Nine Hands [no one was].  This situation was not covered in the Holy Texts, although Baha’u’llah may have alluded to the possibility in the Kitab-i-Aqdas:
“Endowments dedicated to charity revert to God, the Revealer of Signs.  None hath the right to dispose of 
 them without leave from Him Who is the Dawning‑place of Revelation.  After Him, this authority shall pass to the Aghsan, and after them to the House of  Justice‑‑should it be established in the world by then‑‑that they may use these endowments for the benefit of the Places which have been exalted in this Cause, and for whatsoever hath been enjoined upon them by Him Who is the God of might and power.  Otherwise, the endowments shall revert to the people of Baha who speak not except by His leave and judge not save in accordance with what God hath decreed in 
this Tablet‑‑lo, they are the champions of victory betwixt heaven and earth‑‑that they may use them in the manner that hath been laid down in the Book by God, the Mighty, the Bountiful.”[KA}

So how would the work of the Guardian be carried out?  Abdul-Baha provided the answer:
“The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all
times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God.
The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company
of the Hands of the Cause of God....”[WT]

This was confirmed by the Guardian’s reference to the Hands as ‘Chief Stewards’.  The Hands of the Cause knew their best course was to stick closely to the plan for the World Crusade given by the Guardian.  In 1963, with the goals won, conditions would be right to elect the Universal House of Justice.

The Expulsion of Mason Remey

In 1957, after the passing of Shoghi Effendi, all the Hands of the Cause (including Mason Remey) signed a document stating that there was no person appointed as, or qualified to be, a second Guardian.  (According to the Sacred Text, a Second Guardian should be a lineal descendant of Baha’u’llah [none available], or at least an Aghsan [none available], appointed by Shoghi Effendi in his lifetime [no one was], approved by the Nine Hands [no one was].  This situation was not covered in the Holy Texts, although Baha’u’llah alluded to the possibility (in the Kitab-i-Aqdas) that the line of the Aghsan might not last until the election of the Universal House of Justice.  The body of 9 Hands of the Cause (elected by all the living Hands) were coordinating the rest of the Ten Year World Crusade, with the intent of calling for the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963.
In 1961, Mason Remey changed his mind about his earlier statement, and decided that he was supposed to be the Second Guardian.  He stated this in spite of the fact that he was not only not qualified (see above) but he had signed a formal statement that no one was qualified.  In his statements he emphasized the importance of having a living Guardian in the Baha’i Faith.  His claim to be the Second Guardian was based on his being the chair of the International Baha’i Council, a forerunner body to the Universal House of Justice.  Since the Guardian must be the chair of the Universal House of Justice, (went his reasoning) Mason Remey’s appointment as chair of the International Baha’i Council was a subtle way of being declared the Second Guardian.  (Note: Had it been necessary for the Guardian to chair the International Baha’i Council, obviously Shoghi Effendi and not Mason Remey would have been the chair.)  
The Hands, to put it mildly, did NOT rally around Mason Remey.  After repeated attempts to get him to renounce his unfounded claim, Mason Remey and those who followed him were expelled by action of the Hands. Every National Spiritual Assembly but one stayed with the main body.  (Five members of one NSA went with Mason Remey.)   The Hands decided that they had the right to expel Covenant Breakers perhaps because of this quote:
“My object is to show that the Hands of the Cause of God must be ever watchful and so soon as they find anyone beginning to oppose and protest against the Guardian of the Cause of God, cast him out from the congregation of the people of Baha and in no wise accept any excuse from him. How often hath grievous error been disguised in the garb of truth, that it might sow the seeds of doubt in the hearts of men!”[WT]
The few who stayed with Mason Remey later split into at least three parts themselves after his death.  

