- The Universal House of Justice (From a memorandum dated 18 June
1980 to the International Teaching Centre; The Compilation of Compilation, Vol.
III, Sanctity and Nature of Baha’i Elections)
Baha'u'llah's Vision of Reality
Exploring spiritual realities and their practical applications – excerpts from the Baha’i Writings
July 16, 2019
Participation in Bahá'í elections is “a spiritual obligation”
The aim should always be so to educate the friends during
the year that they consider their participation in Bahá'í elections not only as
a right they exercise, but as a spiritual obligation which, when discharged in
the proper Bahá'í spirit, contributes to the health and growth of the Bahá'í
community.
July 11, 2019
We need to “cleanse the eye” of our “heart from the things of the world” so that we may “realize the infinitude of divine knowledge”
Dear friend! Now when the light of God's everlasting Morn is
breaking; when the radiance of His holy words: "God is the light of the
heavens and of the earth"[Qur'án 24:35] is shedding illumination upon all
mankind; when the inviolability of His tabernacle is being proclaimed by His
sacred utterance: "God hath willed to perfect His light;"[Qur'án
9:33] and the Hand of omnipotence, bearing His testimony: "In His grasp He
holdeth the kingdom of all things," is being outstretched unto all the
peoples and kindreds of the earth; it behooveth us to gird up the loins of
endeavour, that haply, by the grace and bounty of God, we may enter the
celestial City: "Verily, we are God's," and abide within the exalted
habitation: "And unto Him we do return." It is incumbent upon thee,
by the permission of God, to cleanse the eye of thine heart from the things of
the world, that thou mayest realize the infinitude of divine knowledge, and
mayest behold Truth so clearly that thou wilt need no proof to demonstrate His
reality, nor any evidence to bear witness unto His testimony.
- Baha'u'llah (The
Kitab-i-Iqan)
July 6, 2019
“The Baha’i Teachings … raise marriage to the status of a divine institution”
The Bahá'í Teachings do not only encourage marital life,
considering it the natural and normal way of existence for every sane, healthy
and socially-conscious and responsible person, but raise marriage to the status
of a divine institution, its chief and sacred purpose being the perpetuation of
the human race -- which is the very flower of the entire creation -- and its
elevation to the true station destined for it by God.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter written on
behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, dated 15 April 1939; The
Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Preserving Baha’i Marriages)
July 1, 2019
The “spirit that animateth this age”
June 25, 2019
“religion must be the cause of fellowship and love”
…among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is that religion must be
the cause of fellowship and love. If it becomes the cause of estrangement then
it is not needed, for religion is like a remedy; if it aggravates the disease
then it becomes unnecessary.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From the first Tablet to the Hague, 17 December 1919; “’Abdu’l-Bahá’s
Tablets to The Hague”, published by the Baha’i World Center; Online Baha’i
Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)
June 20, 2019
The institution of Hazíratu'l-Quds -- “the Sacred Fold”: symbolizes “the ideal of service animating the Bahá'í community in its relation alike to the Faith and to mankind in general”
… the institution of the Hazíratu'l-Quds—the seat of the
Bahá'í National Assembly and pivot of all Bahá'í administrative activity in
future—must rank as one of the most important. Originating first in Persia, now
universally known by its official and distinctive title signifying “the Sacred
Fold,” ... this institution, still in the early stages of its development, has
already lent its share to the consolidation of the internal functions of the
organic Bahá'í community, and provided a further visible evidence of its steady
growth and rising power. Complementary in its functions to those of the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkár—an edifice exclusively reserved for Bahá'í worship—this
institution, whether local or national, will, as its component parts, such as
the Secretariat, the Treasury, the Archives, the Library, the Publishing
Office, the Assembly Hall, the Council Chamber, the Pilgrims' Hostel, are
brought together and made jointly to operate in one spot, be increasingly
regarded as the focus of all Bahá'í administrative activity, and symbolize, in
a befitting manner, the ideal of service animating the Bahá'í community in its
relation alike to the Faith and to mankind in general.
- Shoghi Effendi (‘God
Passes By’)
June 16, 2019
Humanity is called upon to “embrace the truth” of the Cause of God
Take heed that ye do not vacillate in your determination to
embrace the truth of this Cause--a Cause through which the potentialities of
the might of God have been revealed, and His sovereignty established. With
faces beaming with joy, hasten ye unto Him. This is the changeless Faith of
God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future.
