August 31

O friends! Black clouds have shrouded all this earth, and the darkness of hatred and malice, of cruelty and aggression and defilement is spreading far and wide. The people, one and all, live out their lives in a heedless stupor and the chief virtues of man are held to be his rapacity and his thirst for blood. Out of all the mass of humankind God hath chosen the friends, and He hath favoured them with His guidance and boundless grace. His purpose is this, that we, all of us, should strive with our whole hearts to offer ourselves up, guide others to His path, and train the souls of men—until these frenzied beasts change to gazelles in the meadows of oneness, and these wolves to lambs of God, and these brutish creatures to angelic hosts; till the fires of hatred are quenched, and the flame coming out of the sheltered vale of the Holy Shrine doth shed its splendours; till the foul odour of the tyrant’s dunghill is blown away, and yieldeth to the pure, sweet scents that stream from the rosebeds of faith and trust. On that day will the weak of intellect draw on the bounty of the divine, Universal Mind, and they whose life is but abomination will seek out these cleansing, holy breaths.

But there needs must be souls who will manifest such bestowals, there needs must be husbandmen to till these fields, gardeners for these gardens, there needs must be fish to swim in this sea, stars to gleam in these heavens. These ailing ones must be tended by spiritual physicians, these who are the lost need gentle guides—so that from such souls the bereft may receive their portion, and the deprived obtain their share, and the poor discover in such as they unmeasured wealth, and the seekers hear from them unanswerable proofs. 

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

August 29

O thou favored maid-servant of God!... Be thou a cause of unifying hearts as much as thou canst and guide thou the heedless souls, and in this spiritual springtime perfume thou nostrils with the sweet fragrances of the rose-garden of the Kingdom. This is eternal life; this everlasting Glory! And this is a peace which is not followed by any trouble! All else save this is a plaything of children and is useless and nonsense! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2')

August 27

Consider the prejudice of patriotism. This is one globe, one land, one country. God did not divide it into national boundaries. He created all the continents without national divisions. Why should we make such division ourselves? These are but imaginary lines and boundaries. Europe is a continent; it is not naturally divided; man has drawn the lines and established the limits of kingdoms and empires. Man declares a river to be a boundary line between two countries, calling this side French and the other side German, whereas the river was created for both and is a natural artery for all. Is it not imagination and ignorance which impels man to violate the divine intention and make the very bounties of God the cause of war, bloodshed and destruction? Therefore, all prejudices between man and man are falsehoods and violations of the will of God. God desires unity and love; He commands harmony and fellowship. Enmity is human disobedience; God Himself is love. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, Montreal. Canada, 1 September, 1912; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

August 25

The world of existence is continuously progressing and developing and therefore assuredly the virtues characterizing the maturity of man must likewise expand and grow. The greatest bestowal of God to man is the capacity to attain human virtues. Therefore the teachings of religion must be reformed and renewed because past teachings are not suitable for the present time... The laws of the past are being superseded because they are not applicable to this time.  

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Star of the West [The Baha’i Magazine], vol. 25, no. 3, June 1934)

August 23

Know thou that the distinction between male and female is an exigency of the physical world and hath no connection with the spirit; for the spirit and the world of the spirit are sanctified above such exigencies, and wholly beyond the reach of such changes as befall the physical body in the contingent world. In former ages, men enjoyed ascendancy over women because bodily might reigned supreme and the spirit was subject to its dominion. In this radiant age, however, since the power of the spirit hath transcended that of the body and assumed its ascendancy, authority and dominion over the human world, this physical distinction hath ceased to be of consequence; and, as the sway and influence of the spirit have become apparent, women have come to be the full equals of men. Today, therefore, there is no respect or circumstance in which a person’s sex provideth grounds for the exercise of either discrimination or favour. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (From a Tablet, New resources available at Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

August 21

The Blessed Perfection was a prisoner twenty-five years. During all this time He was subjected to the indignities and revilement of the people. He was persecuted, mocked and put in chains. In Persia His properties were pillaged and His possessions confiscated. First, there was banishment from Persia to Baghdád, then to Constantinople, then to Adrianople, finally from Rumelia to the prison fortress of ‘Akká.

