84. hunt not to excess
While hunting is not forbidden by Baha'u'llah, He warns against excessive hunting. The Universal House of Justice will, in due course, have to consider what constitutes an excess in hunting. (203:1)

85. He hath granted them no right to the property of others.
The injunction to show kindness to Baha'u'llah's kindred does not give them a share in the property of others. This is in contrast to Shi'ih Muslim practice, in which lineal descendants of Muhammad are entitled to receive a share of a certain tax. (203:2)

86. Should anyone intentionally destroy a house by fire, him also shall ye burn; should anyone deliberately take another's life, him also shall ye put to death.
The law of Baha'u'llah prescribes the death penalty for murder and arson, with the alternative of life imprisonment (see note 87). (203:3)

In His Tablets Abdu'l-Baha explains the difference between revenge and punishment. He affirms that individuals do not have the right to take revenge, that revenge is despised in the eyes of God, and that the motive for punishment is not vengeance, but the imposition of a penalty for the committed offence. In Some Answered Questions, He confirms that it is the right of society to impose punishments on criminals for the purpose of protecting its members and defending its existence. (203:4)

Get Next Page