December 31

In the material world of existence, human undertakings are divided into two kinds universal and specific. The result of every universal effort is infinite and the outcome of every specific effort is finite…

It is a general axiom that in the world of human endeavor, every universal affair commands attention and its results and benefits are limitless. Therefore, let us say that every universal cause is divine and every specific matter is human. The universal light for this planet is from the sun and the special light here tonight, which is electric, illumines this banquet hall through the invention of man. In like manner the activities which are trying to establish solidarity between the nations and infuse the spirit of universalism in the hearts of the children of men are like unto divine rays from the Sun of Reality, and the brightest ray is the coming of the universal language. Its achievement is the greatest virtue of the age, for such an instrument will remove misunderstandings from among the peoples of the earth and will cement their hearts together. This medium will enable each individual member of the human family to be informed of the scientific accomplishments of all his fellowmen. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk given at Esperanto group, Paris, France, February 12, 1913; Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 2, April 9, 1913)

December 30

I declare by the Blessed Perfection [Bahá'u'lláh] - May my life be a sacrifice to His believers - that if the believers arise to act according to the good-pleasure of the Blessed Perfection, the lights will be revealed, the mysteries discovered, the veils rent asunder, the darkness dispelled, the verses of unity chanted, and the melodies of the spiritual music of the Glorious Lord sung!

Show ye an effort! Work unceasingly! Labour diligently; - so that the Everlasting Bounty be realized, Eternal Life be destined, and the nostrils be perfumed with the Holy Fragrances! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet, Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 1, March 21, 1914)

December 29

He [‘Abdu’l-Baha] later spoke about the days of Baghdád and the apathy and ignorance of the populace. He said:

"How they reproached us, but they were ignorant of the future of the Cause. They did not know that the Cause of God can make an atom a brilliant sun, bestow the magnificence of Solomon on an ant, give eternal honor to debased ones and endow the ignorant ones with divine knowledge."

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a talk, October 27, 1912, En route to Salt Lake City, USA, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

December 28

I have come to America to raise the standard of universal peace and to promote the unity of mankind. My aim is to create love and harmony among the religions. But some people ask me, `Is your country developed? Is it prosperous and has it good trees, sweet fruits, beautiful animals and swift Arabian horses?' But I speak to them of the trees of the world of existence, of the fruits of human virtues and of heavenly morals and traits and call people to the Kingdom of God. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (From a talk, October 27, 1912, En route to Salt Lake City, USA, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

December 27

Admonish the Friends so they will not backbite and criticize, voicing the mistakes and sins of others. Have a sin covering-eye. As soon as you see a trace of the Love of Baha’u’llah in a soul, revere that soul under all conditions. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, June 11, 1912, 309 West 78 Street, New York City Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 2, April 9, 1913)

December 26

…in the past ages a common language shared by various nations created a spirit of solidarity among them. For instance, 1300 years ago, there were many divergent nationalities in the Orient. There were Copts in Egypt, Syrians in Syria, Assyrians and Babylonians in Bagdad and along the River Mesopotamia. There existed among these peoples rank hatred, but as they were gradually brought nearer through common protection and common interests, the Arabic language grew to be the means of intercommunication, and they became as one nation. They all speak the Arabic language to this day. In Syria if you ask any one of them he will say, "I am an Arab," though in reality he is not -- some are Greeks, others Jews, etc. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk given at Esperanto group, Paris, France, February 12, 1913; Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 2, April 9, 1913)

December 25

Now you must engage in the service of the Cause of God with the utmost firmness, steadfastness and resolution, and expend day and night in the promotion of the Religion of God. Do not unloose your tongues save for conveying the Message! Do not behold save the Kingdom of Abhá! Wish for no other companion save the True One. Do ye not desire other associate save turning thy face toward the Supreme Horizon. Do ye not search for any other delicacy save the Heavenly Food, and do ye not hope for any other sweetness save the love of the Beauty of Abhá. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet, Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 1, March 21, 1914)

