How Should we Demonstrate
our Virtues and Character?
A Bahá'í is known by the attributes manifested by him, not by his
name: he is recognized by his character, not by his person.
(67 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Chaste and Holy Life, p.
60)
If His faithful servants could realize how meritorious are benevolent deeds in
these days, they would all arise to do that which is meet and seemly. In His
hand is the source of authority and He ordaineth as He willeth. He is the
Supreme Ruler, the Bountiful, the Equitable, the Revealer, the All-Wise.
(68 - Bahá'u'lláh - Huququ'llah, #1)
O CHILDREN OF ADAM!
Holy words and pure and goodly deeds ascend
unto the
heaven of celestial glory. Strive that your deeds may be cleansed from the dust
of self and hypocrisy and find favor at the court of glory; for ere long the
assayers of mankind shall, in the holy presence of the Adored One, accept
naught but absolute virtue and deeds of stainless purity. This is the day-star
of wisdom and of divine mystery that hath shone above the horizon of the divine
will. Blessed are they that turn thereunto.
(69 - Bahá'u'lláh - The Hidden Words, Persian
#69)
No goodly deed was or will ever be lost, for benevolent acts are treasures
preserved with God for the benefit of those who act. Blessed the servant and
the maidservant who have fulfilled their obligation in the path of God our
Lord, the Lord of all worlds....
(70 - Bahá'u'lláh - Huququ'llah, #40)
Strive as much as ye can to turn wholly toward the Kingdom, that ye may acquire
innate courage and ideal power.
(71 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Selections From the Writings of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 206)
The source of courage and power is the promotion of the Word of God, and
steadfastness in His Love.
(72 - Bahá'u'lláh - Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh,
p. 156)
Man has two powers; and his development, two aspects. One power is connected
with the material world, and by it he is capable of material advancement. The
other power is spiritual, and through its development his inner, potential
nature is awakened. These powers are like two wings. Both must be developed,
for flight is impossible with one wing. Praise be to God! Material advancement
has been evident in the world, but there is need of spiritual advancement in
like proportion. We must strive unceasingly and without rest to accomplish the
development of the spiritual nature in man, and endeavor with tireless energy
to advance humanity toward the nobility of its true and intended station. For
the body of man is accidental; it is of no importance. The time of its
disintegration will inevitably come. But the spirit of man is essential and,
therefore, eternal. It is a divine bounty. It is the effulgence of the Sun of
Reality and, therefore, of greater importance than the physical body.
(73 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Promulgation of Universal Peace*, p.
60)
A good character is in the sight of God and His chosen ones and the possessors
of insight, the most excellent and praiseworthy of all things, but always on
condition that its center of emanation should be reason and knowledge and its
base should be true moderation.
(74 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Secret of Divine Civilization, p.
60)
Rectitude of conduct, with its implications of justice, equity, truthfulness,
honesty, fair-mindedness, reliability, and trustworthiness, must distinguish
every phase of the life of the Bahá'í community.
(75 - Shoghi Effendi - Advent of Divine Justice, page
19))
God hath verily made chastity to be a crown for the heads of His handmaidens.
Great is the blessedness of that handmaiden that hath attained unto this great
station.
(76 - Bahá'u'lláh - Advent of Divine Justice, p.
27)
Purity and chastity have been, and still are, the most great ornaments for the
handmaidens of God. God is My witness! The brightness of the light of chastity
sheddeth its illumination upon the worlds of the spirit, and its fragrance is
wafted even unto the Most Exalted Paradise.
(77 - Bahá'u'lláh - Advent of Divine Justice, p.
26)
A chaste and holy life should be regarded as an essential factor that must
contribute its proper share to the strengthening and vitalization of the
Bahá'í community, upon which must in turn depend the success of
any Bahá'í plan or enterprise...A chaste and holy life must be
made the controlling principle in the behavior and conduct of all
Bahá'ís, both in their social relations with the members of their
own community, and in their contact with the world at large...Such a chaste and
holy life, with its implication of modesty, purity, temperance, decency, and
clean- mindedness, involves no less than the exercise of moderation in all that
pertains to dress, language, amusements, and all artistic and literary
avocations.
