- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
December 31
December 30
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
December 29
I supplicate God that day by day thou mayest become more
steadfast, so that like unto an impregnable stronghold thou mayest withstand
the surging of the ocean of tests and trials. The people of the world are like
unto trees. Those that are rootless are toppled by the slightest breeze, while
those that grow deep roots and become strong and firm are not shaken by violent
winds, and in time bring forth leaves and blossoms and fruit.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Give Me Thy Grace to Serve Thy Loved Ones’,
prepared by the International Teaching Center for the Continental Counsellors
and their Auxiliaries, May 2018)
December 28
Bahá’u’lláh… expounded this question of universal peace at a
time when He was confined in the fortress of ‘Akká and was wronged and
imprisoned. He wrote about this important matter of universal peace to all the
great sovereigns of the world, and established it among His friends in the
Orient. The horizon of the East was in utter darkness, nations displayed the
utmost hatred and enmity towards each other, religions thirsted for each
other’s blood, and it was darkness upon darkness. At such a time Bahá’u’lláh
shone forth like the sun from the horizon of the east and illumined Persia with
the lights of these teachings.
Among His teachings was the declaration of universal peace.
People of different nations, religions and sects who followed Him came together
to such an extent that remarkable gatherings were instituted consisting of the
various nations and religions of the East. Every soul who entered these
gatherings saw but one nation, one teaching, one pathway, one order, for the
teachings of Bahá’u’lláh were not limited to the establishment of universal peace.
They embraced many teachings which supplemented and supported that of universal
peace.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From the First Tablet to the Hague, 17 December 1919;
revised translation under the direction of the Universal House of Justice,
available at the online ‘Baha’i Reference Library’ site of the Baha’i World
Center)
December 27
…the wise souls who are aware of the essential relationships
emanating from the realities of things consider that one single matter cannot,
by itself, influence the human reality as it ought and should, for until the
minds of men become united, no important matter can be accomplished. At present
universal peace is a matter of great importance, but unity of conscience is
essential, so that the foundation of this matter may become secure, its
establishment firm and its edifice strong.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From the First Tablet
to the Hague, 17 December 1919; revised translation under the direction of the
Universal House of Justice, available at the online ‘Baha’i Reference Library’
site of the Baha’i World Center)
December 26
O ye friends of 'Abdu'l-Baha! The tumult of the nations and
the clamour of their peoples are certain and inevitable in the Day of the
Manifestation of the Most Great Name. The wisdom of this irrevocable decree is
clear and evident. For when the winds of tests blow, the frail trees are uprooted
while the blessed trees are made firm and immovable. Torrents of rain distress
and scatter the creeping things that walk upon the earth while the gardens are
fill ed with anemones and bring forth roses and sweet herbs, and the
nightingales warble their melodies, chanting a myriad songs at every moment.
This is a bounty unto the righteous and a calamity unto those who are weak.
Render thanks unto God that your feet are firm and your faces, like pure gold,
are aglow in the fire of tests. I beseech the one true God that day by day ye
may increase in firmness and steadfastness.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet;
compilation: ‘Give Me Thy Grace to Serve Thy Loved Ones’, prepared by the
International Teaching Centre for the Continental Counsellors and their Auxiliaries,
May 2018)
December 25
O maid-servant of God! Verily, I pray God to sanctify thee
from the material and thus clothe thee with the garment of holiness and the
mantle of purity and send through thee the glad-tidings of thy Lord from the
Kingdom of Heaven.
