Consecrate Thou, O my God, the whole of this Tree unto Him,
that from it may be revealed all the fruits created by God within it for Him
through Whom God hath willed to reveal all that He pleaseth. By Thy glory! I
have not wished that this Tree should ever bear any branch, leaf, or fruit that
would fail to bow down before Him, on the day of His Revelation, or refuse to
laud Thee through Him, as beseemeth the glory of His all-glorious Revelation,
and the sublimity of His most sublime Concealment. And shouldst Thou behold, O
my God, any branch, leaf, or fruit upon Me that hath failed to bow down before
Him, on the day of His Revelation, cut it off, O My God, from that Tree, for it
is not of Me, nor shall it return unto Me.
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings
of the Báb)
October 30
Thy Lord hath never raised up a prophet in the past who
failed to summon the people to His Lord, and today is truly similar to the
times of old, were ye to ponder over the verses revealed by God.
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
October 29
Wert thou [1] to ponder a while, thou wouldst bear witness
unto the wisdom, and the power, and the sovereignty of God, exalted be His
glory. The few who were unaware of this Cause, and had not met Us, have spoken
in such a manner that all things, and those souls who are well assured,
pleased, and pleasing unto God, have testified unto the imposture of these
heedless ones. Wert thou now to exert thyself, the truth of this Cause would be
made apparent unto mankind, and the people would be delivered from this
grievous and oppressive darkness. Who else but Bahá can speak forth before the
face of men, and who else but He can have the power to pronounce that which He
was bidden by God, the Lord of Hosts?
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the
Wolf’)
[1] Shaykh Muhammad-Taqi, known as Aqa Najafi, a son of
Shaykh Muhammad-Baqir who was stigmatized by Him as 'Wolf'. After the death of
his father in 1883, Aqa Najafi succeeded him as a leading mujtahid of Isfahan.
He was an inveterate enemy and formidable opponent of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh.
(Adib Taherzadeh, ‘The Revelation of Baha’u’llah, vol. 4)
October 28
By God! This [followers of Baha’u’llah] people have never
been, nor are they now, inclined to mischief. Their hearts are illumined with
the light of the fear of God, and adorned with the adornment of His love. Their
concern hath ever been and now is for the betterment of the world. Their
purpose is to obliterate differences, and quench the flame of hatred and
enmity, so that the whole earth may come to be viewed as one country.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
October 27
He [1] hath moreover written that Christians welcome those
who decide of their own accord to embrace their religion, but make no effort
and exert no pressure to this end. This, however, is a misconception. For the
Christians have exerted and continue to exert the utmost effort in teaching
their faith. Their church organizations have an expenditure of about thirty
million. Their missionaries have scattered far and wide throughout the globe
and are assiduously engaged in teaching Christianity. Thus have they compassed
the world. How numerous the schools and churches they have founded to instruct
children, yet their unavowed aim is that these children, as they acquire an
education, may also become acquainted in their early years with the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, and that the unsullied mirrors of their hearts may thus reflect
that which their teachers have purposed. Indeed the followers of no other
religion are as intent upon the propagation of their faith as the Christians.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Tabernacle of Unity’)
[1] Mánikchí Limjí Hataria (1813–1890), also known as
Mánikchí (Manekji) Sáhib, born in India of Zoroastrian parents.
October 26
He—blessed and exalted be He—saith: “It is God Who hath
reared the heavens without pillars thou canst behold; then mounted His throne,
and imposed laws on the sun and moon: each traveleth to its appointed goal. He
ordereth all things. He maketh His signs clear, that ye may have firm faith in
the Presence of your Lord.” [Qur’an, Surih 13: Thunder]
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
October 25
Say, how dare ye flagrantly deny the verses sent down from
the heaven of justice, yet ye read the Books of God revealed in the past? How
do ye repudiate the meeting with your Lord which was appointed with you
aforetime, and fail in this Day to heed His warning? Indeed, by adhering to
forms and by following the promptings of your selfish desires, ye have deprived
yourselves of the good-pleasure of your Lord, except those whom their Lord hath
endowed with knowledge and who in this Day render thanks unto Him for the
bounty of being identified with the true Faith of God. Therefore announce ye
the Message unto those who manifest virtue and teach them the ways of the One
True God, that haply they may comprehend.
