…Bahá’u’lláh taught the Oneness of humanity; that is to say,
all the children of men are under the mercy of the Great God. They are the sons
of one God; they are trained by God. He has placed the crown of humanity on the
head of every one of the servants of God. Therefore all nations and peoples
must consider themselves brethren. They are all descendants from Adam. They are
the branches, leaves, flowers and fruits of One Tree. They are pearls from one
shell. But the children of men are in need of education and civilization, and
they require to be polished, till they become bright and shining. (‘Abdu’l-Baha,
from a talk, September 30, 1911; ‘Abdu'l-Bahá in London: Addresses and Notes of
Conversations’)
