Counsels and Explanations by 'Abdu'l-Baha : January 2018

January 31

Likewise didst thou ask whether, in this Bahá’í Dispensation, the spiritual will ultimately prevail. It is certain that spirituality will defeat materialism, that the heavenly will subdue the human, and that through divine education the masses of mankind generally will take great steps forward in all degrees of life—except for those who are blind and deaf and mute and dead. How can such as they understand the light? Though the sun’s rays illumine every darkest corner of the globe, still the blind can have no share in the glory, and though the rain of heavenly mercy come down in torrents over all the earth, no shrub or flower will bloom from a barren land.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 30

Thou didst ask whether, at the advent of the Kingdom of God, every soul was saved. The Sun of Truth hath shone forth in splendour over all the world, and its luminous rising is man’s salvation and his eternal life—but only he is of the saved who hath opened wide the eye of his discernment and beheld that glory.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 29

Thou didst ask as to acquiring knowledge: read thou the Books and Tablets of God, and the articles written to demonstrate the truth of this Faith. Included among them are the Íqán, which hath been translated into English, the works of Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl, and those of some others among the believers. In the days to come a great number of holy Tablets and other sacred writings will be translated, and thou shouldst read these as well. Likewise, ask thou of God that the magnet of His love should draw unto thee the knowledge of Him. Once a soul becometh holy in all things, purified, sanctified, the gates of the knowledge of God will open wide before his eyes.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 28

…although the degrees of being are various, yet all are good. Observe the human body, its limbs, its members, the eye, the ear, the organs of smell, of taste, the hands, the fingernails. Notwithstanding the differences among all these parts, each one within the limitations of its own being participateth in a coherent whole. If one of them faileth it must be healed, and should no remedy avail, that part must be removed.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 27

Let us strive with all our powers to unite the East and West so that the nations of the world may be advanced and that all may live according to the one foundation of the religions of God. The essentials of the divine religion are one reality, indivisible and not multiple. It is one. And when through investigation we find it to be single, we have a basis for the oneness of the world of humanity. I will pray for you, asking confirmation and assistance in your behalf.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, 21 April 1912, Washington, DC; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

January 26

O thou who hast drawn nigh unto the spirit of Christ in the Kingdom of God! Verily the body is composed of physical elements, and every composite must needs be decomposed. The spirit, however, is a single essence, fine and delicate, incorporeal, everlasting, and of God. For this reason whoso looketh for Christ in His physical body hath looked in vain, and will be shut away from Him as by a veil. But whoso yearneth to find Him in the spirit will grow from day to day in joy and desire and burning love, in closeness to Him, and in beholding Him clear and plain. In this new and wondrous day, it behoveth thee to seek after the spirit of Christ.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 25

Read the Gospels. Jesus Christ was mercy itself, was love itself. He even prayed in behalf of His executioners—for those who crucified Him—saying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” If they knew what they were doing, they would not have done it. Consider how kind Jesus Christ was, that even upon the cross He prayed for His oppressors. We must follow His example. We must emulate the Prophets of God. We must follow Jesus Christ. We must free ourselves from all these imitations which are the source of darkness in the world.

January 24

The Prophets have appeared in this world with the mission that human souls may become the expressions of the Merciful, that they may be educated and developed, attain to love and amity and establish peace and agreement.

January 23

…God has wished all good for His servants, and he who wishes the servants of God evil is against God; he has not obeyed the will and emulated the example of God; he has followed Satanic leadings and footprints. The attributes of God are love and mercy; the attribute of Satan is hate. Therefore, he who is merciful and kind to his fellowmen is manifesting the divine attribute, and he who is hating and hostile toward a fellow creature is satanic. God is absolute love, even as Jesus Christ has declared, and Satan is utter hatred. Wherever love is witnessed, know that there is a manifestation of God’s mercy; whenever you meet hatred and enmity, know that these are the evidences and attributes of Satan.

January 22

We must investigate reality. We must put away these superstitions. It is a self-evident truth that all humanity is the creation of God. All are His servants and under His protection. All are recipients of His bestowals. God is kind to all His servants. At most it is this: that some are ignorant; they must be educated in order that they may become intelligent. Some are immature as children; they must be aided and assisted in order that they may become mature. Some are sick and ailing; they must be healed. But the suffering patient must not be tested by false treatment. The child must not be warped and hindered in its development. The ignorant must not be restricted by censure and criticism. We must look for the real, true remedy.