- Baha’u’llah ('The Kitab-i-Aqdas’; The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. II, The Importance of Prayer, Meditation and Devotional
Attitude)
June 14, 2019
Baha’u’llah has brought the ocean of God’s words: – we should “immerse” ourselves in it
June 12, 2019
Qualities by which a Baha’i community should be distinguished
Wherever a Bahá'í community exists, whether large or small,
let it be distinguished for its abiding sense of security and faith, its high
standard of rectitude, its complete freedom from all forms of prejudice, the
spirit of love among its members and for the closely knit fabric of its social
life.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a message to the friends attending the
First Bahá'í Oceanic Conference in Palermo, Sicily, August 1968)
June 10, 2019
Participation in Bahá'í elections is “a spiritual obligation”
The aim should always be so to educate the friends during
the year that they consider their participation in Bahá'í elections not only as
a right they exercise, but as a spiritual obligation which, when discharged in
the proper Bahá'í spirit, contributes to the health and growth of the Bahá'í
community.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a memorandum dated 18 June
1980 to the International Teaching Centre; The Compilation of Compilation, Vol.
III, Sanctity and Nature of Baha’i Elections)
June 9, 2019
God and His exalted Station – insights gleaned from a prayer by the Báb
• God’s “grace encompasseth all”
• “From everlasting” God has been “the Source of indomitable
strength and shall remain so unto everlasting”
• To God belongs “All the kingdoms of heaven and earth and
whatever is between them”.
• To God belongs “All the treasures of earth and heaven and
everything between them”
• God holds “in His grasp the keys of heaven and earth and
of everything between them”
• In truth, God “keepeth watch over all things”
• God is:
o “the Powerful,
the Almighty”
o “the Lord of
might and power”
o “the Supreme
Protector”
o “a witness
over all things”
o “the Creator
of the heavens and the earth and whatever lieth between them”
o “the Lord of
Reckoning for all that dwell in the heavens and on earth and whatever lieth
between them”
o “swift to
reckon”
o “Immeasurably
exalted”
• In the “kingdoms of Revelation and Creation and whatever
lieth between them” all “glory and majesty” belong to God
• God creates “whatsoever He willeth by His Word of command
‘Be’, and it is.”
• “the source of dominion” is in the hand of God
• The “power of authority” always belongs to God.
• Through the “potency” of His command, God “maketh
victorious whomsoever He pleaseth”.
• God sets “the measure assigned to all who are in the
heavens and the earth and whatever is between them”.
• God bestows “gifts” through “the power of His command” and
at “His Own pleasure”.
• “Through the power of His hosts of heaven and earth and
whatever lieth between them”, God protects “whomsoever among His servants He
willeth”
(Adapted from a prayer in 'Selections from the Writings of the Báb')
(Adapted from a prayer in 'Selections from the Writings of the Báb')
June 8, 2019
The “attributes” that “constitute the hall-mark of the spiritually minded” individual
... O my brother, when a true seeker determineth to take the
step of search in the path leading to the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he
must, before all else, cleanse and purify his heart, which is the seat of the
revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all
acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He
must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the
Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to
water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. He must so cleanse
his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that
love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth.
Even as thou dost witness in this day how most of the people, because of such
love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the
Embodiments of the divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the
wilderness of oblivion and error. That seeker must at all times put his trust
in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, detach himself from the world
of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to
exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every
trace of pride and vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe
silence, and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smouldering fire, and
excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the
fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former
lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endure a century.
June 7, 2019
Baha’u’llah explains what children should be taught first
That which is of paramount importance for the children, that
which must precede all else, is to teach them the oneness of God and the laws
of God. For lacking this, the fear of God cannot be inculcated, and lacking the
fear of God an infinity of odious and abominable actions will spring up, and
sentiments will be uttered that transgress all bounds... parents must exert
every effort to rear their offspring to be religious, for should the children
not attain this greatest of adornments, they will not obey their parents, which
in a certain sense means that they will not obey God. Indeed, such children
will show no consideration to anyone, and will do exactly as they please.
- Baha’u’llah (The Compilation of Compilations’, vol. I, Baha’i Education)
June 6, 2019
Not to be “neglectful of obligatory prayer and fasting”
Be not neglectful of obligatory prayer and fasting. He who
faileth to observe them hath not been nor will ever be acceptable in the sight
of God. Follow ye wisdom under all conditions. He, verily, hath bidden all to
observe that which hath been and will be of profit to them. He, in truth, is
the All-Sufficing, the Most High.
- Baha’u’llah (Compilation: ‘The Importance
of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting’, prepared by Research Department of the
Universal House of Justice)
June 5, 2019
At what point in our lives does one receive “eternal life”? -- ‘Abdu’l-Baha explains
Thou has asked concerning the spirit and its immortality
after its departure. Know thou that at the time of its translation it ascends
and ascends until it reaches the presence of God, clothed in a temple (body)
which will not become subject to the changes wrought by ages and cycles, nor by
the contingencies of the world, nor the emanations thereof.
It will continue to exist through the eternity of the
Kingdom of God -- its sovereignty, its dominion, its potency. From it will
appear the signs of God and his qualities, the providence of God and his
bestowal. Verily the pen is unable to move in a befitting manner in explaining
this truth -- its exaltation and loftiness.