December 24

His Highness the Almighty hath chosen the friends from among the concourse of men and hath specialized them with the most eminent guidance and the highest gift; so that we may with our souls and hearts exert ourselves, sacrifice our lives, be engaged in the guidance of the people and the training of souls; so that the wild beasts may become the gazelles of the meadows of unity; the wolves the sheep of God; the bloodthirsty ones the heavenly angels; the fire of malice be extinguished and the flame of safety in the blessed tabernacle bestow illumination; the odor of the nether realm of infidelity be dispelled and the fragrances of the rose garden of faithfulness be diffused in all parts; the weak draw light from the Universal Reason and evil souls seek to be purified with the holy and divine Breath. There are needed manifestors for this gift; farmers for this field; gardeners for this rose garden; fishers for this sea; luminous stars for this heaven; spiritual physicians for these ill ones, and loving guides for these wanderers; so that they may bestow a share on those who are deprived, grant a portion to those who are shameless, give unmeasured treasure to the indigent ones, and show forth the power of proof to the seekers. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet, Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 1, March 21, 1913)

December 23

Spiritual means are prepared. The Merciful Table is spread and the Banquet and the Feast of the Lord is inexhaustible. Now is the time of attraction and ecstasy! - so that region may become wholly illumined and that worthless dust be changed into fragrant musk. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet, Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 1, March 21, 1914)

December 22

…the life of man is wholly subject to danger and impermanency. A person cannot put his assurance even in one moment's continuity. Notwithstanding this, the nations of the world, deceived by the mirage of superstition, imagine themselves secure in the heavenly way. Alas! Alas! Former communities in bygone ages entertained the same perishing thoughts; but by one of those periodical fluctuations they were all hidden under the ground, and afflicted with deprivation and loss, except those souls who had become pure evanescence and had arisen with a great self-abnegation in the path of God. Such souls shine forth as brilliant stars from the horizon of the Ancient Glory, and the results which emanated from their lives in succeeding ages and cycles are the proofs of this statement. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet, Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 1, March 21, 1913)

December 21

…O ye friends of God! Show ye forth an earnest endeavor and display ye a resolute effort, so that ye may become assisted in the adoration of the Ancient Beauty and the Manifest Light; to be the cause of spreading the light of the Sun of Truth; to infuse into the dead, antiquated body of the world a new spirit; to cast in the fields of the hearts pure seeds; to arise in the service of the Cause; to speak with eloquent tongues; to become candles of guidance in the assemblage of the world; to become shining stars in the horizon of the existent being; to become merciful birds in the rose garden of oneness; to sing the melodies of realities and significances; to spend every breath of your existence in the service of this conspicuous light; so that in the end ye may be freed from loss and failure and attain to the inexhaustible treasury of the Kingdom. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet, Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 1, March 21, 1913)

December 20

This Call shall fill the East and the West, and will continue throughout all ages and cycles. It is endless. That is why in this day, the wise and perceiving souls exalt the ideal and engage in heralding the Kingdom of God! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 1, March 21, 1914)

December 19

The Apostles of His Holiness Christ were always travelling and calling the people to the Kingdom of God. Consequently, walk thou in their footsteps. Travel thou to every country and under all circumstances raise the Call of the Kingdom of God. Mankind, like unto children, are satisfied with water and clay, and love to play with their play-things. Their ambitions are very inferior. Praise be to God! that thou hast a lofty ambition; therefore arise in calling the people to the Kingdom of God. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet, Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 1, March 21, 1914)

December 18

Consider how 'Abdu'l-Bahá forgot all thoughts and mentions and turned his face towards the countries and empires, cities and villages, mountains and deserts of the West. Day and night he was engaged in teaching the Cause and conveying the Message. The principle upon which his trip [throughout Europe and America] was directed was this verse:

"O God!  Make all my ideals and thoughts One Ideal and One Thought, and suffer me to attain to an eternal, unchangeable condition in Thy Service!"

He sought no rest, neither did he breathe one breath of comfort. Notwithstanding the weakness of constitution, the infirmity of the body and the nervous fever, every night I was in a city, and each day among a community. Although at times I could not speak one word before large audiences, I delivered lengthy addresses. Working in this manner shall bear fruit. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet to Persian Baha’is; Star of the West vol. 5, no. 1, March 21, 1914)

December 17

The everlasting glory of the friends, and the heavenly sublimity of the believers, is to teach the Cause of God, to spread the fragrances of God, and to promote the Word of God!

