O SON OF DESIRE! Give ear unto this: Never shall mortal eye
recognize the everlasting Beauty, nor the lifeless heart delight in aught but
in the withered bloom. For like seeketh like, and taketh pleasure in the
company of its kind. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
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“Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide.” (Bahá’u’lláh, ‘The Kitáb-i-Aqdas’)
February 27
Thou art most dear to Us; and, as We love thee, so love We
all in whom may be perceived the goodly adornments of trustworthiness and
uprightness, and such qualities of virtue and integrity as have been enjoined
upon men in the Book of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Happy the lot of
the soul that hath perceived the fragrant breaths of divine utterance, and
given ear to what hath been revealed by God, the Omniscient, the All-Informed.
God hath, verily, willed that His Cause should be assisted by the hosts of
goodly deeds and a righteous character. Blessed, then, be the man that
apprehendeth this truth and acteth conformably; and woe betide those who ignore
or deny it! (Baha’u’llah, The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II,
Trustworthiness)
February 26
Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an
answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
February 25
My God, my Fire and my Light! The days which Thou hast named
the Ayyám-i-Há (the Days of Há, Intercalary days) in Thy Book have begun, O Thou
Who art the King of names, and the fast which Thy most exalted Pen hath
enjoined unto all who are in the kingdom of Thy creation
to observe is approaching. I entreat Thee, O my Lord, by these days and by all
such as have during that period clung to the cord of Thy commandments, and laid
hold on the handle of Thy precepts, to grant that unto every soul may be
assigned a place within the precincts of Thy court, and a seat at the
revelation of the splendors of the light of Thy countenance.
(Baha’u’llah, ’Prayers and Meditations)
(Baha’u’llah, ’Prayers and Meditations)
February 24
I am but a poor creature, O my Lord; I have clung to the hem
of Thy riches. I am sore sick; I have held fast the cord of Thy healing.
Deliver me from the ills that have encircled me, and wash me thoroughly with
the waters of Thy graciousness and mercy, and attire me with the raiment of
wholesomeness, through Thy forgiveness and bounty. Fix, then, mine eyes upon
Thee, and rid me of all attachment to aught else except Thyself. Aid me to do
what Thou desirest, and to fulfill what Thou pleasest.
(Baha’u’llah, ’Prayers and Meditations)
(Baha’u’llah, ’Prayers and Meditations)
February 23
This Remembrance is indeed the glorious Remnant of the Light
of God, and He will be best for you, [Qur’án 11:87] if ye in very truth remain
faithful to God, the Most Exalted...
We have in truth sent Thee forth unto all men, by the leave
of God, invested with Our signs and reinforced by Our unsurpassed sovereignty.
He is indeed the appointed Bearer of the Trust of God...
O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Persevere steadfastly as Thou art bidden
and let not the faithless amongst men nor their utterances grieve Thee, since
Thy Lord shall, by the righteousness of God, the Most Great, pass judgement
upon them on the Day of Resurrection, and surely God witnesseth all things.
(The Báb, excerpts from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
(The Báb, excerpts from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
February 22
Whosoever… recognizeth and acknowledgeth the Dawning-place
of God’s Revelation, will be recorded in the Book of God among them that are
endued with understanding. Otherwise he is naught but an ignorant soul, though
he believe himself to be possessed of every wisdom…[W]ere a person to see
himself standing in the presence of God, were he to sanctify his soul from
earthly attachments and evil intentions, and reflect upon that which hath been
revealed in this most great Revelation from its inception to this day, he would
readily testify that every detached soul, every perfect mind, sanctified being,
attentive ear, penetrating eye, eloquent tongue, and joyous and radiant heart
circleth round and boweth down, nay prostrateth itself in submission, before
the mighty throne of God.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
(Baha’u’llah, ‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
February 21
This Wronged One, rid of all attachment to the world, hath
striven with utmost endeavour to quench the fire of animosity and hatred which
burneth fiercely in the hearts of the peoples of the earth. It behoveth every
just and fair-minded person to render thanks unto God—exalted be His glory—and
to arise to promote this pre-eminent Cause, that fire may turn into light, and
hatred may give way to fellowship and love. I swear by the righteousness of
God! This is the sole purpose of this Wronged One. Indeed in proclaiming this
momentous Cause and in demonstrating its Truth We have endured manifold
sufferings, hardships and tribulations.
(Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
(Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
February 20
Say: The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth
is His own Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation. For whoso faileth to
recognize either the one or the other He hath established the words He hath
revealed as proof of His reality and truth. This is, verily, an evidence of His
tender mercy unto men. He hath endowed every soul with the
capacity to recognize the signs of God. How could He, otherwise, have fulfilled
His testimony unto men, if ye be of them that ponder His Cause in their hearts.
