Deal not treacherously with the substance of your neighbor.
Be ye trustworthy on earth, and withhold not from the
poor the things given unto you by God through His grace. He, verily, will
bestow upon you the double of what ye possess. He, in truth, is the
All-Bounteous, the Most Generous. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
August 30
Truly, none must be careless in the matter of safeguarding
the divine Tablets. In former times, when plans were laid to seize some of the
friends, before all else it was the writings that fell into the hands of the
enemy. This is not permissible. The friends should designate a strong, secure
place for storing the divine verses so that they may not be exposed to the
touch of unworthy hands, even though these verses are, and shall always be,
such as ‘none shall touch but the purified' [Qur'án 79:56] (Baha’u’llah,
compilation ‘Importance of collecting and safeguarding Baha’i Writings’,
prepared by Baha’i International Archives; published in Baha’i Studies Review,
no. 11, 2003)
August 29
O Living Temple! We
have, in very truth, appointed Thee to be the sign of My majesty amidst all
that hath been and all that shall be, and have ordained Thee to be the emblem
of My Cause betwixt the heavens and the earth, through My word “Be”, and it is!
(Baha'u'llah, Suriy-i-Haykal, 'The Summons of the Lord of Hosts')
August 28
We shall always be with you; if We inhale the perfume of
your fellowship, Our heart will assuredly rejoice, for naught else can satisfy
Us. To this beareth witness every man of true understanding. (Baha’u’llah,
‘Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh’)
August 27
In like manner, strive thou to comprehend from these lucid,
these powerful, conclusive, and unequivocal statements the meaning of the
“cleaving of the heaven”—one of the signs that must needs herald the coming of
the last Hour, the Day of Resurrection. As He hath said: “When the heaven shall
be cloven asunder.” [Qur’án 82:1] By “heaven” is meant the heaven of divine
Revelation, which is elevated with every Manifestation, and rent asunder with
every subsequent one. By “cloven asunder” is meant that the former Dispensation
is superseded and annulled. I swear by God! That this heaven being cloven
asunder is, to the discerning, an act mightier than the cleaving of the skies!
Ponder a while. That a divine Revelation which for years hath been securely
established; beneath whose shadow all who have embraced it have been reared and
nurtured; by the light of whose law generations of men have been disciplined;
the excellency of whose word men have heard recounted by their fathers; in such
wise that human eye hath beheld naught but the pervading influence of its
grace, and mortal ear hath heard naught but the resounding majesty of its
command—what act is mightier than that such a Revelation should, by the power
of God, be “cloven asunder” and be abolished at the appearance of one soul?
Reflect, is this a mightier act than that which these abject and foolish men
have imagined the “cleaving of the heaven” to mean? (Baha’u’llah, ‘The
Kitab-i-Iqan’)
August 26
It is Our wish and desire that every one of you may become a
source of all goodness unto men, and an example of uprightness to mankind.
Beware lest ye prefer yourselves above your neighbors. Fix your gaze upon Him
Who is the Temple of God amongst men. He, in truth, hath offered up His life as
a ransom for the redemption of the world. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the
Gracious, the Most High. If any differences arise amongst you, behold Me
standing before your face, and overlook the faults of one another for My name's
sake and as a token of your love for My manifest and resplendent Cause. We love
to see you at all times consorting in amity and concord within the paradise of
My good-pleasure, and to inhale from your acts the fragrance of friendliness
and unity, of loving-kindness and fellowship. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá'u'lláh’; compilation ‘Unlocking the Power of
Action’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
August 25
Therefore, hath it been said: “Knowledge is a light which
God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth.” It is this kind of
knowledge which is and hath ever been praiseworthy, and not the limited
knowledge that hath sprung forth from veiled and obscured minds. This limited
knowledge they even stealthily borrow one from the other, and vainly pride
themselves therein! (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
August 24
Every discerning observer will recognize that in the
Dispensation of the Qur’án both the Book and the Cause of Jesus were confirmed.
