November 11
The voice and the lamentation of the true Faith have been
raised. It calleth aloud and saith: “O people! By the righteousness of God! I
have attained unto Him Who hath manifested me and sent me down. This is the Day
whereon Sinai hath smiled at Him Who conversed upon it, and Carmel at its
Revealer, and the Sadrah at Him Who taught it. Fear ye God, and be not of them
that have denied Him. Withhold not yourselves from that which hath been
revealed through His grace. Seize ye the living waters of immortality in the
name of your Lord, the Lord of all names, and drink ye in the remembrance of
Him, Who is the Mighty, the Peerless.” (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the
Wolf’)
November 10
O friend! When the Primal Word appeared amongst men in these
latter days, a number of heavenly souls recognized the voice of the Beloved and
bore allegiance unto it, whilst others, finding the deeds of some to be at
variance with their words, remained far removed from the spreading rays of the
Sun of divine knowledge. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Tabernacle of Unity, Bahá’u’lláh’s
Responses to Mánikchí Sáhib and Other Writings’)
November 9
We pray God—exalted be His glory—and cherish the hope that
He may graciously assist the manifestations of affluence and power and the
daysprings of sovereignty and glory, the kings of the earth—may God aid them
through His strengthening grace—to establish the Lesser Peace. This, indeed, is
the greatest means for insuring the tranquillity of the nations. It is
incumbent upon the Sovereigns of the world—may God assist them—unitedly to hold
fast unto this Peace, which is the chief instrument for the protection of all
mankind. It is Our hope that they will arise to achieve what will be conducive
to the well-being of man. It is their duty to convene an all-inclusive
assembly, which either they themselves or their ministers
will attend, and to enforce whatever measures are required to establish unity
and concord amongst men. They must put away the weapons of war, and turn to the
instruments of universal reconstruction. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of
the Wolf’)
November 8
And when the days of Moses were ended, and the
light of Jesus, shining forth from the dayspring of the Spirit, encompassed the
world, all the people of Israel arose in protest against Him. They clamoured
that He Whose advent the Bible had foretold must needs promulgate and fulfil
the laws of Moses, whereas this youthful Nazarene, who laid claim to the
station of the divine Messiah, had annulled the law of divorce and of the
sabbath day—the most weighty of all the laws of Moses. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The
Kitab-i-Iqan’)
November 7
Though beset with countless afflictions, We summon the
people unto God, the Lord of names. Say, strive ye to attain
that which ye have been promised in the Books of God, and walk not in the way
of the ignorant. My body hath endured imprisonment that ye may be released from
the bondage of self. Set your faces then towards His countenance and follow not
the footsteps of every hostile oppressor. (Baha’u’llah, Lawh-i-Aqdas (The Most
Holy Tablet), ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas)
November 6
Revile ye not one another. We, verily, have come to unite and weld together all that dwell on earth. Unto this beareth witness what the ocean of Mine utterance hath revealed amongst men, and yet most of the people have gone astray. If anyone revile you, or trouble touch you, in the path of God, be patient, and put your trust in Him Who heareth, Who seeth. He, in truth, witnesseth, and perceiveth, and doeth what He pleaseth, through the power of His sovereignty. He, verily, is the Lord of strength, and of might. In the Book of God, the Mighty, the Great, ye have been forbidden to engage in contention and conflict. Lay fast hold on whatever will profit you, and profit the peoples of the world. Thus commandeth you the King of Eternity, Who is manifest in His Most Great Name. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the All-Wise. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
November 5
Exalted, immeasurably exalted, art Thou above the strivings of mortal man to unravel Thy mystery, to describe Thy glory, or even to hint at the nature of Thine Essence. For whatever such strivings may accomplish, they never can hope to transcend the limitations imposed upon Thy creatures, inasmuch as these efforts are actuated by Thy decree, and are begotten of Thine invention. The loftiest sentiments which the holiest of saints can express in praise of Thee, and the deepest wisdom which the most learned of men can utter in their attempts to comprehend Thy nature, all revolve around that Center Which is wholly subjected to Thy sovereignty, Which adoreth Thy Beauty, and is propelled through the movement of Thy Pen. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
November 4
Justice and equity are twin Guardians that watch over men. From them are revealed such blessed and perspicuous words as are the cause of the well-being of the world and the protection of the nations. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
November 3
