How vast the number of people who are well versed in every science,
yet it is their adherence to the holy Word of God which will determine their
faith, inasmuch as the fruit of every science is none other than the knowledge
of divine precepts and submission unto His good-pleasure.
- The Báb (From the Persian Bayan, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
June 27
O Shaykh! Entreat thou the one true God to
sanctify the ears, and the eyes, and the hearts of mankind, and to protect them
from the desires of a corrupt inclination. For malice is a grievous malady
which depriveth man from recognizing the Great Being, and debarreth him from
the splendors of the sun of certitude. We pray and hope that through the grace
and mercy of God He may remove this mighty obstacle. He, verily, is the Potent,
the All-Subduing, the Almighty.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to Son of the Wolf’)
June 26
Say O people of the earth! Behold this flamelike Youth that
speedeth across the limitless profound of the Spirit, heralding unto you the
tidings: “Lo: the Lamp of God is shining,” and summoning you to heed His Cause
which, though hidden beneath the veils of ancient splendour, shineth in the
land of ‘Iráq above the day-spring of eternal holiness.
- Baha’u’llah (The
Kitab-i-Iqan’)
June 25
Take thou good heed that ye may all, under the leadership of
Him [1]“ Who is the Source of Divine Guidance, be enabled to direct thy steps
aright upon the Bridge, which is sharper than the sword and finer than a hair,
so that perchance the things which from the beginning of thy life till the end
thou hast performed for the love of God, may not, all at once and unrealized by
thyself, be turned to acts not acceptable in the sight of God. Verily God
guideth whom He will into the path of absolute certitude.
- The Báb (From the Persian Bayan, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
[1] “Him Whom God shall make manifest”
- The Báb (From the Persian Bayan, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
[1] “Him Whom God shall make manifest”
June 24
It is better for a man to guide a soul than to possess all
that lies between East and West. Likewise better is guidance for him who is
guided than all the things that exist on earth, for by reason of this guidance
he will, after his death, gain admittance into Paradise, whereas by reason of
the things of the world below, he will, after his death, receive his deserts.
Hence God desireth that all men should be guided aright through the potency of
the Words of Him Whom God shall make manifest. However, such as are conceited
will not suffer themselves to be guided. They will be debarred from the Truth,
some by reason of their learning, others on account of their glory and power,
and still others due to reasons of their own, none of which shall be of any
avail at the hour of death.
- The Báb (From the Persian Bayan,
‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
June 23
I swear by the holy Essence of God, were all in the Bayán to
unite in helping Him Whom God shall make manifest in the days of His
Revelation, not a single soul, nay, not a created thing would remain on earth
that would not gain admittance into Paradise. Take good heed of yourselves, for
the sum total of the religion of God is but to help Him, rather than to observe,
in the time of His appearance, such deeds as are prescribed in the Bayán.
Should anyone, however, ere He manifesteth Himself, transgress the ordinances,
were it to the extent of a grain of barley, he would have trangressed His
command.
- The Báb (From the Persian Bayan, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
- The Báb (From the Persian Bayan, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
June 22
At the time of the manifestation of Him Whom God shall make
manifest everyone should be well trained in the teachings of the Bayán, so that
none of the followers may outwardly cling to the Bayán and thus forfeit their
allegiance unto Him. If anyone does so, the verdict of ‘disbeliever in God’
shall be passed upon him.
- The Báb (From the Persian Bayan,
‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
June 21
As this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple,
whatever occurs to the former is felt by the latter. In reality that which
takes delight in joy or is saddened by pain is the inner temple of the body,
not the body itself. Since this physical body is the throne whereon the inner
temple is established, God hath ordained that the body be preserved to the
extent possible, so that nothing that causeth repugnance may be experienced.
The inner temple beholdeth its physical frame, which is its throne. Thus, if
the latter is accorded respect, it is as if the former is the recipient. The
converse is likewise true.
Therefore, it hath been ordained that the dead body should be treated with the utmost honour and respect.
- The Báb (From the Persian Bayan, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
Therefore, it hath been ordained that the dead body should be treated with the utmost honour and respect.