(78 - Shoghi Effendi - Advent of Divine Justice, p. 24)
O ye, God's loved ones! Experience hath shown how greatly the renouncing of
smoking, of intoxicating drink, and of opium, conduceth to health and vigour,
to the expansion and keenness of the mind and to bodily strength. There is
today a people who strictly avoid tobacco, intoxicating liquor and opium. This
people is far and away superior to the others, for strength and physical
courage, for health, beauty and comeliness. A single one of their men can stand
up to ten men of another tribe. This hath proved true of the entire people:
that is, member for member, each individual of this community is in every
respect superior to the individuals of other communities.
(79 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Selections From the Writings of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 150)
Regarding hashish, you had pointed out that some Persians have become
habituated to its use. Gracious God! This is the worst of all intoxicants, and
its prohibition is explicitly revealed. Its use causeth the disintegration of
thought and the complete torpor of the soul. How could anyone seek this fruit
of the infernal tree, and by partaking of it, be led to exemplify the qualities
of a monster? How could one use this forbidden drug, and thus deprive himself
of the blessings of the All-Merciful?... Alcohol consumeth the mind and
causeth man to commit acts of absurdity, but...this wicked hashish
extinguisheth the mind, freezeth the spirit, petrifieth the soul, wasteth the
body and leaveth man frustrated and lost.
(80 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Chaste and Holy Life, p.
55)
We, verily, have chosen courtesy, and made it the true mark of such as are nigh
unto Him. Courtesy is, in truth, a raiment which fitteth all men, whether young
or old. Well is it with him that adorneth his temple therewith, and woe unto
him who is deprived of this great bounty.
(81 - Bahá'u'lláh - Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p.
50)
O people of God! I exhort you to courtesy. Courtesy is, in the primary station,
the Lord of all virtues. Blessed is he who is illumined with the light of
courtesy, and is adorned with the mantle of uprightness! He who is endowed with
courtesy is endowed with a great station.
(82 - Bahá'u'lláh - Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh,
p. 27)
They that have kept their promises, fulfilled their obligations, redeemed their
pledges and vows, rendered the Trust of God and His Right unto Him - these are
numbered among the inmates of the all-highest Paradise. Thus from His mighty
Prison doth the Wronged One announce unto them this glad-tiding. Blessed are
the servants and maidservants that have performed their deeds and blessed is
the man that hath cleaved tenaciously unto praiseworthy acts and fulfilled that
which is enjoined upon him in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds.
(83 - Bahá'u'lláh - Huququ'llah, #26)
Especially to those whose thoughts are material and retrograde show the utmost
love and patience, thereby winning them into the unity of fellowship by the
radiance of your kindness.
(84 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Paris Talks*, p. 27)
If, however, an individual hath spiritual characteristics, and virtues that
shine out, and his purpose in life be spiritual and his inclinations be
directed toward God, and he also study other branches of knowledge - then we
have light upon light: his outer being luminous, his private character radiant,
his heart sound, his thought elevated, his understanding swift, his rank noble.
(85 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Education, p. 282)
No man of wisdom can demonstrate his knowledge save by means of words. This
showeth the significance of the Word as is affirmed in all the Scriptures,
whether of former times or more recently. For it is through its potency and
animating spirit that the people of the world have attained so eminent a
position. Moreover words and utterances should be both impressive and
penetrating. However, no word will be infused with these two qualities unless
it be uttered wholly for the sake of God and with due regard unto the
exigencies of the occasion and the people.
(86 - Bahá'u'lláh - Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh,
p. 172)
Human utterance is an essence which aspireth to exert its influence and needeth
moderation. As to its influence, this is conditional upon refinement which in
turn is dependent upon hearts which are detached and pure. As to its
moderation, this hath to be combined with tact and wisdom as prescribed in the
Holy Scriptures and Tablets.