It is obvious and manifest that the true meaning of the utterances of the Birds of Eternity is revealed to none except those that manifest the Eternal Being, and the melodies of the Nightingale of Holiness can reach no ear save that of the denizens of the everlasting realm. The Copt of tyranny can never partake of the cup touched by the lips of the Sept of justice, and the Pharaoh of unbelief can never hope to recognize the hand of the Moses of truth. Even as He saith: “None knoweth the meaning thereof except God and them that are well-grounded in knowledge. [Qur’án 3:7] And yet, they have sought the interpretation of the Book from those that are wrapt in veils, and have refused to seek enlightenment from the fountain-head of knowledge. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
November 2
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)
November 1
...Glorified art Thou, O God, Thou art the Creator of the heavens and the earth and that which lieth between them. Thou art the sovereign Lord, the Most Holy, the Almighty, the All-Wise. Magnified be Thy Name, O God, send down upon them who have believed in God and in His signs a mighty succour from Thy presence such as to enable them to prevail over the generality of mankind. (The Báb, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, The Power of Divine Assistance)
October 31
The third word we have recorded on the third leaf of Paradise is this: “O son of man! If thine eyes be turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee, and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself.” (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
October 30
Humility exalteth man to the heaven of glory and power, whilst pride abaseth him to the depths of wretchedness and degradation. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
October 29
Great is the Day, and mighty the Call! In one of Our Tablets We have revealed these exalted words: ‘Were the world of the spirit to be wholly converted into the sense of hearing, it could then claim to be worthy to hearken unto the Voice that calleth from the Supreme Horizon; for otherwise, these ears that are defiled with lying tales have never been, nor are they now, fit to hear it.’ Well is it with them that hearken; and woe betide the wayward. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
October 28
Thou pridest thyself in the things thou dost possess, yet no believer in God and in His signs, nor any righteous man would ever deign to regard them. This mortal life is like unto the carcass of a dog, around which none would gather, nor would any partake thereof, except those who gainsay the life hereafter. Verily it is incumbent upon thee to become a true believer in God, the All-Possessing, the Almighty, and to turn away from the one who guideth thee into the torment of hell-fire. (The Báb, Extracts from an Epistle to Muhammad Shah, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
October 27
Leaders of religion, in every age, have hindered their people from attaining the shores of eternal salvation, inasmuch as they held the reins of authority in their mighty grasp. Some for the lust of leadership, others through want of knowledge and understanding, have been the cause of the deprivation of the people. By their sanction and authority, every Prophet of God hath drunk from the chalice of sacrifice, and winged His flight unto the heights of glory. What unspeakable cruelties they that have occupied the seats of authority and learning have inflicted upon the true Monarchs of the world, those Gems of divine virtue! Content with a transitory dominion, they have deprived themselves of an everlasting sovereignty. Thus, their eyes beheld not the light of the countenance of the Well-Beloved, nor did their ears hearken unto the sweet melodies of the Bird of Desire. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
October 26
O Husayn! O thou Preceptor! From His Most Great Prison, the countenance of the Ancient of Days is turned towards thee, and He teacheth thee that which will draw thee nigh unto God, the Lord of mankind. Blessed is that teacher who shall arise to instruct the children, and to guide the people into the pathways of God, the Bestower, the Well-Beloved. (Baha’u’llah, The Compilation of Compilations’, vol. I, Baha’i Education)
October 25
. . . certain invalid souls have confined the lands of knowledge within the wall of self and passion, and clouded them with ignorance and blindness, and have been veiled from the light of the mystic sun and the mysteries of the Eternal Beloved; they have strayed afar from the jewelled wisdom of the lucid Faith of the Lord of Messengers, have been shut out of the sanctuary of the All-Beauteous One, and banished from the Ka'bih of splendour. Such is the worth of the people of this age! (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys’ compilation ‘Psychology and Knowledge of Self, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
October 24
