ut of the application of the laws already formulated by
Baha'u'llah, will have to be enacted by the Universal House of
Justice. This body can supplement but never invalidate or modify
in the least degree what has already been formulated by
Baha'u'llah. Nor has the Guardian any right whatsoever to lessen
the binding effect much less to abrogate the provisions of so
fundamental and sacred a Book.

The number of laws binding on Baha'is is not increased by the publication
of this translation. When it is deemed timely, the Baha'i community will
be advised which additional laws are binding upon believers, and any
guidance or supplementary legislation necessary for their application will
be provided.

In general, the laws of the Kitab-i-Aqdas are stated succinctly. An
example of this conciseness can be seen in the fact that many are
expressed only as they apply to a man, but it is apparent from the
Guardian's writings that, where Baha'u'llah has given a law as between a
man and a woman, it applies mutatis mutandis between a woman and a man
unless the context makes this impossible. For example, the text of the
Kitab-i-Aqdas forbids a man to marry his father's wife (i.e. his
stepmother), and the Guardian has indicated that likewise a woman is
forbidden to marry her stepfather. This understanding of the implications
of the Law has far-reaching effects in light of the fundamental Baha'i
principle of the equality of the sexes, and should be borne in mind when
the sacred Text is studied. That men and women differ from one another in
certain characteristics and functions is an inescapable fact of nature and
makes possible their complementary roles in certain areas of the life of
society; but it is significant that 'Abdu'l-Baha has stated that in this
Dispensation "Equality of men and women, except in some negligible
instances, has been fully and categorically announced."

Mention has already been made of the intimate relationship between the
Kitab-i-Aqdas and the Holy Books of previous Dispensations. Especially
close is the relationship to the Bayan, the Book of Laws revealed by the
Bab. It is elucidated in the following excerpts from letters written on
behalf of the Guardian:

Shoghi Effendi feels that the unity of the Baha'i Revelation as
one complete whole embracing the Faith of the Bab should be
emphasized... The Faith of the Bab should not be divorced from
that of Baha'u'llah. Thou