July 30

The beloved of God must be as firm as a mountain, and must not quiver under the most violent shock, nor grieve at the greatest calamities; but must be as a solid foundation. They must cling to the hem of Glory and trust in the Beauty of the Most High. They must lean on the help and assistance of the Ancient Kingdom and confide in the care and protection of the Generous Lord. They must at every instant nourish and refresh themselves with the dew of favor, and in every breath revive and cheer themselves through the waves of the Holy Spirit, raise themselves to serve the Cause of the Supreme, and endeavor their utmost to diffuse the breath of God. they must be as a strongly fortified fortress for the defense of the blessed Cause, and as a well-made fortification for the protection of the hosts of the Pre-existent Beauty. They must in all conditions faithfully guard the edifice of the Cause of God, and be scintillating stars on the horizon of the visible; because the gloomy darkness of all nations prevailed from all directions, and all the creeds of the world are plotting to quench their evident light. Notwithstanding the strenuous opposition of all tribes, how can ye continue heedless thereof? So, ye must be conscious and aware thereof, and be ready to guard and preserve the Cause of the Creator. 

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

July 28

…turn thy face unto the Kingdom of The Covenant, thy heart beating with the Love of God, thy soul attracted to the Fragrances of God, thy tongue speaking of the appearance of the Kingdom of God, thy insight rending veils asunder and disclosing the realities of things—and with a power which may move the heart of all in the world.

This is a confirmation from the Lord of the Effulgence, while all else save this shall never profit thee! This is that by reason of which thy face shall gleam, thy heart shall be dilated with joy, thy soul become pure, thy back strengthened, thy spirit rejoiced and thine identity quickened. Leave the people of suspicion behind thy back and adhere to the Manifest Signs.

By God, the True One! Verily, the people are drunken and asleep, confused and heedless, and this will drag them to the lowest of the low. This is no other than a manifest loss!

Upon thee be greeting and praise! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 10, September 8, 1913)

July 26

Know thou, verily, The Covenant is an Orb which shines and gleams forth unto the universe. Verily, its light will dispel darkness, its sea will cast out the thick froth of suspicions upon the shore of perdition. Verily, naught in the world can ever resist the Power of the Kingdom. Should all mankind assemble, could they prevent the sun from its light, the winds from their blowing, the clouds from their showers, the mountains from their firmness or the stars from their beaming? No! By thy Lord, the Clement! Everything (in the world) is subject to corruption; but the Covenant of thy Lord shall continue to pervade all regions. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 10, September 8, 1913)

July 24

O servant of God! Know thou, verily, the fragrances of the Garden of the Covenant have perfumed all regions, the Standard of the Testament is waving upon the castles of glory, and there is no refuge for those who flee from this strongly fortified Fortress!

Do the people of surmise imagine that there is for them any other retreat than this blessed Region from which the Lights have shone forth, the mysteries have appeared and the signs are being diffused?

O servant of God! Arise to promote the Word of God, to promulgate the Covenant of God, and chant the Verses of God with such power whereby the elements of discord may tremble in those regions! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 10, September 8, 1913)

July 22

Thank God that thou art firm and steadfast in the Cause. Today the magnetic power that attracts the divine confirmation is firmness and steadfastness. The tree whose root is firm will yield luscious fruit. The building whose foundation is solid will stand the rush of torrent and hurricane. The steamer which is built strongly will resist the battling waves. Therefore, thank thou God that thou art aided in firmness and steadfastness. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet to Roy Wilhelm; Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 10, September 8, 1913)

July 20

Behold the greatness of God’s inscrutable wisdom. Some three thousand years ago, He imparted through the tongue of the Prophets glad-tidings unto the Holy Land in words such as these: Rejoice, O Holy Land, for thou shalt be made the footstool of the All-Merciful! The Tabernacle of the Lord shall be raised, the sweet savours of holiness shall be diffused, and the Day-Star of holiness shall shine forth. Rejoice with exceeding gladness, O Holy Land, rejoice! That bright Moon shall beam forth in thy heaven, and that glorious Sun shall shine resplendent from thine Orient. [Cf. Psalms 132 and 48]

