Fidál, 01 ‘Izzat (Might), 183 B.E.
Quotes for Reflection
The first duty of the members is to effect their own unity and harmony, in order to obtain good results. If there be no unity, or the Committee becomes the cause of inharmony, undoubtedly, it is better that it does not exist….
Therefore, when the unity of the members of the Committee is established, their second duty is to read the verses and communes, to be in a state of commemoration and mindfulness, that they may see each other as if in the presence of God. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá [1]
Question for Consideration
How does knowing what one doesn’t know, realizing that what one doesn’t know is important, and believing that what one discovers and shares when seeking to know benefits everyone apply in effective Bahá’í consultation? [2] [3]
Perplexity Computer Response:
Effective Bahá’í consultation depends on turning intellectual humility into a shared search for truth: recognizing the limits of one’s own understanding, caring enough to investigate what matters, and treating new insight as a resource for the whole group rather than personal possession. This changes consultation from debate or advocacy into cooperative learning and unified action. [4] [5]
The three attitudes
| Attitude | Meaning in consultation | Practical effect |
| Knowing what one does not know | I may lack facts, experience, perspective, or spiritual insight relevant to the question | Encourages listening, asking sincere questions, inviting quieter or differently situated voices, and avoiding premature certainty |
| Knowing that the unknown matters | The missing information, unconsidered consequence, or excluded experience may affect justice, unity, or the success of an action | Gives the group a reason to investigate—not merely exchange opinions—before deciding |
| Believing discovery serves everyone | Insight is not “my” victory or “your” defeat; it becomes material the group can examine, refine, or set aside | Makes candor safer, reduces defensiveness, and helps participants support a collective decision |
The Bahá’í writings describe the object of consultation as the “investigation of truth,” rather than the defense of a pre-existing position. They also identify humility, detachment, patience, and purity of motive as prerequisites for those who consult. [4]
From personal opinion to shared inquiry
The first attitude—awareness of one’s ignorance—is closely related to humility. In a consultative setting, it means saying, in effect:
“This is how the matter appears to me, but my view is partial. What am I missing?”
That stance does not require passivity or vagueness. Bahá’í consultation calls for free and frank expression; participants are to contribute what they genuinely see. But an opinion is offered as a contribution to the group’s inquiry, not as an identity to protect. The Bahá’í International Community explains that, once expressed, an idea is no longer associated with the person who proposed it: it becomes a resource the group may adopt, modify, or discard. [6]
This is why realizing “I don’t know” can be a strength rather than a deficiency. It creates space for:
- Facts that no one person has yet gathered.
- Perspectives shaped by different responsibilities or lived experience.
- Moral implications that a narrowly technical discussion might miss.
- Better alternatives that arise only when several partial insights meet.
Why important unknowns must be pursued
The second attitude adds responsibility. It is not enough to acknowledge uncertainty; the group must ask whether the uncertainty is consequential.
For example, a Local Spiritual Assembly or community group considering a new children’s-class schedule might initially focus on room availability and volunteer capacity. Effective consultation would also ask:
- Which families’ circumstances have not been heard?
- Are transportation, work schedules, accessibility, safety, or language needs unknown?
- What are the likely effects on those least able to adapt?
- What information can be gathered before the decision, and what can be learned through a limited trial afterward?
This approach serves justice as well as effectiveness. A decision can be administratively neat while still resting on an incomplete picture. Consultation that actively searches for relevant unknowns is less likely to confuse the views of the most confident or most vocal participants with the whole reality.
The Bahá’í framework therefore treats consultation as more than a mechanism for choosing among preferences. It is a disciplined process of collective inquiry, undertaken with love, sincerity, unity, freedom of expression, careful consideration of others’ views, and detachment from individual opinions. [5]
Knowledge as a common good
The third attitude supplies the spiritual and social basis for candor: people are more willing to expose uncertainty, change their minds, or present inconvenient evidence when knowledge is understood as serving everyone.
That has several implications:
- No scorekeeping. Discovering that one’s earlier view was incomplete is not a loss; it is progress for the group.
- No ownership of ideas. A useful proposal may be improved substantially by others without diminishing its original contributor.
- No silencing of minority insight. A view held by one person may reveal an overlooked fact, principle, or risk.
- No triumphalism when one is right. The point is not to win an argument, but to enable a sound and united course of action.
- Learning continues after action. Implementation yields evidence. If experience shows that a decision needs adjustment, the community can consult again rather than treating revision as embarrassment or failure.
This understanding supports a culture in which people can say, “I was wrong,” “I do not understand,” or “We need to ask those affected,” without fear of humiliation. It also makes diversity of experience productive: differing viewpoints are not simply tolerated; they are potential means of seeing reality more fully.
A consultative discipline
In practice, these three dispositions can be translated into a simple sequence:
- Name the question clearly. Distinguish facts, values, assumptions, and proposed actions.
- State one’s view with modesty. Offer it plainly, but as a provisional contribution.
- Identify consequential unknowns. Ask what evidence, perspectives, or affected people are absent.
- Seek relevant information. Consult those with experience, gather facts, and examine the implications through applicable spiritual and moral principles.
- Treat each idea as belonging to the body. Build on it, test it, revise it, or let it go without personal criticism.
- Reach and support a decision. The aim is unity in action, not permanent attachment to one’s initial preference.
- Learn from results. Revisit the matter when new conditions or experience warrant it.
The core movement is from “my opinion versus yours” to “our incomplete understanding before the truth.” That movement is the practical significance of humility, the motive for investigation, and the reason sharing discovered knowledge can strengthen both unity and collective capacity. [4] [6]
Be the Voice of…
Therefore, all souls should consider it incumbent upon them to investigate reality. Reality is one; and when found, it will unify all mankind. Reality is the love of God. Reality is the knowledge of God. Reality is justice. Reality is the oneness or solidarity of mankind. Reality is international peace. Reality is the knowledge of verities. Reality unifies humanity. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. [7]
Footnotes
[1] Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. CONSULTATION: A COMPILATION. February 1978, Revised November 1990. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/668166237
[2] Perplexity Computer. “The significance of knowing what one doesn’t know in Bahá’í consultation.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. September 7, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/946fb095-4aa8-4eaf-bc38-51caf1d72eee
[3] Transformative Leadership Education Staff. “Unite, Decide, Thrive: Using Consultation to Improve Decisions” (Free Online Course). Transformative Leadership Education. https://tinyurl.com/courseconsultation
[4] The Bahá’í Faith Staff. “Consultation Quotes.” Bahá’í International Community. https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/universal-peace/articles-resources/consultation-quotes
[5] The Bahá’í Faith Staff. “Spaces of Consultation.” Bahá’í International Community. https://www.bahai.org/action/institutional-capacity/spaces-consultation
[6] Bahá’í International Community Staff. “Transforming Collective Deliberation: Valuing Unity and Justice.” Bahá’í International Community, February 3, 2010. https://www.bahai.org/documents/bic/transforming-collective-deliberation-valuing-unity-justice
[7] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. THE PROMULGATION OF UNIVERSAL PEACE. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/628985716
Frameworks for Understanding the World 