The hand of mercy shall cause it to enter into men's minds,
though it cannot be grasped through any explanation, nor be described by those
means which are available in the world.
Blessed is the spirit which abandons the body, previously
sanctified and freed from the doubts of the nations. Verily, it moves in the
atmosphere of the will of its Lord, and it enters into the supreme paradise. It
is welcomed by the angels of the Most High. It associates with the prophets of
God, and his chosen ones, and it converses with them, and relates to them those
events which have happened to it in the path of God, the Lord of both worlds.
June 4, 2019
Some of the titles of Baha’u’llah – compiled by the Guardian
He was formally designated Bahá'u'lláh, an appellation
specifically recorded in the Persian Bayan, signifying at once the glory, the
light and the splendor of God, and was styled
• the "Lord of Lords,"
• the "Most Great Name,"
• the "Ancient Beauty,"
• the "Pen of the Most High,"
• the "Hidden Name,"
• the "Preserved Treasure,"
• "He Whom God will make manifest,"
• the "Most Great Light,"
• the "All-Highest Horizon,"
• the "Most Great Ocean,"
• the "Supreme Heaven,"
• the "Pre-Existent Root,"
• the "Self-Subsistent,"
• the "Day-Star of the Universe,"
• the "Great Announcement,"
• the "Speaker on Sinai,"
• the "Sifter of Men,"
• the "Wronged One of the World,"
• the "Desire of the Nations,"
• the "Lord of the Covenant,"
• the "Tree beyond which there is no passing."
(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By)
June 3, 2019
“The hundred years' respite having ended...” – as of October 1967
Upon our efforts depends in very large measure the fate of
humanity. The hundred years' respite having ended, the struggle between the
forces of darkness -- man's lower nature -- and the rising sun of the Divine
teachings which draw him on to his true station, intensifies day by day.
- The
Universal House of Justice (From a message to the Six Intercontinental
Conferences; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to
1986’)
June 2, 2019
“… the outstanding characteristics of a decadent society…”
The recrudescence of religious intolerance, of racial
animosity, and of patriotic arrogance; the increasing evidences of selfishness,
of suspicion, of fear and of fraud; the spread of terrorism, of lawlessness, of
drunkenness and of crime; the unquenchable thirst for, and the feverish pursuit
after, earthly vanities, riches and pleasures; the weakening of family
solidarity; the laxity in parental control; the lapse into luxurious
indulgence; the irresponsible attitude towards marriage and the consequent
rising tide of divorce; the degeneracy of art and music, the infection of
literature, and the corruption of the press; the extension of the influence and
activities of those "prophets of decadence" who advocate companionate
marriage, who preach the philosophy of nudism, who call modesty an intellectual
fiction, who refuse to regard the procreation of children as the sacred and
primary purpose of marriage, who denounce religion as an opiate of the people,
who would, if given free rein, lead back the human race to barbarism, chaos,
and ultimate extinction — these appear as the outstanding characteristics of a
decadent society, a society that must either be reborn or perish.
- Shoghi
Effendi (‘The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters’; The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. I, Divorce)
June 1, 2019
The implication of the Baha’i principle of the “Oneness of Mankind”
"The principle of the Oneness of Mankind" he [Shoghi
Effendi] writes, "implies an organic change in the structure of
present-day society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced."
Referring to the "epoch-making changes that constitute the greatest
landmarks in the history of human civilization," he states that "...
they cannot but appear, when viewed in their proper perspective, except as
subsidiary adjustments precluding that transformation of unparalleled majesty
and scope which humanity is in this age bound to undergo." In a later
document he refers to the civilization to be established by Bahá'u'lláh as one
"with a fullness of life such as the world has never seen nor can as yet
conceive."
- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated
Ridvan 1967; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963 to 1986’)
May 31, 2019
Conditions under which a Baha’i teacher becomes inspired with “knowledge and wisdom” so “his words will have effect”
If one teaches one whom he loves because of his love for
him, then he will not teach one whom he loves not; and that is not of God. If
one teaches in order to derive the promised benefit to himself, this too is not
from God. If he teaches because of God's Will that God may be known -- and for
that reason only -- he will receive knowledge and wisdom, and his words will
have effect -- being made powerful by the Holy Spirit -- and will take root in
the souls of those who are in the right condition to receive them. In such a
case the benefit to the teacher in growth is as ninety percent compared to the
ten percent of gain to the hearer, because he becomes like a tree bearing fruit
through the power of God.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Cited in Star of the West, vol. III,
no. 19, 2 March 1913)
May 30, 2019
Comparison of the Revelations of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh – the Báb explains
May 29, 2019
It is one’s “inner temple” that “takes delight in joy or is saddened by pain”
May 28, 2019
The “theme” we should “pursue in our efforts to deepen in the Cause”
Dearly loved friends, this is the theme we must pursue in
our efforts to deepen in the Cause. What is Bahá'u'lláh's purpose for the human
race? For what ends did He submit to the appalling cruelties and indignities
heaped upon Him? What does He mean by "a new race of men"? What are
the profound changes which He will bring about? The answers are to be found in
the Sacred Writings of our Faith and in their interpretation by 'Abdu'l-Bahá
and our beloved Guardian. Let the friends immerse themselves in this ocean, let
them organize regular study classes for its constant consideration, and as
reinforcement to their effort, let them remember conscientiously the
requirements of daily prayer and reading of the Word of God enjoined upon all
Bahá'ís by Bahá'u'lláh.