(87 - Bahá'u'lláh - Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh,
p. 172)
O My Name! Utterance must needs possess penetrating power. For if bereft of
this quality it would fail to exert influence. And this penetrating influence
dependeth on the spirit being pure and the heart stainless. Likewise it needeth
moderation, without which the hearer would be unable to bear it, rather he
would manifest opposition from the very outset. And moderation will be obtained
by blending utterance with the tokens of divine wisdom which are recorded in
the sacred Books and Tablets. Thus when the essence of one's utterance is
endowed with these two requisites it will prove highly effective and will be
the prime factor in transforming the souls of men. This is the station of
supreme victory and celestial dominion. Whoso attaineth thereto is invested
with the power to teach the Cause of God and to prevail over the hearts and
minds of men.
(88 - Bahá'u'lláh - Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh,
pp. 198-199)
Bahá'í marriage is the commitment of the two parties one to the
other, and their mutual attachment of mind and heart. Each must, however,
exercise the utmost care to become thoroughly acquainted with the character of
the other, that the binding covenant between them may be a tie that will endure
forever. Their purpose must be this: to become loving companions and comrades
and at one with each other for time and eternity....
(89 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Selections From the Writings of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 118)
The friends of God must so live and conduct themselves, and evince such
excellence of character and conduct, as to make others astonished. The love
between husband and wife must not be purely physical, nay, rather, it must be
spiritual and heavenly. These two souls should be considered as one soul. How
difficult it would be to divide a single soul! Nay, great would be the
difficulty! In short, the foundation of the Kingdom of God is based upon
harmony and love, oneness, relationship and union, not upon differences,
especially between husband and wife....
(90 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Family Life, p. 391)
O MY SERVANT!
The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their
calling and spend upon themselves and upon their kindred for the love of God,
the Lord of all worlds.
(91 - Bahá'u'lláh - The Hidden Words, Persian
#82)
All humanity must obtain a livelihood by sweat of the brow and bodily exertion;
at the same time seeking to lift the burden of others, striving to be the
source of comfort to souls, and facilitating the means of living. This in
itself is devotion to God. But the energies of the heart must not be completely
occupied with them. Though the mind is busy the heart must be attracted toward
the Kingdom of God in order that the virtues of humanity may be attained from
every direction and source.
(92 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Promulgation of Universal Peace, p.
182)
O MY SERVANT!
Ye are the trees of My garden; ye must give forth goodly
and
wondrous fruits, that ye yourselves and others may profit therefrom. Thus it is
incumbent on every one to engage in crafts and professions, for therein lies
the secret of wealth, O men of understanding! For results depend upon means,
and the grace of God shall be all- sufficient unto you. Trees that yield no
fruit have been and will ever be for the fire.
(93 - Bahá'u'lláh - The Hidden Words,
Persian)
O ye beloved of the Lord! Commit not that which defileth the limpid stream of
love or destroyeth the sweet fragrance of friendship. By the righteousness of
the Lord! Ye were created to show love one to another and not perversity and
rancour. Take pride not in love for yourselves but in love for your
fellow-creatures. Glory not in love for your country, but in love for all
mankind. Let your eye be chaste, your hand faithful, your tongue truthful and
your heart enlightened. Abase not the station of the learned in Baha' and
belittle not the rank of such rulers as administer justice amidst you. Set your
reliance on the army of justice, put on the armour of wisdom, let your adorning
be forgiveness and mercy and that which cheereth the hearts of the
well-favoured of God.
(94 - Bahá'u'lláh - Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh,
pp. 138-139)
Exalted, immensely exalted is He Who hath removed differences and established
harmony. Glorified, infinitely glorified is He Who hath caused discord to
cease, and decreed solidarity and unity. Praised be God, the Pen of the Most
High hath lifted distinctions from between His servants and handmaidens and,
through His consummate favours and all-encompassing mercy, hath conferred upon
all a station and rank on the same plane. He hath broken the back of vain
imaginings with the sword of utterance and hath obliterated the perils of idle
fancies through the pervasive power of His might.
(95 - Bahá'u'lláh - Women, #2)
So it is with the great body of humanity. The wonderful Law of Attraction,
Harmony and Unity, holds together this marvellous Creation. As with the
whole, so with the parts; whether a flower or a human body, when the attracting
principle is withdrawn from it, the flower or the man dies. It is therefore
clear that attraction, harmony, unity and Love, are the cause of life, whereas
repulsion, discord, hatred and separation bring death.
