O concourse of divines! When My verses were sent down, and
My clear tokens were revealed, We found you behind the veils. This, verily, is
a strange thing. Ye glory in My Name, yet ye recognized Me not at the time your
Lord, the All-Merciful, appeared amongst you with proof and testimony. We have
rent the veils asunder. Beware lest ye shut out the people by yet another veil.
Pluck asunder the chains of vain imaginings, in the name of the Lord of all
men, and be not of the deceitful. Should ye turn unto God and embrace His
Cause, spread not disorder within it, and measure not the Book of God with your
selfish desires. This, verily, is the counsel of God aforetime and hereafter,
and to this God’s witnesses and chosen ones, yea, each and every one of Us, do
solemnly attest.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas)
November 29
Take heed that your words be purged from idle fancies and
worldly desires and your deeds be cleansed from craftiness and suspicion.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
November 28
Man’s merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the
pageantry of wealth and riches.
- 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’)
November 27
Time and again have We written and commanded that no one
should solicit such payment. The offering of every person that voluntarily
tendereth the Huququ'lláh with the utmost joy and pleasure may be accepted,
otherwise acceptance was not and is not permissible. Those that are oblivious
of their duty should be briefly reminded. Deeds must be performed with willingness
and in all circumstances high regard must be given to the dignity of the Cause
of God. Formerly We have mentioned that were a person to possess the whole
world and would tender his possessions at the cost of degrading the honour of
the Cause, even to the extent of a grain of mustard, it would be essential and
imperative to refuse to accept such wealth. Such is the Cause of God, eternal
in the past, eternal in the future. Well is it with them that act accordingly.
- Baha’u’llah (The Compilation of Compilation, vol. I, Huqúqu'lláh)
- Baha’u’llah (The Compilation of Compilation, vol. I, Huqúqu'lláh)
November 26
We have made Thee [‘Abdu’l-Baha] a shelter for all mankind,
a shield unto all who are in heaven and on earth, a stronghold for whosoever
hath believed in God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. God grant that through
Thee He may protect them, may enrich and sustain them, that He may inspire Thee
with that which shall be a wellspring of wealth unto all created things, an
ocean of bounty unto all men, and the dayspring of mercy unto all peoples.
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The World Order of Baha'u'llah’)
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The World Order of Baha'u'llah’)
November 25
O Thou Who art the apple of Mine eye! [‘Abdu’l-Baha] My
glory, the ocean of My loving-kindness, the sun of My bounty, the heaven of My
mercy rest upon Thee. We pray God to illumine the world through Thy knowledge
and wisdom, to ordain for Thee that which will gladden Thine heart and impart
consolation to Thine eyes.
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The World Order of Baha'u'llah’)
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The World Order of Baha'u'llah’)
November 24
Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity
groaneth beneath the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds of tyranny have
darkened the face of the earth, and enveloped its peoples. Through the movement
of Our Pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer,
breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a
fresh potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide
regeneration. This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by the
Pen of this wronged One to mankind.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
November 23
Thy day of service is now come… Arise for the triumph of My
Cause, and, through the power of thine utterance, subdue the hearts of men.
Thou must show forth that which will ensure the peace and the well-being of the
miserable and the down-trodden. Gird up the loins of thine endeavor, that
perchance thou mayest release the captive from his chains, and enable him to
attain unto true liberty.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah’)
November 22
Know ye that the poor are the trust of God in your
midst. Watch that ye betray not His
trust, that ye deal not unjustly with them and that ye walk not in the ways of
the treacherous. Ye will most certainly
be called upon to answer for His trust on the day when the Balance of Justice
shall be set, the day when unto everyone shall be rendered his due, when the
doings of all men, be they rich or poor, shall be weighed.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Suriy-i-Mulk [Tablet to the Kings]; ‘Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
November 21
How vast is the tabernacle of the Cause of God! It hath
overshadowed all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and will, erelong,
gather together the whole of mankind beneath its shelter.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
November 20
Blessed is the man that hath acknowledged his belief in God
and in His signs, and recognized that “He shall not be asked of His doings”.
Such a recognition hath been made by God the ornament of every belief and its
very foundation. Upon it must depend the acceptance of every goodly deed.
Fasten your eyes upon it, that haply the whisperings of the rebellious may not
cause you to slip.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
November 19
O Son of Justice! In the night season the beauty of the
immortal Being hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the
Sadratu’l-Muntahá, and wept with such a weeping that the Concourse on high and
the dwellers of the realms above wailed at His lamenting. Whereupon there was
asked, Why the wailing and weeping? He made reply: As bidden I waited expectant
upon the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them that dwell on earth
the fragrance of fidelity. Then summoned to return I beheld, and lo! certain
doves of holiness were sore tried within the claws of the dogs of earth.