O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to be firm
and steadfast, for by it man attains the greatest hope. Bear every difficulty
and be content with any ordeal for the love of thy Lord, so that thou mayest
obtain that favor, the lights of which shine throughout the horizons.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2')
December 24
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some
Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Center)
December 23
All through His [Jesus] blessed life He suffered oppression
and hardship, and in spite of all this humanity was His enemy! They denied Him,
scorned Him, ill-treated Him and cursed Him. He was not treated like a man—and
yet in spite of all this He was the embodiment of pity and of supreme goodness
and love. He loved all humanity, but they treated Him as an enemy and were incapable
of appreciating Him. They set no value on His words and were not illumined by
the flame of His love. Later they realized who He was; that He was the Sacred
and Divine Light, and that His words held Eternal Life. His heart was full of
love for all the world, His goodness was destined to reach each one—and as they
began to realize these things, they repented—but He had been crucified! It was
not until many years after His ascension that they knew who He was, and at the
time of His ascension He had only a very few disciples; only a comparatively
small following believed His precepts and followed His laws. The ignorant said,
‘Who is this individual; He has only a few disciples!’ But those who knew said:
‘He is the Sun who will shine in the East and in the West, He is the
Manifestation who shall give life to the world’. What the first disciples had
seen the world realized later.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘Paris Talks:
Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912’)
December 22
…I say unto you pray—pray and turn your faces to God, that
He, in His infinite compassion and mercy, may help and succour these misguided
ones. [the “cruel, prejudiced and unjust…man”] Pray that He will grant them
spiritual understanding and teach them tolerance and mercy, that the eyes of
their minds may be opened and that they may be endued with the gift of the
spirit. Then would peace and love walk hand in hand through the lands, and these
poor unhappy people might have rest.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘Paris Talks:
Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912’)
December 21
[Addressed to: The Counsel Board of West Hoboken, New
Jersey]Blessed are your ears, for they have heard the Call!
Blessed are your eyes, for they have beheld the signs of
their Mighty Lord!
Blessed are your tongues, for they have uttered the praise
of my Lord, the Supreme!
Blessed are your nostrils, for they have inhaled the odor of
faithfulness from the people of guidance!
Blessed are your hearts, for they are attracted to the
Beauty of Abha!
Blessed are your breasts, for they are dilated by the
knowledge of God!
Blessed are your souls, for they have partaken of the spirit
of life from the fragrances of sanctity in the Paradise of Abha!
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)
December 20
O maid-servant of God! The circumstances will be severe for
every thankful servant (i.e., believer in the Teachings) in those boundaries
and countries. The people shall arise against you with the most bitter hatred,
opposition and envy. Swords of persecution and curses shall be thrown at you by
all the nations. The wind of tests and trials shall fiercely blow and thereby
the weak trees, which are not firmly rooted in this wonderful vineyard, shall
be uprooted. But the trees which are strong, thriving and green will be
strengthened, their branches extended, their leaves opened, their appearance
beautified and their blossoms and fruits increased. I ask God to make thee one
of those firmly rooted trees and an extended branch in this most great
vineyard, and to make thy heart like unto a cup overflowing with His love in
every assemblage. Verily He is the Powerful, the Generous!
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)
December 19
Question: What is meant by “the Holy Spirit”?
Answer: By “the Holy Spirit” is meant the outpouring grace
of God and the effulgent rays that emanate from His Manifestation. Thus Christ
was the focal centre of the rays of the Sun of Truth, and from this mighty
centre—the reality of Christ—the grace of God shone upon the other mirrors
which were the realities of the Apostles.
- '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 18
As regards the question of young children and of weak,
defenseless souls who are afflicted at the hands of the oppressor, in this a
great wisdom is concealed. The question is one of cardinal importance, but
briefly it may be stated that in the world to come a mighty recompense awaiteth
such souls. Much, indeed, might be said upon this theme, and upon how the
afflictions that they bear in life become a cause for them of such an
outpouring of Divine mercy and bestowal as is preferable to a hundred thousand
earthly comforts and to a world of growth and development in this transitory
abode; but, if possible, God willing, all this will be explained to thee in
detail and by word of mouth when thou arrivest here.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a
Tablet, New resources available at Online Baha’i Reference Library of the
Baha’i World Center)
December 17
As to thy question: “To whom should we turn?”—turn thou to
the Ancient Beauty. God willing, a copy of His blessed portrait will in due
course be despatched to thee so that when offering prayer thou mayest turn
thyself in spirit towards that Holy Likeness, and not towards some mere figment
of the imagination. Know thou, however, that at no time should His blessed
portrait be hung in the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet, New
resources available at Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World
Center)
December 16
It may be that letters addressed to the women believers do
indeed contain certain passages written by way of encouragement, but the
purpose of such passages is to show that, in this wondrous Dispensation,
certain women have outshone certain men—not that all women have excelled all
men! The members of the Spiritual Assembly should do all they can to give
encouragement to the women. In this Dispensation one should not think in terms
of “men” and “women”: all are under the shadow of the Word of God and, as they
strive more diligently, so shall their reward be greater—be they men or women
or the frailest of people.... As for the large number of Tablets addressed to
women enjoining them to teach the Cause: since the letters arriving in the Holy
Land come for the most part from women, and only rarely from men, it is natural
that women should be written to more frequently than men....
