Morning
Be fair to yourselves and to others that the evidences of justice may be revealed through your deeds among Our faithful servants…Equity is the most fundamental among human virtues. The evaluation of all things must needs depend upon it… Observe equity in your judgment, ye men of understanding heart! He that is unjust in his judgment is destitute of the characteristics that distinguish man’s station.
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)
Morning
Indeed, the references that have been made to the degrees of
mystic knowledge pertain to the knowledge of the effulgences of that Sun of
Truth as it becometh reflected in various mirrors. And the effulgence of that
light is present within the hearts, yet it is hidden beneath the veils of
selfish desires and earthly attachments, even as a candle within a lantern of
iron, and only when the cover is lifted doth the light of the candle shine out.
In like manner, when thou dost strip the veils of illusion from the face of thine heart, the lights of Oneness will be made manifest.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Seven Valleys’, revised translation by the Baha’i World Center included in ‘The Call of the Divine Beloved’)
Morning
For a number of years Huquq was not accepted. How numerous the offerings that on reaching Our presence were returned to the donors, because they were not needed then. However in recent years We have, in view of the exigencies of the times, accepted the payment of the Huquq, but have forbidden solicitation thereof. Everyone must have the utmost regard for the dignity of the Word of God and for the exaltation of His Cause. Were a person to offer all the treasures of the earth at the cost of debasing the honour of the Cause of God, were it even less than a grain of mustard, such an offering would not be permissible. All the world hath belonged and will always belong to God. If one spontaneously offereth Huquq with the utmost joy and radiance it will be acceptable, and not otherwise. The benefit of such deeds reverteth unto the individuals themselves. This measure hath been ordained in view of the necessity for material means, for "averse is God from putting aught into effect through its means." Thus instructions were given to receive the Huquq.
- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet; The Compilation of Compilation, vol. I, Huqúqu'lláh)
Morning
Say: In this day, the fertilizing winds of the grace of God have passed over all things. Every creature hath been endowed with all the potentialities it can carry. And yet the peoples of the world have denied this grace! Every tree hath been endowed with the choicest fruits, every ocean enriched with the most luminous gems. Man, himself, hath been invested with the gifts of understanding and knowledge. The whole creation hath been made the recipient of the revelation of the All-Merciful, and the earth the repository of things inscrutable to all except God, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. The time is approaching when every created thing will have cast its burden. Glorified be God Who hath vouchsafed this grace that encompasseth all things, whether seen or unseen! Thus have We created the whole earth anew in this day, yet most of the people have failed to perceive it. Say: The grace of God can never be adequately understood; how much less can His own Self, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, be comprehended!
- Baha'u'llah (Suriy-i-Haykal, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)
Morning
Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.
- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet addressed to one of His sons, quoted by Baha’u’llah in the ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
Morning
Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling Cause, and summon, then, the nations unto God, the Mighty, the Great. Be thou not of them who called upon God by one of His names, but who, when He Who is the Object of all names appeared, denied Him and turned aside from Him, and, in the end, pronounced sentence against Him with manifest injustice. Consider and call thou to mind the days whereon the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ) appeared, and Herod gave judgment against Him. God, however, aided Him with the hosts of the unseen, and protected Him with truth, and sent Him down unto another land, according to His promise. He, verily, ordaineth what He pleaseth. Thy Lord truly preserveth whom He willeth, be he in the midst of the seas or in the maw of the serpent, or beneath the sword of the oppressor.
- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet addressed to the Czar of Russia, quoted by Baha’u’llah in the ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
Morning
…suffer not yourselves to be deprived of the robe of forbearance and justice, that the sweet savors of holiness may be wafted from your hearts upon all created things. Say: Beware, O people of Bahá, lest ye walk in the ways of them whose words differ from their deeds. Strive that ye may be enabled to manifest to the peoples of the earth the signs of God, and to mirror forth His commandments. Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind, for the professions of most men, be they high or low, differ from their conduct. It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth. Happy is the man that heedeth My counsel, and keepeth the precepts prescribed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)
Morning
One righteous act is endowed with a potency that can so elevate the dust as to cause it to pass beyond the heaven of heavens. It can tear every bond asunder, and hath the power to restore the force that hath spent itself and vanished.... Be pure, O people of God, be pure; be righteous, be righteous.... Say: O people of God! That which can insure the victory of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, His hosts and helpers on earth, have been set down in the sacred Books and Scriptures, and are as clear and manifest as the sun. These hosts are such righteous deeds, such conduct and character, as are acceptable in His sight. Whoso ariseth, in this Day, to aid Our Cause, and summoneth to his assistance the hosts of a praiseworthy character and upright conduct, the influence from such an action will, most certainly, be diffused throughout the whole world.
