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’)
February 27
Let each morn be
better than its eve, each morrow richer than its yesterday. Man’s merit lies in
service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches.
- Baha’u’llah (Lawh-i-Hikmat, 'The Baha’i Year Book 1924-1925'; Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed
after the Kitab-i-Aqdas)
February 26
O ye that are the
exponents of generosity and the manifestations thereof! Be generous unto them
whom ye find in manifest poverty. O ye that are possessed of riches! Take heed
lest outward appearance deter you from benevolent deeds in the path of God, the
Lord of all mankind.
- Baha’u’llah (The Compilation of Compilation, vol. 1,
Huqúqu'lláh)
February 25
My
God, my Fire and my Light! The days which Thou hast named the Ayyam-i-Ha (the
Days of Ha, 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 by Baha'u'llah’)
February 24
O Pen of the Most
High! Say: O people of the world! We have enjoined upon you fasting during a brief
period, and at its close have designated for you Naw-Ruz as a feast… Let the
days in excess of the months be placed before the month of fasting. We have ordained
that these, amid all nights and days, shall be the manifestations of the letter
Ha, and thus they have not been bounded by the limits of the year and its
months. It behoveth the people of Baha, throughout these days, to provide good
cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and
with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and
magnify His Name; and when they end - these days of giving that precede the
season of restraint - let them enter upon the Fast. Thus hath it been ordained
by Him Who is the Lord of all mankind.
- Baha'u'llah (The Kitab-i-Aqdas)
February 23
Consider a pearl
which shineth by virtue of its inherent nature.
If it be covered with silk, its lustre and beauty will be
concealed. Likewise, man’s distinction
lieth in the excellence of his conduct and in the pursuit of that which
beseemeth his station, not in childish play and pastimes. Know that thy true adornment consisteth in
the love of God and in thy detachment from all save Him, and not in the
luxuries thou dost possess. Abandon them
unto those who seek after them and turn unto God, He Who causeth the rivers to
flow.
- Baha'u'llah (From Tablet to Pope Pius IX, Suriy-i-Haykal [Tablet of Temple];
‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
February 22
O My Friend in Word!
Ponder awhile. Hast thou ever heard that friend and foe should abide in one
heart? Cast out then the stranger, that the Friend may enter His home.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Hidden Words of
Baha’u’llah’)
February 21
O Supreme
Pontiff! Incline thine ear unto that
which the Fashioner of mouldering bones counselleth thee, as voiced by Him Who
is His Most Great Name. Sell all the
embellished ornaments thou dost possess, and expend them in the path of God,
Who causeth the night to return upon the day, and the day to return upon the
night. Abandon thy kingdom unto the
kings, and emerge from thy habitation, with thy face set towards the Kingdom,
and, detached from the world, then speak forth the praises of thy Lord betwixt
earth and heaven. Thus hath bidden thee
He Who is the Possessor of Names, on the part of thy Lord, the Almighty, the
All-Knowing.
- Baha'u'llah (Tablet to Pope Pius IX, Suriy-i-Haykal [Tablet of Temple]; ‘The Summons of the
Lord of Hosts’)
February 20
In one of the
Tablets this exalted Word hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen: “Whoso is
unable to teach should appoint a deputy.”
- Baha’u’llah (Cited by the Universal
House of Justice in a letter dated 158 B.E. addressed to the Iranian believers
throughout the world)
February 19
I confess, O my God,
that whatever proceedeth from me is wholly unworthy of Thy sovereignty and
falleth short of Thy majesty. And yet I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which
Thou hast revealed Thy Self, in the glory of Thy most excellent titles, unto
all created things, in this Revelation whereby Thou hast, through Thy most
resplendent Name, manifested Thy beauty, to give me to drink of the wine of Thy
mercy and of the pure beverage of Thy favor, which have streamed forth from the
right hand of Thy will, that I may so fix my gaze upon Thee and be so detached
from all else but Thee, that the world and all that hath been created therein
may appear before me as a fleeting day which Thou hast not deigned to create.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Prayers and meditations by Baha’u’llah’)
February 18
We have said: ‘My
imprisonment doeth Me no harm, nor do the things that have befallen Me at the
hands of My enemies. That which harmeth Me is the conduct of my loved ones who,
though they bear My name, yet commit that which maketh My heart and My pen to
lament.’ Such utterances as these have again and again been revealed, yet the
heedless have failed to profit thereby, since they are captive to their own
evil passions and corrupt desires. Beseech thou the One true God that He may
enable everyone to repent and return unto Him. So long as one’s nature yieldeth
unto evil passions, crime and transgression will prevail.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
February 17
Night hath succeeded
day, and day hath succeeded night, and the hours and moments of your lives have
come and gone, and yet none of you hath, for one instant, consented to detach
himself from that which perisheth. Bestir yourselves, that the brief moments
that are still yours may not be dissipated and lost. Even as the swiftness of
lightning your days shall pass, and your bodies shall be laid to rest beneath a
canopy of dust. What can ye then achieve? How can ye atone for your past
failure?
