the Bahá'í Faith: ranks and lineage

IColours

Colour used for this page of the library: no source found #C9A23A. Every colour code is approximate, since most paths name their colours without publishing codes.

Principal colour the colour of the path

Place of worship real sanctuaries

Ritual colours by occasion and season

Mourning and avoided colours

IIRanks

The Bahá'í Faith has no clergy. It is governed by elected nine-member councils at three levels: the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, National Spiritual Assemblies and Local Spiritual Assemblies, together with an appointed branch of Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members whose role is advisory only. In Vietnam, the Bahá'í Religious Community of Vietnam is recognised by the State, and the Faith reached Vietnam in 1954.

1. 1
   Universal House of Justice بيت العدل الأعظم (Baytu'l-'Adl-i-A'ẓam) · Universal House of Justice

   The supreme governing body worldwide, with nine members, seated in Haifa and first elected in 1963. It is elected every five years at the International Convention by the members of the National Spiritual Assemblies, by secret ballot, with no nominations and no campaigning. Its members are men only, according to the law of Bahá'u'lláh.

2. 2
   National Spiritual Assembly National Spiritual Assembly

   Nine members, elected annually in two stages: believers elect delegates, and the delegates elect the Assembly at the National Convention at Ridván.

3. 3
   Local Spiritual Assembly Local Spiritual Assembly

   Nine members, elected each year on 21 April. Each voter writes a list of nine adult Bahá'ís.

4. appointed branch 1
   Counsellors (International Teaching Centre and Continental Boards of Counsellors) Counsellors (International Teaching Centre, Continental Boards of Counsellors)

   Appointed by the Universal House of Justice for five-year terms. Nine at the International Teaching Centre at the World Centre, and about 90 responsible for regions. Advisory only, with no power to decide in place of the Assemblies.

5. appointed branch 2
   Auxiliary Board members Auxiliary Board members

   Appointed by the Continental Boards of Counsellors to help the Counsellors support local communities.

Followers: Bahá'ís, Bahá'í believers. No grades. Every adult believer may vote and be elected (except that the Universal House of Justice is men only). Vietnam has about 7,000 believers in 93 communities across 43 provinces, according to the Nhân Dân newspaper.

IIIForms of address

IVLine of succession

Bahá'í succession follows the Covenant: Bahá'u'lláh appointed 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá appointed Shoghi Effendi as Guardian. Since 1963 authority has rested with the elected nine-member Universal House of Justice, with no individual head and no priesthood. In each country a National Spiritual Assembly is elected annually.

Bahá'í: the Covenant from the Báb to the Universal House of Justice

1. 1819 to 1850, declared his mission 1844The Báb باب (Báb), سید علی‌محمد شیرازی

   The Herald, whose declaration in 1844 opens the Bahá'í era.

2. 1817 to 1892, declared 1863Bahá'u'lláh بهاءالله (Bahá'u'lláh), میرزا حسینعلی نوری

   Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, who appointed 'Abdu'l-Bahá in His Book of the Covenant.

3. 1844 to 1921, Centre of the Covenant 1892 to 1921'Abdu'l-Bahá عبدالبهاء ('Abdu'l-Bahá), عباس

   Centre of the Covenant, whose Will and Testament created the Guardianship.

4. 1846 to 1932Bahíyyih Khánum (the Greatest Holy Leaf) بهیه خانم

   Daughter of Bahá'u'lláh, who led the community in the Guardian's absences.

5. 1897 to 1957, Guardian 1921 to 1957Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Cause شوقی افندی ربانی (Shoghi Effendi Rabbání)

   The only Guardian, who built the Administrative Order. Revered, so no photograph is used.

6. appointed by Bahá'u'lláh in the late 19th centuryThe first four Hands of the Cause ایادی امرالله (Ayádíy-i-Amru'lláh)

   The four Hands appointed by Bahá'u'lláh.

7. 24/12/1951Shoghi Effendi's first contingent of Hands of the Cause

   Shoghi Effendi named twelve living Hands, 32 in total by 1957.

8. 1910 to 2000, Hand of the Cause from 1952Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum امة البهاء روحیه خانم

   Wife of Shoghi Effendi and Hand of the Cause.

9. 1957 to 1963The Custodians

   Nine Hands in Haifa who led the Faith until 1963.

10. 21/4/1963Universal House of Justice, first election بيت العدل الأعظم

    First election of the supreme institution, ordained by Bahá'u'lláh.

11. 1968 and 1973Continental Boards of Counsellors and International Teaching Centre

    Appointed institutions extending the work of the Hands.

12. 1912 to 2007'Alí-Muhammad Varqá, the last Hand of the Cause علی‌محمد ورقا

    Last surviving Hand of the Cause.

13. elected 1/5/2023, term 2023 to 2028Universal House of Justice (current) بيت العدل الأعظم

    Current nine-member body, elected May 2023. It has no individual head.

