nt of these
expenses is first the funeral and burial expenses, then the debts of the
deceased, then the Huququ'llah (see note 125) (Q and A 9). He also
specifies that when applying the estate to these, payment must first be
made out of the residue of the estate and then, if this is insufficient,
out of the residence and personal clothing of the deceased (Q and A 80).

48. This is that hidden knowledge which shall never change, since its
beginning is with nine #29

In the Arabic Bayan the Bab described His inheritance law as being "in
accordance with a hidden knowledge in the Book of God--a knowledge that
shall never change or be replaced". He also stated that the numbers by
which the division of the inheritance was expressed had been invested with
a significance intended to aid in the recognition of Him Whom God will
make manifest.

The "nine" mentioned here is represented in the Arabic text by the letter
"Ta", which is its equivalent in the abjad notation (see Glossary). It is
the first element of the Bab's division of inheritance, where He
designates "nine parts" as the share of the children. The significance of
nine lies in its being the numerical equivalent of the Greatest Name
"Baha", alluded to in the next part of this verse as "the concealed and
manifest, the inviolable and unapproachably exalted Name". (See also note
33.)

49. The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be
established #30

The institution of the House of Justice consists of elected councils which
operate at the local, national and international levels of society.
Baha'u'llah ordains both the Universal House of Justice and the Local
Houses of Justice in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. 'Abdu'l-Baha, in His Will and
Testament, provides for the Secondary (National or Regional) Houses of
Justice and outlines the method to be pursued for the election of the
Universal House of Justice.

In the verse cited above, the reference is to the Local House of Justice,
an institution which is to be elected in a locality whenever there are
nine or more resident adult Baha'is. For this purpose, the definition of
adult was temporarily fixed at the age of 21 years by the Guardian, who
indicated it was open to change by the Universal House of Justice in the
future.

Local and Secondary Houses of Justice are, for the present, known as Local
Spiritual Assemblies and National Spiritual Assemblies. Shoghi Effendi has
indicated that this is a