Among the teachings
of Baha'u'llah is one requiring man, under all conditions and circumstances, to
be forgiving, to love his enemy and to consider an ill-wisher as a well-wisher.
Not that he should consider one as being an enemy and then put up with him, or
to simply endure him, or to consider one as inimical and be forbearing toward
him. This is declared to be hypocrisy. This love is not real. Nay, rather, you
must see your enemies as friends, ill-wishers as well wishers and treat them
accordingly. That is to say, your love and kindness must be real. Your well-wishing
must be reality, not merely forbearance, for forbearance, if not of the heart,
is hypocrisy. The people of Reality will not accept it.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Excerpt From a talk by
‘Abdu’l-Baha in Oakland, California, at the home of Helen Goodall, October 3,
1912; Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 11, September 27, 1913)
