Show forbearance and benevolence and love to one another. Should any one among you be incapable of grasping a certain truth, or be striving to comprehend it, show forth, when conversing with him, a spirit of extreme kindliness and good-will. Help him to see and recognize the truth, without esteeming yourself to be, in the least, superior to him, or to be possessed of greater endowments. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah)
April 29
The one true God, exalted be His glory, hath ever regarded, and will continue to regard, the hearts of men as His own, His exclusive possession. All else, whether pertaining to land or sea, whether riches or glory, He hath bequeathed unto the Kings and rulers of the earth. From the beginning that hath no beginning the ensign proclaiming the words "He doeth whatsoever He willeth" hath been unfurled in all its splendor before His Manifestation. What mankind needeth in this day is obedience unto them that are in authority, and a faithful adherence to the cord of wisdom. The instruments which are essential to the immediate protection, the security and assurance of the human race have been entrusted to the hands, and lie in the grasp, of the governors of human society. This is the wish of God and His decree.... (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah)
April 28
Let not the deeds of those who reject the Truth shut you out as by a veil. Such people have warrant over your bodies only, and God hath not reposed in them power over your spirits, your souls and your hearts. Fear ye God that haply it may be well with you. All things have been created for your sakes, and for the sake of naught else hath your creation been ordained. Fear ye God and take heed lest forms and apparels debar you from recognizing Him. Render ye thanksgiving unto God that perchance He may deal mercifully with you. (The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
April 27
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. We have chosen thee to be our most mighty Trumpet, whose blast is to signalize the resurrection of all mankind.
Say: This is the Paradise on whose foliage the wine of utterance hath imprinted the testimony: "He that was hidden from the eyes of men is revealed, girded with sovereignty and power!" This is the Paradise, the rustling of whose leaves proclaims: "O ye that inhabit the heavens and the earth! There hath appeared what hath never previously appeared. He Who, from everlasting, had concealed His Face from the sight of creation is now come." From the whispering breeze that wafteth amidst its branches there cometh the cry: "He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is made manifest. The Kingdom is God's," while from its streaming waters can be heard the murmur: "All eyes are gladdened, for He Whom none hath beheld, Whose secret no one hath discovered, hath lifted the veil of glory, and uncovered the countenance of Beauty." (Baha'u'llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah’)
April 26
When God sent forth His Prophet Muhammad, on that day the termination of the prophetic cycle was foreordained in the knowledge of God. Yea, that promise hath indeed come true and the decree of God hath been accomplished as He hath ordained. Assuredly we are today living in the Days of God. These are the glorious days on the like of which the sun hath never risen in the past. These are the days which the people in bygone times eagerly expected. What hath then befallen you that ye are fast asleep? These are the days wherein God hath caused the Day-Star of Truth to shine resplendent. What hath then caused you to keep your silence? These are the appointed days which ye have been yearningly awaiting in the past -- the days of the advent of divine justice. Render ye thanks unto God, O ye concourse of believers. (The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
April 25
Know thou of a certainty that the Unseen can in no wise incarnate His Essence and reveal it unto men. He is, and hath ever been, immensely exalted beyond all that can either be recounted or perceived. From His retreat of glory His voice is ever proclaiming: "Verily, I am God; there is none other God besides Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I have manifested Myself unto men, and have sent down Him Who is the Day Spring of the signs of My Revelation. Through Him I have caused all creation to testify that there is none other God except Him, the Incomparable, the All-Informed, the All-Wise." He Who is everlastingly hidden from the eyes of men can never be known except through His Manifestation, and His Manifestation can adduce no greater proof of the truth of His Mission than the proof of His own Person. (Baha'u'llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah’)
April 24
And now, concerning thy question regarding the creation of man. Know thou that all men have been created in the nature made by God, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting. Unto each one hath been prescribed a pre-ordained measure, as decreed in God's mighty and guarded Tablets. All that which ye potentially possess can, however, be manifested only as a result of your own volition. Your own acts testify this truth . . . (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh’; Compilation on ‘Psychology and Knowledge of Self, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
April 23
Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths. 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. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to him that hath refused to seek it -- verily, God is Self-Sufficient, above any need of His creatures. (Baha’u’llah, ‘A Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Most Holy Book of Bahá'u'lláh’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, The Importance of Deepening our Knowledge of the Faith)
April 22
The Comforter Whose advent all the scriptures have promised is now come that He may reveal unto you all knowledge and wisdom. Seek Him over the entire surface of the earth, haply ye may find Him." (Baha’u’llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi, The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah)
April 21
Say: Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My beauty but His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in My self but His Self, and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but His Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised. There hath not been in My soul but the Truth, and in Myself naught could be seen but God. (Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)
Happy Ridvan!!
