Arise ye, under all conditions, to render service to the
Cause, for God will assuredly assist you through the power of His sovereignty
which overshadoweth the worlds. Cleave ye unto the cord of refinement with such
tenacity as to allow no trace of dirt to be seen upon your garments. Such is
the injunction of One Who is sanctified above all refinement. Whoso falleth
short of this standard with good reason shall incur no blame. God, verily, is
the Forgiving, the Merciful. Wash ye every soiled thing with water that hath
undergone no alteration in any one of the three respects; take heed not to use
water that hath been altered through exposure to the air or to some other
agent. Be ye the very essence of cleanliness amongst mankind. This, truly, is
what your Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Wise, desireth for you.
(Baha’u’llah,
‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