Among the Prophets was Noah. For nine hundred and fifty years He prayerfully exhorted His people and summoned them to the haven of security and peace. None, however, heeded His call. Each day they inflicted on His blessed person such pain and suffering that no one believed He could survive. How frequently they denied Him, how malevolently they hinted their suspicion against Him! Thus it hath been revealed: “And as often as a company of His people passed by Him, they derided Him. To them He said: ‘Though ye scoff at us now, we will scoff at you hereafter even as ye scoff at us. In the end ye shall know.’”[Qur’án 11:38] Long afterward, He several times promised victory to His companions and fixed the hour thereof. But when the hour struck, the divine promise was not fulfilled. This caused a few among the small number of His followers to turn away from Him, and to this testify the records of the best-known books. These you must certainly have perused; if not, undoubtedly you will. Finally, as stated in books and traditions, there remained with Him only forty or seventy-two of His followers. At last from the depth of His being He cried aloud: “Lord! Leave not upon the land a single dweller from among the unbelievers.”[Qur’án 71:26] (Baha’u’llah,’The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
October 23
No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth. Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world, that haply ye may attain that station which God hath destined for you and enter thus the tabernacle which, according to the dispensations of Providence, hath been raised in the firmament of the Bayán. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’)
October 22
It hath been laid down in the Bayan that marriage is dependent upon the consent of both parties. Desiring to establish love, unity and harmony amidst Our servants, We have conditioned it, once the couple's wish is known, upon the permission of their parents, lest enmity and rancour should arise amongst them. And in this We have yet other purposes. Thus hath Our commandment been ordained. (Baha’u’llah, 'The Kitab-i-Aqdas'; compilation ‘Consent of Parents to Marriage,’ prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
October 21
The Báb, the Lord, the most exalted—may the life of all be a sacrifice unto Him,—hath specifically revealed an Epistle unto the divines of every city, wherein He hath fully set forth the character of the denial and repudiation of each of them. “Wherefore, take ye good heed ye who are men of insight!”[Qur’án 59:2] By His references to their opposition He intended to invalidate the objections which the people of the Bayán might raise in the day of the manifestation of “Mustagháth,” [He Who is invoked] the day of the Latter Resurrection, claiming that, whereas in the Dispensation of the Bayán a number of divines have embraced the Faith, in this latter Revelation none of these hath recognized His claim. His purpose was to warn the people lest, God forbid, they cling to such foolish thoughts and deprive themselves of the divine Beauty. Yea, these divines to whom We have referred, were mostly unrenowned, and, by the grace of God they were all purged of earthly vanities and free from the trappings of leadership. “Such is the bounty of God; to whom He will He giveth it.” (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Kitab-i-Iqan’]
October 20
We, verily, believe in Him Who, in the person of the Báb, hath been sent down by the Will of the one true God, the King of Kings, the All-Praised. We, moreover, swear fealty to the One Who, in the time of Mustagháth, is destined to be made manifest, as well as to those Who shall come after Him till the end that hath no end. We recognize in the manifestation of each one of them, whether outwardly or inwardly, the manifestation of none but God Himself, if ye be of those that comprehend. Every one of them is a mirror of God, reflecting naught else but His Self, His Beauty, His Might and Glory, if ye will understand. All else besides them are to be regarded as mirrors capable of reflecting the glory of these Manifestations Who are themselves the Primary Mirrors of the Divine Being, if ye be not devoid of understanding. No one hath ever escaped them, neither are they to be hindered from achieving their purpose. These Mirrors will everlastingly succeed each other, and will continue to reflect the light of the Ancient of Days. They that reflect their glory will, in like manner, continue to exist for evermore, for the Grace of God can never cease from flowing. This is a truth that none can disprove. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
October 19
By the righteousness of God! The sword of a virtuous character and upright conduct is sharper than blades of steel. The voice of the true Faith calleth aloud, at this moment, and saith: O people! Verily, the Day is come, and My Lord hath made Me to shine forth with a light whose splendor hath eclipsed the suns of utterance. Fear ye the Merciful, and be not of them that have gone astray.” (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
October 18
Say, O friends! Strive that haply the tribulations suffered by this Wronged One and by you, in the path of God, may not prove to have been in vain. Cling ye to the hem of virtue, and hold fast to the cord of trustworthiness and piety. Concern yourselves with the things that benefit mankind, and not with your corrupt and selfish desires. O ye followers of this Wronged One! Ye are the shepherds of mankind; liberate ye your flocks from the wolves of evil passions and desires, and adorn them with the ornament of the fear of God. This is the firm commandment which hath, at this moment, flowed out from the Pen of Him Who is the Ancient of Days. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