During His lifetime He was intensely active. His energy was unlimited. Scarcely one night was passed in restful sleep. He bore these ordeals, suffered these calamities and difficulties in order that a manifestation of selflessness and service might become apparent in the world of humanity; that the Most Great Peace should become a reality; that human souls might appear as the angels of heaven; that heavenly miracles would be wrought among men; that human faith should be strengthened and perfected; that the precious, priceless bestowal of God—the human mind—might be developed to its fullest capacity in the temple of the body; and that man might become the reflection and likeness of God, even as it hath been revealed in the Bible, “Let us make man in our image.” 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, New York, 18 April, 1912; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

August 19

Expend your every breath of life in this great Cause and dedicate all your days to the service of Bahá, so that in the end, safe from loss and deprivation, ye will inherit the heaped-up treasures of the realms above. For the days of a man are full of peril and he cannot rely on so much as a moment more of life; and still the people, who are even as a wavering mirage of illusions, tell themselves that in the end they shall reach the heights. Alas for them! The men of bygone times hugged these same fancies to their breasts, until a wave flicked over them and they returned to dust, and they found themselves excluded and bereft—all save those souls who had freed themselves from self and had flung away their lives in the pathway of God. Their bright star shone out in the skies of ancient glory, and the handed-down memories of all the ages are the proof of what I say.

Wherefore, rest ye neither day nor night and seek no ease. Tell ye the secrets of servitude, follow the pathway of service, till ye attain the promised succour that cometh from the realms of God.

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

August 17

Shouldst thou recite any of the revealed prayers, and seek assistance from God with thy face turned towards Him, and implore Him with devotion and fervour, thy need will be answered.

- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Prayer and Devotional Life, Extracts from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, February 2019)

August 15

No matter how brilliant a receding star is, its light never reaches to this world. Worship thou the newly ascendant Shining Luminary whose lights are glittering and whose proof is self-evident. Become thou the cause of guidance of the person whom thou art respecting. No matter how much endeavor and effort is shown, a tree which hath been in existence for two thousand years or more will never bring new and fresh fruits. This is the truth and there is nothing beyond the truth but manifest error. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2')

August 13

And now, in gratitude for the assistance, confirmation, protection, and loving-kindness vouchsafed by the All-Glorious Lord, the beloved of God must with great wisdom strive to strengthen the pillars of the Cause of God, to establish and promote the religion of God, to diffuse the fragrances of God, and to exalt the Word of God. They must exert every effort for the advancement of the souls in all stages of existence. They must educate the children and teach them useful arts, reach ever higher degrees of civilization, multiply national crafts and industry, promote trade, improve agriculture, provide learning for all, educate women and honour them, and show consideration for the handmaidens of God. They must strive with heart and soul to create love and unity among the friends, to serve the government, and to be true to the royal throne, the well-wishers of everyone, and obedient to the valiant sovereign. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Social Action’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, August 2020; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

August 11

The utmost favor is shown toward thee and the divine bounties are thy guide. endeavor thou, as far as thou canst, in order that thou mayest be like unto a chaste and clear mirror, cleansed and purified from every dust, so that the outpouring of the rays of the Sun of Truth may descend and thou mayest illumine those who are around thee. This is my counsel to thee. I pray always in thy behalf and supplicate for thy confirmation and assistance, in order that thou mayest become a sign of the Most Great Bounty and be the cause of the guidance of many souls. If thou art mindful, seek thou the favor everlasting and the illumination eternal. Do thou some work, that thou mayest become favored in the Threshold of the Almighty and a beloved maid-servant of the Blessed Perfection, in the Kingdom. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2')

August 9

Many ideas rise up in the human mind; some of them concern truth and some untruth. Among such ideas those which owe their source to the Light of Truth will be realized in the outward world; while others of a different origin vanish, come and go like waves on the sea of imagination and find no realization in the world of existence. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2')