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet, New resources available at Online Baha’i Reference Library of
the Baha’i World Center)
December 15
After the death of Christ the Apostles were troubled and
diverged in their thoughts and opinions; later they became steadfast and
united. At Pentecost they gathered together, detached themselves from the
world, forsook their own desires, renounced all earthly comfort and happiness,
sacrificed body and soul to their Beloved, left their homes, took leave of all
their cares and belongings, and even forgot their own existence. Then was
divine assistance vouchsafed and the power of the Holy Spirit manifested. The
spirituality of Christ triumphed and the love of God took hold. On that day
they received divine confirmations, and each departed in a different direction
to teach the Cause of God and unloosed his tongue to set forth the proofs and
testimonies.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some
Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Center)
December 14
Question: It is recorded in the Gospels that the Holy Spirit
descended upon the Apostles. What was the manner and meaning of this descent?
Answer: The descent of the Holy Spirit is not like the
entrance of air into the human body. It is a metaphor and an analogy rather
than a literal image or account. That which is intended is like the descent of
the sun into a mirror, that is, when its splendour is reflected therein.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Table
talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014
revised translation by the Baha’i World Center)
December 13
This highly accomplished man [Mishkín-Qalam] first heard of
the Cause of God in Iṣfáhán, and the result was that he set out to find
Bahá’u’lláh. He crossed the great distances, measured out the miles, climbing
mountains, passing over deserts and over the sea, until at last he came to
Adrianople. Here he reached the heights of faith and assurance; here he drank
the wine of certitude. He responded to the summons of God, he attained the
presence of Bahá’u’lláh, he ascended to that apogee where he was received and
accepted. By now he was reeling to and fro like a drunkard in his love for God,
and because of his violent desire and yearning, his mind seemed to wander. He
would be raised up, and then cast down again; he was as one distracted. He
spent some time under the sheltering grace of Bahá’u’lláh, and every day new
blessings were showered upon him. Meanwhile he produced his splendid
calligraphs; he would write out the Most Great Name, Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá, O Thou
Glory of the All-Glorious, with marvelous skill, in many different forms, and
would send them everywhere.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘Memorials of the
Faithful’)
December 12
…the loved ones of God, [must] laboriously, with the waters
of their striving, tend and nourish and foster this tree of hope. In whatsoever
land they dwell, let them with a whole heart befriend and be companions to
those who are either close to them, or far removed. Let them, with qualities
like unto those of heaven, promote the institutions and the religion of God.
Let them never lose heart, never be despondent, never feel afflicted. The more
antagonism they meet, the more let them show their own good faith; the more
torments and calamities they have to face, the more generously let them pass
round the bounteous cup. Such is the spirit which will become the life of the
world, such is the spreading light at its heart: and he who may be and do other
than this is not worthy to serve at the Holy Threshold of the Lord.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
December 11
O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to be firm!
It is incumbent upon thee to be steadfast! It is incumbent upon thee to be
steadfast! It is incumbent upon thee to be steadfast in the Cause of the Light
which hath shone forth unto the world with great brilliancy!
O maid-servant of God! Verily, Mary, the Magdalene, was a
villager, but she kept firm in the Cause of Christ and confirmed the apostles
at the time she declared to them (thus): “Verily, Christ is alive and eternal
and death did not overtake Him; and verily, the foundation of His religion is
not shaken by His crucifixion at the hand of the oppressors!” By this her face
is eternally shining from the horizon of guidance.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of
‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)
December 10
…praise God for that He chose thee to love Him and elected
thee to spread His fragrances. He selected thee from among the women of the
world, so that thou become a flame to the fire of His love, a sign of the
Kingdom of His Grace and a summoner to His Name, in humbleness and meekness,
invocation and supplication to God.