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
October 24
Strive thou, that haply thou mayest achieve a deed the
fragrance of which shall never fade from the earth.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
October 23
Reflect, O Shaykh, upon the Shí’ih sect. How many the
edifices which they reared with the hands of idle fancies and vain imaginings,
and how numerous the cities which they built! At length those vain imaginings
were converted into bullets and aimed at Him Who is the Prince of the world.
Not one single soul among the leaders of that sect acknowledged Him in the Day
of His Revelation! Whenever His blessed name was mentioned, all would say: “May
God hasten the joy His coming will bring!” On the day of the Revelation of that
Sun of Truth, however, all, as hath been observed, have exclaimed, saying: “May
God hasten His chastisement!” He Who was the Essence of being and Lord of the
seen and unseen they suspended, and committed what made the Tablet to weep, and
the Pen to groan, and the cries of the sincere to break forth, and the tears of
the favored ones to flow.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
October 22
This mortal life is sure to perish; its pleasures are bound
to fade away and ere long ye shall return unto God, distressed with pangs of
remorse, for presently ye shall be roused from your slumber, and ye shall soon
find yourselves in the presence of God and will be asked of your doings.
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
October 21
The distinguished Sáhib, [1] may God graciously aid him,
hath written that the Hindus and Zoroastrians do not permit or welcome outsiders
who wish to join their ranks. This runneth counter to the purpose underlying
the advent of the Messengers of God and to that which hath been revealed in
their Books. For those Who have appeared at God’s behest have been entrusted
with the guidance and education of all people. How could they debar a seeker
from the object of his quest, or forbid a wayfarer from the desire of his
heart? The fire-temples of the world stand as eloquent testimony to this truth.
In their time they summoned, with burning zeal, all the inhabitants of the
earth to Him Who is the Spirit of purity.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Tabernacle of Unity’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Tabernacle of Unity’)
[1] Mánikchí Limjí Hataria (1813–1890), also known as
Mánikchí (Manekji) Sáhib, born in India of Zoroastrian parents.
October 20
…in reality it [the Qur’an] hath been interpreted in
numerous ways and translated into countless languages. That which men have been
unable to grasp are its hidden mysteries and inner meanings. And all that they
have said or will say is limited in scope and should be seen as commensurate
with their rank and station. For none can fathom its true meaning save God, the
One, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Tabernacle of Unity’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Tabernacle of Unity’)
October 19
Yield thee thanks unto God, for He hath graciously aided
thee in this Day, revealed for thee the clear verses of this Tablet, and hath
numbered thee among such women as have believed in the signs of God, have taken
Him as their guardian and are of the grateful. Verily God shall soon reward
thee and those who have believed in His signs with an excellent reward from His
presence. Assuredly no God is there other than Him, the All-Possessing, the
Most Generous. The revelations of His bounty pervade all created things; He is
the Merciful, the Compassionate.
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
October 18
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are
the kingdoms in the heavens and on the earth and all that is between them. He
is exalted above the comprehension of all things, and is inscrutable to the
mind of every created being; none shall be able to fathom the oneness of His
Being or to unravel the nature of His Existence. No peer or likeness, no
similitude or equal can ever be joined with Him. Yield ye praise then unto Him
and glorify Him and bear ye witness to the sanctity and oneness of His Being
and magnify His might and majesty with wondrous glorification.
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb’)
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb’)
October 17
Say, God hath undisputed triumph over every victorious one.
There is no one in heaven or earth or in whatever lieth between them who can
frustrate the transcendent supremacy of His triumph. He calleth into being
whatsoever He willeth through the potency of His behest. Verily God is the
mightiest Sustainer, the Helper and the Defender.
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb')
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb')
October 16
Say: O concourse of the heedless! I swear by God! The
promised day is come, the day when tormenting trials will have surged above
your heads, and beneath your feet, saying: ‘Taste ye what your hands have
wrought!’