- The Báb (From the Persian Bayan, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
June 20
…one of the signs of the Day of Revelation; even as it is
said: “The abased amongst you, He shall exalt; and they that are exalted, He
shall abase.” And likewise, He hath revealed in the Qur’án: “And We desire to
show favour to those who were brought low in the land, and to make them
spiritual leaders among men, and to make of them Our heirs.” [Qur’án 28:5] It
hath been witnessed in this day how many of the divines, owing to their
rejection of the Truth, have fallen into, and abide within, the uttermost
depths of ignorance, and whose names have been effaced from the scroll of the
glorious and learned. And how many of the ignorant who, by reason of their
acceptance of the Faith, have soared aloft and attained the high summit of
knowledge, and whose names have been inscribed by the Pen of Power upon the
Tablet of divine Knowledge.
- Baha’u’llah (The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
June 19
Know, moreover, that should one who hath attained unto these
stations [1] and embarked upon these journeys fall prey to pride and vainglory,
he would at that very moment come to naught and return to the first step
without realizing it. Indeed, they that seek and yearn after Him in these
journeys are known by this sign, that they humbly defer to those who have
believed in God and in His verses, that they are lowly before those who have
drawn nigh unto Him and unto the Manifestations of His Beauty, and that they
bow in submission to them that are firmly established upon the lofty heights of
the Cause of God and before its majesty.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’)
[1] “the Garden of Search…the City of Love and Rapture… the
City of Divine Unity… the City of Search… the Garden of Wonderment… the City of
Absolute Nothingness… the City of Immortality”
June 18
All that existeth in this city [“the City of Immortality”]
shall indeed endure and will never perish. Shouldst thou, by the leave of God,
enter this sublime and exalted garden, thou wouldst find its sun in its
noontide glory, never to set, never to be eclipsed. The same holdeth true of
its moon, its firmament, its stars, trees, and oceans, and of all that
pertaineth thereunto or existeth therein. By Him besides Whom there is none
other God! Were I to recount, from this day unto the end that hath no end, its
wondrous attributes, the love that My heart cherisheth for this hallowed and
everlasting city would never be exhausted. I shall, however, bring My theme to
a close, since time is short and the inquirer impatient, and since these
secrets are not to be openly divulged save by the leave of God, the Almighty,
the All-Compelling.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gems of Divine Mysteries’)
June 17
Strife and conflict befit the beasts of the wild. It was
through the grace of God and with the aid of seemly words and praiseworthy
deeds that the unsheathed swords of the Bábí community were returned to their
scabbards. Indeed through the power of good words, the righteous have always
succeeded in winning command over the meads of the hearts of men. Say, O ye
loved ones! Do not forsake prudence. Incline your hearts to the counsels given
by the Most Exalted Pen and beware lest your hands or tongues cause harm unto
anyone among mankind.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the
Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
June 16
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. Wherefore fear ye, O My well-beloved ones? Who is it that can
dismay you? A touch of moisture sufficeth to dissolve the hardened clay out of
which this perverse generation is moulded. The mere act of your gathering
together is enough to scatter the forces of these vain and worthless 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’)
June 15
O people! Hearken
unto that which hath been revealed by your All-Glorious Lord, and turn your
faces unto God, the Lord of this world and of the world to come. Thus doth He Who is the Dawning-Place of the
Daystar of divine inspiration command you as bidden by the Fashioner of all
mankind. We, verily, have created you
for the light, and desire not to abandon you unto the fire. Come forth, O people, from darkness by the
grace of this Sun which hath shone forth above the horizon of divine
providence, and turn thereunto with sanctified hearts and assured souls, with
seeing eyes and beaming faces. Thus
counselleth you the Supreme Ordainer from the scene of His transcendent glory,
that perchance His summons may draw you nigh unto the Kingdom of His names.
