Those eminent divines and men of learning who walk the
straight pathway and are versed in the secrets of divine wisdom and informed of
the inner realities of the sacred Books; who wear in their hearts the jewel of the fear of God, and whose luminous faces shine with the
lights of salvation—these are alert to the present need and they understand the
requirements of modern times, and certainly devote all their energies toward
encouraging the advancement of learning and civilization. “Are they equal,
those who know, and those who do not know?... Or is the darkness equal with the
light?” [Qur’án 39:12; 13:17] (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘The Secret of Divine
Civilization’)
