The tradition concerning which thou didst enquire pertaineth to the Dispensation of the Qur’án and expresseth that which was incumbent upon the people at that time. In this most great Dispensation, the House of Justice is the body unto which all must turn: Whatsoever the House of Justice should ordain, the same is incumbent upon the people.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks’; online Baha’i Reference Library, Baha’i World Centre)
I hope that thou mayest become a herald of the Kingdom and a means whereby the white and coloured peoples shall close their eyes to racial differences and behold the reality of humanity, which is universal unity. In other words, it is the oneness and wholeness of the human race, and the manifestation of the bounty of the Almighty. Look not upon thy frailty and thy limited capacity; look thou upon the bounties and providence of the Lord of the Kingdom, for His confirmation is great, and His power unparalleled and incomparable. Rely as much as thou canst upon the True One, and be thou resigned to the Will of God, so that like unto a candle thou mayest be enkindled in the world of humanity and like unto a star thou mayest shine and gleam from the Horizon of Reality and become the cause of the guidance of both races.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks’; online Baha’i Reference Library, Baha’i World Centre)
O ye friends of God! Beware! Beware of differences! By differences the Temple of God is razed to its very foundation, and by the blowing of the winds of disagreement the Blessed Tree is prevented from producing any fruit. By the intense cold of the diversity of opinions the rose-garden of Unity is withered, and the fire of the love of God is extinguished!
O ye friends of God! ‘Abdu’l-Baha is the Manifestation of Thraldom and not “Christ.” The servant of the human realm is he, and not a “chief.” Nonexistent is he and not “Existent.” Pure nothingness is he and not “Eternal.”
There is no outcome or result to these discussions. We must put aside these disputes and controversies, nay, rather must we consign them to utter oblivion and arise to do that which is indispensable and which is demanded of us in this Day. Controversies are words and not significances, theories and not realities.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2')
Man’s honour and glory lie in purity, truthfulness, benevolence, virtue and constancy, not in earthly vanities and riches. Should a soul succeed in rendering a signal service to the world of humanity, and in particular to the land of Persia, he will be exalted above the most exalted and will be accounted as the greatest of the great ones. This, indeed, is abounding riches! This, indeed, is abundant treasure! This, indeed, is everlasting wealth!
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; included in a message from the Universal House of Justice dated 14 May 2009 to the Believers in the Cradle of the Faith; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)
Verily, God purged thee of sins when He immersed thee in the sea of His mercy and gave thee to drink of the cup of faith and the pure wine of recognition. Well done! Well done! For thou hast yearned to surrender thy will to the will of God and hast longed to increase thy love for God, to broaden thy knowledge of Him, and to remain steadfast in His path.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks’; online Baha’i Reference Library, Baha’i World Centre)
Question: Certain words of rebuke have been addressed to the Prophets of God in the Sacred Scriptures. To whom are they addressed and to whom do they ultimately refer?
Answer: Every divine utterance that takes the form of a rebuke, though it be outwardly addressed to the Prophets of God, is in reality directed to Their followers. The wisdom of this is naught but unalloyed mercy, that the people might not be dismayed, disheartened, or burdened by such reproaches and rebukes. These words are therefore outwardly addressed to the Prophets, but, even so, they are inwardly intended for the followers and not for the Messenger.
Moreover, the mighty and sovereign monarch of a land represents all who inhabit that land; that is, whatsoever he may utter is the word of all, and whatsoever covenant he may conclude is the covenant of all, for the will and purpose of all his subjects is subsumed in his own. Likewise, every Prophet is the representative of the entire body of His followers. Therefore, the covenant that God makes with Him and the words that He addresses to Him apply to all His people.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Baha’i Education)
Thank thou God that—praise be to Him!—the lamp of thy heart and soul hath been illumined with the light of guidance, and the chalice of hope and desire hath overflowed with the wine of the love of God. This blessing is an attainment for which thou shalt never fulfil the obligation of gratitude, even shouldst thou give thanks for a thousand ages and centuries. Therefore thou must, in the utmost joy and gladness, with happiness and great cheer, unloose thy tongue in that prosperous land in praise of the All-Merciful and enable the eyes to see.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks’; online Baha’i Reference Library, Baha’i World Centre)
This morning the city is enveloped in fog and mist. How beautiful is a city brilliant with sunshine. Just as these mists and vapors conceal the phenomenal sun, so human imaginations obscure the Sun of Truth. Consider the radiant glory of the great solar center of our planetary system: how wonderful the sight, how its splendor illumines vision until clouds and mists veil it from the eye. In the same way, the Sun of Truth becomes veiled and hidden by the superstitions and imaginations of human minds. When the sun rises, no matter from what dawning point on the horizon it appears—northeast, east, southeast—the haze and mists disperse, and we have clear vision of its glory mounting to the zenith. Similarly, the nations have been directed to the dawning points of the Sun of Reality, each to a particular rising place from which the light of religion has become manifest; but after a time the dawning point has become the object of worship instead of the Sun itself, which is ever one Sun and stationary in the heavens of the divine Will. Differences have arisen because of this, causing clouds and darkness to overshadow again the glorious luminary of Reality. When the mists and darkness of superstition and prejudice are dispersed, all will see the Sun aright and alike. Then will all nations become as one in its radiance.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, 2 May 1912, Chicago, Illinois; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)
Grieve not if worldly possessions should pass from thy hands, for thy luminous heart is the greatest treasure, inasmuch as every heart that is confident in the grace of its Lord and is illumined by the light of its Creator is one of the treasures of the Kingdom, overflowing with heavenly riches and divine bounties. This is the greatest wealth!
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks’; online Baha’i Reference Library, Baha’i World Centre)
O ye friends of God! Through the Appearance of the Blessed Perfection the theories are abrogated and the facts are established. The time of superficiality is gone by and the cycle of reality hath appeared. One must become the incarnation of Servitude, the personification of Love, the embodiment of Spirituality and the mirror of Mercy.
The believers must become the cause of life; deliver the people from heedlessness, call the souls to the perfection of humanity, beckon nations to unity and agreement, destroy the foundations of foreignness, make everyone as friends and associates, treat the negligent souls as their own children, and train and educate them with the utmost love—so that the ignorant become wise, the blind become endowed with sight, and the deaf be given hearing.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2')
Regarding the use of liquor: According to the text of the Book of Aqdas, both light and strong drinks are prohibited. The reason for this prohibition is that alcohol leadeth the mind astray and causeth the weakening of the body. If alcohol were beneficial, it would have been brought into the world by the divine creation and not by the effort of man. Whatever is beneficial for man existeth in creation. Now it hath been proved and is established medically and scientifically that liquor is harmful.
As to the meaning of that which is written in the Tablets: “I have chosen for thee whatsoever is in the heaven and the earth”—this signifieth those things which are in accordance with the divine purpose and not the things which are harmful. For instance, one of the existing things is poison. Can we say that poison must be used as it hath been created by God? Nevertheless, intoxicating liquor, if prescribed by a physician for the patient and if its use is absolutely necessary, then it is permissible.
In brief, I hope that thou mayest become inebriated with the wine of the love of God, find eternal bliss and receive inexhaustible joy and happiness. All wine hath depression as an after-effect, except the wine of the Love of God.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks’; online Baha’i Reference Library, Baha’i World Centre)
There are two Books: One is the Book of Creation and the other is the written Book. The written Book consisteth of the heavenly Books which are revealed to the Prophets of God and have issued forth from the lips of His Manifestations. The Book of Creation is the preserved Tablet and the outspread roll of existence. The Book of Creation is in accord with the written Book. In the written Book thou canst find chapters and verses, words and letters; and inner meanings and mysteries are hidden therein. Likewise the Book of Creation is the command of God and the repository of divine mysteries. In it there are great signs, universal images, perfect words, exalted symbols, and secrets of all things, whether of the past or of the future.
When thou readest the written Book thou wilt become aware of the mysteries of God, but when thou gazest at the Book of Creation thou wilt observe the signs, symbols, realities, and reflections of the hidden mysteries of the bounties of His Holiness the Incomparable One.…
It is thus clear and evident that in the world of the Holy Writ there are letters, words, and verses, and likewise in the world of creation there are letters, words, and verses....
The essence of our meaning is that creation is in accord with the written word, and this is certain.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; ‘Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks’; online Baha’i Reference Library, Baha’i World Centre)
To accept and observe a distinction which God has not intended in creation is ignorance and superstition. The fact which is to be considered, however, is that woman, having formerly been deprived, must now be allowed equal opportunities with man for education and training. There must be no difference in their education. Until the reality of equality between man and woman is fully established and attained, the highest social development of mankind is not possible. Even granted that woman is inferior to man in some degree of capacity or accomplishment, this or any other distinction would continue to be productive of discord and trouble. The only remedy is education, opportunity; for equality means equal qualification. In brief, the assumption of superiority by man will continue to be depressing to the ambition of woman, as if her attainment to equality was creationally impossible; woman’s aspiration toward advancement will be checked by it, and she will gradually become hopeless. On the contrary, we must declare that her capacity is equal, even greater than man’s. This will inspire her with hope and ambition, and her susceptibilities for advancement will continually increase. She must not be told and taught that she is weaker and inferior in capacity and qualification. If a pupil is told that his intelligence is less than his fellow pupils, it is a very great drawback and handicap to his progress. He must be encouraged to advance by the statement, “You are most capable, and if you endeavor, you will attain the highest degree.”
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, 2 May 1912, Chicago, Illinois; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)
I ask God that thou mayest find a perceiving eye, an attentive ear and an eloquent tongue; that thou mayest loosen thy tongue in delivering the Cause of God, promoting the Word of God in that country, educating the children and training them in the training of God, and in early childhood enkindling in their hearts the lights of spiritual morals.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2')
It behooveth 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.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet quoted by the Universal House of Justice in a letter dated 3 June 2008 to the ‘Believers in the Cradle of the Faith’; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)