April 20
God hath prescribed unto every one the duty of teaching His Cause. Whosoever ariseth to discharge this duty must needs, ere he proclaimeth His Message, adorn himself with the ornament of an upright and praiseworthy character, so that his words may attract the hearts of such as are receptive to his call. Without it, he can never hope to influence his hearers (Baha'u'llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah’)
April 19
The station which he who hath truly recognized this Revelation will attain is the same as the one ordained for such prophets of the house of Israel as are not regarded as Manifestations 'endowed with constancy.' (Baha’u’llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The World Order of Baha'u'llah’)
April 18
Blessed is that teacher who remaineth faithful to the Covenant of God, and occupieth himself with the education of children. For him hath the Supreme Pen inscribed that reward which is revealed in the Most Holy Book. Blessed, blessed is he! (Baha’u’llah, The Compilation of Compilations’, vol. I, Baha’i Education)
April 17
Be ye God's manifestations of trustworthiness in every land. So perfectly should ye mirror forth this quality that even were ye to travel through cities heaped with gold, your gaze would not for a single moment be seduced by its allure. This is the standard required of you, O assemblage of true believers. Assist ye your gracious Lord with your wealth and substance so that in all the worlds of God His servants may perceive from you the sweet savours of the one true God. (Baha’u’llah, The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II, Trustworthiness)
April 16
Of the new Obligatory Prayers that were later revealed, the
long Obligatory Prayer should be said at those times when one feeleth himself
in a prayerful mood. In truth, it hath been revealed in such wise that if it be
recited to a rock, that rock would stir and speak forth; and if it be recited
to a mountain, that mountain would move and flow. Well is it with the one who
reciteth it and fulfilleth God's precepts. Whichever prayer is read will
suffice. (Baha’u’llah, Compilation on ‘The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and
Fasting’, prepared by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
April 15
The Great Being saith: The man of consummate learning and
the sage endowed with penetrating wisdom are the two eyes to the body of
mankind. God willing, the earth shall never be deprived of these two greatest
gifts.... (Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Baha’i Education)
April 14
This is the Book of Generosity which hath been revealed by
the King of Eternity. Whoso adorneth himself with this virtue hath
distinguished himself and will be blessed by the All-Merciful from His exalted
Kingdom of Glory. However, despite his high rank and prominent position, were
he to pass beyond the limits, he would be regarded among the prodigal by the
All-Knowing, the All- Wise. Cling ye unto moderation. This is the commandment
that He Who is the All-Possessing, the Most High hath enjoined upon you in His
Generous Book. O ye that are the exponents of generosity and the manifestations
thereof! Be generous unto them whom ye find in manifest poverty. O ye that are
possessed of riches! Take heed lest outward appearance deter you from
benevolent deeds in the path of God, the Lord of all mankind. (Baha’u’llah, The
Compilation of Compilation, vol. I, Huqúqu'lláh)
April 13
O SON OF SPIRIT!