Verily I ask God to protect thee from the waves of tests and
storms of trial until thou becomest firm in the Cause of thy Lord—a firmness
whereby thou be enabled to withstand all nations and peoples. When thou art
thus confirmed by God, with firmness and solidity in His Covenant among the
people, thou wilt see the hosts of the Kingdom shelter thee from all sides with
banners whereunto all heads bow.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol.
2)
December 9
O ye that are enamoured of the divine Beauty! O ye that are
enraptured by the true Beloved! In this day when the fierce gales or tests and
trials have encompassed the world, and
fear and trembling have agitated the planet, ye must appear above the
horizon of unwavering constancy with
shining faces and radiant brows in such wise that the gloom of terror and confusion may be entirely obliterated and the
light of certitude may shine resplendent in the
luminous skies.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Give Me Thy Grace to Serve Thy Loved Ones’,
prepared by the International Teaching Centre for the Continental Counsellors
and their Auxiliaries, May 2018)
December 8
The same questioner said: “I have read much of Tolstoy and I
see a parallel between his teachings and yours. In one of his books he speaks
of the Enigma of Life, and describes how life is wasted in our endeavour to
find the Key. But Tolstoy goes on to say: ‘There is a man in Persia who holds
the secret.’”
“Yes,” said ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “I received a letter from Tolstoy,
and in it he said that he wished to write a book upon Bahá’u’lláh.”
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Notes of conversations; ‘Abdu’l-Baha in London’)
December 7
As I stand here tonight and look upon this assembly, I am
reminded curiously of a beautiful bouquet of violets gathered together in
varying colors, dark and light. This is an evidence and indication that the
United States of America is a just and free government, for I see black and
white seated together in perfect harmony and agreement. Hearts are united. This
just government makes such a meeting possible. You should thank God continually
that you enjoy the security and protection of a government which furthers your
development and rules with impartial equity and equality toward all, even as a
father; for in the human world there is no greater blessing.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, 23 April 1912, Washington D.C.; ‘The Promulgation of Universal
Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States
and Canada in 1912’)
December 6
O maid-servant of God! Everything of importance in this
world demands the close attention of its seeker. The one in pursuit of anything
must undergo difficulties and hardships until the object in view is attained
and the great success is obtained. This is the case of things pertaining to the
world. How much higher is that which concerns the Supreme Concourse! That Cause
involves every favor, glory and eternal bliss in the world of God. The seeker
after the great guidance and eternal happiness necessarily will encounter
difficulties. He must be patient under such circumstances. The chosen believers
of the past quaffed the chalice of suffering and sank deep in the ocean of
trials until they attained to that blessed station and sublime beatitude.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha vol. 2)
December 5
Speak thou no word of politics. Except to speak well of
them, make thou no mention of the earth’s kings, and the worldly governments
thereof.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Quoted by the Universal House of Justice in a letter
dated Dec. 1, 2019 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to all
National Spiritual Assemblies)
December 4
Physical nearness or remoteness is of no importance; the
essential fact is the spiritual affinity and ideal nearness Judas Iscariot was for a long time favored in
the holy court of His Holiness Christ, yet he was entirely far and remote;
while Paul, the apostle, was in close embrace with His Holiness. - ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Tablets of `Abdu’lBahá, vol. 3)
December 3
... change is a necessary quality and an essential attribute
of this world, and of time and place.
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Cited in 'Messages from the
Universal House of Justice, 1963 -1986'; The Compilation of Compilations,
vol. III, Cultural Diversity in the Age of Maturity)
December 2
The greatness and glory of most of these Letters of the
Living resides solely in the fact that they professed their faith at the very
beginning. Among them and in terms of importance, a few souls occupy a primary
position—Mullá Husayn, Quddús, and Táhirih; a few other blessed souls occupy a
secondary position; and the rest are honoured solely for having believed in the
very beginning—two of them even, like Judas Iscariot, recanted their faith
later.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, new resources prepared by the Baha’i World
Center, 2019; Baha’i Reference Library)
December 1
…Siyyid Káẓim explicitly specified, in the preamble of his
book “Sharḥ-iQaṣídih”, the name of Bahá’u’lláh:
“Praise be to God Who hath adorned the preamble of the book
of His Essence with the mystery of distinction, the ornament of that Point
wherefrom the Há is manifested, with neither assimilation nor separation,
through the Alif.”