January 21

All the existing nations had a divine foundation of truth or reality originally, which was intended to be conducive to the unity and accord of mankind, but the light of that reality gradually became obscured. The darkness of superstitions and imitations came and took its place, binding the world of humanity in the chains and fetters of ignorance. Enmity arose among men, increasing to such an extent that nation strove against nation in hatred and violence. War has been a religious and political human heritage.

January 20

O thou son of the Kingdom! All things are beneficial if joined with the love of God; and without His love all things are harmful, and act as a veil between man and the Lord of the Kingdom. When His love is there, every bitterness turneth sweet, and every bounty rendereth a wholesome pleasure.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 19

With reference to what is meant by an individual becoming entirely forgetful of self: the intent is that he should rise up and sacrifice himself in the true sense, that is, he should obliterate the promptings of the human condition, and rid himself of such characteristics as are worthy of blame and constitute the gloomy darkness of this life on earth—not that he should allow his physical health to deteriorate and his body to become infirm.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 18

As for that mighty solar orb which thou didst behold in thy dream, that was the Promised One, and its spreading rays were His bounties, and the translucent surface of the mass of water signifieth hearts that are undefiled and pure, while the surging waves denote the great excitement of those hearts and the fact that they were shaken and deeply moved, that is, the waves are the stirrings of the spirit and holy intimations of the soul. Praise thou God that in the world of the dream thou hast witnessed such disclosures.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 17

I ask of God that with His assistance and strong support thou mayest teach the inner meanings of the Torah with eloquence, understanding, vigour and skill. Turn thy face toward the Kingdom of God, ask for the bestowals of the Holy Spirit, speak, and the confirmations of the Spirit will come.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 16

Regarding one’s lack of capacity and one’s undeserving on the Day of Resurrection, this does not cause one to be shut out from gifts and bounties; for this is not the Day of Justice but the Day of Grace, while justice is allotting to each whatever is his due. Then look thou not at the degree of thy capacity, look thou at the boundless favour of Bahá’u’lláh; all-encompassing is His bounty, and consummate His grace.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 15

Today whosoever is a herald of the Covenant is confirmed and assisted. In these days a number of souls, whose deeds are known in America as clear as the sun, have arisen in enmity against the Center of the Covenant. Theirs is the vain imagination that they can extinguish the Light of the Candle of the Covenant. Vain indeed is their thought. The Candle of the Covenant is like unto the Morning Star which never sets.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 13, November 4, 1914)

January 14

Concerning the childish activities of some (violators) which thou hadst written about: Praise be to God, thou hast been able to fulfill admirably thy mission. Thou hast, armed with the power of the Covenant, resisted and surmounted these unwise and foolish attempts; thou hast protected the Cause of God and hast striven to expose and reveal the Truth to the people of that region. These people are like unto children at every hour they exhibit a fresh and puerile attempt, but all that is likened to a ripple on the surface of water. Ere long thou shalt consider that no sign and no trace shall remain therefrom. The ocean of the Covenant shall send forth a wave and shall disperse and throw out these foams. Consider thou, at the time of Christ and after Him, how many childish attempts were made by different persons! What claims they have advanced and what a multitude have they gathered around themselves! Even Arius attracted to himself a million and a half followers and strove and endeavored to sow the seeds of sedition in the Cause of Christ. But eventually the sea of Christ surged and cast out all the gathering froth and nothing was left behind save everlasting malediction.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet, translated by Shoghi Rabbani, March 15th, 1919; Star of the West, vol. 10, no. 5, June 5, 1919)

January 13

As to the question of reincarnation which thou hast inquired: It is better for thee to refer to the Book of Certainty (Iqan) revealed through the Supreme Pen, wherein the question is fully treated. This is the explicit text of the divine utterance and therein thou shalt find that it has been manifestly declared that by "Return" is meant the return of human perfections and divine illumination. The Book of Iqan has been translated and possesses the decisive verdict. Consider and peruse it with the utmost carefulness.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet, translated by Shoghi Rabbani, March 15th, 1919; Star of the West, vol. 10, no. 5, June 5, 1919)

January 12

Thou didst ask as to chapter 14, verse 30 of the Gospel of John, where the Lord Christ saith, ‘Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the Prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.’ The Prince of this world is the Blessed Beauty; and ‘hath nothing in Me’ signifieth: after Me all will draw grace from Me, but He is independent of Me, and will draw no grace from Me. That is, He is rich beyond any grace of Mine.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 11

Thou didst write as to the question of spiritual discoveries. The spirit of man is a circumambient power that encompasseth the realities of all things. Whatsoever thou dost see about thee—wondrous products of human workmanship, inventions, discoveries and like evidences—each one of these was once a secret hidden away in the realm of the unknown. The human spirit laid that secret bare, and drew it forth from the unseen into the visible world. There is, for example, the power of steam, and photography and the phonograph, and wireless telegraphy, and advances in mathematics: each and every one of these was once a mystery, a closely guarded secret, yet the human spirit unravelled these secrets and brought them out of the invisible into the light of day. Thus is it clear that the human spirit is an all-encompassing power that exerteth its dominion over the inner essences of all created things, uncovering the well kept mysteries of the phenomenal world.

