O army of God! Praise be to God, Bahá’u’lláh hath lifted the
chains from off the necks of humankind, and hath set man free from all that
trammelled him, and told him: Ye are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of
one branch; be ye compassionate and kind to all the human race. Deal ye with
strangers the same as with friends, cherish ye others just as ye would your
own. See foes as friends; see demons as angels; give to the tyrant the same
great love ye show the loyal and true, and even as gazelles from the scented
cities of Khatá and Khután [1] offer up sweet musk to the
ravening wolf. Be ye a refuge to the fearful; bring ye rest and peace to the
disturbed; make ye a provision for the destitute; be a treasury of riches for
the poor; be a healing medicine for those who suffer pain; be ye doctor and
nurse to the ailing; promote ye friendship, and honour, and conciliation, and
devotion to God, in this world of non-existence.
(‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
(‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
[1] Cities in China celebrated for their musk-producing
animals.