He Who is the Desire of the World wished, through His consummate wisdom, to fulfil the promises of the Prophets uttered some two or three thousand years ago. He roused up His enemies and made them the instruments of His all-swaying power, so that they might uproot their foundations with their own hands and banish this resplendent Light from the niche of its native land, that thereby its radiance might shine upon the Holy Land and the promises of the Prophets be fulfilled, this sacred vale might be made the gathering place of the friends of God and these hallowed precincts become the focal centre of the celestial arena, and the light of Divine Unity might shine forth and the darkness of ignorance be dispelled. This, verily, proceedeth from the consummate wisdom and manifold bounties of your Lord and the all-encompassing mercy of the Beloved of your hearts. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; ‘Light of the World’)

July 18

O friends of God! Praise be unto God that the invisible bounties of the Sun of Truth are encompassing you from all directions, and the doors of mercy are opened from all parts. Now is the time to be benefited and filled therewith. Seize the opportunity, and lose not the chance. Keep yourselves entirely clear of the world’s conditions of gloom, and show forth the characters and qualities of divine souls, that ye may consider to what an extent the radiance of the Divine Sun is shining and brilliant, and how the signs of favor are showing forth from the invisible World of Unity. 

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

July 16

…O beloved of God, endeavor with your hearts and souls, that ye may be qualified with the morals and attributes of the Blessed Perfection, and partake of the bounties of His sanctity; that ye may become signs of unity and standards of oneness, discover the essence of singleness and sing harmonies and lays in in this divine garden, in merciful melodies; that ye may become as thankful birds, and sing a song in the rose-garden of existence which may astonish minds and senses; that ye may hoist a standard on the apex of the universe which may flutter in the winds of favor, and plant a tree in the field of the visible world which may bring forth fruits of the utmost delicacy and freshness.

I swear by the Ideal Educator that, if ye act in compliance with the divine exhortations, as revealed in brilliant Tablets, this gloomy earth will become a mirror of the Exalted Kingdom, and the inferior page will display the Kingdom of Abha! 

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

July 14

…this day the most necessary duty is to purify your morals, to correct your manners, and to improve your deeds. The beloved of the Merciful must appear with such morals and habits among the creatures that the fragrant odor of the garden of sanctity may perfume all the horizons and may quicken all the dead souls, because the Manifestation of Divinity and the dawning of the infinite lights of the Invisible is intended for the education of souls and the refinement of the morals of all in existence, so that some blessed souls may be delivered from the gloomy world of brutality and be characterized with attributes which tend to adorn the being of man; that the earthly people may become godlike, the dark ones may become illuminated, the uninstructed ones may become familiar with the mystery of the Kingdom, and the mortal souls may be associated with the Immortal Splendor; the deprived ones may partake of the endless sea, and the ignorant may drink from the living water of knowledge; the savage may give up their ferocity, and the cruel may become forbearing; that the warlike may search after true conciliation and the pitiless savages may be favored with ideal peace; that the degraded may learn about the condition of purity and the soiled ones may attain to the stream of sanctity. If these divine bounties do not appear in the being of men, the bounty of the Divine Manifestation will prove fruitless and the splendor of the Sun of Truth will become without effect. 

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

July 12

In brief, the original purpose of temples and houses of worship is simply that of unity—places of meeting where various peoples, different races and souls of every capacity may come together in order that love and agreement should be manifest between them. That is why Bahá’u’lláh has commanded that a place of worship be built for all the religionists of the world; that all religions, races and sects may come together within its universal shelter; that the proclamation of the oneness of mankind shall go forth from its open courts of holiness—the announcement that humanity is the servant of God and that all are submerged in the ocean of His mercy. It is the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. The world of existence may be likened to this temple and place of worship. For just as the external world is a place where the people of all races and colors, varying faiths, denominations and conditions come together—just as they are submerged in the same sea of divine favors—so, likewise, all may meet under the dome of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár and adore the one God in the same spirit of truth; for the ages of darkness have passed away, and the century of light has come. Ignorant prejudices are being dispelled, and the light of unity is shining. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, 30 April, 1912, Chicago, Illinois; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

July 10

As soon as the Báb revealed His Cause, Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed: “This great Man is the Lord of the righteous, and it is incumbent upon all to bear allegiance unto Him.” He arose to promote the Cause of the Báb, adducing decisive proofs and conclusive arguments of His truth. Although the divines of the nation had obliged the Persian government to exert the most vehement opposition; although they had all issued decrees ordering the massacre, pillage, persecution, and annihilation of the Báb’s followers; and although throughout the land the people had undertaken to kill, burn, and plunder them, and even harass their women and children—despite all this, Bahá’u’lláh was engaged, with the utmost constancy and composure, in exalting the word of the Báb. Nor did He seek for a moment to conceal Himself, but associated openly and visibly with His enemies, occupied Himself with adducing proofs and arguments, and became renowned for exalting the Word of God. Time and again He suffered intense adversities, and at every moment His life was in grave danger. 