- The Universal House of Justice (Excerpt from a message
dated Ridvan 1967, ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963 to
1986’)
May 27, 2019
“The most blessed condition is the condition of prayer and supplication”
Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and
it shall be opened unto you.
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto
your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
them that ask him. (Words of Jesus.)
There is nothing sweeter in the word of existence than
prayer.
Man must live in a state of prayer. The most blessed
condition is the condition of prayer and supplication. Prayer is conversation
with God. The greatest attainment or the sweetest state is none other than
convention with God. It creates spirituality, creates mindfulness and celestial
feelings, begets new attractions of the Kingdom and engenders the
susceptibilities of the higher intelligence.
The highest attribute given to his holiness Moses is the
following verse: "God carried along a conversation with Moses."
May 26, 2019
The Reason for the appearance of a Manifestation of God in a given place
The reason for the appearance of a Manifestation of God in a
given place is not to honor a particular people or nation. Shoghi Effendi
indicates a quite different reason in The Advent of Divine Justice and, more
concisely, in a letter to an individual written on his behalf on 23 January
1944:
“The ever-recurring miracle in the establishment of every
religion is that such poor instruments accomplish the work of God. It is to
demonstrate the fact that God is the power that overcomes every obstacle, and
that Revelations are divine in origin, that leads Him to always choose the
worst people among whom to manifest His Messenger and the most obscure and
helpless of the population -- relatively speaking -- to establish the
foundations of His Faith. The Baha'i Dispensation is no exception to this rule,
as you yourself have observed.”
Beyond these points is the fact that God, the Almighty
Creator, does not have to justify His choice of a race or nationality from
which to raise up a Manifestation. As all sacred scriptures tell us, He does as
He wills and shall not be asked of His doing, and we bow in humility before
Him. Besides, as you must know, conceptions of race, nation, oriental,
occidental, and the like reflect earthly limitations and are not qualifications
attached to the reality of the soul in the limitless realms of God.
- The Universal House of Justice (Excerpt
from a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual Baha’I, dated 27, October, 1986; ‘Messages from the Universal House
of Justice 1986-2001)
May 25, 2019
“The station of absolute self-surrender transcendeth, and will ever remain exalted above, every other station.”
… O thou who hast surrendered thy will to God! By self-surrender
and perpetual union with God is meant that men should merge their will wholly
in the Will of God, and regard their desires as utter nothingness beside His
Purpose. Whatsoever the Creator commandeth His creatures to observe, the same
must they diligently, and with the utmost joy and eagerness, arise and fulfil.
They should in no wise allow their fancy to obscure their judgment, neither
should they regard their own imaginings as the voice of the Eternal. In the
Prayer of Fasting We have revealed: "Should Thy Will decree that out of
Thy mouth these words proceed and be addressed unto them, 'Observe, for My
Beauty's sake, the fast, O people, and set no limit to its duration,' I swear
by the majesty of Thy glory, that every one of them will faithfully observe it,
will abstain from whatsoever will violate Thy law, and will continue to do so
until they yield up their souls unto Thee." In this consisteth the
complete surrender of one's will to the Will of God. Meditate on this, that
thou mayest drink in the waters of everlasting life which flow through the
words of the Lord of all mankind, and mayest testify that the one true God hath
ever been immeasurably exalted above His creatures. He, verily, is the
Incomparable, the Ever-Abiding, the Omniscient, the All-Wise. The station of
absolute self-surrender transcendeth, and will ever remain exalted above, every
other station.