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in a letter dated December 25, 1938, published as ‘The Advent of the Divine Justice’)
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in a letter dated December 25, 1938, published as ‘The Advent of the Divine Justice’)
October 15
…those who in every subsequent Dispensation preceded the
rest of mankind in embracing the Faith of God, who quaffed the clear waters of
knowledge at the hand of the divine Beauty, and attained the loftiest summits
of faith and certitude, these can be regarded, in name, in reality, in deeds,
in words, and in rank, as the “return” of those who in a former Dispensation
had achieved similar distinctions. For whatsoever the people of a former
Dispensation have manifested, the same hath been shown by the people of this
latter generation. Consider the rose: whether it blossometh in the East or in
the West, it is none the less a rose. For what mattereth in this respect is not
the outward shape and form of the rose, but rather the smell and fragrance
which it doth impart.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
October 14
The system of government which the British people have
adopted in London appeareth to be good, for it is adorned with the light of
both kingship and of the consultation of the people.
- 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’)
October 13
Incline your hearts, O people of God, unto the counsels of
your true, your incomparable Friend. The Word of God may be likened unto a
sapling, whose roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent
upon you to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of
sanctified and holy words, so that its root may become firmly fixed and its
branches may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond.
- 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’)
October 12
Purge thy sight… from all earthly limitations, that thou
mayest behold them all as the bearers of one Name, the exponents of one Cause,
the manifestations of one Self, and the revealers of one Truth, and that thou
mayest apprehend the mystic “return” of the Words of God as unfolded by these
utterances.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
October 11
Should anyone wax angry with you, respond to him with
gentleness; and should anyone upbraid you, forbear to upbraid him in return,
but leave him to himself and put your trust in God, the omnipotent Avenger, the
Lord of might and justice.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
October 10
Ye have been enjoined to renew the furnishings of your homes
after the passing of each nineteen years; thus hath it been ordained by One Who
is Omniscient and All-Perceiving. He, verily, is desirous of refinement, both
for you yourselves and for all that ye possess; lay not aside the fear of God
and be not of the negligent. Whoso findeth that his means are insufficient to
this purpose hath been excused by God, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bounteous.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
October 9
Consider how a Pharisee who had worshipped God for seventy
years repudiated the Son when He appeared, whereas one who had committed
adultery gained admittance into the Kingdom.
Thus doth the Pen admonish thee as bidden by the Eternal King, that thou
mayest be apprised of what came to pass aforetime and be reckoned in this day
among them that truly believe.
- Baha'u'llah (Tablet to Napoleon III,
Suriy-i-Haykal [Tablet of Temple]; ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
October 8
O ye that dwell on earth! The distinguishing feature that
marketh the pre-eminent character of this Supreme Revelation consisteth in that
We have, on the one hand, blotted out from the pages of God’s holy Book
whatsoever hath been the cause of strife, of malice and mischief amongst the
children of men, and have, on the other, laid down the essential prerequisites
of concord, of understanding, of complete and enduring unity. Well is it with
them that keep My statutes.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed
after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
October 7
Ye have been prohibited from making use of pulpits. Whoso
wisheth to recite unto you the verses of his Lord, let him sit on a chair
placed upon a dais, that he may make mention of God, his Lord, and the Lord of
all mankind. It is pleasing to God that ye should seat yourselves on chairs and
benches as a mark of honour for the love ye bear for Him and for the
Manifestation of His glorious and resplendent Cause.
- Baha’u’llah (The
Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
October 6
These same people, [1] though wrapt in all these veils of
limitation, and despite the restraint of such observances, as soon as they
drank the immortal draught of faith, from the cup of certitude, at the hand of
the Manifestation of the All-Glorious, were so transformed that they would
renounce for His sake their kindred, their substance, their lives, their
beliefs, yea, all else save God! So overpowering was their yearning for God, so
uplifting their transports of ecstatic delight, that the world and all that is
therein faded before their eyes into nothingness. Have not this people
exemplified the mysteries of “rebirth” and “return”? Hath it not been witnessed
that these same people, ere they were endued with the new and wondrous grace of
God, sought through innumerable devices, to ensure the protection of their
lives against destruction? Would not a thorn fill them with terror, and the
sight of a fox put them to flight? But once having been honoured with God’s
supreme distinction, and having been vouchsafed His bountiful grace, they
would, if they were able, have freely offered up ten thousand lives in His
path! Nay, their blessed souls, contemptuous of the cage of their bodies, would
yearn for deliverance. A single warrior of that host would face and fight a
multitude! And yet, how could they, but for the transformation wrought in their
lives, be capable of manifesting such deeds which are contrary to the ways of
men and incompatible with their worldly desires?