I hope you may become assisted and confirmed therein. Then you will become a member of the congregation of the elect and a light in the Divine Assemblage.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Extract from a Tablet; Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 1, March 21, 1914)  

December 16

Many great men and women have desired, century after century, to live in this wonderful Age of God, and you ought to thank Cod with all your heart that you have been chosen to be here at this time. Christ said that the stone the builders rejected became the headstone of the corner. This means that the spiritually great men and women of the world have been rejected and despised in all times by the builders of the world; but that now in this, the time of the Kingdom, these spiritual ones will become the chief stones in the buildings. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by May Maxwell in ‘An Early Pilgrimage’, 1898)

December 15

O thou who hast bowed thyself down in prayer before the Kingdom of God! Blessed art thou, for the beauty of the divine Countenance hath enraptured thy heart, and the light of inner wisdom hath filled it full, and within it shineth the brightness of the Kingdom. Know thou that God is with thee under all conditions, and that He guardeth thee from the changes and chances of this world and hath made thee a handmaid in His mighty vineyard....

As to thy respected husband: it is incumbent upon thee to treat him with great kindness, to consider his wishes and be conciliatory with him at all times, till he seeth that because thou hast directed thyself toward the Kingdom of God, thy tenderness for him and thy love for God have but increased, as well as thy concern for his wishes under all conditions.

I beg of the Almighty to keep thee firmly established in His love, and ever shedding abroad the sweet breaths of holiness in all those regions. 

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

December 14

Whatever troubles we have on our way to the Kingdom are a test to the soul. When man enters this world it is in troubles and hardships, but he comes from the invisible to the visible to gain great things for himself. As the material birth is a time of trouble, so also is the spiritual. The way to God is strewn with troubles and difficulties, but remember always what Christ said: "Though the body is weak the spirit is powerful." 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha recorded by May Maxwell; ‘An Early Pilgrimage’, 1898)

December 13

All the sufferings you pass through in gaining the Kingdom of God will be obliterated when you attain its perfect happiness. lt is as a man who has been ill and helpless for two or three years and afterwards becomes well and strong, then all remembrance of his pain vanishes. The happiness of the Kingdom is a perfect one unlike the imperfection of our best earthly conditions and is never again to be clouded by any vestige of sorrow. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha recorded by May Maxwell; ‘An Early Pilgrimage’, 1898)

December 12

O thou who art firm in the Covenant! The letter thou hadst written on 2 May 1919 was received. Praise thou God that in tests thou art firm and steadfast and art holding fast to the Abhá Kingdom. Thou art not shaken by any affliction or disturbed by any calamity. Not until man is tried doth the pure gold distinctly separate from the dross. Torment is the fire of test wherein the pure gold shineth resplendently and the impurity is burned and blackened. At present thou art, praise be to God, firm and steadfast in tests and trials and art not shaken by them.

Thy wife is not in harmony with thee, but praise be to God, the Blessed Beauty is pleased with thee and is conferring upon thee the utmost bounty and blessings. But still try to be patient with thy wife, perchance she may be transformed and her heart may be illumined. The contribution thou hast made for teaching is highly acceptable and it shall be eternally mentioned in the divine Kingdom for it is the cause of the diffusion of fragrances and the exaltation of the Word of God. 

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

December 11

O ye my two beloved children! The news of your union, as soon as it reached me, imparted infinite joy and gratitude. Praise be to God, those two faithful birds have sought shelter in one nest. I beseech God that He may enable them to raise an honoured family, for the importance of marriage lieth in the bringing up of a richly blessed family, so that with entire gladness they may, even as candles, illuminate the world. For the enlightenment of the world dependeth upon the existence of man. If man did not exist in this world, it would have been like a tree without fruit. My hope is that you both may become even as one tree, and may, through the outpourings of the cloud of loving-kindness, acquire freshness and charm, and may blossom and yield fruit, so that your line may eternally endure. 

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

December 10

Man has the power both to do good and to do evil; if his power for good predominates and his inclinations to do wrong are conquered, then man in truth may be called a saint. But if, on the contrary, he rejects the things of God and allows his evil passions to conquer him, then he is no better than a mere animal. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, November 1, 1911, Paris, France; ‘Paris Talks’)

December 9

O thou who art cheered through the Fragrances of God!