To fully explain this expression to you would take a long
time, since you are unfamiliar with such words and expressions, and were I to
do so it would fill an entire book. But
since time is short, I will briefly provide a word-for-word translation [That
is, from Arabic into Persian] so that you will understand the general
meaning.
He says: Praise be to
God who has adorned the book of existence with the mystery of distinction
through degrees, for it is through such differences that the world of existence
is adorned. If all things were of one kind and there were no distinctions,
existence would be imperfect. The realm of God and the realm of creation, the
realm above and the realm below, the realm of truth and the realm of illusion:
All these distinctions are among the inherent requirements of existence. He
then says that the book of existence is adorned with that Point wherefrom the
letter Há’ appears and the letter Alif is manifested. And in the same book he
explains in numerous passages that the Point is the letter Bá’. And when the
letters Bá’, Há’, and Alif are brought together it makes “Bahá.”
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, new resources prepared by the Baha’i World Center, 2019; Baha’i
Reference Library)
November 30
The Abhá Beauty endured the most afflictive of calamities.
He bore countless agonies and ills. He enjoyed not a moment’s peace, drew not
an easeful breath. He wandered, homeless, over desert sands and mountain
slopes; He was shut in a fortress, and a prison cell. But to Him, His pauper’s
mat of straw was an eternal throne of glory, and His heavy chains a sovereign’s
carcanet. By day, by night, He lived under a whirring sword, and He was ready
from moment to moment for death on the cross. He bore all this that He might
purify the world, and deck it out with the tender mercies of the Lord God; that
He might set it at rest; that conflict and aggression might be put to flight,
the lance and the keen blade be exchanged for loving fellowship, malevolence
and war turn into safety and gentleness and love, that battlefields of hate and
wrath should become gardens of delight, and places where once the
blood-drenched armies clashed, be fragrant pleasure grounds; that warfare
should be seen as shame, and the resort to arms, even as a loathsome sickness,
be shunned by every people; that universal peace raise its pavilions on the
loftiest mounts, and war be made to perish forever from the earth.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
November 29
All down the ages the prophets of God have been sent into
the world to serve the cause of truth—Moses brought the law of truth, and all
the prophets of Israel after him sought to spread it. When Jesus came He
lighted the flaming torch of truth, and carried it aloft so that the whole
world might be illumined thereby. After Him came His chosen apostles, and they
went far and wide, carrying the light of their Master’s teaching into a dark
world—and, in their turn, passed on. Then came Muhammad, who in His time and
way spread the knowledge of truth among a savage people; for this has always
been the mission of God’s elect. So, at last, when Bahá’u’lláh arose in Persia,
this was His most ardent desire, to rekindle the waning light of truth in all
lands. All the holy ones of God have tried with heart and soul to spread the
light of love and unity throughout the world, so that the darkness of
materiality might disappear and the light of spirituality might shine forth
among the children of men. Then would hate, slander and murder disappear, and
in their stead love, unity and peace would reign.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk;
‘Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912’)
November 28
O ye that stand fast in the Covenant! When the hour cometh
that this wronged and broken-winged bird will have taken its flight into the
Celestial Concourse, when it will have hastened to the Realm of the Unseen and
its mortal frame will have been either lost or hidden neath the dust, it is
incumbent upon the Afnán, that are steadfast in the Covenant of God and have
branched from the Tree of Holiness; the Hands, (pillars) of the Cause of God
(the glory of the Lord rest upon them), and all the friends and loved ones, one
and all to bestir themselves and arise with heart and soul and in one accord,
to diffuse the sweet savors of God, to teach His Cause and to promote His
Faith. It behooveth them not to rest for a moment, neither to seek repose. They
must disperse themselves in every land, pass by every clime, and travel
throughout all regions. Bestirred, without rest, and steadfast to the end, they
must raise in every land the triumphal cry “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá!” (O Thou the
Glory of Glories), must achieve renown in the world wherever they go, must burn
brightly even as a candle in every meeting and must kindle the flame of Divine
love in every assembly; that the light of truth may rise resplendent in the
midmost heart of the world, that throughout the East and throughout the West a
vast concourse may gather under the shadow of the Word of God, that the sweet
savors of holiness may be diffused, that faces may shine radiantly, hearts be
filled with the Divine spirit and souls be made heavenly.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From
‘The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
November 27
…the souls of those who have passed away from earth and
completed their span of mortal pilgrimage in the Titanic disaster have hastened
to a world superior to this. They have soared away from these conditions of
darkness and dim vision into the realm of light. These are the only
considerations which can comfort and console those whom they have left behind.Furthermore, these events have deeper reasons. Their object and purpose is to teach man certain lessons. We are living in a day of reliance upon material conditions. Men imagine that the great size and strength of a ship, the perfection of machinery or the skill of a navigator will ensure safety, but these disasters sometimes take place that men may know that God is the real Protector. If it be the will of God to protect man, a little ship may escape destruction, whereas the greatest and most perfectly constructed vessel with the best and most skillful navigator may not survive a danger such as was present on the ocean. The purpose is that the people of the world may turn to God, the One Protector; that human souls may rely upon His preservation and know that He is the real safety. These events happen in order that man’s faith may be increased and strengthened. Therefore, although we feel sad and disheartened, we must supplicate God to turn our hearts to the Kingdom and pray for these departed souls with faith in His infinite mercy so that, although they have been deprived of this earthly life, they may enjoy a new existence in the supreme mansions of the Heavenly Father.