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

July 8

Were one to observe with an eye that discovereth the realities of all things, it would become clear that the greatest relationship that bindeth the world of being together lieth in the range of created things themselves, and that co-operation, mutual aid and reciprocity are essential characteristics in the unified body of the world of being, inasmuch as all created things are closely related together and each is influenced by the other or deriveth benefit therefrom, either directly or indirectly....

And thus when contemplating the human world thou beholdest this wondrous phenomenon shining resplendent from all sides with the utmost perfection, inasmuch as in this station acts of co-operation, mutual assistance and reciprocity are not confined to the body and to things that pertain to the material world, but for all conditions, whether physical or spiritual, such as those related to minds, thoughts, opinions, manners, customs, attitudes, understandings, feelings or other human susceptibilities. In all these thou shouldst find these binding relationships securely established. The more this interrelationship is strengthened and expanded the more will human society advance in progress and prosperity. Indeed without these vital ties it would be wholly impossible for the world of humanity to attain true felicity and success.

Now consider, if among the people who are merely the manifestations of the world of being this significant matter is of such importance, how much greater must be the spirit of co-operation and mutual assistance among those who are the essences of the world of creation, who have sought the sheltering shadow of the heavenly Tree, and are favoured by the manifestations of divine grace; and how the evidences of this spirit should, through their earnest endeavour, their fellowship and concord, become manifest in every sphere of their inner and outer lives, in the realm of the spirit and divine mysteries and in all things related to this world and the next. Thus there can be no doubt that they must be willing even to offer up their lives for each other.

This is the basic principle on which the institution of Huqúqu'lláh is established, inasmuch as its proceeds are dedicated to the furtherance of these ends. Otherwise the one true God hath ever been and will always be independent of all else beside Him. Even as He hath enabled all created things to partake of His boundless grace and loving-kindness, likewise is He able to bestow riches upon His loved ones out of the treasuries of His power. However, the wisdom of this command is that the act of giving is well-pleasing in the sight of God. Consider how well-pleasing must this mighty act be in His estimation that He hath ascribed it unto His Own Self. Rejoice ye then, O people of generosity! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Redistribution of Wealth’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice) 

July 6

As preordained by the Fountain-head of Creation, the temple of the world hath been fashioned after the image and likeness of the human body. In fact each mirroreth forth the image of the other, wert thou but to observe with discerning eyes. By this is meant that even as the human body in this world, which is outwardly composed of different limbs and organs, is in reality a closely integrated, coherent entity, similarly the structure of the physical world is like unto a single being whose limbs and members are inseparably linked together. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Redistribution of Wealth’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)

July 4

One of the great steps towards universal peace would be the establishment of a universal language. Bahá’u’lláh commands that the servants of humanity should meet together, and either choose a language which now exists, or form a new one. This was revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas forty years ago. It is there pointed out that the question of diversity of tongues is a very difficult one. There are more than eight hundred languages in the world, and no person could acquire them all.

The races of mankind are not isolated as in former days. Now, in order to be in close relationship with all countries it is necessary to be able to speak their tongues.

A universal language would make intercourse possible with every nation. Thus it would be needful to know two languages only, the mother tongue and the universal speech. The latter would enable a man to communicate with any and every man in the world! A third language would not be needed. To be able to talk with a member of any race and country without requiring an interpreter, how helpful and restful to all!

Esperanto has been drawn up with this end in view: it is a fine invention and a splendid piece of work, but it needs perfecting. Esperanto as it stands is very difficult for some people. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk; ‘Paris Talks: Addresses given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912’)

July 2

A Supreme Tribunal shall be established by the peoples and Governments of every nation, composed of members elected from each country and Government. The members of this Great Council shall assemble in unity. All disputes of an international character shall be submitted to this Court, its work being to arrange by arbitration everything which otherwise would be a cause of war. The mission of this Tribunal would be to prevent war. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk; ‘Paris Talks: Addresses given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912’)