I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to
poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the
essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from
anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy
thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me
standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting. (Baha'u'llah, The
Arabic Hidden Words, no. 13) (To read ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s explanation of this passage
please visit Daily Spiritual Food for Thought) (To read additional explanation provided by Shoghi Effendi please visit Daily Spiritual Food for Thought)
April 12
Say, verily any one follower of this Faith can, by the leave of God, prevail over all who dwell in heaven and earth and in whatever lieth between them; for indeed this is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the one true Faith. Therefore fear ye not, neither be ye grieved.
Say, God hath, according to that which is revealed in the Book, taken upon Himself the task of ensuring the ascendancy of any one of the followers of the Truth, over and above one hundred other souls, and the supremacy of one hundred believers over one thousand non-believers and the domination of one thousand of the faithful over all the peoples and kindreds of the earth; inasmuch as God calleth into being whatsoever He willeth by virtue of His behest. Verily He is potent over all things.
Say, the power of God is in the hearts of those who believe in the unity of God and bear witness that no God is there but Him, while the hearts of them that associate partners with God are impotent, devoid of life on this earth, for assuredly they are dead. (The Báb, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, The Power of Divine Assistance)
Say, God hath, according to that which is revealed in the Book, taken upon Himself the task of ensuring the ascendancy of any one of the followers of the Truth, over and above one hundred other souls, and the supremacy of one hundred believers over one thousand non-believers and the domination of one thousand of the faithful over all the peoples and kindreds of the earth; inasmuch as God calleth into being whatsoever He willeth by virtue of His behest. Verily He is potent over all things.
Say, the power of God is in the hearts of those who believe in the unity of God and bear witness that no God is there but Him, while the hearts of them that associate partners with God are impotent, devoid of life on this earth, for assuredly they are dead. (The Báb, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, The Power of Divine Assistance)
April 11
Beware lest ye contend with any one, nay, strive to make him aware of the truth with kindly manner and most convincing exhortation. If your hearer respond, he will have responded to his own behoof, and if not, turn ye away from him, and set your faces towards God's sacred Court, the seat of resplendent holiness.
April 10
Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is a direct evidence of the revelation within it of the attributes and names of God, inasmuch as within every atom are enshrined the signs that bear eloquent testimony to the revelation of that Most Great Light. Methinks, but for the potency of that revelation, no being could ever exist. How resplendent the luminaries of knowledge that shine in an atom, and how vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop! To a supreme degree is this true of man, who, among all created things, hath been invested with the robe of such gifts, and hath been singled out for the glory of such distinction. For in him are potentially revealed all the attributes and names of God to a degree that no other created being hath excelled or surpassed. All these names and attributes are applicable to him....
...From that which hath been said it becometh evident that all things, in their inmost reality, testify to the revelation of the names and attributes of God within them. Each according to its capacity, indicateth, and is expressive of, the knowledge of God. So potent and universal is this revelation, that it hath encompassed all things visible and invisible....(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh’; Compilation: ‘Nature’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
April 9
In the abundance of Our grace and
loving-kindness We have revealed specially for the rulers and ministers of the
world that which is conducive to safety and protection, tranquillity and peace;
haply the children of men may rest secure from the evils of oppression. He,
verily, is the Protector, the Helper, the Giver of victory. It is incumbent
upon the men of God's House of Justice to fix their gaze by day and by night
upon that which hath shone forth from the Pen of Glory for the training of
peoples, the upbuilding of nations, the protection of man and the safeguarding
of his honour. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the
Kitab-i-Aqdas’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Peace)
April 8
Say: The fierce gales
and whirlwinds of the world and its peoples can never shake the foundation upon
which the rocklike stability of My chosen ones is based. Gracious God! What
could have prompted these people to enslave and imprison the loved ones of Him
Who is the Eternal Truth? ... The day, however, is approaching when the
faithful will behold the Day Star of justice shining in its full splendor from
the Day Spring of glory. Thus instructeth thee the Lord of all being in this,
His grievous Prison. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh’; The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, Crisis and Victory)
April 7
Let your acts be a guide
unto all mankind, for the professions of most men, be they high or low, differ
from their conduct. It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves
from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the
whole earth. Happy is the man that heedeth My counsel, and keepeth the precepts
prescribed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All- Wise. (Baha’u’llah,
‘Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh’; The Compilation of Compilations
vol. I, A Chase and Holy Life)
April 6
Say: Nature in its essence is the
embodiment of My Name, the Maker, the Creator. Its manifestations are
diversified by varying causes, and in this diversity there are signs for men of
discernment. Nature is God's Will and is its expression in and through the
contingent world. It is a dispensation of Providence ordained by the Ordainer,
the All-Wise. Were anyone to affirm that it is the Will of God as manifested in
the world of being, no one should question this assertion. It is endowed with a
power whose reality men of learning fail to grasp. Indeed a man of insight can
perceive naught therein save the effulgent splendour of Our Name, the Creator.