(96 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Paris Talks*, p. 139)
Today I am most happy, for I see here a gathering of the servants of God. I see
white and black sitting together. There are no whites and blacks before God.
All colors are one, and that is the color of servitude to God. Scent and color
are not important. The heart is important. If the heart is pure, white or black
or any color makes no difference. God does not look at colors; He looks at the
hearts. He whose heart is pure is better. He whose character is better is more
pleasing. He who turns more to the Abha Kingdom is more advanced.
(97 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Promulgation of Universal Peace*, p.
44)
Then it is evident that excellence does not depend upon color. Character is the
true criterion of humanity. Anyone who possesses a good character, who has
faith in God and is firm, whose actions are good, whose speech is good - that
one is accepted at the threshold of God no matter what color he may be. In
short - praise be to God! - you are the servants of God. The love of
Bahá'u'lláh is in your hearts. Your souls are rejoicing in the
glad tidings of Bahá'u'lláh. My hope is that the white and the
black will be united in perfect love and fellowship, with complete unity and
brotherhood. Associate with each other, think of each other, and be like a rose
garden. Anyone who goes into a rose garden will see various roses, white, pink,
yellow, red, all growing together and replete with adornment. Each one
accentuates the beauty of the other. Were all of one color, the garden would be
monotonous to the eye. If they were all white or yellow or red, the garden
would lack variety and attractiveness; but when the colors are varied, white,
pink, yellow, red, there will be the greatest beauty. Therefore, I hope that
you will be like a rose garden. Although different in colors, yet - praise be
to God! - you receive rays from the same sun. From one cloud the rain is poured
upon you. You are under the training of one Gardener, and this Gardener is kind
to all. Therefore, you must manifest the utmost kindness towards each other,
and you may rest assured that whenever you are united, the confirmations of the
Kingdom of Abha will reach you, the heavenly favors will descend, the bounties
of God will be bestowed, the Sun of Reality will shine, the cloud of mercy will
pour its showers, and the breeze of divine generosity will waft its fragrances
upon you.
(98 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pp.
427-428)
You who are the servants of God fight against oppression, hate and discord, so
that wars may cease and God's laws of peace and love may be established among
men. Work! Work with all your strength, spread the Cause of the Kingdom
among men; teach the self-sufficient to turn humbly towards God, the sinful to
sin no more, and await with glad expectation the coming of the Kingdom.
Love and obey your Heavenly Father, and rest assured that Divine help is
yours. Verily I say unto you that you shall indeed conquer the world!
Only
have faith, patience and courage - this is but the beginning, but surely you
will succeed, for God is with you!
(99 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Paris Talks*, p. 101)
Oh, friends of God! If ye will trust in the Word of God and be strong; if ye
will follow the precepts of Bahá'u'lláh to tend the sick, raise
the fallen, care for the poor and needy, give shelter to the destitute, protect
the oppressed, comfort the sorrowful and love the world of humanity with all
your hearts, then I say unto you that ere long this meeting-place will see a
wonderful harvest. Day by day each member will advance and become more and more
spiritual. But ye must have a firm foundation and your aims and ambitions must
be clearly understood by each member. They shall be as follows: - To
show
compassion and goodwill to all mankind.
- To render service to humanity.
- To endeavour to guide and enlighten those in darkness.
- To be kind to
everyone, and show forth affection to every living soul.
- To be humble in
your attitude towards God, to be constant in prayer to Him, so as to grow daily
nearer to God.
- To be so faithful and sincere in all your actions that every
member may be known as embodying the qualities of honesty, love, faith,
kindness, generosity, and courage. To be detached from all that is not God,
attracted by the Heavenly Breath - a divine soul; so that the world may know
that a Bahá'í is a perfect being.