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
February 16
Center your energies
in the propagation of the Faith of God. Whoso is worthy of so high a calling,
let him arise and promote it. Whoso is unable, it is his duty to appoint him
who will, in his stead, proclaim this Revelation, whose power hath caused the
foundations of the mightiest structures to quake, every mountain to be crushed
into dust, and every soul to be dumbfounded.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the
Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
February 15
Whosoever attaineth
Divine love at the earliest stages of youth, that one is accounted among the
dwellers of the highest Paradise. Strive that from thee mayest appear that
which will cause the exaltation of the Faith.
- Baha’u’llah (Cited by the
Universal House of Justice in a letter dated 158 B.E. addressed to the Iranian
believers throughout the world)
February 14
Announce unto
yourselves the joyful tidings: “He Who is the Best-Beloved is come! He hath
crowned Himself with the glory of God’s Revelation, and hath unlocked to the
face of men the doors of His ancient Paradise.” Let all eyes rejoice, and let
every ear be gladdened, for now is the time to gaze on His beauty, now is the
fit time to hearken to His voice. Proclaim unto every longing lover: “Behold,
your Well-Beloved hath come among men!”
- Baha’u’llah (Cited by the Universal
House of Justice in a letter dated 158 B.E. addressed to the Iranian believers
throughout the world)
February 13
…any apparent
variation in the intensity of their [Prophets of God] light is not inherent
in the light itself, but should rather be attributed to the varying receptivity
of an ever-changing world. Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and Peerless Creator
hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a
Message, and charged to act in a manner that would best meet the requirements
of the age in which He appeared. God’s purpose in sending His Prophets unto men
is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of
ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The second is to
ensure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by
which they can be established.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah’)
February 12
…the sovereignty of
Him Who is the King of kings. Be fair: Is this sovereignty which, through the
utterance of one Word, hath manifested such pervading influence, ascendancy,
and awful majesty, is this sovereignty superior, or is the worldly dominion of
these kings of the earth who, despite their solicitude for their subjects and
their help of the poor, are assured only of an outward and fleeting allegiance,
while in the hearts of men they inspire neither affection nor respect? Hath not
that sovereignty, through the potency of one word, subdued, quickened, and
revitalized the whole world? What! Can the lowly dust compare with Him Who is
the Lord of Lords? What tongue dare utter the immensity of difference that
lieth between them? Nay, all comparison falleth short in attaining the hallowed
sanctuary of His sovereignty. Were man to reflect, he would surely perceive
that even the servant of His threshold ruleth over all created things! This
hath already been witnessed, and will in future be made manifest.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Iqan)
February 11
Charity is pleasing
and praiseworthy in the sight of God and is regarded as a prince among goodly
deeds. Consider ye and call to mind that which the All-Merciful hath revealed
in the Qur’án: ‘They prefer them before themselves, though poverty be their own
lot. And with such as are preserved from their own covetousness shall it be
well.’ [Qur’án 59:9] Viewed in this light, the blessed utterance above is, in
truth, the day-star of utterances. Blessed is he who preferreth his brother
before himself. Verily, such a man is reckoned, by virtue of the Will of God,
the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, with the people of Bahá who dwell in the Crimson
Ark.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
February 10
We cherish the hope
that the hand of divine power and the outpouring of heavenly blessings may
sustain all men, may attire them with the vesture of forgiveness and bounty and
guard them against that which would harm His Cause among His servants. He is,
in truth, the Potent, the All-Powerful, and He is the Ever-Forgiving, the
Merciful.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets
of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
February 9
Indeed the laws of God are like unto the ocean and the
children of men as fish, did they but know it. However, in observing them one
must exercise tact and wisdom.... Since most people are feeble and far-removed
from the purpose of God, therefore one must observe tact and prudence under all
conditions, so that nothing might happen that could cause disturbance and
dissension or raise clamour among the heedless. Verily, His bounty hath
surpassed the whole universe and His bestowals encompassed all that dwell on
earth. One must guide mankind to the ocean of true understanding in a spirit of
love and tolerance. The Kitab-i-Aqdas itself beareth eloquent testimony to the
loving providence of God.
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by the Universal House of
Justice in a letter dated April 1973; ‘Synopsis and Codification of the
Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
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