October 17
It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action.... (Baha’u’llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh’ The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, The Importance of Deepening our Knowledge of the Faith)
October 15
After Socrates came the divine Plato who was a pupil of the former and occupied the chair of philosophy as his successor. He acknowledged his belief in God and in His signs which pervade all that hath been and shall be. Then came Aristotle, the well-known man of knowledge. He it is who discovered the power of gaseous matter. These men who stand out as leaders of the people and are pre-eminent among them, one and all acknowledged their belief in the immortal Being Who holdeth in His grasp the reins of all sciences. (Baha'u'llah, from Lawh-i-Hikmat, ‘Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas’; compilation ‘Socrates’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
October 14
We have admonished all the loved ones of God to take heed lest the hem of Our sacred vesture be smirched with the mire of unlawful deeds, or be stained with the dust of reprehensible conduct. (Baha’u’llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice)
October 13
It is incumbent on these servants [1] that they cleanse the heart—which is the wellspring of divine treasures—from every marking, and that they turn away from imitation, which is following the traces of their forefathers and sires, and shut the door of friendliness and enmity upon all the people of the earth. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Seven Valleys)
[1] Those going through the Valley of Search
October 12
Through the grace of God nothing can frustrate My purpose, and I am fully conscious of that which God hath bestowed upon Me as a token of His favour. If it were My will, I would disclose to Your Majesty all things; but I have not done this, nor will I do it, that the Truth may be distinguished from aught else beside it, and this prophecy uttered by the Imám Báqir—may peace rest upon Him—be fully realized: ‘What must needs befall us in Ádhirbayján is inevitable and without parallel. When this happeneth, rest ye in your homes and remain patient as we have remained patient. As soon as the Mover moveth make ye haste to attain unto Him, even though ye have to crawl over the snow.’ (The Báb, Extracts from an Epistle to Muhammad Shah, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
October 11
From the exalted source, and out of the essence of His favor and bounty He hath entrusted every created thing with a sign of His knowledge, so that none of His creatures may be deprived of its share in expressing, each according to its capacity and rank, this knowledge. This sign is the mirror of His beauty in the world of creation. The greater the effort exerted for the refinement of this sublime and noble mirror, the more faithfully will it be made to reflect the glory of the names and attributes of God, and reveal the wonders of His signs and knowledge. … There can be no doubt whatever that, in consequence of the efforts which every man may consciously exert and as a result of the exertion of his own spiritual faculties, this mirror can be so cleansed from the dross of earthly defilements and purged from satanic fancies as to be able to draw nigh unto the meads of eternal holiness and attain the courts of everlasting fellowship. (Baha'u'llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah’)
October 10
… I hold within My grasp whatsoever any man might wish of the good of this world and of the next. Were I to remove the veil, all would recognize Me as their Best Beloved, and no one would deny Me. Let not this assertion astound Your Majesty; inasmuch as a true believer in the unity of God who keepeth his eyes directed towards Him alone, will regard aught else but Him as utter nothingness. I swear by God! I seek no earthly goods from thee, be it as much as a mustard seed. Indeed, to possess anything of this world or of the next would, in My estimation, be tantamount to open blasphemy. For it ill beseemeth the believer in the unity of God to turn his gaze to aught else, much less to hold it in his possession. I know of a certainty that since I have God, the Ever-Living, the Adored One, I am the possessor of all things, visible and invisible... (The Báb, Extracts from an Epistle to Muhammad Shah, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
October 9