Let no one imagine that these words imply that man should not be thorough and careful in his undertakings. God has endowed man with intelligence so that he may safeguard and protect himself. Therefore, he must provide and surround himself with all that scientific skill can produce. He must be deliberate, thoughtful and thorough in his purposes, build the best ship and provide the most experienced captain; yet, withal, let him rely upon God and consider God as the one Keeper. If God protects, nothing can imperil man’s safety; and if it be not His will to safeguard, no amount of preparation and precaution will avail.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, 23 April 1912, at Home
of Mr. and Mrs. Parsons, Washington D.C.; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace:
Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and
Canada in 1912’)
November 26
No power can eliminate misunderstandings except that of the
Covenant. The power of the Covenant is all-embracing, and resolveth all
difficulties, for the Pen of Glory hath explicitly declared that whatever
misunderstanding may arise should be referred to the Centre of the Covenant....
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá (From a Tablet; 'The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. I, The Covenant')
November 25
Remembrance of God is like the rain and dew which bestow
freshness and grace on flowers and hyacinths, revive them and cause them to
acquire fragrance, redolence and renewed charm. “And thou hast seen the earth
dried up and barren: but when We send down the rain upon it, it stirreth and
swelleth, and groweth every kind of luxuriant herb.” [Qur'an 22:5] Strive thou, then, to
praise and glorify God by night and by day, that thou mayest attain infinite
freshness and beauty.
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Prayer and
Devotional Life, Extracts from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of
Justice, February 2019)
November 24
The consummate wisdom of God, however, is manifold and not
every soul is apprised of its mysteries. Indeed, His all-encompassing mercy and
His all-embracing wisdom entail certain exigencies that transcend the ken of
human mind. Sorrow not, then, if trials, tribulations and adversities wax ever
more severe, for the grace and bestowals of God are likewise unceasing. How
often doth man flee from one thing, fixing all his hopes upon another, yet in
the end it becometh apparent that the object of desire is harmful and
deleterious, whereas the thing despised is the source of advantage and
benefit!
Tread, therefore, the path of acquiescence and resignation.
Let no hardship sadden thy heart, nor set thy hope upon any worldly gifts. Be
happy and content with whatsoever God hath willed, that thy heart and soul may
find tranquility and thine inner being and conscience may experience true joy.
Erelong shall this hardship and tribulation pass away and inner peace and joy
be attained.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Give Me Thy Grace to
Serve Thy Loved Ones’, prepared by the International Teaching Center for the
Continental Counsellors and their Auxiliaries, May 2018)
November 23
When Christ appeared He manifested Himself at Jerusalem. He
called men to the Kingdom of God, He invited them to Eternal Life and He told
them to acquire human perfections. The Light of Guidance was shed forth by that
radiant Star, and He at length gave His life in sacrifice for humanity.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in
Paris in 1911-1912’)
November 22
Why is man so hard of heart? It is because he does not yet
know God. If he had knowledge of God he could not act in direct opposition to
His laws; if he were spiritually minded such a line of conduct would be
impossible to him. If only the laws and precepts of the prophets of God had
been believed, understood and followed, wars would no longer darken the face of
the earth.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘Paris Talks: Addresses given by
'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912’)
November 21
O thou dear maid-servant of God!... I know that thou art in difficulty, but this
difficulty is conducive to the everlasting felicity and this weakness is
followed by the supreme strength. Consider thou how the faithful women in the
time of Christ, and after the departure of His Highness, underwent hardships!