- Baha'u'llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah’)
May 24, 2019
A “Supreme Tribunal must be established” – members selected by parliaments of all countries
…the question of universal peace, about which Bahá'u'lláh
says that the Supreme Tribunal must be established: although the League of
Nations has been brought into existence, yet it is incapable of establishing
universal peace. But the Supreme Tribunal which Bahá'u'lláh has described will
fulfil this sacred task with the utmost might and power. And His plan is this:
that the national assemblies of each country and nation -- that is to say
parliaments -- should elect two or three persons who are the choicest of that
nation, and are well informed concerning international laws and the relations
between governments and aware of the essential needs of the world of humanity
in this day. The number of these representatives should be in proportion to the
number of inhabitants of that country. The election of these souls who are
chosen by the national assembly, that is, the parliament, must be confirmed by
the upper house, the congress and the cabinet and also by the president or
monarch so these persons may be the elected ones of all the nation and the
government. The Supreme Tribunal will be composed of these people, and all
mankind will thus have a share therein, for every one of these delegates is
fully representative of his nation. When the Supreme Tribunal gives a ruling on
any international question, either unanimously or by majority rule, there will
no longer be any pretext for the plaintiff or ground of objection for the
defendant. In case any of the governments or nations, in the execution of the
irrefutable decision of the Supreme Tribunal, be negligent or dilatory, the
rest of the nations will rise up against it, because all the governments and
nations of the world are the supporters of this Supreme Tribunal. Consider what
a firm foundation this is! But by a limited and restricted League the purpose will
not be realized as it ought and should. This is the truth about the situation,
which has been stated....
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of
'Abdu'l-Baha’)
May 23, 2019
"The teachings of Bahá'u'lláh are the light of this age and the spirit of this century."
The teachings of Bahá'u'lláh are the light of this age and
the spirit of this century. Expound each of them at every gathering.
The first is investigation of truth,
The second, the oneness of mankind,
The third, universal peace,
The fourth, conformity between science and divine
revelation,
The fifth, abandonment of racial, religious, worldly and
political prejudices, prejudices which destroy the foundation of mankind.
The sixth is righteousness and justice,
The seventh, the betterment of morals and heavenly
education,
The eighth, the equality of the two sexes,
The ninth, the diffusion of knowledge and education,
The tenth, economic questions, and so on and so forth.
Strive that souls may attain unto the light of guidance and
hold fast unto the hem of Bahá'u'lláh.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (‘Selections from the
Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha’)
May 22, 2019
The Ten Year Crusade “completed the structure of the Administrative Order of Bahá'u'lláh”
During the Ten Year Crusade [1953-1963] -- the ninth part of that majestic
process described so vividly by our beloved Guardian -- the Community of the
Most Great Name spread with the speed of lightning over the major territories
and islands of the globe, increased manifoldly its manpower and resources, saw
the beginning of the entry of the peoples by troops into the Cause of God, and
completed the structure of the Administrative Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
- The
Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 10 June, 1966; Messages from the Universal House of
Justice 1963-1986)
May 21, 2019
The “Word of God” is “endowed with the capacity” to convert “satanic strength into heavenly power”
… the still greater task of converting satanic strength into
heavenly power is one that We have been empowered to accomplish. The Force
capable of such a transformation transcendeth the potency of the Elixir itself.
The Word of God, alone, can claim the distinction of being endowed with the
capacity required for so great and far-reaching a change.
- Bahá'u'lláh ('Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh')
May 20, 2019
The meaning of “to consecrate…[oneself] to service in the Cause of God”
As to the terminology I used in my letter, bidding thee to
consecrate thyself to service in the Cause of God, the meaning of it is this:
limit thy thoughts to teaching the Faith. Act by day and night according to the
teachings and counsels and admonitions of Bahá'u'lláh. This doth not preclude
marriage. Thou canst take unto thyself a husband and at the same time serve the
Cause of God; the one doth not preclude the other. Know thou the value of these
days; let not this chance escape thee. Beg thou God to make thee a lighted
candle, so that thou mayest guide a great multitude through this darksome
world.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha’)
May 19, 2019
To “resist the natural tendency to let our attention dwell on the faults and failings of others rather than on our own”
If we Bahá'ís cannot attain to cordial unity among
ourselves, then we fail to realize the main purpose for which the Báb,
Bahá'u'lláh and the Beloved Master lived and suffered. In order to achieve this
cordial unity one of the first essentials insisted on by Bahá'u'lláh and
'Abdu'l-Bahá is that we resist the natural tendency to let our attention dwell
on the faults and failings of others rather than on our own. Each of us is
responsible for one life only, and that is our own. Each of us is immeasurably
far from being "perfect as our heavenly father is perfect" and the
task of perfecting our own life and character is one that requires all our
attention, our will-power and energy. If we allow our attention and energy to
be taken up in efforts to keep others right and remedy their faults, we are
wasting precious time. We are like ploughmen each of whom has his team to
manage and his plough to direct, and in order to keep his furrow straight he
must keep his eye on his goal and concentrate on his own task. If he looks to
this side and that to see how Tom and Harry are getting on and to criticize
their ploughing, then his own furrow will assuredly become crooked. On no
subject are the Bahá'í teachings more emphatic than on the necessity to abstain
from faultfinding and backbiting while being ever eager to discover and root
