What Is the Real Purpose of Huququ’llah?

 

Email 3:

I’ve heard that Free Bahais have a different understanding of the law of Huquq’ullah. Can you explain what it really means, and where the money should go?

Answer:

Dear Friend,

That’s a beautiful and very important question—because the true meaning of Huququ’llah (the Right of God) has been misunderstood and misused by the Administration for decades.

According to the writings of Baha’u’llah, Huququ’llah was never meant to become a centralized tool of fundraising or institutional wealth. It was a spiritual law, a reminder to the believers to purify their wealth and to serve humanity through selfless giving. Baha’u’llah revealed:

“Should anyone acquire wealth, a portion thereof is the right of God, and should be rendered unto Him Who is the Possessor of all things…” (Kitab-i-Aqdas)

Notice how Baha’u’llah says this is to be rendered unto God, not to any council, institution, or administrative body. The act was meant to be personal and voluntary, an expression of gratitude to the Creator – not a compulsory tax collected by clerical institutions in the name of God.

In fact, the Free Baha’is believe that the true spirit of Huququ’llah lies in how and why it is given – not to whom. When one uses their wealth to help the poor, feed the hungry, educate a child, or comfort the sick, they are fulfilling the law far more genuinely than by sending money to a faceless administration that uses it for buildings, conferences, and bureaucracy.

Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l Baha both emphasized that service to humanity is service to God. Abdu’l Baha said:

“If you meet those who are poor, treat them not as strangers. Let your hearts be filled with compassion toward them.” (Tablets of Abdu’l Baha)

From this viewpoint, every act of charity done out of love for God and humanity becomes Huququ’llah. You don’t need to send it to Haifa. You don’t need a receipt or a signature.

The sad reality is that under the Haifan Administration, this sacred teaching has become a financial system, where believers are pressured to “purify their possessions” through payments—sometimes even tracked, audited, or reported. This contradicts the very essence of Baha’u’llah’s message, which abolished priesthood and religious taxation.

For Free Baha’is, Huququ’llah is about giving freely, without expectation or control, and ensuring that one’s wealth becomes a source of blessing to others. It’s about spiritual generosity, not financial submission.

So, to put it simply: Huququ’llah is not about money, it’s about purity of heart. And when we give from the heart to uplift humanity, we are giving to God Himself.

Team Free Baha’is

www.freebahais.org

Reference : The-Caravan-Volume-9-Edition-5