The Path to Just Leadership: Spiritual Principles for Governance

As a young adult, I respected those who worked in governing roles. Given my upbringing and education in both the Baha’i Faith and in America, I saw them as contributing to the public good, fulfilling an honorable career path. 

Today, though, in an increasingly chaotic and wired world, public officials seem to be increasingly distrusted, their authority undermined, and their contributions no longer valued. 

Certainly, an increasing number of political leaders today, in the governments of many nations, encourage conflict, are unjust and corrupt, and pursue their own selfish interests at the expense of the citizens they are supposed to serve — but that overlooks the many who serve with honesty and integrity.

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My reading of the Baha’i writings almost always brings me back to seeing the bigger picture while trying to avoid stereotypes and labels. Contrary to the contemporary trend of vilifying society’s scholars and rulers, the Baha’i writings laud their critical roles in the advancement of civilization, although that comes with further explanations and caveats. 

In The Secret of Divine Civilization, one of my very favorite Baha’i books, Abdu’l-Baha said, in essence, that there must be order in the world, which requires governing institutions. He refers in several places to the value of democratically-elected councils and parliaments. He also praises the roles of the prophets of God, just kings, “honorable ministers of state and representatives … and famed and accomplished men of learning.” 

Abdu’l-Baha devoted significant text to lauding the roles of parliament members, leaders of the people, eminent divines, and scholars. Throughout The Secret of Divine Civilization, he listed the traits these individuals need to possess. Referring, for example, to the spiritually learned, he wrote that they:

must be characterized by both inward and outward perfections, they must possess a good character, an enlightened nature, a pure intent, as well as intellectual power, brilliance and discernment, intuition, discretion and foresight, temperance, reverence, and heartfelt fear of God. 

Abdu’l-Baha devotes several pages to the necessary attributes of perfection for such thought leaders. These includelearning and the cultural attainments of the mind” along with knowledge of laws, statecraft, and history; “justice and impartiality,” including having no regard for selfish advantages and considering the welfare of the community; and arising with “complete sincerity and purity of purpose to educate the masses,” including widening the scope of useful sciences and commerce.  If they live their lives in these ways and aim for excellence, he implies, they can become “lamps of guidance among the nations and stars of good fortune shining from the horizons of humankind.

The Secret of Divine Civilization was initially written anonymously by Abdu’l-Baha in 1875 to, among others, advise the then ruler of Persia (Naser al-Din Shah of the Qajar Empire) on public affairs and the conduct befitting the leaders of just governments. Abdu’l-Baha’s advice included utilizing some modernist ideas — although not the overall materialist philosophy — of Western civilizations. He lauded Persia’s many contributions to progress while also defining the regression and backwardness caused by fanatical and corrupt religious and political leaders. 

Not to let destructive leaders off the hook, his book refers, among others, to militaristic rulers such as Napoleon Bonaparte, who, he said, destroyed “flourishing countries” and “spread terror and anguish” across Europe. He contrasts Napoleon and other rulers who caused universal ruin with a Sasanian king in the 6th century, Anúshírván, who was known as one of the greatest emperors of Persia for his fair and just reign.

Although including ancient stories and a sweeping view of religious and secular histories, Abdu’l-Baha does not dwell on the negative in his book. Rather, he sets out a vision for a divine civilization, one grounded in moral virtue and which advances modern learning and development. Throughout the Baha’i writings, but especially in this small volume, individuals — and specifically those entrusted with public positions — are encouraged to rise to the highest levels of honesty, achievement, and excellence. 

This seminal work isn’t meant just for a small group of rulers over a century ago in the Middle East. It offers many insights for our time, as well. Abdu’l-Baha, who was in his early 30s when he wrote this book, was asked to do so by his father Baha’u’llah to, among other purposes, outline the causes of the world’s best practices in governance and development. 

That process may not, however, be as fast as we may wish. Toward the end of the work, Abdu’l-Baha wrote that the political world:

… cannot instantaneously evolve from the nadir of defectiveness to the zenith of rightness and perfection. Rather, qualified individuals must strive by day and by night, using all those means which will conduce to progress, until the government and the people develop along every line from day to day and even from moment to moment.

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Besides the divine bestowals of God and the importance of religious education, another key theme of his book, Abdu’l-Baha outlined some other necessary conditions, saying that when:

… the pure intentions and justice of the ruler, the wisdom and consummate skill and statecraft of the governing authorities, and the determination and unstinted efforts of the people, are all combined; then day by day the effects of advancement, of the far reaching reforms, of the pride and prosperity of government and people alike will become clearly manifest.

Anyone who wants to examine a magnificent, prescient blueprint for a peaceful, just, and unified global culture would do well to explore the recommendations Abdu’l-Baha made in The Secret of Divine Civilization.


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