THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF THE SECRETARIAT

20 January 2004

Transmitted by email: [email of recipient ommitted]

[name of recipient ommitted]
U.S.A.

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

Your email of 14 November 2003, enquiring into the percentage and relative importance of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh available in English, has been received at the Bahá’í World Centre and referred to our Department for reply.

Regarding the proportion of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh translated into English, no precise information is available at present. When we consider that Bahá’u’lláh Himself said that He had revealed over one hundred volumes, it becomes apparent that the amount of English material on hand is only a small part of His tremendous Revelation; in 1991, it was estimated to be in the range of ten to fifteen percent. Since then, of course, authorized English translations of several more major works have been published, among them The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book (1993), Gems of Divine Mysteries (2002) and the Tablets compiled in “The Summons of the Lord of Hosts” (2002).

With respect to the relative importance of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh available in English, you may wish to bear in mind that the Guardian and subsequently the Universal House of Justice have ensured that the Texts that are translated comprise the major works of Bahá’u’lláh, in which He has described the structure of His World Order, provided spiritual and practical guidance to the believers and revealed laws and admonitions which, in the fullness of time, will heal the world of its spiritual ills and establish the Most Great Peace.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat