June 30
And further We have said: “Doth it behoove you to relate
yourselves to Him Who is the God of mercy, and yet commit the things which the
Evil One hath committed? Nay, by the Beauty of Him Who is the All-Glorified!
could ye but know it. Purge your hearts from love of the world, and your
tongues from calumny, and your limbs from whatsoever may withhold you from
drawing nigh unto God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Say: By the world is meant
that which turneth you aside from Him Who is the Dawning-Place of Revelation,
and inclineth you unto that which is unprofitable unto you. Verily, the thing
that deterreth you, in this day, from God is worldliness in its essence. Eschew
it, and approach the Most Sublime Vision, this shining and resplendent Seat.
Shed not the blood of anyone, O people, neither judge ye anyone unjustly. Thus
have ye been commanded by Him Who knoweth, Who is informed of all. They that
commit disorders in the land after it hath been well ordered, these indeed have
outstepped the bounds that have been set in the Book. Wretched shall be the
abode of the transgressors!” (Baha’u’llah, from a Tablet to Napoleon, ‘Epistle to the
Son of the Wolf’)
June 29
Art thou not ashamed in the presence of God for consenting
to the consignment to a fortress of Him Who is the Testimony of God, and His
being made captive in the hands of the faithless? Woe betide thee and them who
rejoice at this moment in inflicting so dire a humiliation upon Me...
I swear by Him Who hath called Me into being, I can discover no trace of sinfulness in Myself, nor have I followed aught but the Truth; and unto Me God is sufficient witness. Fie upon the world and its people and upon those who take delight in earthly riches, while oblivious of the life to come.
Were the veil to be removed from thine eye thou wouldst crawl unto Me on thy breast, even through the snow, from fear of the chastisement of God which is swift and near at hand. By the righteousness of Him Who hath created thee, wert thou to be acquainted with that which hath transpired during thy reign, thou wouldst wish not to have issued from thy father’s loins, but rather to have passed into oblivion. However, that which God, thy Lord, had ordained hath presently come to pass, and woe betide the oppressors in this day. (The Báb, Extracts from an Epistle to Muhammad Shah of Persia, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
I swear by Him Who hath called Me into being, I can discover no trace of sinfulness in Myself, nor have I followed aught but the Truth; and unto Me God is sufficient witness. Fie upon the world and its people and upon those who take delight in earthly riches, while oblivious of the life to come.
Were the veil to be removed from thine eye thou wouldst crawl unto Me on thy breast, even through the snow, from fear of the chastisement of God which is swift and near at hand. By the righteousness of Him Who hath created thee, wert thou to be acquainted with that which hath transpired during thy reign, thou wouldst wish not to have issued from thy father’s loins, but rather to have passed into oblivion. However, that which God, thy Lord, had ordained hath presently come to pass, and woe betide the oppressors in this day. (The Báb, Extracts from an Epistle to Muhammad Shah of Persia, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
June 28
O SON OF SPIRIT! My claim on thee is great, it cannot be
forgotten. My grace to thee is plenteous, it cannot be veiled. My love has made
in thee its home, it cannot be concealed. My light is manifest to thee, it
cannot be obscured. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
June 27
Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star
of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your
eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are with
you at all times, and shall strengthen you through the power of truth. We are
truly almighty. Whoso hath recognized Me will arise and serve Me with such
determination that the powers of earth and heaven shall be unable to defeat his
purpose. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
June 26
Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying impostor. We pray God that He may graciously assist him to retract and repudiate such claim. Should he repent, God will, no doubt, forgive him. If, however, he persisteth in his error, God will, assuredly, send down one who will deal mercilessly with him. Terrible, indeed, is God in punishing! Whosoever interpreteth this verse otherwise than its obvious meaning is deprived of the Spirit of God and of His mercy which encompasseth all created things. Fear God, and follow not your idle fancies. Nay, rather, follow the bidding of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Wise. Erelong shall clamorous voices be raised in most lands. Shun them, O My people, and follow not the iniquitous and evil-hearted. This is that of which We gave you forewarning when We were dwelling in ‘Iráq, then later while in the Land of Mystery, and now from this Resplendent Spot. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
June 25
As to the Sáhib’s reference to the kings, they are indeed
the manifestations of the name of God “the Almighty” and the revealers of His
name “the All-Powerful”. The vesture that beseemeth their glorious temples is
justice. Should they become adorned therewith, mankind will partake of perfect
tranquillity and infinite blessings. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Tabernacle of Unity,
Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
June 24
That the term “sun” hath been applied to the leaders of
religion is due to their lofty position, their fame, and renown. Such are the
universally recognized divines of every age, who speak with authority, and
whose fame is securely established. If they be in the likeness of the Sun of
Truth, they will surely be accounted as the most exalted of all luminaries;
otherwise, they are to be recognized as the focal centres of hellish fire. Even
as He saith: “Verily, the sun and the moon are both condemned to the torment of
infernal fire.” [Qur’án 55:5] ...And whosoever is of the element of this “sun” and “moon”, that
is, followeth the example of these leaders in setting his face towards
falsehood and in turning away from the truth he undoubtedly cometh out of
infernal gloom and returneth thereunto. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
June 23
Religious principles have various degrees and stations. The
root of all principles and the cornerstone of all foundations hath ever been,
and shall remain, the recognition of God. And these days are indeed the vernal
season of the recognition of the All-Merciful. Whatsoever proceedeth in this
day from the Repository of His Cause and the Manifestation of His Self is, in
truth, the fundamental principle unto which all must bear allegiance. (Baha’u’llah,
‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other
Writings’)
June 22
This servant appealeth to every diligent and enterprising
soul to exert his utmost endeavour and arise to rehabilitate the conditions in
all regions and to quicken the dead with the living waters of wisdom and
utterance, by virtue of the love he cherisheth for God, the One, the Peerless,
the Almighty, the Beneficent. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed
after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’; compilation ‘Unlocking the Power of Action’, prepared
by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
June 21
Say: O bearer of My Name! Upon thee be My glory and My
loving-kindness. Thou hast ever been adorned with the fair robe of
trustworthiness and piety. These twin qualities are as two companions for thee
in whom thou mayest find solace. They are as two sentinels who shall stand
watch over thee, and two guardians that shall, by God's leave, keep thee from
harm. (Baha’u’llah, The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II, Trustworthiness)
June 20
The one true God, exalted be His glory, hath bestowed the
government of the earth upon the kings. To none is given the right to act in
any manner that would run counter to the considered views of them who are in
authority. That which He hath reserved for Himself are the cities of men’s
hearts; and of these the loved ones of Him Who is the Sovereign Truth are, in
this Day, as the keys. Please God they may, one and all, be enabled to unlock,
through the power of the Most Great Name, the gates of
these cities. This is what is meant by aiding the one true God—a theme to which
the Pen of Him Who causeth the dawn to break hath referred in all His Books and
Tablets. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
June 19
The purpose of learning should be the
promotion of the welfare of the people, and this can be achieved through
crafts. It hath been revealed and is now repeated that the true worth of
artists and craftsmen should be appreciated, for they advance the affairs of
mankind. Just as the foundations of religion are made firm through the Law of
God, the means of livelihood depend upon those who are engaged in arts and
crafts. True learning is that which is conducive to the well-being of the
world, not to pride and self-conceit, or to tyranny, violence and pillage. (Bahá'u'lláh, The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. III, Social and Economic Development)
June 18
Beseech ye God -- magnified be His glory -- to grant that
His loved ones may be privileged to take a portion from the ocean of His
good-pleasure, for this would serve as the means for the salvation of mankind,
and may of their own accordance carry out that which would purify them and
cause them to attain everlasting life ... (Baha’u’llah, The Compilation of
Compilation, vol. I, Huqúqu'lláh)
June 17
Place not thy reliance on thy treasures. Put thy whole
confidence in the grace of God, thy Lord. Let Him be thy trust in whatever thou
doest, and be of them that have submitted themselves to His Will. Let Him be thy helper and enrich thyself with His
treasures, for with Him are the treasuries of the heavens and of the earth. He
bestoweth them upon whom He will, and from whom He will He withholdeth them.
There is none other God but Him, the All-Possessing, the All-Praised. All are
but paupers at the door of His mercy; all are helpless before the revelation of
His sovereignty, and beseech His favors. (Baha’u’llah, excerpt from a Tablet to
Sultan Abdu’l-Aziz, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
June 16
…Thou art the one God, the Incomparable, Whose help is
implored by all men. From everlasting Thou wert alone, with none to describe
Thee, and wilt abide for ever the same with no one else to equal or rival Thee.
Were the existence of any co-equal with Thee to be recognized, how could it
then be maintained that Thou art the Incomparable, or that Thy Godhead is
immeasurably exalted above all peers or likeness? The contemplation of the
highest minds that have recognized Thy unity failed to attain unto the
comprehension of the One Thou hast created through the word of Thy commandment,
how much more must it be powerless to soar into the atmosphere of the knowledge
of Thine own Being. Every praise which any tongue or pen can recount, every
imagination which any heart can devise, is debarred from the station which Thy
most exalted Pen hath ordained, how much more must it fall short of the heights
which Thou hast Thyself immensely exalted above the conception and the
description of any creature. For the attempt of the evanescent to conceive the
signs of the Uncreated is as the stirring of the drop before the tumult of Thy
billowing oceans. Nay, forbid it, O my God, that I should thus venture to
describe Thee, for every similitude and comparison must pertain to what is
essentially created by Thee. How can then such similitude and comparison ever
befit Thee, or reach up unto Thy Self? (Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers and Meditations
by Baha’u’llah’)
June 15
O Pen of Eternity!
Grieve not at the things that have befallen Thee, for erelong shall God
raise up a people who will see with their own eyes and will recall Thy
tribulations. Withhold Thy pen from the
mention of Thine enemies, and bestir it in the praise of the Eternal King. Renounce all created things, and quaff the
sealed wine of My remembrance. Beware
lest Thou become occupied with the mention of those from whom naught save the
noisome savours of enmity can be perceived, those who are so enslaved by their
lust for leadership that they would not hesitate to destroy themselves in their
desire to emblazon their fame and perpetuate their names. God hath recorded such souls in the Preserved
Tablet as mere worshippers of names. Recount then that which Thou hast purposed for this Temple, that its
signs and tokens may be made manifest upon earth, and that the brightness of
this Light may illumine the horizons of the world and cleanse the earth from
the defilement of those who have disbelieved in God. Thus have We set down the verses of God and
made plain the matter unto those who understand. (Baha’u’llah, Súriy-i-Haykal,
‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
June 14
By God besides Whom is none other God!
Should any one arise for the triumph of our Cause, him will God render
victorious though tens of thousands of enemies be leagued against him. And if
his love for Me wax stronger, God will establish his ascendancy over all the
powers of earth and heaven. Thus have We breathed the spirit of power into all
regions. (Baha’u’llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh; The Compilation of Compilations, vol.
II, The Power of Divine Assistance)
June 13
O thou who art standing before My Throne and yet remain
unaware thereof! Know thou that whoso seeketh to scale the summits of the
divine mysteries must needs strive to the utmost of his power and capacity for
his Faith, that the pathway of guidance may be made clear unto him. And should
he encounter One Who layeth claim to a Cause from God, and Who holdeth from His
Lord a testimony beyond the power of men to produce, he must needs follow Him
in all that He pleaseth to proclaim, command and ordain, even were He to decree
the sea to be land, or to pronounce earth to be heaven, or that the former
lieth above the latter or below it, or to ordain any change or transformation,
for He, verily, is aware of the celestial mysteries, the unseen subtleties, and
the ordinances of God. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
June 12
One who performeth neither good deeds nor acts of worship is
like unto a tree which beareth no fruit, and an action which leaveth no trace.
Whosoever experienceth the holy ecstasy of worship will refuse to barter such
an act or any praise of God for all that existeth in the world. Fasting and obligatory
prayer are as two wings to man's life. Blessed be the one who soareth with
their aid in the heaven of the love of God, the Lord of all worlds.
(Baha’u’llah, compilation ‘The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting,’
prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
June 11
O Thou the Supreme Word of God! Fear not, nor be Thou
grieved, for indeed unto such as have responded to Thy Call, whether men or
women, We have assured forgiveness of sins, as known in the presence of the
Best Beloved and in conformity with what Thou desirest. Verily His knowledge
embraceth all things. I adjure Thee by My life, set Thy face towards Me and be
not apprehensive. Verily Thou art the Exalted One among the Celestial
Concourse, and Thy hidden Mystery hath, of a truth, been recorded upon the
Tablet of creation in the midst of the Burning Bush. Ere long God will bestow
upon Thee rulership over all men, inasmuch as His rule transcendeth the whole
of creation. (The Báb, an excerpt from the Qayyumu’l-Asma, ‘Selections from the
Writings of the Báb)
June 10
Say, O ye chosen of the one true God!
