October 30

Relative to the Paradise explained by Muhammad in the Koran, such utterances are spiritual and are cast into the mould of words and figures of speech, for at that time people did not possess the capacity of comprehending spiritual significances. It is similar to that reference to His Highness Christ who addressing His disciples said, I shall not partake of the fruit of the vine any more until I reach the Kingdom of My Father." Now it is evident His Highness Christ did not mean material grapes, but it was a spiritual condition and a heavenly state which He interpreted as this fruit. Now whatever is revealed in the Koran has the same import. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol.2, no. 15, December 12, 1911)

October 28

Whatever the European and American historians have written regarding His Highness Muhammad, the Messenger of God, most of it is falsehood. Consider ye, is it possible for a person afflicted with epilepsy to establish such a great nation? Therefore, this statement of the European historians, regarding that Holy Personage, is unqualified falsehood.

Reflect ye, that that illustrious Personage was born in the Sahara of Arabia among the ignorant tent dwellers, affiliating and associating with them until he grew to manhood and maturity, never studying the sciences and arts; nay, even he was apparently illiterate and uninstructed. Notwithstanding all this, He brought forth such a nation, established such a religion and uttered such explanations regarding scientific questions with great perspicuity, and raised such a community from the nadir of ignorance and barbarism to the zenith of civilization and prosperity! Through His influence, science, literature, philosophy, crafts and trades made wonderful progress during the medieval ages in Andalusia and Baghdad. Now is it possible that such an illustrious Personage be afflicted with epilepsy? 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol.2, no. 15, December 12, 1911)

October 26

…regarding the progress of the spirit in the world of the Kingdom after its ascension, it is wholly beyond space and time, and developments, after leaving this body, are spiritual and not terrestrial. It is like unto the progress of the child from the world of the fetus to the world of maturity and intelligence, from the world of ignorance to the world of knowledge, from the station of imperfection to the pinnacle of perfection. As Divine Perfections are infinite, therefore the progress of the spirit is limitless. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol.2, no. 15, December 12, 1911)

October 24

O thou who art spreading the Cause of God! I hope thou wilt become as a rising light and obtain spiritual health—and spiritual health is conducive to physical health—so that thou mayest be enabled to liquidate thy debts and be strengthened to attain the blessing of the Forgiving Lord; that thou mayest become a mirror of truth and reveal the spiritual brilliancy of the heavenly universe to all eyes, direct large numbers of people under the shadow of the Powerful Lord and guide all thy family and relations unto the Greatest Guidance; and that thou mayest be honored with a visit to the Holy Threshold after having attained to all these gifts. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2')

October 22

O thou maid-servant of God! Be happy for thou hast found guidance, witnessed the light of Truth and hearkened unto the exhortations of Abdul-Baha. Though the worth and value of this gift is not apparent and manifest in this world of mortality, in the divine world this gift is abundantly radiant and brilliant. Thou shall of course perceive (or behold) this. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2')

October 20

O thou lady of the Kingdom! Praise thou God that in this age, the age of the dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, thou hast been awakened, hast been made aware of the Manifestation of the Lord of Hosts. All the people of the world are buried in the graves of nature, or are slumbering, heedless and unaware. Just as Christ saith: 'I may come when you are not aware. The coming of the Son of Man is like the coming of a thief into a house, the owner of which is utterly unaware.' 

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

October 18

The Báb, the Exalted One, is the Morn of Truth, the splendor of Whose light shineth throughout all regions. He is also the Harbinger of the Most Great Light, the Abha Luminary. The Blessed Beauty is the One promised by the sacred books of the past, the revelation of the Source of light that shone upon Mount Sinai, Whose fire glowed in the midst of the Burning Bush. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in a letter dated 8 February 1934, published in ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)

October 16

Thou hast asked regarding the naming of children: When thou wishest to name a babe, prepare a meeting therefor; chant the verses and communes, and supplicate and implore the Threshold of Oneness and beg the attainment of guidance for the babe and wish confirmated firmness and constancy; then give the name and enjoy beverage and sweetmeat. This is spiritual baptism. 

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

October 14

Know ye that the Torah is what was revealed in the Tablets unto Moses, may peace be upon Him, and in that which He was commanded to do. But the stories are historical narratives and were written after Moses, may peace be upon Him…. The glorious Book, the Mighty Decree, is what was in the Tablets which Moses, upon Him be peace, brought from Mt. Sinai, and that which He proclaimed unto the Children of Israel, in accordance with the explicit text of those Tablets. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks”; Online Baha’i Reference Library, Baha’i World Centre)

October 12

To be brief: Humanity consists of the spiritual reality, and that reality is penetrative in all things and it is that reality which discovers the invisible mysteries, and through that reality all sciences, arts and inventions become known and manifest. Whatever thou beholdest of the works of man is but a faint ray of that reality. It encircles all things and comprehends all things.

Reflect thou, that all these existent sciences, crafts, industries and arts were at one time in the world of invisibility, unknown and concealed mysteries. As the spirit of man environs all things, therefore he has discovered them and brought them from the unknown world into the arena of manifestation. Therefore it is evident and established that the human spirit is the discoverer of things, the seer of things and the comprehender of things. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol.2, no. 15, December 12, 1911)

October 10

Ponder ye, that during sleep the human body and the five physical senses, viz., sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch are passive, i.e. all physical forces are inactive. Notwithstanding this, human reality has spiritual life and the spiritual powers are penetrative, and wonderful disclosures are made in both the East and the West, and perchance one may discover some matters, which, after a long time, may become apparent in the physical world. Therefore it has become evident that the continuity and influence of the human reality does not depend upon the physical instrumentality; nay, rather, the physical body is an instrument over which the human spirit spreads a luminosity. It is like unto the sun, which shining upon the mirror, causes its brilliancy, and when the reflection is withdrawn from the mirror, it becomes dark. Likewise, when the luminosity of the human spirt is withdrawn from the body, that instrument becomes useless. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol.2, no. 15, December 12, 1911)

October 8

…the holy souls have great influence and intense effect, and their influence and continuity do not depend upon physical existence and elemental composition. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol.2, no. 15, December 12, 1911)

October 6

To a gentleman who was questioning Him, He remarked:

“The beginnings of all great religions were pure; but priests, taking possession of the minds of the people, filled them with dogmas and superstitions, so that religion became gradually corrupt. I come to teach no new religion. ‘My only desire is, through the blessing of God, to show the road to the Great Light.”

Touching the gentleman gently on his shoulder, as a loving father might touch a son, he went on to say:

 “I am no Prophet, only a man like yourself.” 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Notes of conversations; ‘Abdu’l-Baha in London’)

October 4

O thou maid-servant of God! Acquire the Persian tongue, so as to learn of the meanings of the divine words and to know the divine mysteries, to develop an eloquent speech and to translate the blessed Tablets of Baha’u’llah. The Persian language shall become noteworthy in this cycle; nay, rather, the people shall study it in all the world. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2’)

October 2

O thou who art spreading the Cause of God! I hope thou wilt become as a rising light and obtain spiritual health—and spiritual health is conducive to physical health—so that thou mayest be enabled to liquidate thy debts and be strengthened to attain the blessing of the Forgiving Lord; that thou mayest become a mirror of truth and reveal the spiritual brilliancy of the heavenly universe to all eyes, direct large numbers of people under the shadow of the Powerful Lord and guide all thy family and relations unto the Greatest Guidance; and that thou mayest be honored with a visit to the Holy Threshold after having attained to all these gifts. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2’)