He will never deal unjustly with any one, neither will He task a soul beyond
its power. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
February 19
O Temple of the Cause!
Grieve not if Thou findest none ready to receive Thy gifts. Thou wast created for My sake; occupy Thyself
therefore with My praise amidst My servants.
This is that which hath been ordained for Thee in the Preserved
Tablet. Having found upon the earth many
a soiled hand, We sanctified the hem of Thy garment from the profanity of their
touch and placed it beyond the reach of the ungodly. Be patient in the Cause of Thy Lord, for
erelong shall He raise up souls endowed with sanctified hearts and illumined
eyes who shall flee from every quarter unto Thine all-encompassing and
boundless grace.
(Baha'u'llah, Suriy-i-Haykal, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)
(Baha'u'llah, Suriy-i-Haykal, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)
February 18
We make mention of thee[Queen Victoria] for the sake of God,
and desire that thy name may be exalted through thy remembrance of God, the
Creator of earth and of heaven. He, verily, is witness unto that which I say.
We have been informed that thou hast forbidden the trading in slaves, both men
and women. This, verily, is what God hath enjoined in this wondrous Revelation.
God hath, truly, destined a reward for thee, because of this. He, verily, will
pay the doer of good, whether man or woman, his due recompense, wert thou to
follow what hath been sent unto thee by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the
All-Informed. As to him who turneth aside, and swelleth with pride, after that
the clear tokens have come unto him, from the Revealer of signs, his work shall
God bring to naught. He, in truth, hath power over all things. Man’s actions
are acceptable after his having recognized (the Manifestation). He that turneth
aside from the True One is indeed the most veiled amongst His creatures. Thus
hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Almighty, the Most Powerful.
(Baha’u’llah, from a Tablet addressed to Queen Victoria, quoted by Baha’u’llah in the ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
(Baha’u’llah, from a Tablet addressed to Queen Victoria, quoted by Baha’u’llah in the ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
February 17
We have ordained that our Cause be taught through the power
of utterance. Beware lest ye dispute idly with anyone. Whoso ariseth wholly for
the sake of his Lord to teach His Cause, the Holy Spirit shall strengthen him
and inspire him with that which will illumine the heart of the world, how much
more the hearts of those who seek Him. O people of Baha! Subdue the citadels of
men's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance. They that dispute, as
prompted by their desires, are indeed wrapped in a palpable veil. Say: The
sword of wisdom is hotter than summer heat, and sharper than blades of steel,
if ye do but understand. Draw it forth in My name and through the power of My
might, and conquer then with it the cities of the hearts of them that have
secluded themselves in the stronghold of their corrupt desires. Thus biddeth
you the Pen of the All-Glorious, whilst seated beneath the swords of the
wayward.
(Baha'u'llah, from a Tablet addressed to Napoleon III, ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
(Baha'u'llah, from a Tablet addressed to Napoleon III, ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
February 16
O Queen in London! Incline thine ear unto the voice of thy
Lord, the Lord of all mankind, calling from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, no
God is there but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise! Cast away all that is on
earth, and attire the head of thy kingdom with the crown of the remembrance of
Thy Lord, the All-Glorious. He, in truth, hath come unto the world in His most
great glory, and all that hath been mentioned in the Gospel hath been
fulfilled. The land of Syria hath been honored by the footsteps of its Lord,
the Lord of all men, and North and South are both inebriated with the wine of
His presence. Blessed is the man that hath inhaled the fragrance of the Most
Merciful, and turned unto the Dawning-Place of His beauty, in this resplendent
Dawn. The Mosque of Aqsá vibrateth through the breezes of its Lord, the
All-Glorious, whilst Bathá (Mecca) trembleth at the voice of God, the Exalted,
the Most High. Every single stone of them celebrateth the praise of the Lord,
through this Great Name.
(Baha’u’llah, from a Tablet addressed to Queen Victoria, quoted by Baha’u’llah in the ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
(Baha’u’llah, from a Tablet addressed to Queen Victoria, quoted by Baha’u’llah in the ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
February 15
The people of the world have grievously
erred, for they fondly imagine that they can exterminate the Cause of God, that
they would be able to extinguish His effulgent light, and to put out His
heavenly lamps. Vain indeed are their imaginings. I swear by the righteousness
of God that the more they endeavour to quench His Light, the brighter will it
shine, and the more they strive to smother its flame, the fiercer will it burn.