Thereupon the Maid of Heaven hastened forth unveiled and resplendent from Her
mystic mansion, and asked of their names, and all were told but one. And when
urged, the first letter thereof was uttered, whereupon the dwellers of the
celestial chambers rushed forth out of their habitation of glory. And whilst
the second letter was pronounced they fell down, one and all, upon the dust. At
that moment a voice was heard from the inmost shrine: “Thus far and no
farther.” Verily, We bear witness unto that which they have done, and now are
doing.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
November 18
O Son of Being! Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou
lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
November 17
The first utterance of Him Who is the All-Wise is this: O
children of dust! Turn your faces from the darkness of estrangement to the
effulgent light of the daystar of unity. This is that which above all else will
benefit the peoples of the earth. O friend! Upon the tree of utterance there
hath never been, nor shall there ever be, a fairer leaf, and beneath the ocean
of knowledge no pearl more wondrous can ever be found.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The
Tabernacle of Unity’)
November 16
Promote ye the development of the cities of God and His
countries, and glorify Him therein in the joyous accents of His well-favoured
ones. In truth, the hearts of men are edified through the power of the tongue,
even as houses and cities are built up by the hand and other means. We have
assigned to every end a means for its accomplishment; avail yourselves thereof,
and place your trust and confidence in God, the Omniscient, the All-Wise.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas)
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas)
November 15
O thou who hast fixed thy gaze upon the all-glorious
Horizon! The Call is raised but hearing ears are numbered, nay non-existent.
This Wronged One findeth himself in the maw of the serpent, yet He faileth not
to make mention of the loved ones of God. So grievous have been Our sufferings
in these days that the Concourse on High are moved to tears and to lamentation.
Neither the adversities of the world nor the harm inflicted by its nations
could deter Him Who is the King of Eternity from voicing His summons or
frustrate His purpose. When those who had for years been hiding behind the
veils perceived that the horizon of the Cause was resplendent and that the Word
of God was all-pervasive, they rushed forth and with swords of malice inflicted
such harm as no pen can portray nor any tongue describe.
- 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’)
November 14
O Son of Being! Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home,
reunion with Me. Enter therein and tarry not. This is that which hath been
destined for thee in Our kingdom above and Our exalted dominion.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
November 13
It hath been forbidden you to carry arms unless essential,
and permitted you to attire yourselves in silk. The Lord hath relieved you, as
a bounty on His part, of the restrictions that formerly applied to clothing and
to the trim of the beard. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the Omniscient. Let
there be naught in your demeanour of which sound and upright minds would
disapprove, and make not yourselves the playthings of the ignorant. Well is it
with him who hath adorned himself with the vesture of seemly conduct and a
praiseworthy character. He is assuredly reckoned with those who aid their Lord
through distinctive and outstanding deeds.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
November 12
Thou hast written concerning languages. Both Arabic and
Persian are laudable. That which is desired of a language is that it convey the
intent of the speaker, and either language can serve this purpose. And since in
this day the Orb of divine knowledge hath risen in the firmament of Persia,
that tongue deserveth every praise.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Tabernacle of Unity’)
November 11
Those who are ignorant or heedless of the motivating purpose
of the Cause of God have rebelled against Him. Such men are the foreboders of
evil, whom God hath mentioned in His Book and Tablets and against whose
influence, clamour and deception He hath warned His people. Well is it with
those who, in the face of the remembrance of the Lord of Eternity, regard the
peoples of the world as utter nothingness, as a thing forgotten, and hold fast
to the firm handle of God in such wise that neither doubts nor insinuations,
nor swords, nor cannon could hold them back or deprive them of His presence.
Blessed are the steadfast; blessed are they that stand firm in His Faith.
- 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’)
November 10
Say: O servants! Let not the means of order be made the
cause of confusion and the instrument of union an occasion for discord. We fain
would hope that the people of Bahá may be guided by the blessed words: ‘Say:
all things are of God.’ This exalted utterance is like unto water for quenching
the fire of hate and enmity which smouldereth within the hearts and breasts of
men. By this single utterance contending peoples and kindreds will attain the
light of true unity. Verily He speaketh the truth and leadeth the way. He is
the All-Powerful, the Exalted, the Gracious.
