The Bahá’í House of Worship is dedicated to the praise of
God. The House of Worship forms the central edifice of the
Ma
shriqu’l-A
dhkár (the Dawning-place of the Praise of
God), a complex which, as it unfolds in the future, will
comprise in addition to the House of Worship a number of
dependencies dedicated to social, humanitarian, educational,
and scientific pursuits. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá describes the
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Ma
shriqu’l-A
dhkár as “one of the most vital institutions in the
world”, and Shoghi Effendi indicates that it exemplifies in
tangible form the integration of “Bahá’í worship and
service”. Anticipating the future development of this
institution, Shoghi Effendi envisages that the House of
Worship and its dependencies “shall afford relief to the
suffering, sustenance to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer,
solace to the bereaved, and education to the ignorant”. In
the future, Bahá’í Houses of Worship will be constructed in
every town and village.