The Election of the Universal House of Justice

In 1963, the Hands of the Cause of God called for the election of the Universal House of Justice.  God willing, with the Universal House of Justice elected, we will never have another crisis of authority in the Baha’i Faith.  
Was the election of the Universal House of Justice proper?  Certainly the few but still vocal fragmented followers of Mason Remey claim that it is not proper to have a UHJ without a living Guardian.  Let us look at what the Writings have to say.
The  Universal House of Justice was ordained by Baha’u’llah in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, long before the Will and Testament of Abdul-Baha delineated the Guardianship.  Baha’u’llah clearly granted it direct authority:
“Today this process of deduction is the right of the body of the House of Justice, and the deductions and conclusions of individual learned men have no authority, unless they are endorsed by the House of Justice. The difference is precisely this, that from the conclusions and endorsements of the body of the House of Justice whose members are elected by and known to the worldwide Bahá'í community, no differences will arise; whereas the conclusions of individual divines and scholars would definitely lead to differences, and result in schism, division, and dispersion. The oneness of the Word would be destroyed, the unity of the Faith would disappear, and the edifice of the Faith of God would be shaken.”[KA]
Abdul-Baha succinctly stated it as follows: “It is incumbent upon these members (of the Universal House of Justice) to gather in a certain place and deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book. Whatsoever they decide has the same effect as the Text itself. ”[WT]
This commission, dating back to the Kitab-i-Aqdas, was not and indeed could not have been contingent on the presence of the Guardian in order for the Universal House of Justice to act.    (The Guardianship was alluded to, but not defined, in the Kitab-i-Aqdas.)  It is certainly the case that the later Baha’i Writings envision the two institutions functioning together.  However, nowhere does it say that the functions of the Universal House of Justice are dependant on the presence of a living Guardian, any more than it says the functions of the Guardian are dependant on the presence of the Universal House of Justice.  Protections and guarantees are given to the Universal House of Justice directly (such as “the House of Justice which God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error,” and “That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself.”) In fact, even when the Guardian and the Universal House of Justice are mentioned together, it is very clear that they are both endowed with the authority of God:
“The sacred and youthful branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, as well as the Universal House of Justice to be universally elected and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abha Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of the Exalted One (may my life be offered up for them both). Whatsoever they decide is of God. Whoso obeyeth him not, neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God; whoso rebelleth against him and against them hath rebelled against God; whoso opposeth him hath opposed God; whoso contendeth with them hath contended with God;.... [WT]”
 It is very clear that the House of Justice has a separate authority that not even the Guardian can overrule:
“Though the Guardian of the Faith has been made the permanent head of so August a body he can never, even temporarily, assume the right of exclusive legislation. He cannot override the decision of the majority of his fellow‑members, but is bound to insist upon a reconsideration by them of any enactment he conscientiously believes to conflict with the meaning and to depart from the  spirit of Bahá'u'lláh's's revealed utterances. He interprets what has been specifically revealed, and cannot legislate  except in his capacity as member of the Universal House of Justice. He is debarred from laying down independently the constitution that must govern the organized activities of his fellow‑members, and from exercising his influence in a manner that would encroach upon the liberty of those whose sacred right is to elect the body of his collaborators.”[WOB]
We are also given a promise in the same place that “Neither can, nor will ever, infringe upon the sacred and prescribed domain of the other. Neither will seek to curtail the specific and undoubted authority with which both have been divinely invested.”[WOB]  
The Universal House of Justice cannot issue authoritative interpretations in the absence of a Guardian.  It has, however, a Divine commission to “...deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book”[WT].   The lack of a living Guardian was the first such problem on which they were asked to act.

Was the call for the election of the Universal House of Justice timely?   At the time of the Commission of Inquiry, during a time when rumors abounded that he would be cast into the sea, exiled to a new place, or hanged, Abdul-Baha left instructions for one of the Afnán to call for the election of the Universal House of Justice if the threats materialized. So it really cannot be said it is too early to elect the Universal House of Justice.  Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi gave us the way the House of Justice would be elected:
“And now, concerning the House of Justice which God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error, it must be elected by universal suffrage, that is, by the believers. Its members must be manifestations of the fear of God and daysprings of knowledge and understanding, must be steadfast in God's faith and the well‑wishers of all mankind. By this House is meant the Universal House of Justice, that is, in all countries a secondary House of
Justice must be instituted, and these secondary Houses of Justice must elect the members of the Universal one. Unto this body all things must be referred. It enacteth all ordinances and regulations that are not to be found in the explicit Holy Text. ”[WT]
“Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn, and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath shown forth malice, and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant. By this House is meant that Universal House of Justice which is to be elected from all countries, that is from those parts in the East and West where the loved ones are to be found, after the manner of the customary elections in Western countries such as those of England. ”[WT]
“... it is obvious that the members of the National Spiritual Assemblies will have to be indirectly elected by the body of the believers in their respective provinces. In view of these complementary instructions the principle, set forth in my letter of March 12th, 1923, has been established requiring the believers (the beloved of God) in every country to elect a certain number of delegates who, in turn, will elect their national representatives (Secondary House of Justice or National Spiritual Assembly) whose sacred obligation and privilege will be to elect in time God's Universal House of Justice.”[BA]

The Universal House of Justice, the apex of the Order alluded to by the Bab, ordained by Baha’u’llah, whose method of election was defined by Abdul-Baha, whose administrative principles were elucidated by Shoghi Effendi, was elected in 1963.  “All must seek guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause and the House of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error. ”[WT]

 

For Further Reading

Abdul-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan
Abdul-Baha, The Will and Testament of Abdul-Baha,, central to any discussion of the Covenant.
Amatul-Baha Ruhhiyah Khanum, The Ministry of the Custodians
Baha’u’llah, Kitab-i-Aqdas, the primary Book of Laws of the Baha’i Faith
Hatcher and Martin, The Baha’i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion, a general introduction to the Baha’i Faith.
Shoghi Effendi, Baha’i Administration
Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, an authoritative history of the Baha’i Faith, 1844-1944.
Universal House of Justice, The Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice

The Baha’i Writings may be searched by TrueSeeker (http://metalab.unc.edu/Bahai/TrueSeeker/) and many source documents can be found on line at (http://bahai‑library.org/). 
A general discussion of the Covenant can be found at http://www.northill.demon.co.uk/relstud/covenant.htm;
a more detailed look at Mason Remey’s followers can be found at: http://www.bahai‑library.org/uhj/c‑breakers.and.remey.html