The friends should clearly understand that before the
election of the Universal House of Justice there was no knowledge that there
would be no Guardian. There could not have been any such foreknowledge,
whatever opinions individual believers may have held. Neither the Hands of the
Cause of God, nor the International Bahá'í Council, nor any other existing body
could make a decision upon this all-important matter. Only the House of Justice
had authority to pronounce upon it. This was one urgent reason for calling the
election of the Universal House of Justice as soon as possible.
- The Universal
House of Justice (From a message dated 9 March, 1965; ‘Messages from the
Universal House of Justice 1963-1986)