When thou desirest and yearnest for meeting in the world of vision; at the time when thou art in perfect fragrance and spirituality, wash thy hands and face, clothe thyself in clean robes, turn toward the court of the Peerless One, offer prayer to Him and lay thy head upon the pillow. When sleep cometh, the doors of revelation shall be opened and all thy desires shall become revealed. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

December 8

In man there are two natures; his spiritual or higher nature and his material or lower nature. In one he approaches God, in the other he lives for the world alone. Signs of both these natures are to be found in men. In his material aspect he expresses untruth, cruelty and injustice; all these are the outcome of his lower nature. The attributes of his Divine nature are shown forth in love, mercy, kindness, truth and justice, one and all being expressions of his higher nature. Every good habit, every noble quality belongs to man’s spiritual nature, whereas all his imperfections and sinful actions are born of his material nature. If a man’s Divine nature dominates his human nature, we have a saint. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, November 1, 1911, Paris, France; ‘Paris Talks’)

December 7

Strive with your heart and soul that the Heavenly Light may descend upon all people and that through it every heart may be enlightened and that the spirit of the human race may partake of Its glory. Work and strive until all regions of the world are bathed in this Light. Fear not when trouble overtakes you. You will be criticized; you will be persecuted; you will be cursed and reviled. Recall in those days what I tell you now:  Your triumph will be sure; your hearts will be filled with the Glory of God, for the heavenly power will sustain you, and God will be with you. This is my message to you. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet, Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 17, January 19, 1912)

December 6

Endeavor to guide thy mother and confirm her in faith; when the heart becometh confident, the imagination of Satan and evil vanisheth away. If the heart becometh absolutely tranquil, suspicion and imagination will entirely pass away. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

December 5

It is evident that prejudices arising from adherence to religious forms and imitation of ancestral beliefs have hindered the progress of humanity thousands of years. How many wars and battles have been fought, how much division, discord and hatred have been caused by this form of prejudice! But inasmuch as this century is a century of the revelation of reality — praise be to God! — the thoughts of men are being directed toward the welfare and unity of humanity. Daily the mirage of imitations is passing away, and the ocean of truth is surging more tumultuously. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, Washington DC, 21 April 1912; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

December 4

Afterwards Christ appeared, saying, “I am born of the Holy Spirit.” If it is easy today, among Christians, to acknowledge the truth of this claim, at the time it was very difficult. Thus, according to the text of the Gospel, the Pharisees said, “Is this not the son of Joseph of Nazareth, whom we know? How then can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (Cf. John 6:42)

Briefly, this Man, Who appeared lowly in the eyes of all, arose nonetheless with such power as to abrogate a fifteen-hundred-year-old Dispensation, notwithstanding that the least deviation from its laws would expose the offender to grave danger and bring about his death and annihilation. Moreover, in the time of Christ the general morals and manners of the Israelites had become entirely confused and corrupted, and Israel had fallen into a state of utmost degradation, misery, and bondage. At one time they fell captive to the Chaldeans and the Persians; at another they were under the yoke of the Assyrian Empire. One day they became the subjects and vassals of the Greeks; another they were subjugated and humiliated by the Romans. 

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

December 3

O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of Holiness!

Be dilated in thy heart by the gentle breeze which emanates from the garden of Eternal Life and enkindled in the Tree of Sinai in the center of Paradise; so that thou mayest be a pillar of fire and a cloud of light in this age, wherein a drop grows into a large wave of the sea, and a lamp glistens with the light of the dazzling stars, and this is from the power which is manifested by thy Lord, the Clement, the Merciful.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

December 2

O maid-servant of God! I pray God to confirm thee forever anew. Give greeting to thy dear mother. Superstition hath somewhat overcome her. When the imagined Satan overpowers, let her say: “O Baha’u’l-Abha!” She should then turn to the highest Kingdom. Thus will the imagined Satan leave her. [She] has a form of obsession; therefore, you may not heed her sayings.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

December 1

A large body of scholars is of the opinion that variations among minds and differing degrees of perception are due to differences in education, training and culture. That is, they believe that minds are equal to begin with, but that training and education will result in mental variations and differing levels of intelligence, and that such variations are not an inherent component of the individuality but are the result of education: that no one hath any inborn superiority over another....

The Manifestations of God are likewise in agreement with the view that education exerteth the strongest possible influence on humankind. They affirm, however, that differences in the level of intelligence are innate; and this fact is obvious, and not worth debating. For we see that children of the same age, the same country, the same race, indeed of the same family, and trained by the same individual, still are different as to the degree of their comprehension and intelligence. One will make rapid progress, one will receive instruction only gradually, one will remain at the lowest stage of all… That is to say, education cannot alter the inner essence of a man, but it doth exert tremendous influence, and with this power it can bring forth from the individual whatever perfections and capacities are deposited within him. 

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