What difficulties did they not bear; and what calamities did they not endure!
But that adversity and trial, misfortune and derision, became the cause of
imperishable and deathless glory and rest.
Do ye not look upon the beginning of the affairs; attach
your hearts to the ends and results. The present period is like unto the sowing
time. Undoubtedly it is impregnated with perils and difficulties, but in the
future many a harvest shall be gathered and benefits and results will come
apparent. When one considers the issue and the end, exhaustless joy and
happiness will dawn.
Live thou as far as thou art able according to the divine
commands and advices, because they are conducive to eternal life.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)
November 20
There is not one soul whose conscience does not testify that
in this day there is no more important matter in the world than that of
universal peace. Every just one bears witness to this and adores that esteemed
Assembly because its aim is that this darkness may be changed into light, this
bloodthirstiness into kindness, this torment into bliss, this hardship into
ease and this enmity and hatred into fellowship and love. Therefore, the effort
of those esteemed souls is worthy of praise and commendation.
But the wise souls who are aware of the essential
relationships emanating from the realities of things consider that one single
matter cannot, by itself, influence the human reality as it ought and should,
for until the minds of men become united, no important matter can be
accomplished. At present universal peace is a matter of great importance, but
unity of conscience is essential, so that the foundation of this matter may
become secure, its establishment firm and its edifice strong.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From
first Tablet to the Hague, dated 17 December 1919; Revised translation by the
Baha’i World Center; Online Baha’i Reference Library)
November 19
You have asked Me a question with regard to the gathering of
the children of Israel in Jerusalem, in accordance with prophecy.
Jerusalem, the Holy of Holies, is a revered Temple, a
sublime name, for it is the City of God... The gathering of Israel at Jerusalem
means, therefore, and prophesies, that Israel as a whole, is gathering beneath
the banner of God and will enter the Kingdom of the Ancient of Days. For the
celestial Jerusalem, which has as its center the Holy of Holies, is; a City of
the Kingdom, a Divine City. The East and West are but a small corner of that
City.
Moreover, materially as well (as spiritually), the
Israelites will all gather in the Holy Land. This is irrefutable prophecy, for
the ignominy which Israel has suffered for well-nigh twenty-five hundred years
will now be changed into eternal glory, and in the eyes of all, the Jewish
people will become glorified to such an extent as to draw the jealousy of its
enemies and the envy of its friends.
- Abdu'l-Bahá (From a Tablet revealed
in 1897 to a Jewish community in the Orient; published in ‘Baha’i News’, no.
250, December 1951; included in a letter dated 22 December 1993 written on
behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)
November 18
O thou dear maid-servant of God! In reality thou art faithful and assured,
thoughtful and mentioning the name of thy Lord. All the inhabitants of the
Kingdom are satisfied with thy service, and the approximate angels are opening
their tongues in thy praise. These angels are spiritual and merciful powers,
and in one sense the angels are those sanctified souls who have disentangled
themselves from the world of possession and are confirmed with the powers of
the Kingdom. However, be thou not sad. Rejoice and delight in the divine
glad-tidings!
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)
November 17
During the visit of a group of Bahá'ís with the Master, a
young girl came in and said, `I have come to ask for your assistance. Please
tell me what I am fitted to do so that I may occupy myself with it.' The Master
asked, `Do you have trust in me?' She replied, `Yes.' He then said to her, `Be
a perfect Bahá'í. Associate with Bahá'ís. Study the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
Then you will be assisted in whatever you undertake to do.' She then said, `I
am a good Jewess.' The Master then said:
“A good Jew can also become a Bahá'í. The truth of the
religion of Moses and of Bahá'u'lláh is one. Turn toward Bahá'u'lláh and you
will acquire peace and tranquillity, you will hear the melody of the Kingdom,
you will stir people's souls and you will attain the highest degree of
perfection. Be assured of this.”