(100 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Paris Talks*, pp. 73-74)
O peoples of the world! Forsake all evil, hold fast that which is good. Strive
to be shining examples unto all mankind, and true reminders of the virtues of
God amidst men. He that riseth to serve My Cause should manifest My wisdom, and
bend every effort to banish ignorance from the earth. Be united in counsel, be
one in thought. Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer
than its yesterday. Man's merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the
pageantry of wealth and riches. Take heed that your words be purged from idle
fancies and worldly desires and your deeds be cleansed from craftiness and
suspicion. Dissipate not the wealth of your precious lives in the pursuit of
evil and corrupt affection, nor let your endeavours be spent in promoting your
personal interest. Be generous in your days of plenty, and be patient in the
hour of loss. Adversity is followed by success and rejoicings follow woe. Guard
against idleness and sloth, and cling unto that which profiteth mankind,
whether young or old, whether high or low. Beware lest ye sow tares of
dissension among men or plant thorns of doubt in pure and radiant hearts.
(101 - Bahá'u'lláh - Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh,
pp. 137-138)
If a man is successful in his business, art, or profession he is thereby
enabled to increase his physical wellbeing and to give his body the amount of
ease and comfort in which it delights. All around us today we see how man
surrounds himself with every modern convenience and luxury, and denies nothing
to the physical and material side of his nature. But, take heed, lest in
thinking too earnestly of the things of the body you forget the things of the
soul: for material advantages do not elevate the spirit of a man. Perfection in
worldly things is a joy to the body of a man but in no wise does it glorify his
soul. It may be that a man who has every material benefit, and who lives
surrounded by all the greatest comfort modern civilization can give him, is
denied the all important gift of the Holy Spirit.
It is indeed a good and
praiseworthy thing to progress materially, but in so doing, let us not neglect
the more important spiritual progress, and close our eyes to the Divine light
shining in our midst.
Only by improving spiritually as well as materially
can we make any real progress, and become perfect beings. It was in order to
bring this spiritual life and light into the world that all the great Teachers
have appeared. They came so that the Sun of Truth might be manifested, and
shine in the hearts of men, and that through its wondrous power men might
attain unto Everlasting Light.
(102 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Paris Talks*, pp. 62-63)
Charity is beloved and acceptable before God, and is accounted the chief among
good deeds. Indeed, this blessed word is, in this connection, a sun among
words. Blessed is he who prefers his brother before himself; such a one is of
the people of Baha'.
(103 - Bahá'u'lláh - Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh,
p. 57)
O SON OF BEING!
Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned
to
a reckoning; for death, unhearlded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be
called to give account for thy deeds.
(104 - Bahá'u'lláh - The Hidden Words, Arabic
#31)
The teaching work should under all conditions be actively pursued by the
believers because divine confirmations are dependent upon it. Should a
Bahá'í refrain from being fully, vigorously and wholeheartedly
involved in the teaching work he will undoubtedly be deprived of the blessings
of the Abha Kingdom. Even so, this activity should be tempered with wisdom -
not that wisdom which requireth one to be silent and forgetful of such an
obligation, but rather that which requireth one to display divine tolerance,
love, kindness, patience, a goodly character, and holy deeds. In brief,
encourage the friends individually to teach the Cause of God and draw their
attention to this meaning of wisdom mentioned in the Writings, which is itself
the essence of teaching the Faith - but all this to be done with the greatest
tolerance, so that heavenly assistance and divine confirmation may aid the
friends.
(105 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Selections From the Writings of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 268)
Go thou straight on and persevere in His service. Say: O people! The Day,
promised unto you in all the Scriptures, is now come. Fear ye God, and withhold
not yourselves from recognizing the One Who is the Object of your creation.
Hasten ye unto Him. Better is this for you than the world and all that is
therein. Would that ye could perceive it!
(106 - Bahá'u'lláh - Gleanings, p. 314)
If the health and well-being of the body be expended in the path of the
Kingdom, this is very acceptable and praiseworthy; and if it is expended to the
benefit of the human world in general - even though it be to their material
benefit and be a means of doing good - that is also acceptable. But if the
health and welfare of man be spent in sensual desires, in a life on the animal
plane, and in devilish pursuits - then disease is better than such health; nay,
death itself is preferable to such a life. If thou art desirous of health, wish
thou health for serving the Kingdom. I hope thou mayest attain a perfect
insight, an inflexible resolution, a complete health and spiritual and physical
strength in order that thou mayest drink from the fountain of eternal life and
be assisted by the spirit of divine confirmation.