The divine spirit, however, doth unveil divine realities and universal mysteries that lie within the spiritual world. It is my hope that thou wilt attain unto this divine spirit, so that thou mayest uncover the secrets of the other world, as well as the mysteries of the world below.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

January 10

O maid-servant of God! Every star hath a setting, but the star of the knowledge of God in the divine heaven; every light shall darken save the light of the guidance of God; every dignity shall vanish away save the glory under the shadow of the Word of God.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

January 9

As to the calamities and afflictions of Abdul-Baha: These are not calamities, but bounties; they are not afflictions, but gifts; not hardships, but tranquility; not trouble, but mercy—and we thank God for this great favor.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

January 8

O thou at whose mention I am rejoiced! By God, the True One, verily pure hearts are as clear and brilliant mirrors which imprint the one on the other, and hearts discover the secrets of hearts. Therefore, they (hearts) chant the verses of longing and recite the odes of glorification and praise. Consequently, the recourse is to pages of hearts, not pages filled with written lines.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

January 7

O thou who art advancing toward the Kingdom of God! Verily, I supplicate God to illuminate thy heart through the light which is shining from the Supreme Concourse that His mightiest power may strengthen thee to be firm, steadfast, submissive and lowly before the Kingdom of God, and to be an example of good deeds among the maid-servants of the Merciful. And I beseech Him to make thy breast a clear mirror to reflect the light of the spirit of God.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

January 6

O thou who art awakened from the sleep of negligence and forgetfulness!

Thank God for that He hath awakened thee from thy sleep, found thee after thy being lost and quickened thee after thy death. Verily, I beg God to confirm thee by a power by which thou mayest be enabled to worship God and to serve His Cause and to be submissive and lowly before the beloved of God.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

January 5

In Jerusalem every now and then they broadcast a promise giving a specific time based on the holy scriptures and say that on such a date the Promised One will appear to deliver the Jews. They say, `We have derived these from the holy texts.' But when that time and day approach they cast a doubt over their promise and give another. Thus they keep the Jews under the influence of their wish and desires and deprive them of the truth. Now they refer to the time of Daniel [Dan. 12:12] and hold out a promise that the Promised One will appear in the year 1335 [AH, i. e. 1963].

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, November 15, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

January 4

Divine religions consist of two parts. One aspect is that of spiritual laws which constitute the foundation of all divine religions. They are immutable and unalterable. The second aspect consists of social laws and relates to material affairs, and changes according to the exigencies of the time.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, November 16, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

January 3

Later, at a gathering of the friends, He spoke these words:

The holy Manifestations endured great afflictions and persecutions and at every moment accepted torment and oppression. Christ suffered violent persecutions, accepting the suffering of the Cross and the most glorious martyrdom. The results of these persecutions were eleven disciples who were truly blessed souls. They became luminous and heavenly; they became the cause of the enlightenment of the people of the world.

I hope that you, too, may reach such a station, that it will be said that you are the fruit of the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh; that it will be said, `It is these people who are the aim of this new revelation; they are the jewels of existence; they are illumined, divine, spiritual and heavenly.' If someone asks what Bahá'u'lláh has done, they will be told, 'He has educated these people.'

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, November 16, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

January 2

Man explains things in two ways. One explanation originates from his personal feelings, thoughts and understanding. This cannot stand as proof or criterion for all and does not satisfy the hearts. The other is a statement supported by proofs. It produces significant results and promulgates momentous matters which are necessary to the world of man. It is like the explanations and proofs of the Bahá'ís, who invite all to the oneness of humanity and to universal peace. This explanation has proofs and is effective.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, November 15, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

January 1

The day of the Manifestation of God is the divine and spiritual springtime when the trees of human souls become green and flourishing, new beauty and freshness are brought to the gardens of the hearts and new inspiration and fresh bounties are bestowed.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, November 15, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)