out our own faults and overcome our own failings. If we profess loyalty to
Bahá'u'lláh, to our Beloved Master and our dear Guardian, then we must show our
love by obedience to these explicit teachings. Deeds not words are what they
demand, and no amount of fervour in the use of expressions of loyalty and
adulation will compensate for failure to live in the spirit of the teachings.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 12 May 1925 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an
individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Living the Life)
May 18, 2019
Two opposing types of conduct that Baha’u’llah doesn’t approve
In this Day, We can neither approve the conduct of the
fearful that seeketh to dissemble his faith, nor sanction the behaviour of the
avowed believer that clamorously asserteth his allegiance to this Cause. Both
should observe the dictates of wisdom, and strive diligently to serve the best
interests of the Faith.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Issues Concerning
Community Functioning)
May 17, 2019
“The emancipation of women”: - “one of the most important…prerequisites of peace”
The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality
between the sexes, is one of the most important, though less acknowledged
prerequisites of peace. The denial of such equality perpetrates an injustice
against one half of the world's population and promotes in men harmful
attitudes and habits that are carried from the family to the workplace, to
political life, and ultimately to international relations. There are no
grounds, moral, practical, or biological, upon which such denial can be
justified. Only as women are welcomed into full partnership in all fields of
human endeavour will the moral and psychological climate be created in which
international peace can emerge.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter
dated October 1985; ‘The Promise of World Peace’)
May 16, 2019
Understanding how God would “confer blessing upon a servant” or adversely “test him with the benefits of this world and of the next”
All praise be unto Thee, O Thou besides Whom there is none
other God. Graciously enable me to ascend unto Thee, to be granted the honour
of dwelling in Thy nearness and to have communion with Thee alone. No God is
there but Thee.
Indeed shouldst Thou desire to confer blessing upon a servant Thou wouldst blot out from the realm of his heart every mention or disposition except Thine Own mention; and shouldst Thou ordain evil for a servant by reason of that which his hands have unjustly wrought before Thy face, Thou wouldst test him with the benefits of this world and of the next that he might become preoccupied therewith and forget Thy remembrance.
Indeed shouldst Thou desire to confer blessing upon a servant Thou wouldst blot out from the realm of his heart every mention or disposition except Thine Own mention; and shouldst Thou ordain evil for a servant by reason of that which his hands have unjustly wrought before Thy face, Thou wouldst test him with the benefits of this world and of the next that he might become preoccupied therewith and forget Thy remembrance.
- The
Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb’)
May 15, 2019
The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh marks “the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man's collective life on this planet”
- Shoghi Effendi (‘The World Order of Baha'u'llah’)
May 14, 2019
Revealed healing prayers “apply both to physical and spiritual healing”
O handmaid of God! The prayers which were revealed to ask
for healing apply both to physical and spiritual healing. Recite them, then, to
heal both the soul and the body. If healing is right for the patient, it will
certainly be granted; but for some ailing persons, healing would only be the
cause of other ills, and therefore wisdom doth not permit an affirmative answer
to the prayer.
O handmaid of God! The power of the Holy Spirit healeth both
physical and spiritual ailments.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings
of 'Abdu'l-Bahá’; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II, The Importance of
Prayer, Meditation and the Devotional Attitude)
May 13, 2019
“Service is the magnet which draws the divine confirmations”
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 12
July 1952 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The
Compilation of Compilations vol. II)
May 12, 2019
Spiritual Unity – a “unity” that is “greater than the unity of mankind”
Another unity is the spiritual unity which emanates from the
breaths of the Holy Spirit. This is greater than the unity of mankind. Human
unity or solidarity may be likened to the body whereas unity from the breaths
of the Holy Spirit is the spirit animating the body. This is a perfect unity. It
creates such a condition in mankind that each one will make sacrifices for the
other and the utmost desire will be to forfeit life and all that pertains to it
in behalf of another's good. This is the unity which existed among the
disciples of His Holiness Jesus Christ and bound together the prophets and holy
souls of the past. It is the unity which through the influence of the divine
spirit is permeating the Bahá'ís so that each offers his life for the other and
strives with all sincerity to attain his good-pleasure. This is the unity which
caused twenty thousand people in Iran to give their lives in love and devotion
to it. It made the Báb the target of a thousand arrows and caused Bahá'u'lláh
to suffer exile and imprisonment forty years. This unity is the very spirit of
the body of the world. It is impossible for the body of the world to become
quickened with life without its vivification. His Holiness Jesus Christ -- may
my life be a sacrifice to Him! -- promulgated this unity among mankind. Every
soul who believed in Jesus Christ became revivified and resuscitated through
this spirit, attained to the zenith of eternal glory, realized the life
everlasting, experienced the second birth and rose to the acme of good fortune.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Baha'i World Faith)
May 11, 2019
In terms of the intensity of Their light and Its effect on the whole earth, previous Manifestations of God were like stars, and Baha’u’llah is like the sun
In cycles gone by, each one of the Manifestations of God
hath had His own rank in the world of existence, and each hath represented a
stage in the development of humanity. But the Manifestation of the Most Great
Name -- may my life be a sacrifice for His loved ones -- was an expression of
the coming of age, the maturing of man's inmost reality in this world of being.