God's invincible Will far transcendeth their devices, and His Purpose is supreme
above all human desires, inasmuch as all that is in the heavens and all that is
on the earth have been called into being through a single holy breeze --the
Word of His command--wafted from His presence, and all shall be brought to
naught through but one letter of His.
(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)
(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)
February 14
So blind hath become the human heart that neither the
disruption of the city, nor the reduction of the mountain in dust, nor even the
cleaving of the earth, can shake off its torpor. The allusions made in the
Scriptures have been unfolded, and the signs recorded therein have been
revealed, and the prophetic cry is continually being raised. And yet all,
except such as God was pleased to guide, are bewildered in the drunkenness of
their heedlessness.(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
February 13
And the wayfarer, after traversing the high planes of this
supernal journey, entereth the Valley of Contentment. In this Valley he feeleth the winds of divine
contentment blowing from the plane of the spirit. He burneth away the veils of
want, and with inward and outward eye, perceiveth within and without all things
the day of: “God will compensate each one out of His abundance.” [Qur’án 4:129]
From sorrow he turneth to bliss, from anguish to joy. His grief and mourning
yield to delight and rapture.
Although to outward view, the wayfarers in this Valley may
dwell upon the dust, yet inwardly they are throned in the heights of mystic
meaning; they eat of the endless bounties of inner significances, and drink of
the delicate wines of the spirit.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys)
(Baha’u’llah, ‘The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys)
February 12
Behold how contrary are the ways of the Manifestations of
God, as ordained by the King of creation, to the ways and desires of men! As
thou comest to comprehend the essence of these divine mysteries, thou wilt
grasp the purpose of God, the divine Charmer, the Best-Beloved. Thou wilt
regard the words and the deeds of that almighty Sovereign as one and the same;
in such wise that whatsoever thou dost behold in His deeds, the same wilt thou
find in His sayings, and whatsoever thou dost read in His sayings, that wilt
thou recognize in His deeds. Thus it is that outwardly such deeds and words are
the fire of vengeance unto the wicked, and inwardly the waters of mercy unto
the righteous. Were the eye of the heart to open, it would surely perceive that
the words revealed from the heaven of the will of God are at one with, and the
same as, the deeds that have emanated from the Kingdom of divine power.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Iqán’)
(Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Iqán’)
February 11
I entreat Thee[God], O Thou Who art my Companion and my
Best-Beloved, to lift the veil that hath come in between Thee and Thy servants,
that they may recognize Thee with Thine own eye and rid themselves of all
attachment to any one but Thee. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’)
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’)
February 10
O SON OF SPIRIT! Vaunt not thyself over the poor, for I lead
him on his way and behold thee in thy evil plight and confound thee for
evermore.
(Baha'u'llah, ‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
(Baha'u'llah, ‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
February 9
O King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch,
when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the
knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is
Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and
heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of
understanding to flow. The learning current amongst men I studied not; their
schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt, that thou mayest be
well assured that I am not of them who speak falsely. This is but a leaf which
the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised, have stirred.
Can it be still when the tempestuous winds are blowing? Nay, by Him Who is the
Lord of all Names and Attributes! They move it as they list. The evanescent is
as nothing before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling summons hath
reached Me, and caused Me to speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed
as one dead when His behest was uttered. The hand of the will of thy Lord, the
Compassionate, the Merciful, transformed Me.
(Baha’u’llah, from a Tablet addressed to Násiri’d-Dín Sháh; ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
(Baha’u’llah, from a Tablet addressed to Násiri’d-Dín Sháh; ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
February 8
O Hádí![1] Be thou of one face in the path of God. When in
company with the infidels, thou art an infidel and with the pious, thou art
pious. Reflect thou upon such souls as offered up their lives and their
substance in that land, that haply thou mayest be admonished and roused from
slumber. Consider: who is to be preferred, he who preserveth his body, his life
and his possessions or the one who surrendereth his all in the path of God?
Judge thou fairly and be not of the unjust. Take fast hold of justice and
adhere unto equity that perchance thou mayest not, for selfish motives, use
religion as a snare, nor disregard the truth for the sake of gold. Indeed thine
iniquity and the iniquity of such people as thyself have
waxed so grievous that the Pen of Glory was moved to make such observations.
Fear thou God. He Who heralded this Revelation hath declared: ‘He shall
proclaim under all conditions: “Verily, verily, I am God, no God is there but
Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”’
(Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
(Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
[1] Mírzá Hádí Dawlat-Ábádí, one of the divines of Iṣfáhán,
who became a follower of the Báb, later supported Mírzá Yaḥyá, and was
appointed his representative in Írán and his successor. During the persecutions
against the Bábís he recanted his faith.
