30 Sep | a.m

The sanctified souls should ponder and meditate in their hearts regarding the methods of teaching. From the texts of the wondrous, heavenly Scriptures they should memorize phrases and passages bearing on various instances, so that in the course of their speech they may recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it, inasmuch as these holy verses are the most potent elixir, the greatest and mightiest talisman. So potent is their influence that the hearer will have no cause for vacillation.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 199

29 Sep | p.m

Indeed, by adhering to forms and by following the promptings of your selfish desires, ye have deprived yourselves of the good-pleasure of your Lord, except those whom their Lord hath endowed with knowledge and who in this Day render thanks unto Him for the bounty of being identified with the true Faith of God. Therefore announce ye the Message unto those who manifest virtue and teach them the ways of the One True God, that haply they may comprehend.

 

- The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, p. 162

29 Sep | a.m

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.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 198

28 Sep | p.m

That which is praiseworthy in these days is the promotion of the Cause. For instance if those people who pursue certain aims were to dedicate themselves to the teaching of the Cause, all the dwellers of those regions would, ere long, be invested with the mantle of faith.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 198

28 Sep | a.m

God hath prescribed unto everyone the duty of teaching His Cause. Whoever ariseth to discharge this duty, must needs, ere he proclaimeth His Message, adorn himself with the ornament of an upright and praiseworthy character, so that his words may attract the hearts of such as are receptive to his call.

 

- Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts

27 Sep | p.m

Whoso ariseth among you to teach the Cause of his Lord, let him, before all else, teach his own self, that his speech may attract the hearts of them that hear him. Unless he teacheth his own self, the words of his mouth will not influence the heart of the seeker. Take heed, O people, lest ye be of them that give good counsel to others but forget to follow it themselves.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 277

27 Sep | a.m

O people of Bahá! Subdue the citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance. They that dispute, as prompted by their desires, are indeed wrapped in a palpable veil.

- Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts

I implore God to give thee indication of good conduct in the way of salvation, as a guiding lamp lighted from the fire of God's Love, and to cause thee to be called in His Name by the multitude of the world, so that the Name of God shall be proclaimed in all far off countries.

- Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 478

26 Sep | p.m

It behoveth them [who arise to teach] to choose as the best provision for their journey reliance upon God, and to clothe themselves with the love of their Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious. If they do so, their words shall influence their hearers.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 200

26 Sep | a.m

If they arise to teach My Cause, they must let the breath of Him Who is the Unconstrained, stir them and must spread it abroad on the earth with high resolve, with minds that are wholly centered in Him, and with hearts that are completely detached from and independent of all things, and with souls that are sanctified from the world and its vanities.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 200

The world is seeking as never before, and if the Friends will arise with new determination, fully consecrated to the noble task ahead of them victory after victory will be won for the Glorious Faith of God.

- Shoghi Effendi, High Endeavours -  Messages to Alaska, p. 25

25 Sep | p.m

Whoso ariseth wholly for the sake of his Lord to teach His Cause, the Holy Spirit shall strengthen him and inspire him with that which will illumine the heart of the world, how much more the hearts of those who seek Him.

- Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts

The Hosts of the Supreme Concourse are in marshall array, poised between Earth and Heaven ready to rush to the assistance of those who arise to Teach the Faith. If one seeks the confirmation of the Holy Spirit, they can find it in rich abundance in the Teaching Field.

- Shoghi Effendi, High Endeavours -  Messages to Alaska, p. 25

25 Sep | a.m

Say: Teach ye the Cause of God, O people of Bahá, for God hath prescribed unto every one the duty of proclaiming His Message, and regardeth it as the most meritorious of all deeds.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 278

I supplicate God that He suffer thee to become a herald of the Kingdom in all those places, so that thou mayest proclaim the glad-tidings of the Lord of Hosts.

- Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 223

23 Sep | a.m

The true seeker hunteth naught but the object of his quest, and the lover hath no desire save union with his beloved. Nor shall the seeker reach his goal unless he sacrifice all things. That is, whatever he hath seen, and heard, and understood, all must he set at naught, that he may enter the realm of the spirit, which is the City of God.

- Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 7

Thou seest me in this day shut up in my prison, and fallen into the hands of Thine adversaries, and beholdest my son (The Purest Branch) lying on the dust before Thy face.…Thereupon I offered him up, O my God, as a sacrifice in Thy path.

- Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 34

22 Sep | p.m

O SON OF MAN!

By My beauty! To tinge thy hair with thy blood is greater in My sight than the creation of the universe and the light of both worlds. Strive then to attain this, O servant!