The people of the world have grievously erred, for they fondly imagine that they can exterminate the Cause of God, that they would be able to extinguish His effulgent light, and to put out His heavenly lamps. Vain indeed are their imaginings. I swear by the righteousness of God that the more they endeavour to quench His Light, the brighter will it shine, and the more they strive to smother its flame, the fiercer will it burn. God's invincible Will far transcendeth their devices, and His Purpose is supreme above all human desires, inasmuch as all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth have been called into being through a single holy breeze --the Word of His command--wafted from His presence, and all shall be brought to naught through but one letter of His. From time immemorial He hath been established upon the seat of His sovereignty and through eternity will He continue to occupy the inaccessible heights of His glory. Every created thing is impotent before the evidences of His invincible might, and all beings fade into utter nothingness when confronted with the revelation of His awesome majesty. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Fire and Light: Excerpts from the Bahá'í Sacred Writings by Báb, The, Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi’ Compiled by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice; The Baha’i World 1979-1983)
October 8
O ye friends of God in His cities and His loved ones in His lands! This Wronged One enjoineth on you honesty and piety. Blessed the city that shineth by their light. Through them man is exalted, and the door of security is unlocked before the face of all creation. Happy the man that cleaveth fast unto them, and recognizeth their virtue, and woe betide him that denieth their station. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’ The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II, Trustworthiness)
October 7
He Who is the Heart and Center of the Bayan hath written: "The germ that holdeth within itself the potentialities of the Revelation that is to come is endowed with a potency superior to the combined forces of all those who follow Me." And, again, He saith: "Of all the tributes I have paid to Him Who is to come after Me, the greatest is this, My written confession, that no words of Mine can adequately describe Him, nor can any reference to Him in My Book, the Bayan, do justice to His Cause." (Baha'u'llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah’)
October 6
Behold, how the divers peoples and kindreds of the earth have been waiting for the coming of the Promised One. No sooner had He, Who is the Sun of Truth, been made manifest, than, lo, all turned away from Him, except them whom God was pleased to guide. We dare not, in this Day, lift the veil that concealeth the exalted station which every true believer can attain, for the joy which such a revelation must provoke might well cause a few to faint away and die. (Baha'u'llah, ‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah’)
October 5
Utterance must needs possess penetrating power. For if bereft of this quality it would fail to exert influence. And this penetrating influence dependeth on the spirit being pure and the heart stainless. Likewise it needeth moderation, without which the hearer would be unable to bear it, rather he would manifest opposition from the very outset. And moderation will be obtained by blending utterance with the tokens of divine wisdom which are recorded in the sacred Books and Tablets. Thus when the essence of one's utterance is endowed with these two requisites it will prove highly effective and will be the prime factor in transforming the souls of men. This is the station of supreme victory and celestial dominion. Whoso attaineth thereto is invested with the power to teach the Cause of God and to prevail over the hearts and minds of men. (Baha'u'llah, ‘Tablets of Baha'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
October 4
Verily, the One True God beareth Me witness that in this Day I am the true mystic Fane of God, and the Essence of all good. He who doeth good unto Me, it is as if he doeth good unto God, His angels and the entire company of His loved ones. He who doeth evil unto Me, it is as if he doeth evil unto God and His chosen ones. Nay, too exalted is the station of God and of His loved ones for any person’s good or evil deed to reach their holy threshold. Whatever reacheth Me is ordained to reach Me; and that which hath come unto Me, to him who giveth will it revert. By the One in Whose hand is My soul, he hath cast no one but himself into prison. For assuredly whatsoever God hath decreed for Me shall come to pass and naught else save that which God hath ordained for us shall ever touch us. Woe betide him from whose hands floweth evil, and blessed the man from whose hands floweth good. Unto no one do I take My plaint save to God; for He is the best of judges. Every state of adversity or bliss is from Him alone, and He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. (The Báb, Extracts from an Epistle to Muhammad Shah, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)
October 3
This is an epistle from the letter ‘Thá’ [1] unto Him Who will be made manifest through the power of Truth—He Who is the All-Glorious, the Best Beloved—to affirm that all created things as well as myself bear witness for all time that there is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Self-Subsisting; that Thou art God, there is no God besides Thee and that all men shall be raised up to life through Thee. (The Báb, ‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)[1] This is the first letter of ‘Thamárih’ which means ‘fruit’. Shoghi Effendi, in his writings, refers to the Báb as the ‘Thamárih’ (fruit) of the Tree of God’s successive Revelations. (See Shoghi Effendi’s letter to the Bahá’ís of the East dated Naw-Rúz 110, page 5.)