For the sun is the source and well-spring of light and heat, the focal point of
splendours, and it compriseth all the perfections that are made manifest by the
other stars which have dawned upon the world. Make thou an effort that thou
mayest take thy place under the sun and receive an abundant share of its
dazzling light. In truth do I tell thee, once thou hast attained this station,
thou shalt behold the saints bowing down their heads in all humility before
Him. Haste thou to life before death cometh; haste thou to the spring season
before autumn draweth in; and before illness striketh, haste thou to healing --
that thou mayest become a physician of the spirit who, with the breaths of the
Holy Spirit, healeth all manner of sickness in this famed and glorious age.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha’)
May 10, 2019
Human soul – “is a ray of light emanating from the Sun of the Word of God”
…since the reality or soul of man is a ray of light
emanating from the Sun of the Word of God, it is capable of manifesting all the
perfections of Being. It is then worthy to be the throne upon which may be
established the manifestation of the Names, the Qualities and the Attributes of
the Ancient Entity. Inasmuch as this entity is capable of expressing the great
virtues of Being, and is the greatest and purest of all existing beings on
earth, from its earliest rise in the human temple to its resurrection from the
grave of the body, it can be likened to a mirror which reveals the seen and the
unseen, which possesses the virtues of the world and of the Kingdom.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha
(From a talk, quoted by Lua Getsinger in her talk in San Francisco on
December 17, 1911)(To see the transcript of the entire talk please visit Baha’i
Talks, Messages and Articles)
May 9, 2019
Good “attributes and virtues which are the adornments” of the “reality” of a human being
…the honour and exaltation of man must be something more
than material riches. Material comforts are only a branch, but the root of the
exaltation of man is the good attributes and virtues which are the adornments
of his reality. These are the divine appearances, the heavenly bounties, the
sublime emotions, the love and knowledge of God; universal wisdom, intellectual
perception, scientific discoveries, justice, equity, truthfulness, benevolence,
natural courage and innate fortitude; the respect for rights and the keeping of
agreements and covenants; rectitude in all circumstances; serving the truth
under all conditions; the sacrifice of one's life for the good of all people;
kindness and esteem for all nations; obedience to the teachings of God; service
in the Divine Kingdom; the guidance of the people, and the education of the
nations and races. This is the prosperity of the human world! This is the
exaltation of man in the world! This is eternal life and heavenly honour!
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Some Answered Question’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol.
I, Conservation of the Earth's Resources)
May 8, 2019
Baha’u’llah delineates “the fundamental principles for the administration of the affairs of men”
Whilst in the Prison of 'Akká, We revealed in the Crimson
Book that which is conducive to the advancement of mankind and to the
reconstruction of the world. The utterances set forth therein by the Pen of the
Lord of creation include the following which constitute the fundamental
principles for the administration of the affairs of men:
First: It is incumbent upon the ministers of the House of
Justice to promote the Lesser Peace so that the people of the earth may be
relieved from the burden of exorbitant expenditures. This matter is imperative
and absolutely essential, inasmuch as hostilities and conflict lie at the root
of affliction and calamity.
Second: Languages must be reduced to one common language to
be taught in all the schools of the world.
Third: It behoveth man to adhere tenaciously unto that which
will promote fellowship, kindliness and unity.
Fourth: Everyone, whether man or woman, should hand over to
a trusted person a portion of what he or she earneth through trade, agriculture
or other occupation, for the training and education of children, to be spent
for this purpose with the knowledge of the Trustees of the House of Justice.
Fifth: Special regard must be paid to agriculture. Although
it hath been mentioned in the fifth place, unquestionably it precedeth the
others. Agriculture is highly developed in foreign lands, however in Persia it
hath so far been grievously neglected. It is hoped that His Majesty the Shah --
may God assist him by His grace -- will turn his attention to this vital and
important matter.
- Baha'u'llah ('Tablets of Baha'u'llah revealed after the
Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
May 7, 2019
Attaining God’s “good-pleasure” the moment one’s soul leaves the body
All that I beg of Thee, O my God, is to enable me, ere my
soul departeth from my body, to attain Thy good-pleasure, even were it granted
to me for a moment tinier than the infinitesimal fraction of a mustard seed. For
if it departeth while Thou art pleased with me, then I shall be free from every
concern or anxiety; but if it abandoneth me while Thou art displeased with me,
then, even had I wrought every good deed, none would be of any avail, and had I
earned every honour and glory, none would serve to exalt me.
I earnestly beseech Thee then, O my God, to graciously
bestow Thy good-pleasure upon me when Thou dost cause me to ascend unto Thee
and make me appear before Thy holy presence, inasmuch as Thou hast, from everlasting,
been the God of immense bounty unto the people of Thy realm, and the Lord of
most excellent gifts to all that dwell in the exalted heaven of Thine
omnipotence.
