endowments prophecy

The Baha'i World Faith argues that there is a prophecy in the al-Kitab al-Aqdas that foresees the end of the Aghsan or Guardianship. Paragraph 42:

۲

قد رجعت الاوقاف المختصّة للخيرات الى الله مظهر الايات ليس لاحد ان يتصرّف فيها الاّ بعد اذن مطلع الوحى ومن بعده يرجع الحكم الى الاغصان ومن بعدهم الى بيت العدل ان تحقّق امره فى البلاد ليصرفوها فى البقاع المرتفعة فى هذا الامر وفيما امروا به من لدن مقتدر قدير. ^۲٧ والاّ ترجع الى اهل البهآء الّذين لا يتكلّمون الاّ بعد اذنه ولا يحكمون الاّ بما حكم الله فى هذا اللّوح اولئك اولياء النّصر بين السّموات والارضين. ليصرفوها فيما حدّد فى الكتاب من لدن عزيز كريم.

http://www.kitab-i-aqdas.org/Kitab-i-Aqdas_05.htm (accessed 8/6/2011)

the argument is that this is a prophecy and not a simple statement on administration of endowments. Yet there is no textual evidence to support this from the authorized and legitimate interpreters of the Word of God, `Abdu'l-Baha or their single Guardian. So we have the authority to interpret taken by those not authorized to do so to justify their position. Again, we find circular logic. It is established that according to `Abdu'l-Baha the head of the faith would be the Universal House of Justice and that the head of the UHJ is in fact an Aghsan, the Guardian, so this actually doesn't really show anything other then the procession of development in leadership as taught by Dr. Jensen, from AB to SE to the UHJ with a Aghsan Guardian as it's head, which is an ordained (mahtum) directive and not subject to abrogation by the members of the UHJ without the Guardian. Again you cannot show a single instance of textual citation where any of the authorized interpreters, the chosen Aghsan, that supports their line of argumentation. In short we have another rationalization for justifying religious authority that has no legitimacy. There cannot be a legitimate UHJ without a sitting Guardian according to the explicit text and directives of `Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi. The historical context is that the Aqdas was revealed when there was no other authority other then Baha'u'llah, who designated one Aghsan as the next leader, `Abdu'l-Baha, the directive is that when the UHJ or Houses of Justice where their are Baha'i properties that properties should be administered by the House of Justice or UHJ in the case of the Holy Land, it is not a prophecy it is an administrative directive of properties, not one of a hidden or secret nature it is manifest and apparent and to read it otherwise is to play with the meaning (tahrif). One glaring absence from this argument is the provision for the Huququllah which is administered by the Guardian alone, the endowments (awqaf) are not part of Huququllah:

"He [the Guardian] is the Interpreter of the Word of God and after him will succeed the first-born of his lineal descendents." (Abd'ul-Baha. Will and Testament, p. 11.)

"The Lord, as a sign of His infinite bounties, hath graciously favored His servants by providing for a fixed money offering (Huquq), to be dutifully presented unto Him... It is to be offered through the Guardian of the Cause of God, that it may be expended for the diffusion of the fragrances of God and the exaltation of His Word, for benevolent pursuits and for the common weal." (Abd'ul-Baha. Will and Testament, p. 15.)

"expulsion or excommunication from the Faith, which can be effected by the Guardian alone in his capacity as the supreme spiritual head of the community." (Rabbani, Shoghi Effendi. Directives from the Guardian, #216; Lights of Guidance, #198.)

"excommunication, which lies within the powers of the Guardian alone" (Rabbani, Shoghi Effendi. Messages to Canada, p. 51; Lights of Guidance, #200.)

"Up to the present time, no one has been permitted to pronounce anybody a Covenant-breaker but the Guardian himself." (Rabbani, Shoghi Effendi. Messages to Canada, p. 65; Lights of Guidance, #601.)

"Should any of the members [of the Universal House of Justice] commit a sin, injurious to the common weal, the Guardian of the Cause of God hath at his own discretion the right to expel him, whereupon the people must elect another one in his stead." (Abd'ul-Baha. Will and Testament, p. 14.)

"It seems that according to the Moslem law of that land the custody of the tomb of a father is in the hands of his eldest living son -- therefore according to this law after the Master Mohammad Ali is the legal custodian of Baha'o'llah's shrine. It was thought by some of the friends that a different interpretation from this might be obtained when the Universal House of Justice was formed, on the grounds that Baha'o'llah was the founder of a religious movement and that the organization of that movement as a body had the legal right of the custodianship of His tomb. As yet no one can for see how the affair will come out. pg. 24, vol. 3 1922 pilgrimage prophecy of endowments. Remey Archive at Stanford University

[shows early view that the waqf would be under the UHJ down the line]