Let not the censure of the froward, nor the denunciations uttered by them that
have repudiated His Cause, grieve you; inasmuch as such acts of opposition
have, from time immemorial, served as clear proofs of the truth of Him Who is
the True One--magnified be His glory. Therefore should ye hear an unseemly word
from an ignorant, foolish or negligent soul, be sure that it can never do harm,
for the day is not far distant when such persons and whatsoever pertaineth unto
them will have passed away, whereas ye yourselves have been honoured in this
day to drink your fill from the living waters of the holy utterances revealed
by the All-Merciful and to hearken unto the words: 'Ye are of My company.'
Thereupon one of the favoured angels that are nigh unto God and circle round
His throne uttered this supplication: 'O my Lord and my Master! O my Desired
One and my Best Beloved! O Thou who art the Beloved of all that are in the
heavens and on the earth! I beseech Thee to grant, from the ocean of Thy bounty
and the day-star of Thy heavenly grace, that I may be cursed, reviled and
denounced a myriad times for the sake' of Thy love, that these ears of mine may
but once be blessed by hearing Thy sweet words: "Verily thou art of the
people of Bahá"' (Baha’u’llah, ‘Fire
and Light: Excerpts from the Bahá'í Sacred Writings by Báb, The, Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá and
Shoghi Effendi’, compiled by Research Department of the Universal House
of Justice; The Baha’i World 1979-1983)
June 9
O Shaykh! Verily I say, the seal of the Choice
Wine hath, in the name of Him Who is the Self-Subsisting, been broken; withhold
not thyself therefrom. This Wronged One speaketh wholly for the sake of God;
thou too shouldst, likewise, for the sake of God, meditate upon those things
that have been sent down and manifested, that haply thou mayest, on this
blessed Day, take thy portion of the liberal effusions of Him Who is truly the
All-Bountiful, and mayest not remain deprived thereof. This indeed would not be
hard for God. Dust-made Adam was raised up, through the Word of God, to the
heavenly throne, and a mere fisherman was made the repository of Divine wisdom,
and Abú-Dhar, the shepherd, became a prince of the nations! (Baha’u’llah,
’Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
June 8
We cherish the hope that through the loving-kindness of the
All-Wise, the All-Knowing, obscuring dust may be dispelled and the power of
perception enhanced, that the people may discover the purpose for which they
have been called into being. In this Day whatsoever serveth to reduce blindness
and to increase vision is worthy of consideration. This vision acteth as the
agent and guide for true knowledge. Indeed in the estimation of men of wisdom
keenness of understanding is due to keenness of vision. The people of Bahá must
under all circumstances observe that which is meet and seemly and exhort the
people accordingly. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the
Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
June 7
And if, confirmed by the Creator, the lover escapes from the
claws of the eagle of love, he will enter
The Valley of Knowledge
and come out of doubt into certitude, and turn from the darkness of illusion to the guiding light of the fear of God. His inner eyes will open and he will privily converse with his Beloved; he will set ajar the gate of truth and piety, and shut the doors of vain imaginings. He in this station is content with the decree of God, and seeth war as peace, and findeth in death the secrets of everlasting life. With inward and outward eyes he witnesseth the mysteries of resurrection in the realms of creation and the souls of men, and with a pure heart apprehendeth the divine wisdom in the endless Manifestations of God. In the ocean he findeth a drop, in a drop he beholdeth the secrets of the sea.
Split the atom’s heart, and lo!
Within it thou wilt find a sun. [Qur’án 67:3] (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Seven Valleys’)
The Valley of Knowledge
and come out of doubt into certitude, and turn from the darkness of illusion to the guiding light of the fear of God. His inner eyes will open and he will privily converse with his Beloved; he will set ajar the gate of truth and piety, and shut the doors of vain imaginings. He in this station is content with the decree of God, and seeth war as peace, and findeth in death the secrets of everlasting life. With inward and outward eyes he witnesseth the mysteries of resurrection in the realms of creation and the souls of men, and with a pure heart apprehendeth the divine wisdom in the endless Manifestations of God. In the ocean he findeth a drop, in a drop he beholdeth the secrets of the sea.
Split the atom’s heart, and lo!