- Baha’u’llah ('Kitab-i-Ahd' [Book of the Covenant], published in ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
- Baha’u’llah ('Kitab-i-Ahd' [Book of the Covenant], published in ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
November 9
God is My witness, O people! I was asleep on My couch, when
lo, the Breeze of God wafting over Me roused Me from My slumber. His quickening
Spirit revived Me, and My tongue was unloosed to voice His Call. Accuse Me not
of having transgressed against God. Behold Me, not with your eyes but with
Mine. Thus admonisheth you He Who is the Gracious, the All-Knowing. Think ye, O
people, that I hold within My grasp the control of God’s ultimate Will and
Purpose? Far be it from Me to advance such claim. To this I testify before God,
the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Had the ultimate
destiny of God’s Faith been in Mine hands, I would have never consented, even
though for one moment, to manifest Myself unto you, nor would I have allowed
one word to fall from My lips. Of this God Himself is, verily, a witness.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
November 8
Blessed is the one who discovereth the fragrance of inner
meanings from the traces of this Pen through whose movement the breezes of God
are wafted over the entire creation, and through whose stillness the very
essence of tranquillity appeareth in the realm of being. Glorified be the
All-Merciful, the Revealer of so inestimable a bounty. Say: Because He bore
injustice, justice hath appeared on earth, and because He accepted abasement,
the majesty of God hath shone forth amidst mankind.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The
Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
November 7
O Jalíl! [1] Admonish men to fear God. By God! This fear is
the chief commander of the army of thy Lord. Its hosts are a praiseworthy
character and goodly deeds. Through it have the cities of men’s hearts been
opened throughout the ages and centuries, and the standards of ascendancy and
triumph raised above all other standards.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
[1] Jalil-i-Khu'i, a coppersmith who lived in the province of Adhirbayjan and was a well-known believer. It was revealed in answer to his questions, particularly those on the subject of supreme infallibility. (Adib Taherzadeh, ‘The Revelation of Baha'u'llah vol. 4’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
[1] Jalil-i-Khu'i, a coppersmith who lived in the province of Adhirbayjan and was a well-known believer. It was revealed in answer to his questions, particularly those on the subject of supreme infallibility. (Adib Taherzadeh, ‘The Revelation of Baha'u'llah vol. 4’)
November 6
O Son of Spirit! Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast
abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
November 5
They that judge with fairness testify that since the early
days of the Cause this Wronged One hath arisen, unveiled and resplendent,
before the faces of kings and commoners, before the rulers and the divines, and
hath, in ringing tones, summoned all men unto the straight Path. He hath had no
helper save His Pen, nor any succourer other than Himself.
- 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’)
November 4
Say: O concourse of monks! Seclude not yourselves in your
churches and cloisters. Come ye out of
them by My leave, and busy, then, yourselves with what will profit you and
others. Thus commandeth you He Who is the Lord of the Day of Reckoning. Seclude yourselves in the stronghold of My
love. This, truly, is the seclusion that befitteth you, could ye but know it.
He that secludeth himself in his house is indeed as one dead. It behoveth man
to show forth that which will benefit mankind.
- Baha'u'llah (Tablet to Napoleon III, Suriy-i-Haykal [Tablet of Temple]; ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
- Baha'u'llah (Tablet to Napoleon III, Suriy-i-Haykal [Tablet of Temple]; ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
November 3
Praise be to God that whatever is essential for the
believers in this Revelation to be told has been revealed. Their duties have
been clearly defined, and the deeds they are expected to perform have been
plainly set forth in Our Book. Now is the time for them to arise and fulfil
their duty. Let them translate into deeds the exhortations We have given them.
Let them beware lest the love they bear God, a love that glows so brightly in
their hearts, cause them to transgress the bounds of moderation, and to
overstep the limits We have set for them.
- Baha'u'llah (Words of Baha’u’llah to some pilgrims and a few resident believers who were admitted into His presence on January 8, 1889, quoted by Nabil in the ‘Dawn-Breakers, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)
- Baha'u'llah (Words of Baha’u’llah to some pilgrims and a few resident believers who were admitted into His presence on January 8, 1889, quoted by Nabil in the ‘Dawn-Breakers, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)
November 2
God knows that at no time did We attempt to conceal Ourself
or hide the Cause which We have been bidden to proclaim. Though not wearing the
garb of the people of learning, We have again and again faced and reasoned with
men of great scholarship in both Núr and Mázindarán, and have succeeded in
persuading them of the truth of this Revelation. We never flinched in Our
determination; We never hesitated to accept the challenge from whatever
direction it came. To whomsoever We spoke in those days, We found him receptive
to our Call and ready to identify himself with its precepts. But for the
shameful behaviour of the people of Bayán, who sullied by their deeds the work
We had accomplished, Núr and Mázindarán would have been entirely won to this
Cause and would have been accounted by this time among its leading strongholds.
- Baha'u'llah (Words of Baha’u’llah to some pilgrims and a few resident believers who were admitted into His presence on January 8, 1889, quoted by Nabil in the ‘Dawn-Breakers, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)
- Baha'u'llah (Words of Baha’u’llah to some pilgrims and a few resident believers who were admitted into His presence on January 8, 1889, quoted by Nabil in the ‘Dawn-Breakers, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)
November 1
O thou who hast set thy face towards the splendours of My
Countenance! Vague fancies have encompassed the dwellers of the earth and
debarred them from turning towards the Horizon of Certitude, and its
brightness, and its manifestations and its lights. Vain imaginings have
withheld them from Him Who is the Self-Subsisting. They speak as prompted by
their own caprices, and understand not.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah
revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
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