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha recorded
by Mahmud Zarqani, August 21, 1912, Green Acre, USA; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)
November 16
O ye that are enamoured of the divine Beauty! O ye that are
enraptured by the true Beloved! In this day when the fierce gales or tests and
trials have encompassed the world, and fear and trembling have agitated the
planet, ye must appear above the horizon of unwavering constancy with shining
faces and radiant brows in such wise that the gloom of terror and confusion may
be entirely obliterated and the light of certitude may shine resplendent in the
luminous skies.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; compilation: ‘Give Me Thy Grace
to Serve Thy Loved Ones’, prepared by the International Teaching Center for the
Continental Counsellors and their Auxiliaries, May 2018)
November 15
The human spirit is
a center of all virtues. The human spirit is a reflector of the bounties of
God. The human spirit is destined to advance and to be enveloped with the
effulgence of God, because the human spirit is immortal…. [It] is not affected
by changes in the body. The body is subject to various conditions. At one time
it may be healthy; at another time it may be susceptible to some pathology. At
one time it may be weak or ill; at another time it may be well and strong; or a
member may become lost. However, the reality within the body -- the human
spirit or mind -- is the same. If the body should become lean the spirit would
not become lean. If the body should become corpulent the spirit would not
become corpulent. If the body should be dismembered the spirit would not be
affected. In brief, the spirit is independent of the body, and the
disintegrations that take place in the body do not affect the soul, for the
human reality or spirit is ever the same.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (From
a talk at Theosophical Society in San Francisco, October 11, 1912; Unpublished
Manuscript by Ella Cooper) (To read the entire talk please visit Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)
November 14
It behoveth the loved ones of the Lord to be the signs and
tokens of His universal mercy and the embodiments of His own excelling grace.
Like the sun, let them cast their rays upon garden and rubbish heap alike, and
even as clouds in spring, let them shed down their rain upon flower and thorn.
Let them seek but love and faithfulness, let them not follow the ways of
unkindness, let their talk be confined to the secrets of friendship and of
peace. Such are the attributes of the righteous, such is the distinguishing
mark of those who serve His Threshold.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the
Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
November 13
I have just been told that there has been a terrible
accident in this country. A train has fallen into the river and at least twenty
people have been killed. This is going to be a matter for discussion in the
French Parliament today, and the Director of the State Railway will be called
upon to speak. He will be cross-examined as to the condition of the railroad
and as to what caused the accident, and there will be a heated argument. I am
filled with wonder and surprise to notice what interest and excitement has been
aroused throughout the whole country on account of the death of twenty people,
while they remain cold and indifferent to the fact that thousands of Italians,
Turks, and Arabs are killed in Tripoli! The horror of this wholesale slaughter
has not disturbed the Government at all! Yet these unfortunate people are human
beings too.
Why is there so much interest and eager sympathy shown
towards these twenty individuals, while for five thousand persons there is
none? They are all men, they all belong to the family of mankind, but they are
of other lands and races. It is no concern of the disinterested countries if
these men are cut to pieces, this wholesale slaughter does not affect them! How
unjust, how cruel is this, how utterly devoid of any good and true feeling! The
people of these other lands have children and wives, mothers, daughters, and
little sons! In these countries today there is hardly a house free from the
sound of bitter weeping, scarcely can one find a home untouched by the cruel
hand of war.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá
in Paris in 1911-1912’)
November 12
The Heavenly Father gave the priceless gift of intelligence
to man so that he might become a spiritual light, piercing the darkness of
materiality, and bringing goodness and truth into the world. If ye will follow
earnestly the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, ye shall indeed become the light of the
world, the soul for the body of the world, the comfort and help for humanity,
and the source of salvation for the whole universe. Strive therefore, with
heart and soul, to follow the precepts of the Blessed Perfection, and rest
assured that if ye succeed in living the life he marks out for you, Eternal
Life and everlasting joy in the Heavenly Kingdom will be yours, and celestial
sustenance will be sent to strengthen you all your days.
It is my heartfelt prayer that each one of you may attain to
this perfect joy!
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘Paris Talks: Addresses given by
'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1911-1912’)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)