heir food and clothing, and in such sports as archery,
marksmanship, and fencing.

On the societal level, the principle of collective security enunciated by
Baha'u'llah (see Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, CXVII) and
elaborated by Shoghi Effendi (see the Guardian's letters in The World
Order of Baha'u'llah) does not presuppose the abolition of the use of
force, but prescribes "a system in which Force is made the servant of
Justice", and which provides for the existence of an international
peace-keeping force that "will safeguard the organic unity of the whole
commonwealth". In the Tablet of Bis{~COMBINING MACRON BELOW~}h{~COMBINING MACRON BELOW~}arat, Baha'u'llah expresses the hope
that "weapons of war throughout the world may be converted into
instruments of reconstruction and that strife and conflict may be removed
from the midst of men".

In another Tablet Baha'u'llah stresses the importance of fellowship with
the followers of all religions; He also states that "the law of holy war
hath been blotted out from the Book".

174. and permitted you to attire yourselves in silk #159

According to Islamic practice, the wearing of silk by men was generally
forbidden, except in times of holy war. This prohibition, which was not
based on the verses of the Qur'an, was abrogated by the Bab.

175. The Lord hath relieved you ... of the restrictions that formerly
applied to clothing and to the trim of the beard. #159

Many rules about dress had their origins in the laws and traditional
practices of the world's religions. For example, the S{~COMBINING MACRON BELOW~}h{~COMBINING MACRON BELOW~}i'ih clergy
adopted for themselves a distinctive headdress and robes and, at one time,
forbade the people to adopt European attire. Muslim practice, in its
desire to emulate the custom of the Prophet, also introduced a number of
restrictions with regard to the trim of the moustache and the length of
the beard.

Baha'u'llah removed such limitations on one's apparel and beard. He leaves
such matters to the "discretion" of the individual, and at the same time
calls upon the believers not to transgress the bounds of propriety and to
exercise moderation in all that pertains to dress.

176. O Land of Kaf and Ra! #164

Kaf and Ra are the first two consonants of Kirman, the name of a city and
province of Iran.

177. We perceive that which secretly and stealthily diffuseth from thee.
#164

This passa