October 2
The river Jordan is joined to the Most Great Ocean, and the Son, in the holy vale, crieth out: ‘Here am I, here am I O Lord, my God!’, whilst Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning Bush calleth aloud: ‘He Who is the Desired One is come in His transcendent majesty.’ Say, Lo! The Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is fulfilled! This is the Word which the Son concealed, when to those around Him He said: ‘Ye cannot bear it now.’ And when the appointed time was fulfilled and the Hour had struck, the Word shone forth above the horizon of the Will of God. Beware, O followers of the Son, that ye cast it not behind your backs. Take ye fast hold of it. Better is this for you than all that ye possess. Verily He is nigh unto them that do good. The Hour which We had concealed from the knowledge of the peoples of the earth and of the favoured angels hath come to pass. Say, verily, He hath testified of Me, and I do testify of Him. Indeed, He hath purposed no one other than Me. Unto this beareth witness every fair-minded and understanding soul. (Baha’u’llah, Lawh-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Tablet), ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas)
October 1
A good character is, verily, the best mantle for men from God. With it He adorneth the temples of His loved ones. By My life! The light of a good character surpasseth the light of the sun and the radiance thereof. (Baha’u’llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)
September 30
We enjoin the servants of God and His handmaidens to be pure and to fear God, that they may shake off the slumber of their corrupt desires, and turn toward God, the Maker of the heavens and of the earth. Thus have We commanded the faithful when the Daystar of the world shone forth from the horizon of ‘Iráq. My imprisonment doeth Me no harm, neither the tribulations I suffer, nor the things that have befallen Me at the hands of My oppressors. That which harmeth Me is the conduct of those who, though they bear My name, yet commit that which maketh My heart and My pen to lament. They that spread disorder in the land, and lay hands on the property of others, and enter a house without leave of its owner, We, verily, are clear of them, unless they repent and return unto God, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
September 29
The steed of this Valley [1] is patience; without patience the wayfarer on this journey will reach nowhere and attain no goal. Nor should he ever be downhearted; if he strive for a hundred thousand years and yet fail to behold the beauty of the Friend, he should not falter. For those who seek the Ka’bih [2] of “for Us” rejoice in the tidings: “In Our ways will We guide them.”[3] In their search, they have stoutly girded up the loins of service, and seek at every moment to journey from the plane of heedlessness into the realm of being. No bond shall hold them back, and no counsel shall deter them. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Seven Valleys’)
[1] Valley of Search
[2] The holy Sanctuary at Mecca. Here the word means “goal.”
[3] Qur’án 29:69: “And whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways will We guide them.”
[1] Valley of Search
[2] The holy Sanctuary at Mecca. Here the word means “goal.”
[3] Qur’án 29:69: “And whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways will We guide them.”
September 28
My God, the Object of my adoration, the Goal of my desire, the All-Bountiful, the Most Compassionate! All life is of Thee, and all power lieth within the grasp of Thine omnipotence. Whosoever Thou exaltest is raised above the angels, and attaineth the station: ‘Verily, We uplifted him to a place on high!’; and whosoever Thou dost abase is made lower than dust, nay, less than nothing. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
September 27
They read the Evangel and yet refuse to acknowledge the All-Glorious Lord, notwithstanding that He hath come through the potency of His exalted, His mighty and gracious dominion. We, verily, have come for your sakes, and have borne the misfortunes of the world for your salvation. Flee ye the One Who hath sacrificed His life that ye may be quickened? Fear God, O followers of the Spirit, and walk not in the footsteps of every divine that hath gone far astray. Do ye imagine that He seeketh His own interests, when He hath, at all times, been threatened by the swords of the enemies; or that He seeketh the vanities of the world, after He hath been imprisoned in the most desolate of cities? Be fair in your judgement and follow not the footsteps of the unjust. (Baha’u’llah, Lawh-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Tablet), ‘Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas)
September 26
That so brief a span should have separated this most mighty and wondrous Revelation from Mine own previous Manifestation, is a secret that no man can unravel and a mystery such as no mind can fathom. Its duration had been foreordained, and no man shall ever discover its reason unless and until he be informed of the contents of My Hidden Book. (Baha’u’llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’)
September 25
Should a tiny ant desire in this day to be possessed of such power as to be able to unravel the abstrusest and most bewildering passages of the Qur’án, its wish will no doubt be fulfilled, inasmuch as the mystery of eternal might vibrates within the innermost being of all created things. (The Báb, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’)
September 24
This is the day to make mention of God, to celebrate His praise, and to serve Him; deprive not yourselves thereof. Ye are the letters of the words, and the words of the Book. Ye are the saplings which the hand of Loving-kindness hath planted in the soil of mercy, and which the showers of bounty have made to flourish. He hath protected you from the mighty winds of misbelief, and the tempestuous gales of impiety, and nurtured you with the hands of His loving providence. Now is the time for you to put forth your leaves, and yield your fruit. The fruits of the tree of man have ever been and are goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character. Withhold not these fruits from the heedless. If they be accepted, your end is attained, and the purpose of life achieved. If not, leave them in their pastime of vain disputes. Strive, O people of God, that haply the hearts of the divers kindreds of the earth may, through the waters of your forbearance and loving-kindness, be cleansed and sanctified from animosity and hatred, and be made worthy and befitting recipients of the splendors of the Sun of Truth. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf)
September 23
They whose sight is keen, whose ears are retentive, whose hearts are enlightened, and whose breasts are dilated, recognize both truth and falsehood, and distinguish the one from the other. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)
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