As to the matter of names, Muhammad, Himself, declared: “I am Jesus.” He
recognized the truth of the signs, prophecies, and words of Jesus, and
testified that they were all of God. In this sense, neither the person of Jesus
nor His writings hath differed from that of Muhammad and of His holy Book,
inasmuch as both have championed the Cause of God, uttered His praise, and
revealed His commandments. Thus it is that Jesus, Himself, declared: “I go away
and come again unto you.” (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah’)
August 23
Know thou, that upon whatever hearts the bountiful showers
of mercy, raining from the “heaven” of divine Revelation, have fallen, the
earth of those hearts hath verily been changed into the earth of divine
knowledge and wisdom. What myrtles of unity hath the soil of their hearts
produced! What blossoms of true knowledge and wisdom hath their illumined
bosoms yielded! Were the earth of their hearts to remain unchanged, how could
such souls who have not been taught one letter, have seen no teacher, and
entered no school, utter such words and display such knowledge as none can
apprehend? Methinks they have been moulded from the clay of infinite knowledge,
and kneaded with the water of divine wisdom. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
August 22
And when the days of Moses were ended, and the light of
Jesus, shining forth from the Day Spring of the Spirit, encompassed the world,
all the people of Israel arose in protest against Him. They clamored that He
Whose advent the Bible had foretold must needs promulgate and fulfil the laws
of Moses, whereas this youthful Nazarene, who laid claim to the station of the
divine Messiah, had annulled the laws of divorce and of the sabbath day—the
most weighty of all the laws of Moses. Moreover, what of the signs of the
Manifestation yet to come? These people of Israel are even unto the present day
still expecting that Manifestation which the Bible hath foretold! How many
Manifestations of Holiness, how many Revealers of the light everlasting, have
appeared since the time of Moses, and yet Israel, wrapt in the densest veils of
satanic fancy and false imaginings, is still expectant that the idol of her own
handiwork will appear with such signs as she herself hath conceived!
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
August 21
…consider the hardships and the bitterness of the lives of
those Revealers of the divine Beauty. Reflect, how single-handed and alone they
faced the world and all its peoples, and promulgated the Law of God! No matter
how severe the persecutions inflicted upon those holy, those precious, and
tender Souls, they still remained, in the plenitude of their power, patient,
and, despite their ascendancy, they suffered and endured. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The
Kitab-i-Iqan’)
August 20
Would that the hearts of men could be cleansed from these
man-made limitations and obscure thoughts imposed upon them! haply they may be
illumined by the light of the Sun of true knowledge, and comprehend the
mysteries of divine wisdom. Consider now, were the parched and barren soil of
these hearts to remain unchanged, how could they ever become the Recipients of
the revelation of the mysteries of God, and the Revealers of the divine
Essence? Thus hath He said: “On the day when the earth shall be changed into
another earth.” [Qur’án 14:48] (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
August 19
Erelong shall God draw forth, out of the bosom of power, the
hands of ascendancy and might, and shall raise up a people who will arise to
win victory for this Youth and who will purge mankind from the defilement of
the outcast and the ungodly. These hands
will gird up their loins to champion the Faith of God, and will, in My name the
Self-Subsistent, the Mighty, subdue the peoples and kindreds of the earth. They will enter the cities and will inspire
with fear the hearts of all their inhabitants.
Such are the evidences of the might of God; how fearful, how vehement is
His might, and how justly doth He wield it!
He, verily, ruleth and transcendeth all who are in the heavens and on
the earth, and revealeth what He desireth according to a prescribed measure. (Baha'u'llah,
Suriy-i-Haykal, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)
August 18
After passing through the Valley of Knowledge, which is the
last plane of limitation, the wayfarer cometh to the Valley of Unity and
drinketh from the cup of the Absolute, and gazeth on the Manifestations of
Oneness. In this station he pierceth the veils of plurality, fleeth from the
worlds of the flesh, and ascendeth into the heaven of singleness. With the ear
of God he heareth, with the eye of God he beholdeth the mysteries of divine
creation. He steppeth into the sanctuary of the Friend, and shareth as an
intimate the pavilion of the Loved One. He stretcheth out the hand of truth
from the sleeve of the Absolute; he revealeth the secrets of power. He seeth in
himself neither name nor fame nor rank, but findeth his own praise in praising
God. He beholdeth in his own name the name of God; to him, “all songs are from
the King,” [The Mathnaví] and every melody from Him. He sitteth on the
throne of “Say, all is from God,” [Qur’án 4:80]and taketh his rest on the
carpet of “There is no power or might but in God.” [Qur’án 18:37] He looketh on
all things with the eye of oneness, and seeth the brilliant rays of the divine
sun shining from the dawning-point of Essence alike on all created things, and
the lights of singleness reflected over all creation. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Seven
Valleys’)
August 17
I swear by Him Who hath caused Me to reveal whatever hath
pleased Him! Ye are better known to the inmates of the Kingdom on high than ye
are known to your own selves. Think ye these words to be vain and empty? Would
that ye had the power to perceive the things your Lord, the All-Merciful, doth
see—things that attest the excellence of your rank, that bear witness to the
greatness of your worth, that proclaim the sublimity of your station! God grant
that your desires and unmortified passions may not hinder you from that which
hath been ordained for you. (Baha'u'llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha'u'llah’)
August 16
The second Taráz is to consort with the followers of all
religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship, to proclaim that which
the Speaker on Sinai hath set forth and to observe
fairness in all matters. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after
the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
August 15
The Word of God hath set the heart of the world afire; how
regrettable if ye fail to be enkindled with its flame! Please God, ye will
regard this blessed night as the night of unity, will knit your souls together,
and resolve to adorn yourselves with the ornament of a goodly and praiseworthy
character. Let your principal concern be to rescue the fallen from the slough
of impending extinction, and to help him embrace the ancient Faith of God. Your
behavior towards your neighbor should be such as to manifest clearly the signs
of the one true God, for ye are the first among men to be re-created by His
Spirit, the first to adore and bow the knee before Him, the first to circle
round His throne of glory. (Baha'u'llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha'u'llah’)
August 14
This is the Day when the loved ones of God should keep their
eyes directed towards His Manifestation, and fasten them upon whatsoever that
Manifestation may be pleased to reveal. Certain traditions of bygone ages rest
on no foundations whatever, while the notions entertained by past generations,
and which they have recorded in their books, have, for the most part, been
influenced by the desires of a corrupt inclination. Thou dost witness how most
of the commentaries and interpretations of the words of God, now current
amongst men, are devoid of truth. Their falsity hath, in some cases, been
exposed when the intervening veils were rent asunder.