(107 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Bahá'í World Faith*, p. 376;
Health and Healing, pp. 469-470)
With reference to what is meant by an individual becoming entirely forgetful of
self: the intent is that he should rise up and sacrifice himself in the true
sense, that is, he should obliterate the promptings of the human condition, and
rid himself of such characteristics as are worthy of blame and constitute the
gloomy darkness of this life on earth - not that he should allow his physical
health to deteriorate and his body to become infirm.
(108 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Selections From the Writings of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 180)
...it is evident that movement is essential to all existence. All material
things progress to a certain point, then begin to decline. This is the law
which governs the whole physical creation.... My hope for you is that you
will progress in the world of spirit, as well as in the world of matter; that
your intelligence will develop, your knowledge will augment, and your
understanding be widened.
You must ever press forward, never standing
still; avoid stagnation, the first step to a backward movement, to decay.
(109 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Paris Talks*, pp. 89-90)
Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of
thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure
to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of the needy, a
preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded
in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a
lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the
thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of
oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home
for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the
fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the
erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of
fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body
of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of
virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge,
a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light
in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility. We pray
God to protect thee from the heat of jealousy and the cold of hatred. He verily
is nigh, ready to answer."
(110 - Bahá'u'lláh - Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, pp.
93-94;; Gleanings, p. 285)
O friends! Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed,
neither be neglectful of your high destiny. Suffer not your labors to be wasted
through the vain imaginations which certain hearts have devised. Ye are the
stars of the heaven of understanding, the breeze that stirreth at the break of
day, the soft- flowing waters upon which must depend the very life of all men,
the letters inscribed upon His sacred scroll. With the utmost unity, and in a
spirit of perfect fellowship, exert yourselves, that ye may be enabled to
achieve that which beseemeth this Day of God. Verily I say, strife and
dissension, and whatsoever the mind of man abhorreth are entirely unworthy of
his station. Center your energies in the propagation of the Faith of God. Whoso
is worthy of so high a calling, let him arise and promote it. Whoso is unable,
it is his duty to appoint him who will, in his stead, proclaim this Revelation,
whose power hath caused the foundations of the mightiest structures to quake,
every mountain to be crushed into dust, and every soul to be dumbfounded.
Should the greatness of this Day be revealed in its fullness, every man would
forsake a myriad lives in his longing to partake, though it be for one moment,
of its great glory - how much more this world and its corruptible treasures!
(111 - Bahá'u'lláh - Gleanings, pp.
196-197)
O ye who have turned your faces toward the Exalted Beauty! By night, by day, at
morningtide and sunset, when darkness draweth on, and at early light I
remember, and ever have remembered, in the realms of my mind and heart, the
loved ones of the Lord. I beg of Him to bestow His confirmations upon those
loved ones, dwellers in that pure and holy land, and to grant them successful
outcomes in all things: that in their character, their behaviour, their words,
their way of life, in all they are and do, He will make them to achieve
distinction among men; that He will gather them into the world community, their
hearts filled with ecstasy and fervour and yearning love, with knowledge and
certitude, with steadfastness and unity, their faces beauteous and bright.
(112 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Selections From the Writings of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, pp. 259-260)
O Lord! These are the survivors of the martyrs, that company of blessed souls.
They have sustained every tribulation and displayed patience in the face of
grievous injustice. They have forsaken all comfort and prosperity, have
willingly submitted to dire suffering and adversity in the path of Thy love,
and are still held captive in the clutches of their enemies who continually
torment them with sore torment, and oppress them because they walk steadfastly
in Thy straight path. There is no one to help them, no one to befriend them.
Apart from the ignoble and the wicked, there is no one to associate and consort
with them.
(113 - Bahá'u'lláh - Bahá'í Prayers (US
edition), p. 266)
This is the time for growing; the season for joyous gathering! Take the cup of
the Testament in thy hand; leap and dance with ecstasy in the triumphal
procession of the Covenant! Lay your confidence in the everlasting bounty, turn
to the presence of the generous God; ask assistance from the Kingdom of Abha;
seek confirmation from the Supreme World; turn thy vision to the horizon of
eternal wealth; and pray for help from the Source of Mercy!
(114 - `Abdu'l-Bahá - Bahá'í World Faith*, p.
351)