Within it thou wilt find a sun. [Qur’án 67:3] (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Seven Valleys’)
June 6
…the Apostles and Messengers of God have ever been the channels of His abounding grace, and whatsoever man hath received from God hath been through the intermediary of those Embodiments of holiness and Essences of detachment, those Repositories of His knowledge and Exponents of His Cause. (Baha’u’llah,‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
June 5
Set thine heart towards Him Who is the Kaaba of God, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and raise thou thine hands with such firm
conviction as shall cause the hands of all created things to be lifted up
towards the heaven of the grace of God, the Lord of all worlds. Turn, then, thy
face towards Him in such wise that the faces of all beings will turn in the
direction of His shining and luminous Horizon, and say: “Thou seest me, O my
Lord, with my face turned towards the heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy
favor, withdrawn from all else beside Thee. I ask of Thee, by the splendors of
the Sun of Thy revelation on Sinai, and the effulgences of the Orb of Thy grace
which shineth from the horizon of Thy Name, the Ever-Forgiving, to grant me Thy
pardon and to have mercy upon me. Write down, then, for me with Thy pen of
glory that which will exalt me through Thy Name in the world of creation. Aid
me, O my Lord, to set myself towards Thee, and to hearken unto the voice of Thy
loved ones, whom the powers of the earth have failed to weaken, and the
dominion of the nations has been powerless to withhold from Thee, and who,
advancing towards Thee, have said: ‘God is our Lord, the Lord of all who are in
heaven and all who are on earth!’” (Baha’u’llah, ’Epistle to the Son of the
Wolf’)
June 4
Ponder likewise the Dispensation of the Apostle of God which
lasted twelve hundred and seventy years[1] till the dawn of the manifestation
of the Bayán. He directed everyone to await the advent of the Promised Qá’im.
All deeds which in the Islamic Dispensation began with Muhammad should find
their consummation through the appearance of the Qá’im. God hath made Him
manifest invested with the proof wherewith the Apostle of God was invested, so
that none of the believers in the Qur’án might entertain doubts about the
validity of His Cause, for it is set down in the Qur’án that none but God is
capable of revealing verses. During the period of 1270 years no one among the
followers of the Qur’án ever witnessed a person appearing with conclusive
proofs. Now the Ever-Living Lord hath made manifest and invested with supreme
testimony this long-awaited Promised One from a place no one could imagine and
from a person whose knowledge was deemed of no account. His age is no more than
twenty-five years, yet His glory is such as none of the learned among the
people of Islám can rival; inasmuch as man’s glory lieth in his knowledge.
Behold the learned who are honoured by virtue of their ability to understand
the Holy Writings, and God hath exalted them to such a degree that in referring
to them He saith: ‘None knoweth the meaning thereof except God and them that
are well-grounded in knowledge.’ [Qur’án 3:5] How strange then that this
twenty-five-year-old untutored one should be singled out to reveal His verses
in so astounding a manner. (The Báb, excerpts from ‘The Seven Proofs’, ‘Selections
from the Writings of the Báb)
[1] From the Declaration of Muhammad; this occurred ten years before the Hijrah which marks the starting point of the Muslim calendar]
[1] From the Declaration of Muhammad; this occurred ten years before the Hijrah which marks the starting point of the Muslim calendar]
June 3
Those divines …who are truly adorned with the ornament of
knowledge and of a goodly character are, verily, as a head to the body of the
world, and as eyes to the nations. The guidance of men hath, at all times,
been, and is, dependent upon such blessed souls. We beseech God to graciously
aid them to do His will and pleasure. He, in truth, is the Lord of all men, the
Lord of this world and of the next. (Baha’u’llah, ’Epistle to the Son of the
Wolf’)
June 2
Let my food, O my Lord, be Thy beauty, and my drink the
light of Thy presence, and my hope Thy pleasure, and my work Thy praise, and my
companion Thy remembrance, and my aid Thy sovereignty, and my dwelling-place
Thy habitation, and my home the seat which Thou hast exalted above the
limitations of them that are shut out as by a veil from Thee. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers
and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’)
June 1
By the One in Whose hand is My soul! We were dismayed by his[Yahya's, Baha’u’llah’s
half-brother] deceitfulness—nay, bewildered were all things visible and
invisible. Nor did he find respite from
what he harboured in his bosom until he had committed that which no pen dare
describe, and by which he disgraced the dignity of My station and profaned the
sanctity of God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Were God to turn all the oceans of the earth
into ink and all created things into pens, they would not suffice Me to exhaust
the record of his wrongdoings. Thus do
We recount that which befell Us, that haply ye may be of them that understand. (Baha’u’llah,
Súriy-i-Haykal, ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
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