They themselves have acknowledged their failure in apprehending the meaning of
any of the words of God. (‘Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
August 13
Be unrestrained as the wind, while carrying the Message of
Him Who hath caused the Dawn of Divine Guidance to break. Consider, how the
wind, faithful to that which God hath ordained, bloweth upon all the regions of
the earth, be they inhabited or desolate. Neither the sight of desolation, nor
the evidences of prosperity, can either pain or please it. It bloweth in every
direction, as bidden by its Creator. So should be every one that claimeth to be
a lover of the one true God. It behoveth him to fix his gaze upon the
fundamentals of His Faith, and to labor diligently for its propagation.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh’; compilation
‘Unlocking the Power of Action’, prepared by the Research Department of the
Universal House of Justice)
August 12
They that are endued with sincerity and faithfulness should
associate with all the peoples and kindreds of the earth with joy and radiance,
inasmuch as consorting with people hath promoted and will continue to promote
unity and concord, which in turn are conducive to the maintenance of order in
the world and to the regeneration of nations. Blessed are such as hold fast to
the cord of kindliness and tender mercy and are free from animosity and hatred.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
August 11
The third Taráz concerneth good character. A good character
is, verily, the best mantle for men from God. With it He adorneth the temples
of His loved ones. By My life! The light of a good character surpasseth the
light of the sun and the radiance thereof. Whoso attaineth unto it is accounted
as a jewel among men. The glory and the upliftment of the world must needs
depend upon it. A goodly character is a means whereby men are guided to the
Straight Path and are led to the Great Announcement. Well is it with him who is
adorned with the saintly attributes and character of the Concourse on High. (Baha’u’llah,
‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas')
August 10
Verily, Christ is Our Word which We communicated unto Mary; [cf.
Qur’án 4:169] and let no one say what the Christians term as
‘the third of three’, [Qur’án 5:77] inasmuch as it would amount to slandering
the Remembrance Who, as decreed in the Mother Book, is invested with supreme
authority. Indeed God is but one God, and far be it from His glory that there
should be aught else besides Him. All those who shall attain unto Him on the
Day of Resurrection are but His servants, and God is, of a truth, a sufficient
Protector. Verily I am none other but the servant of God and His Word, and none
but the first one to bow down in supplication before God, the Most Exalted; and
indeed God witnesseth all things. (The Báb, excerpts from the Qayyumu’l-Asma,
‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
August 9
O SON OF MAN! Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth
not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall
never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My
glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide
then in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the realm of glory. (Baha’u’llah,
‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
August 8
Say: Rejoice not in the things ye possess; tonight they are
yours, tomorrow others will possess them. Thus warneth you He Who is the
All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: Can ye claim that what ye own is lasting or
secure? Nay! By Myself, the All-Merciful, ye cannot, if ye be of them who judge
fairly. The days of your life flee away as a breath of wind, and all your pomp
and glory shall be folded up as were the pomp and glory of those gone before
you. Reflect, O people! What hath become of your bygone days, your lost
centuries? Happy the days that have been consecrated to the remembrance of God,
and blessed the hours which have been spent in praise of Him Who is the
All-Wise. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
August 7
In another sense, by the terms ‘sun’, ‘moon’, and ‘stars’
are meant such laws and teachings as have been established and proclaimed in
every Dispensation, such as the laws of prayer and fasting. These have,
according to the law of the Qur’án, been regarded, when the beauty of the
Prophet Muhammad had passed beyond the veil, as the most fundamental and
binding laws of His dispensation. To this testify the texts of the traditions
and chronicles, which, on account of their being widely known,
need not be referred to here. Nay rather, in every Dispensation the law concerning
prayer hath been emphasized and universally enforced. To this testify the
recorded traditions ascribed to the lights that have emanated from the Day-star
of Truth, the essence of the Prophet Muhammad. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
August 6
By My life! Neither the pomp of the mighty, nor the wealth
of the rich, nor even the ascendancy of the ungodly will endure. All will
perish, at a word from Him. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the
All-Compelling, the Almighty. What advantage is there in the earthly things
which men possess? That which shall profit them, they have utterly neglected.