Say: This is an existence which knoweth no decay, and Nature itself is lost in
bewilderment before its revelations, its compelling evidences and its effulgent
glory which have encompassed the universe. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of
Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’; Compilation ‘Nature’, prepared
by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
April 5
Thou hast, moreover,
asked Me concerning the state of the soul after its separation from the body.
Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath walked in the ways of God,
it will, assuredly, return and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved. By the
righteousness of God! It shall attain a station such as no pen can depict, or
tongue describe. The soul that hath remained faithful to the Cause of God, and
stood unwaveringly firm in His Path shall, after his ascension, be possessed of
such power that all the worlds which the Almighty hath created can benefit
through him. Such a soul provideth, at the bidding of the Ideal King and Divine
Educator, the pure leaven that leaveneth the world of being, and furnisheth the
power through which the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest.
Consider how meal needeth leaven to be leavened with. Those souls that are the
symbols of detachment are the leaven of the world. Meditate on this, and be of
the thankful. (Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah; Compilation on ‘Reincarnation and the Nature and Progress of
the Soul’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of
Justice)
April 4
The first Taráz and the first effulgence which hath dawned from the horizon of the Mother Book is that man should know his own self and recognise that which leadeth unto loftiness or lowliness, glory or abasement, wealth or poverty. Having attained the stage of fulfilment and reached his maturity, man standeth in need of wealth, and such wealth as he acquireth through crafts or professions is commendable and praise-worthy in the estimation of men of wisdom, and especially in the eyes of servants who dedicate themselves to the education of the world and to the edification of its peoples. They are, in truth, cup-bearers of the life-giving water of knowledge and guides unto the ideal way. They direct the peoples of the world to the straight path and acquaint them with that which is conducive to human upliftment and exaltation. (Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Social and Economic Development)
April 3
Were a man in this day to
adorn himself with the raiment of trustworthiness it were better for him in the
sight of God than that he should journey on foot towards the holy court and be
blessed with meeting the Adored One and standing before His Seat of Glory.
Trustworthiness is as a stronghold to the city of humanity, and as eyes to the
human temple. Whosoever remaineth deprived thereof shall, before His Throne, be
reckoned as one bereft of vision. (Baha’u’llah, The Compilation of Compilations,
Vol. II, Trustworthiness)
April 2
The betterment of the
world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable
and seemly conduct.... (Bahá'u'lláh, cited in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’ by
Shoghi Effendi; The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, A Chase and Holy Life)
April 1
Say: God hath made My
hidden love the key to the Treasure; would that ye might perceive it! But for
the key, the Treasure would to all eternity have remained concealed; would that ye
might believe it! Say: This is the Source of Revelation, the Dawning-place of
Splendour, Whose brightness hath illumined the horizons of the world.
Would that ye might understand! This is, verily, that fixed Decree through
which every irrevocable decree hath been established. (Baha'u'llah, The
Kitab-i-Aqdas)
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