- Baha'u'llah (Tablet to Pope Pius IX,
Suriy-i-Haykal [Tablet of Temple]; ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
June 14
Consider, how can he that faileth in the day of God’s
Revelation to attain unto the grace of the “Divine Presence” and to recognize
His Manifestation, be justly called learned, though he may have spent aeons in
the pursuit of knowledge, and acquired all the limited and material learning of
men? It is surely evident that he can in no wise be regarded as possessed of
true knowledge. Whereas, the most unlettered of all men,
if he be honoured with this supreme distinction, he verily is accounted as one
of those divinely-learned men whose knowledge is of God; for such a man hath
attained the acme of knowledge, and hath reached the furthermost summit of
learning.
- Baha’u’llah (The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
- Baha’u’llah (The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
June 13
Shouldst thou step into the realm of complete detachment,
thou wilt readily testify that no day is mightier than this Day, and that no
resurrection more awful than this Resurrection can ever be conceived. One
righteous work performed in this Day, equalleth all the virtuous acts which for
myriads of centuries men have practised—nay, We ask forgiveness of God for such
a comparison! For verily the reward which such a deed deserveth is immensely beyond and above the estimate of men.
- Baha’u’llah (The
Kitab-i-Iqan’)
June 12
Say, verily, the good-pleasure of Him Whom God shall make
manifest is the good-pleasure of God, while the displeasure of Him Whom God
shall make manifest is none other than the displeasure of God. Avoid ye His
displeasure, and flee for refuge unto His good-pleasure. Say, the living guides
to His good-pleasure are such as truly believe in Him and are well-assured in
their faith, while the living testimonies of His displeasure are those who,
when they hear the verses of God sent forth from His presence, or read the
divine words revealed by Him, do not instantly embrace the Faith and attain
unto certitude.
- The Báb (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb’)
June 11
O thou who hast
fixed thy gaze upon My countenance! Say: O ye heedless ones! By reason of a
droplet ye have deprived yourselves of the ocean of heavenly verses and for the
sake of an insignificant atom ye have shut yourselves out from the splendours
of the Day-Star of Truth. Who else but Bahá hath the power to speak forth
before the face of mankind? Judge ye fairly and be not of the unjust. Through
Him the oceans have surged, the mysteries have been divulged and the trees have
lifted up their voices exclaiming: The kingdoms of earth and heaven are God’s,
the Revealer of signs, the Fountainhead of clear tokens. Peruse ye the Persian
Bayán revealed by Him Who heralded this Revelation and look at it with the eye
of fairness. Verily He will guide you aright to His Path. At this moment He
proclaimeth that which His tongue had formerly uttered when He was seated upon
the throne of His most exalted Name.
- 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’)
June 10
Hearken unto the words of the one true God and pride thyself
not in the things of this world. What
hath become of those like unto thee who falsely claimed lordship on earth, who
sought to quench the light of God in His land and to destroy the foundation of
His mighty edifice in His cities? Where
are they to be seen now? Be fair in thy
judgement and return unto God, that perchance He might cancel the trespasses of
thy vain life. Alas, We know that thou
shalt never attain unto this, for such is thy cruelty that it hath made hell to
blaze and the Spirit to lament, and hath caused the pillars of the Throne to
shake and the hearts of the faithful to tremble.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Lawh-i-Ra’is’, addressed to Ottoman Prime Minister Ali Pasha; ‘Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
- Baha’u’llah (‘Lawh-i-Ra’is’, addressed to Ottoman Prime Minister Ali Pasha; ‘Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
June 9
It behoveth everyone to traverse this brief span of life
with sincerity and fairness. Should one
fail to attain unto the recognition of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, let him at
least conduct himself with reason and justice.
Erelong these outward trappings, these visible treasures, these earthly
vanities, these arrayed armies, these adorned vestures, these proud and
overweening souls, all shall pass into the confines of the grave, as though
into that box. [1] In the eyes of those possessed of insight,
all this conflict, contention and vainglory hath ever been, and will ever be,
like unto the play and pastimes of children.
Take heed, and be not of them that see and yet deny.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Lawh-i-Ra’is’, addressed to Ottoman Prime Minister Ali Pasha; ‘Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
[1] A puppet show Baha’u’llah saw as a child
- Baha’u’llah (‘Lawh-i-Ra’is’, addressed to Ottoman Prime Minister Ali Pasha; ‘Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
[1] A puppet show Baha’u’llah saw as a child
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