February 7
In this station [the City of Divine Unity] the truth of the
unity of God and of the signs of His sanctity is established. Thou shalt indeed
see them all rising above the bosom of God’s might and embraced in the arms of
His mercy; nor can any distinction be made between His bosom and His arms. To
speak of change or transformation in this plane would be sheer blasphemy and
utter impiety, for this is the station wherein the light of divine unity
shineth forth, and the truth of His oneness is expressed, and the splendours of
the everlasting Morn are reflected in lofty and faithful mirrors. By God! Were
I to reveal the full measure of that which He hath ordained for this station,
the souls of men would depart from their bodies, the inner realities of all
things would be shaken in their foundations, they that dwell within the realms
of creation would be dumbfounded, and those who move in the lands of allusion
would fade into utter nothingness.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’, ‘Javáhiru’l-Asrár’)
February 6
We exhort the men of the House of Justice and command them
to ensure the protection and safeguarding of men, women and children. It is
incumbent upon them to have the utmost regard for the interests of the people
at all times and under all conditions. Blessed is the ruler who succoureth the
captive, and the rich one who careth for the poor, and the just one who
secureth from the wrong doer the rights of the downtrodden, and happy the
trustee who observeth that which the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days hath
prescribed unto him.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas’; The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, Crisis and Victory)
(Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas’; The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, Crisis and Victory)
February 5
…not every intellect can be the criterion of truth. The
truly wise are, in the first place, the Chosen Ones of God, magnified be His
glory—they Whom He hath singled out to be the Treasuries of His knowledge, the
Repositories of His Revelation, the Daysprings of His authority and the
Dawning-places of His wisdom, they Whom He hath made His representatives on
earth and through Whom He revealeth that which He hath purposed. Whoso turneth
unto them hath turned unto God, and whoso turneth away shall not be remembered
in the presence of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
(Baha’u’llah, ‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
February 4
Were anyone to meditate upon this blessed and transcendent
Revelation and to ponder the verses that have been sent down, he would readily
bear witness that the one true God is immeasurably exalted above His creatures,
and that the knowledge of all things hath ever been and shall ever remain with
Him. Every fair-minded soul, moreover, will testify that whosoever faileth to
embrace the truth of this most great Revelation will find himself powerless and
incapable of establishing the validity of any other cause or creed. And as to
those who have deprived themselves of the robe of justice and arisen to promote
the cause of iniquity, they shall give voice to that which the exponents of
hatred and fanaticism have uttered from time immemorial. The knowledge of all
things is with God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
(Baha’u’llah, ‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
(Baha’u’llah, ‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
February 3
Ye perform your works for God from the beginning of your
lives till the end thereof, yet not a single act is for the sake of Him Who is
the Manifestation of God, to Whom every good deed reverteth. Had ye acted in
such manner, ye would not have suffered so grievously on the Day of
Resurrection.
Behold how great is the Cause, and yet how the people are
wrapt in veils. I swear by the sanctified Essence of God that every true praise
and deed offered unto God is naught but praise and deed offered unto Him Whom
God shall make manifest.
Deceive not your own selves that you are being virtuous for
the sake of God when you are not.
For should ye truly do your works for God, ye would be
performing them for Him Whom God shall make manifest and would be magnifying
His Name. The dwellers of this mountain who are bereft of true understanding
unceasingly utter the words, ‘No God is there but God’; but what benefit doth
it yield them? Ponder awhile that ye may not be shut out as by a veil from Him
Who is the Dayspring of Revelation.
(The Báb, excerpts from the Persian Bayán; Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
(The Báb, excerpts from the Persian Bayán; Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
February 2
Be fair to yourselves and to others that the evidences of
justice may be revealed through your deeds among Our faithful servants… Equity is
the most fundamental among human virtues. The evaluation of all things must
needs depend upon it… Observe equity in your judgment, ye men of understanding
heart! He that is unjust in his judgment is destitute of the characteristics
that distinguish man’s station.
(Baha’u’llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)
(Baha’u’llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)
February 1
I swear by the life of Him Who is the Desire of the world!
Were a man to ponder in his heart he would, free of all attachment to the
world, hasten unto the Most Great Light and would purge and purify himself from
the dust of vain imaginings and the smoke of idle fancy. What could have
prompted the people of the past to err and by whom were they misled? They still
reject the truth and have turned towards their own selfish desires. This Wronged
One calleth aloud for the sake of God. Whosoever wisheth, let him turn
thereunto; whosoever wisheth, let him turn away. Verily God can well afford to
dispense with all things, whether of the past or of the future.
(Baha’u’llah, from the Tablet of Tarazat [Ornaments], Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
(Baha’u’llah, from the Tablet of Tarazat [Ornaments], Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
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