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb’)
May 6, 2019
‘Abdu’l-Baha was asked if prayer was necessary since presumably God knows the wishes of all our hearts
‘Abdu'l-Baha said:
"If one friend feels love for another he will wish to
say so. Though he knows that the friend is aware that he loves him, he will
still wish to say so. If there is anyone that you love do you not seek an
opportunity to speak with him, to speak lovingly with him, to bring him gifts,
to write him letters? If you do not feel such a desire it would be that you did
not love your friend. God knows the wishes of all hearts. But the impulse to
pray is a natural one springing from man's love to God.
"If there be no love, if there be no pleasure or
spiritual enjoyment in prayer, do not pray. Prayer should spring from love,
from the desire of the person to commune with God. Just as the lover never
ceases from wishing to communicate with the beloved so does the lover of God
always wish for constant communication with the Deity.
May 5, 2019
We should turn our back to darkness and our face to ‘Abdu’l-Baha
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, ‘The Unfolding
Destiny of the British Baha'i Community’)
May 4, 2019
Who is a “true Baha’i”?
He is a true Bahá'í who strives by day and by night to
progress and advance along the path of human endeavor, whose most cherished
desire is so to live and act as to enrich and illuminate the world, whose
source of inspiration is the essence of Divine virtue, whose aim in life is so
to conduct himself as to be the cause of infinite progress. Only when he
attains unto such perfect gifts can it be said of him that he is a true Bahá'í.
For in this holy Dispensation, the crowning glory of bygone ages and cycles,
true Faith is no mere acknowledgement of the Unity of God, but rather the
living of a life that will manifest all the perfections and virtues implied in
such belief....
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (The Compilation of Compilations vol. I)
May 3, 2019
Work is worship “provided that it is conducted on the basis of utmost honesty and faithfulness”
In the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, it is incumbent upon every soul
to acquire a trade and an occupation. For example, I know how to weave or make
a mat, and you know some other trade. This, in itself is an act of worship,
provided that it is conducted on the basis of utmost honesty and faithfulness.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Star of the West, vol. 19, no. 2; The Compilation of
Compilations vol. I)
May 2, 2019
We should close our eyes to “the deficiencies of other souls”
Let your thoughts dwell on your own spiritual development,
and close your eyes to the deficiencies of other souls. Act ye in such wise,
showing forth pure and goodly deeds, and modesty and humility, that ye will
cause others to be awakened.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of
Abdu'l-Baha’)
May 1, 2019
The Báb revealed nine Commentaries on the whole of the Qur’an while incarcerated in Mah-Ku for nine months
"When subsequently He was incarcerated in the fortress
of Mah-Ku, in the province of Adhirbayjan, I was engaged in transcribing the
verses which He dictated to His amanuensis. Every night, for a period of nine
months, during which He was a prisoner in that fort, He revealed, after He had
offered His evening prayer, a commentary on a juz' [a juz' is one-thirtieth of
the Qur'án] of the Qur'án. At the end of each month a commentary on the whole
of that sacred Book was thus completed. During His incarceration in Mah-Ku,
nine commentaries on the whole of the Qur'án had been revealed by Him. The
texts of these commentaries were entrusted, in Tabriz, to the keeping of a
certain Siyyid Ibrahim-i-Khalil, who was instructed to conceal them until the
time for their publication might arrive. Their fate is unknown until now.”
April 30, 2019
Attributes of the Sincere and the Truthful
- Abdu'l-Baha (‘The Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha’)
April 29, 2019
The Incomparable Figure of Baha’u’llah
Let us fix our gaze in adoration upon that figure, so
inimitably delineated by the Guardian: "the incomparable figure of
Baha'u'llah, transcendent in His majesty, serene, awe-inspiring, unapproachably
glorious." He Whom, He Himself testifies, the Prophets and Messengers
addressed, on the eve of His Declaration as "O Most Great Mystery, O
Tabernacle of Immortality!" He, but for Whom, in His own words, "no
Divine Messenger would have been invested with the robe of prophethood, nor
would any of the Sacred Scriptures have been revealed." Let us call to
mind, in His own words, the period of His declaration in Baghdad, the centenary
of which is so close upon us: "Arise, and proclaim unto the entire
creation the tidings that He Who is the All-Merciful hath directed His steps
towards the Ridvan and entered it. Guide, then, the people unto the Garden of
Delight which God hath made the Throne of His Paradise . . ."
"Rejoice, with exceeding gladness, O people of Baha! as ye call to
remembrance the Day of supreme felicity, the Day whereon the Tongue of the
Ancient of Days hath spoken, as He departed from His House proceeding to the
Spot from which He shed upon the entire creation the splendors of His Name, the
All-Merciful."
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