Erelong, they will awake from their slumber, and find themselves unable to
obtain that which hath escaped them in the days of their Lord, the Almighty,
the All-Praised. Did they but know it, they would renounce their all, that
their names may be mentioned before His throne. They, verily, are accounted
among the dead. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
August 5
By My glory! I will make the infidels to taste, with the
hands of My power, retributions unknown of any one except Me, and will waft
over the faithful those musk-scented breaths which I have nursed in the midmost
heart of My throne; and verily the knowledge of God embraceth all things. (The
Báb, excerpts from the Qayyumu’l-Asma, ‘Selections from the Writings of the
Báb)
August 4
…it is Our wish to disclose unto thee certain stations in
the wayfarer’s journey towards his Creator. Perchance all that thine eminence
hath desired may be revealed unto thee, that the proof may be made complete and
the blessing abundant.
Know thou of a truth that the seeker must, at the beginning of his quest for God, enter the Garden of Search. In this journey it behoveth the wayfarer to detach himself from all save God and to close his eyes to all that is in the heavens and on the earth. There must not linger in his heart either the hate or the love of any soul, to the extent that they would hinder him from attaining the habitation of the celestial Beauty. He must sanctify his soul from the veils of glory and refrain from boasting of such worldly vanities, outward knowledge, or other gifts as God may have bestowed upon him. He must search after the truth to the utmost of his ability and exertion, that God may guide him in the paths of His favour and the ways of His mercy. For He, verily, is the best of helpers unto His servants. He saith, and He verily speaketh the truth: “Whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways shall We assuredly guide him.” [ Qur’án 29:69] And furthermore: “Fear God and God will give you knowledge.” (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
Know thou of a truth that the seeker must, at the beginning of his quest for God, enter the Garden of Search. In this journey it behoveth the wayfarer to detach himself from all save God and to close his eyes to all that is in the heavens and on the earth. There must not linger in his heart either the hate or the love of any soul, to the extent that they would hinder him from attaining the habitation of the celestial Beauty. He must sanctify his soul from the veils of glory and refrain from boasting of such worldly vanities, outward knowledge, or other gifts as God may have bestowed upon him. He must search after the truth to the utmost of his ability and exertion, that God may guide him in the paths of His favour and the ways of His mercy. For He, verily, is the best of helpers unto His servants. He saith, and He verily speaketh the truth: “Whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways shall We assuredly guide him.” [ Qur’án 29:69] And furthermore: “Fear God and God will give you knowledge.” (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
August 3
O concourse of light! By the righteousness of God, We speak
not according to selfish desire, nor hath a single letter of this Book been
revealed save by the leave of God, the Sovereign Truth. Fear ye God and
entertain no doubts regarding His Cause, for verily, the Mystery of this Gate
is shrouded in the mystic utterances of His Writ and hath been written beyond
the impenetrable veil of concealment by the hand of God, the Lord of the
visible and the invisible. (The Báb, excerpts from the Qayyumu’l-Asma,
‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
August 2
Out of utter nothingness, O great and omnipotent Master,
Thou hast, through the celestial potency of Thy might, brought me forth and
raised me up to proclaim this Revelation. I have made none other but Thee my
trust; I have clung to no will but Thy Will. Thou art, in truth, the
All-Sufficing and behind Thee standeth the true God, He Who overshadoweth all
things. Indeed sufficient unto Me is God, the Exalted, the Powerful, the
Sustainer. (The Báb, excerpts from the Qayyumu’l-Asma, ‘Selections from the
Writings of the Báb)
August 1
Indeed God hath created everywhere around this Gate oceans
of divine elixir, tinged crimson with the essence of existence and vitalized
through the animating power of the desired fruit; and for
them God hath provided Arks of ruby, tender, crimson-coloured, wherein none
shall sail but the people of Bahá, by the leave of God, the Most Exalted; and
verily He is the All-Glorious, the All-Wise. (The Báb, excerpts from the
Qayyumu’l-Asma, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
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