Dear Baha'i Friend [Matthew Menge],
 
Your email message of 30 January 2003 has been received at 
the Baha'i World Centre, and we can reply as follows.
 
Regarding your inquiry on the validity and permissibility 
in the Baha'i Faith of "speaking in tongues", there are no 
specific references found in the Writings on the subject.  
As you have noted, some individuals experience phenomena 
which appear to operate upon them or through them 
spontaneously.  This is an aspect of the diversity of human 
experience.  In such matters the friends should be slow to 
judge and maintain an open mind, as long as what is 
occurring does not contradict Baha'i Teachings.  Of course, 
Baha'is involved in phenomena, such as the so-called "gift 
of healing" or "speaking in tongues", should themselves 
unhesitatingly make it clear to those whom they display 
such "gifts" that what they do is not related to the Faith.  
This clarification should ease any concerns on the parts of 
their fellow Baha'is and protect the Faith from the 
misjudgement of non-Baha'is.
 
We hope this information provides the clarification you 
seek.
 
With loving Baha'i greetings,
 
Department of the Secretariat
 
(March 20, 2003)



In response to your letter of 26 February 1984, we are asked 
by the Universal House of Justice to share with you the 
attached extract from a previously untranslated Tablet 
revealed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá on the subject of "speaking in 
tongues". We are also to refer you to Chapter XXVII of 
"Some Answered Questions" which may help to answer questions 
about the Holy Spirit.... 

"The disciples of Christ taught His Faith with the language 
of the Kingdom. That language conformeth to all languages, 
for it consisteth of celestial meanings and divine mysteries. 
For the one who becometh conversant with that language the 
realities and secrets of creation stand unveiled before him. 
Divine truths are common to all languages. The Holy Spirit, 
therefore, taught the disciples the language of the Kingdom, 
and they thus were able to converse with the people of all 
nations. Whenever they spoke to those of other nations of 
the world, it was as if they conversed in their tongues. The 
well-known and outstanding languages of the world number 
about a thousand. It was necessary for the disciples to have 
written the Gospels in at least one of the known languages 
of other nations. Thus, as it is known, the Gospels were 
written only in Hebrew [perhaps a reference to colloquial 
Hebrew or Aramaic - Mark Foster's note] and Greek [the 
language of another nation - Mark Foster's note], and not 
even the language of the Romans [Latin - Mark Foster's note], 
although it was at that time the official language. As the 
disciples were not well-versed in it, the Gospels were not 
written in that language." 

(Extract from a previously untranslated Tablet revealed by 
'Abdu'l-Bahá - 'Abdu'l-Hamíd Ishráq-i-Khávarí, 
"Má'idiy-i-Ásmání" [Tihrán: Bahá'í Publ. Trust], Vol.9, 
pp.21-22]

Written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice by The 
Department of the Secretariat to Mark A. Foster, April 1, 1984