It is evident that nothing short of this mystic
transformation could cause such spirit and behaviour, so utterly unlike their
previous habits and manners, to be made manifest in the world of being. For
their agitation was turned into peace, their doubt into certitude, their
timidity into courage. Such is the potency of the Divine Elixir, which, swift
as the twinkling of an eye, transmuteth the souls of men!
- Baha’u’llah (‘The
Kitab-i-Iqan’)
[1] People at the time of Noah before they recognized the
Manifestation of God
October 5
Time and again have We admonished Our beloved ones to avoid,
nay to flee from, anything whatsoever from which the odour of mischief can be
detected. The world is in great turmoil, and the minds of its people are in a
state of utter confusion. We entreat the Almighty that He may graciously
illuminate them with the glory of His Justice, and enable them to discover that
which will be profitable unto them at all times and under all conditions. He,
verily is the All-Possessing, the Most High.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of
Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
October 4
O people of God! In this day everyone should fix his eyes
upon the horizon of these blessed words: ‘Alone and unaided He doeth whatsoever
He pleaseth.’ Whoso attaineth this station hath verily attained the light of
the essential unity of God and is enlightened thereby, while all others are
reckoned in the Book of God among the followers of idle fancy and vain
imagination. Incline your ears to the Voice of this Wronged One and safeguard
the integrity of your stations. It is highly necessary and imperative that
everyone should observe this matter.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah
revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
October 3
Behold, the “mystery of the Great Reversal in the Sign of
the Sovereign” hath now been made manifest. Well is it with him whom God hath
aided to recognize the “Six” raised up by virtue of this “Upright Alif”; he,
verily, is of those whose faith is true. How many the outwardly pious who have
turned away, and how many the wayward who have drawn nigh, exclaiming: “All
praise be to Thee, O Thou the Desire of the worlds!” In truth, it is in the
hand of God to give what He willeth to whomsoever He willeth, and to withhold
what He pleaseth from whomsoever He may wish. He knoweth the inner secrets of
the hearts and the meaning hidden in a mocker’s wink. How many an embodiment of
heedlessness who came unto Us with purity of heart have We established upon the
seat of Our acceptance; and how many an exponent of wisdom have We in all
justice consigned to the fire. We are, in truth, the One to judge. He it is Who
is the manifestation of “God doeth whatsoever He pleaseth”, and abideth upon
the throne of “He ordaineth whatsoever He chooseth”.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The
Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
October 2
Gambling and the use of opium have been forbidden unto you.
Eschew them both, O people, and be not of those who transgress. Beware of using
any substance that induceth sluggishness and torpor in the human temple and
inflicteth harm upon the body. We, verily, desire for you naught save what
shall profit you, and to this bear witness all created things, had ye but ears
to hear.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
October 1
…consider the substance of copper. Were it to be protected
in its own mine from becoming solidified, it would, within the space of seventy
years, attain to the state of gold. There are some, however, who maintain that
copper itself is gold, which by becoming solidified is in a diseased condition,
and hath not therefore reached its own state.
Be that as it may, the real elixir will, in one instant,
cause the substance of copper to attain the state of gold, and will traverse
the seventy-year stages in a single moment. Could this gold be called copper?
Could it be claimed that it hath not attained the state of gold, whilst the
touch-stone is at hand to assay it and distinguish it from copper?
Likewise, these souls, through the potency of the Divine
Elixir, traverse, in the twinkling of an eye, the world of dust and advance
into the realm of holiness; and with one step cover the earth of limitations
and reach the domain of the Placeless. It behooveth thee to exert thine utmost
to attain unto this Elixir which, in one fleeting breath, causeth the west of
ignorance to reach the east of knowledge, illuminates the darkness of night
with the resplendence of the morn, guideth the wanderer in the wilderness of
doubt to the well-spring of the Divine Presence and Fount of certitude, and
conferreth upon mortal souls the honour of acceptance into the Ridván of
immortality. Now, could this gold be thought to be copper, these people could
likewise be thought to be the same as before they were endowed with faith.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
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