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)
Morning
O ye beloved of the Lord! Commit not that which defileth the limpid stream of love or destroyeth the sweet fragrance of friendship. By the righteousness of the Lord! Ye were created to show love one to another and not perversity and rancour. Take pride not in love for yourselves but in love for your fellow-creatures. Glory not in love for your country, but in love for all mankind. Let your eye be chaste, your hand faithful, your tongue truthful and your heart enlightened. Abase not the station of the learned in Bahá and belittle not the rank of such rulers as administer justice amidst you. Set your reliance on the army of justice, put on the armour of wisdom, let your adorning be forgiveness and mercy and that which cheereth the hearts of the well-favoured of God.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas; compilation ‘Unlocking the Power of Action’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
Morning
Certain deeds that are undertaken in this day are intended to emblazon the name of God, and the Pen of the Most High hath fixed a recompense for those who perform them. Indeed, should any soul breathe but a fleeting breath for the sake of God, his recompense will become manifest, as attested by this mighty verse which was sent down from the empyrean of the Divine Will to the Lord of Mecca, [Muhammad] blessed and glorified be He: “We did not appoint that which Thou wouldst have to be the Qiblih, but that We might know him who followeth the Apostle from him who turneth on his heels.” [Qur’án 2:143]
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
Morning
Knowledge is the cause of exaltation and advancement. It enableth man to pass beyond the world of dust to the realms above and leadeth him out of darkness into light. It is the redeemer and the bestower of life. It conferreth the living waters of immortality and imparteth heavenly food.
- Baha’u’llah (Quoted by the Universal House of Justice in a letter dated 26 November 2003: To the Followers of Bahá’u’lláh in the Cradle of the Faith; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)
Morning
The tongue faileth in describing these three valleys, [1]
and speech falleth short. The pen steppeth not into this arena, the ink leaveth
only a blot. In these stations, the nightingale of the heart hath other songs
and secrets, which make the heart to leap and the soul to cry out, but this
mystery of inner meaning may be whispered only from heart to heart, and
confided only from breast to breast.
The bliss of mystic knowers can be only told from heart to heart,
A bliss no messenger can bear and no missive dare impart.
[2]
How many are the matters I have out of weakness left unsaid;
For my words would fail to reckon them and mine every effort would fall short. [3]
O friend, till thou enter the garden of these inner meanings, thou shalt never taste of the imperishable wine of this valley. And shouldst thou taste of it, thou wilt turn away from all else and drink of the cup of contentment; thou wilt loose thyself from all things and bind thyself unto Him, and lay down thy life in His path and offer up thy soul for His sake. And this, even though in this realm there is no “all else” that thou needst forget: “God was alone; there was none else besides Him.” [4] For on this plane the traveller witnesseth the beauty of the Friend in all things. In fire he seeth the face of the Beloved; in illusion he beholdeth the secret of reality; in the attributes he readeth the riddle of the Essence. For he hath burnt away all veils with a sigh, and cast aside all coverings with a glance. With piercing sight he gazeth upon the new creation, and with lucid heart he graspeth subtle verities. The words “And we have made thy sight sharp in this day” [5] are a sufficient proof of this assertion and a befitting description of this state.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Seven Valleys’, revised translation by the Baha’i World Center included in ‘The Call of the Divine Beloved’)
[1] Valleys of Knowledge, Unity, and Contentment
[2] Poem from ‘Attár
[3] Poem from Ibn-i-Fárid 1181–1235
[4] From a Hadith
[5] Cf. Qur’an 50:22
Morning
Were man to appreciate the greatness of his station and the loftiness of his destiny he would manifest naught save goodly character, pure deeds, and a seemly and praiseworthy conduct.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
Morning
O Fourth Letter of this Temple [1], betokening the attribute of Grace! We have made thee the manifestation of grace betwixt earth and heaven. From thee have We generated all grace in the contingent world, and unto thee shall We cause it to return. And from thee shall We manifest it again, through a word of Our command. Potent am I to accomplish whatsoever I desire through My word “Be”, and it is! Every grace that appeareth in the world of being hath originated from thee, and unto thee shall it return. This, verily, is what hath been ordained in a Tablet which We have preserved behind the veil of glory and concealed from mortal eyes. Well is it with them that deprive themselves not of this manifest and unfailing grace.
- Baha'u'llah (Suriy-i-Haykal, The Summons of the Lord of
Hosts)
[1] The last Arabic letter of the word Haykal (Temple) is Lám. The word Haykal (Temple) is composed in Arabic of the four letters Ha', Ya', Káf and Lám (HYKL).
Morning
Consider the mercy of God and His gifts. He enjoineth upon you that which shall profit you, though He Himself can well dispense with all creatures. Your evil doings can never harm Us, neither can your good works profit Us. We summon you wholly for the sake of God. To this every man of understanding and insight will testify.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
Morning
By the Day-Star of ancient mysteries! The sweet-scented fragrance of every breath breathed in the love of God is wafted in the court of the presence of the Lord of Revelation. The reward of no good deed is or ever will be lost.
- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Women)
Morning
Let thy soul glow with the flame of this undying Fire that burneth in the midmost heart of the world, in such wise that the waters of the universe shall be powerless to cool down its ardor. Make, then, mention of thy Lord, that haply the heedless among Our servants may be admonished through thy words, and the hearts of the righteous be gladdened.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings form the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
Morning
…there occurred the attempt upon the life of His Majesty, may God, exalted and glorified be He, assist him. Those days were troublous days, and the fires of hatred burned high. Many were arrested, among them this Wronged One. By the righteousness of God! We were in no wise connected with that evil deed, and Our innocence was indisputably established by the tribunals. Nevertheless, they apprehended Us, and from Níyávarán, which was then the residence of His Majesty, conducted Us, on foot and in chains, with bared head and bare feet, to the dungeon of Tihrán. A brutal man, accompanying Us on horseback, snatched off Our hat, whilst We were being hurried along by a troop of executioners and officials.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
Morning
…reflect upon the state and condition of Mary. So deep was
the perplexity of that most beauteous countenance, so grievous her case, that
she bitterly regretted she had ever been born. To this beareth witness the text
of the sacred verse wherein it is mentioned that after Mary had given birth to
Jesus, she bemoaned her plight and cried out: “O would that I had died ere
this, and been a thing forgotten, forgotten quite!” [Qur’án 19:22] I swear by
God! Such lamenting consumeth the heart and shaketh the being. Such
consternation of soul, such despondency, could have been caused by no other
than the censure of the enemy and the cavilings of the infidel and perverse.
Reflect, what answer could Mary have given to the people around her? How could
she claim that a Babe Whose father was unknown had been conceived of the Holy
Ghost? Therefore did Mary, that veiled and immortal Countenance, take up her
Child and return unto her home. No sooner had the eyes of the people fallen
upon her than they raised their voice saying: “O sister of Aaron! Thy father
was not a man of wickedness, nor unchaste thy mother.” [Qur’án 19:28]
And now, meditate upon this most great convulsion, this grievous test. Notwithstanding all these things, God conferred upon that essence of the Spirit, Who was known amongst the people as fatherless, the glory of Prophethood, and made Him His testimony unto all that are in heaven and on earth.
- Baha’u’llah ('The Kitab-i-Iqan')
Morning
Know also that the soul is endowed with two wings: should it soar in the atmosphere of love and contentment, then it will be related to the All-Merciful. And should it fly in the atmosphere of self and desire, then it will pertain to the Evil One; may God shield and protect us and protect you therefrom, O ye who perceive! Should the soul become ignited with the fire of the love of God, it is called benevolent and pleasing unto God, but should it be consumed with the fire of passion, it is known as the concupiscent soul. Thus have We expounded this subject for thee that thou mayest obtain a clear understanding.
- Baha'u'llah (Súriy-i-Ra’ís, ‘The Summons of the Lord of Hosts’)
Morning
Cleave thou to the fear of God and to whatsoever hath been revealed in His Book: thus biddeth thee He Who is the Word of Truth and the Knower of things unseen. Say: trustworthiness is the sun of the heaven of My commandments, truthfulness is its moon, and praiseworthy attributes are its stars. Yet the people, for the most part, understand not.
- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II, Trustworthiness)
Morning
It should… be noted that in one sense the stations of the Prophets of God differ one from another. For instance, consider Moses. He brought forth a Book and established ordinances, whilst a number of the Prophets and Messengers who arose after Him were charged with the promulgation of His laws, insofar as they remained consonant with the needs of the age. The books and chronicles annexed to the Torah bear eloquent testimony to this truth.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
Morning
Beware lest ye speak of duality in regard to My Self, for all the atoms of the earth proclaim that there is none other God but Him, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Loving. From the beginning that hath no beginning I have proclaimed, from the realm of eternity, that I am God, none other God is there save Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting; and unto the end that hath no end I shall proclaim, amidst the kingdom of names, that I am God, none other God is there beside Me, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Say: Lordship is My Name, whereof I have created manifestations in the world of being, while We Ourself remain sanctified above them, would ye but ponder this truth. And Godhead is My Name, whereof We have created exponents whose power shall encompass the people of the earth and make them true worshippers of God, could ye but recognize it. Thus should ye regard all Our Names, if ye be endued with insight.
- Baha'u'llah (Suriy-i-Haykal, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)
Morning
O Son of Spirit! The bird seeketh its nest; the nightingale the charm of the rose; whilst those birds, the hearts of men, content with transient dust, have strayed far from their eternal nest, and with eyes turned towards the slough of heedlessness are bereft of the glory of the divine presence. Alas! How strange and pitiful; for a mere cupful, they have turned away from the billowing seas of the Most High, and remained far from the most effulgent horizon.
- Baha’u’llah (‘The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah’)
Morning
Previously We wrote to thee [Zaynu'l-Muqarrabin] that had the friends there observed the payment of Huququ'lláh, the people of that region would have enjoyed ease and comfort. Before this law was revealed there was no obligation on the part of any soul. The Pen of Glory held back from revealing laws and ordinances for a number of years, and this was a token of His heavenly grace. Were the people of the world to recognize what inestimable benefits the ordinances of the All-Merciful would bring forth, they would arise to fulfil His commandments and would observe His bidding ...
- Baha’u’llah (From a Tablet; The Compilation of Compilation, vol. I, Huqúqu'lláh)