Bahá'í in Vietnam: the National Spiritual Assembly

1. 1905 to 1992, came to Vietnam 1954Shirin Fozdar شیرین فوزدار

   Indian Bahá'í who brought the Faith to Vietnam in 1954.

2. 1957Regional Spiritual Assembly of South East Asia

   Vietnamese Bahá'ís join a regional assembly.

3. 1964First National Spiritual Assembly of Vietnam

   First national assembly elected in 1964.

4. 1975 to 1978Assembly disbanded

   Activities restricted, the assembly dissolved in 1978.

5. registered 2007, recognised 14/7/2008Registration and recognition

   Government registration in 2007 and recognition on 14 July 2008.

6. 20 to 21/3/2008National Spiritual Assembly re-formed

   First national convention in 33 years.

7. named as Chairman in 2010 and 2017Mr Nguyễn Thức, Chairman of the Spiritual Assembly

   Named as chairman in 2010 and 2017 press reports.

8. elected 26/4/2026, term 2026 to 2027National Spiritual Assembly (current) Hội đồng Tinh thần Tôn giáo Baha'i Việt Nam

   Nineteenth national convention in Da Nang elected the current nine members.

A venerated figure: the library shows no portrait, only the name inside a round seal.

VOrdination and transmission

There is no succession, ordination or consecration. Authority belongs to elected councils, which decide by consultation and vote when there is no consensus. The appointed branch (Counsellors, Auxiliary Board) serves fixed terms and has no decision-making power.

1. Election of the Local Spiritual AssemblyRequirement: Adult believers of the localityRite: Secret ballot on 21 April, each ballot with nine names, no nominations, no campaigning
2. Election of the National Spiritual AssemblyRequirement: Delegates elected by the believersRite: National Convention at Ridván (21/4 to 2/5)
3. Election of the Universal House of JusticeRequirement: Members of all National Spiritual AssembliesRite: International Convention every five years
4. Appointment of Counsellors and Auxiliary Board membersRequirement: Chosen by the Universal House of Justice (Counsellors) and the Continental Boards of Counsellors (Auxiliary Board)Rite: Five-year terms for Counsellors

VIWhere the sources disagree

• The old colour in mau-sac.json is teal #1F6E6E, justified by the nine sides and teal tone of the temple. No source was found saying that Bahá'í temples are teal or that the Faith uses this colour. Proposal: drop it.
• mau-that.json records white marble, no altar, no statues and a gold roof, which matches the sources. The secondary green recorded there has no source.
• Vietnamese name of the Universal House of Justice: the official introduction on bahai.org.vn uses "Tòa Công lý Quốc tế". Some other articles, such as on Thư viện Hoa Sen, use "Viện Công lý Toàn cầu".
• Vietnamese name of the Auxiliary Board: a summary of a bahai.org.vn document gave "Tùy viên", but the original text could not be read to confirm. "Ban Phụ tá" is a literal rendering and needs confirmation by the Bahá'í Community of Vietnam.
• The assignment mentions the form of address "bạn đạo" (fellow believer). No Vietnamese Bahá'í source using this term was found. The official website uses "tín hữu Baha'i".
• Legal milestones in Vietnam: the Nhân Dân newspaper gives recognition in February 2007 and the first National Convention on 21 March 2008. Many other sources give 2008 as the year of recognition as a legal entity.
• No mourning colour, liturgical colour or vestments: this conclusion rests on the absence of clergy and of any prescribing text, not on a text that explicitly forbids them.
• The Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahíyyih Khánum and Shoghi Effendi are marked sacred and no images are used. The Bahá'í community shows photographs of Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb only on special occasions, and reveres Shoghi Effendi.
• Breakaway groups, recorded to cover all lines: after 1863 Mírzá Yahyá (Subh-i-Azal) founded the Azali line, after 1892 Mírzá Muhammad-'Alí opposed 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and in 1960 the Hand of the Cause Charles Mason Remey claimed to be the second Guardian and founded the Orthodox Bahá'í groups. The mainstream Bahá'í community regards these groups as Covenant-breakers. They are now very small.
• The list of 50 Hands of the Cause follows Bahaipedia. Transliterations of Persian names may vary between sources.
• Universal House of Justice: membership as of the 2023 election. No by-election reported up to 9/2026. The next election is expected at Ridván 2028.
• The Chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Vietnam varies by source: Bahaipedia (2021 data) gives Bùi Phước Kỳ Nam as Chairman from 2008, while the Cần Thơ newspaper (2010) and Tin Tức newspaper (2017) name Mr Nguyễn Thức. The Chairman for the 2026 to 2027 term could not be verified.
• The date of registration in 2007 varies: the Cần Thơ newspaper gives 28/2/2007, Bahaipedia gives 21/3/2007.
• The image for the current Universal House of Justice milestone is a photograph of its seat in Haifa, not of a person, since the House has no individual head.
• No free images of members of the Universal House of Justice or of the Spiritual Assembly of Vietnam were found on Commons.

VIISources

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