August 7

As to the catalogue of the book of which thou has written, convey (the following) to the author of that book:

“Although thou hast exerted the utmost endeavors in compiling this book and hast written the life of His Kingdom Christ and His blessed sayings—and this service and labor deserve favor—yet these are events of former times and all that is past is of a different effect. If thou art a hero of the field and a melodious bird in the garden of the Merciful One, speak of the Beauty of Abha, for it is ready and present. consider that the last year’s springtime is past and all that thou mayest say or hear (about it) is but a story (or narrative); but appreciate thou this New Year’s Spring—which is this present time—hath pitched its tent with the utmost magnificence in the field and plain and hath made the mountain and desert verdant and fresh, hath made the trees to appear pure and fresh, blooming with flowers and blossoms through the vernal bounty and caused them to bring forth pure fruits. Nor all that thou mayest speak of the past springtime, be it even spoken with all excellence and eloquence and in accord with reality, all that will, nevertheless, be a past story.

“Do thou not abandon that which is ready in the present time until thou mayest gain the result and gather fruits from the garden of thy hopes and wishes. Otherwise, thy book is a book of history—it will be concluded and forgotten. Harken unto me (i.e., take my advice): One single ready drop is better than a sea which is past. More especially, this New Cause is like unto a sea, while all those which are past were like unto rivers.” 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

August 5

The Book of Isaiah announces that the Messiah will conquer the East and the West, that all the nations of the earth will gather under His shadow, that His kingdom will be established, that He will come from an unknown place, that the sinners will be judged, and that justice will prevail to such a degree that the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the kid, the sucking child and the asp will all gather at one spring, in one meadow, and in one abode. The first coming was also subject to these conditions, although none of them came to pass outwardly. Thus the Jews cavilled at Christ, and—God forbid!—called Him a monster,[1] regarded Him as the destroyer of the edifice of God and the breaker of the Sabbath and the Law, and sentenced Him to death. Now, each and every one of these conditions had an inner meaning, but the Jews failed to understand and were therefore veiled from recognizing Him.

The second coming of Christ follows a similar pattern. All the signs and conditions that have been indicated have inner meanings and are not to be taken literally. For otherwise it is said, among other things, that the stars will fall upon the earth. Yet the stars are endless and innumerable, and modern mathematicians have established and proven that the mass of the sun is approximately one and a half million times greater than that of the earth, and that each one of the fixed stars is a thousand times larger than the sun. If these stars were to fall upon the surface of the earth, how could there be room for them? It would be as though a thousand million mountains as mighty as the Himalayas were to fall upon a grain of mustard seed. Such a thing is, by reason and by science (and indeed as a matter of simple common sense), utterly impossible. And yet even more astonishing is that Christ said: Perchance I shall come when you are sleeping, for the coming of the Son of man is like the coming of a thief.[2] Perhaps the thief will be in the house and the owner will be unaware.

It is therefore clear and evident that these signs have inner meanings and should not be taken literally. These meanings have been fully explained in the Kitáb-i-Íqán: Refer to it. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)

[1] Masíkh (monster), a distortion of Masíḥ (Messiah).

[2] Cf. 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10

August 3

Happy the soul that shall forget his own good, and like the chosen ones of God, vie with his fellows in service to the good of all… 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘The Secret of Divine Civilization’)

August 1

O thou maid-servant of the Blessed Perfection! Be thou not sad, neither be thou unhappy, although the divine tests are violent, yet are they conducive to the life of the soul and the heart. The more often the pure gold is thrown into the furnace of test, the greater will become its purity and brilliancy and it will acquire a new splendor and brightness. I hope that thou art thyself in such a position.

Consider thou the lives of the former sanctified souls; what tests have they not withstood and what persecutions have they not beheld; while they were surrounded with calamities they increased their firmness and while they were overwhelmed with tests they manifested more zeal and courage. Be thou also like unto them. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)