 

- Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words

22 Sep | a.m

For the head raised up in the love of God will certainly fall by the sword, and the life that is kindled with longing will surely be sacrificed, and the heart which remembereth the Loved One will surely brim with blood. How well is it said:

 

Live free of love, for its very peace is anguish;

Its beginning is pain, its end is death.

[Arabian poem.]

 

- Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 41

21 Sep | p.m

Doth not the testimony of these holy souls, who have so gloriously risen to offer up their lives for their Beloved that the whole world marveled at the manner of their sacrifice, suffice the people of this day?

 

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 180

21 Sep | a.m

The Voice of God commanded Him [Abraham] to offer up Ishmael as a sacrifice, so that His steadfastness in the Faith of God and His detachment from all else but Him may be demonstrated unto men. The purpose of God, moreover, was to sacrifice him as a ransom for the sins and iniquities of all the peoples of the earth. This same honor, Jesus, the Son of Mary, besought the one true God, exalted be His name and glory, to confer upon Him. For the same reason was Husayn offered up as a sacrifice by Muhammad, the Apostle of God.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 75

20 Sep | a.m

By the righteousness of God! If thou wert present before My Throne and didst hearken unto the Tongue of might and grandeur, thou wouldst sacrifice thy body, thy soul, thine entire being as a token of thy love for God, the Sovereign, the Protector, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, and wouldst so thrill to the fascination of His Voice that every pen would be powerless to recount thy station and every eloquent speaker would be confounded in his attempt to describe it.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 263

19 Sep | p.m

By Thy glory! I desire neither Myself nor My life except for the purpose of serving Thy Cause, and I love not My being save that I may sacrifice it in Thy path.

- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 36

My hope is that out of the Lord's abundant grace, His munificence and loving-kindness, I may, in His pathway, be hanged against the sky, that my heart may become the target for a thousand bullets, or that I may be cast into the depths of the sea, or be left to perish on desert sands. This is what I long for most; this is my supreme desire; it refresheth my soul, it is balm for my breast, it is the very solace of mine eyes.

- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 241

19 Sep | a.m

Methinks I heard a Voice calling in my inmost being: 'Do thou sacrifice the thing which Thou lovest most in the path of God, even as Husayn, peace be upon him, hath offered up his life for My sake.' And were I not regardful of this inevitable mystery, by Him, Who hath my being between His hands even if all the kings of the earth were to be leagued together they would be powerless to take from me a single letter, how much less can these servants who are worthy of no attention, and who verily are of the outcast... That all may know the degree of My patience, My resignation, and self-sacrifice in the path of God.

 

- The Báb, quoted by Baha'u'llah in The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 230

18 Sep | p.m

Wherefore, O friend, give up thy self that thou mayest find the Peerless One, pass by this mortal earth that thou mayest seek a home in the nest of heaven. Be as naught, if thou wouldst kindle the fire of being and be fit for the pathway of love.

- Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 9

Follow in the footsteps of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and in the pathway of the Abhá Beauty, long at every moment to give up your lives.

- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 245

18 Sep | a.m

Love accepteth no existence and wisheth no life: He seeth life in death, and in shame seeketh glory. To merit the madness of love, man must abound in sanity; to merit the bonds of the Friend, he must be full of spirit. Blessed the neck that is caught in His noose, happy the head that falleth on the dust in the pathway of His love.

- Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 9

By the Lord God! I would not exchange this prison for the throne of the whole world, nor give up this confinement for pleasures and pastimes in all the fair gardens on earth.

- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 241

16 Sep | a.m

The ninth Ishraq

It is incumbent upon everyone to firmly adhere to and observe that which hath streamed forth from Our Most Exalted Pen. God, the True One, beareth Me witness, and every atom in existence is moved to testify that such means as lead to the elevation, the advancement, the education, the protection and the regeneration of the peoples of the earth have been clearly set forth by Us and are revealed in the Holy Books and Tablets by the Pen of Glory.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 128

15 Sep | p.m

The ninth Ishraq

We call upon the manifestations of the power of God - the sovereigns and rulers on earth - to bestir themselves and do all in their power that haply they may banish discord from this world and illumine it with the light of concord.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 128

14 Sep | p.m

The eighth Ishraq

This passage, now written by the Pen of Glory, is accounted as part of the Most Holy Book: The men of God's House of Justice have been charged with the affairs of the people. They, in truth, are the Trustees of God among His servants and the daysprings of authority in His countries.

 

O people of God! That which traineth the world is  Justice, for it is upheld by two pillars, reward and punishment. These two pillars are the sources of life to the world. Inasmuch as for each day there is a new problem and for every problem an expedient solution, such affairs should be referred to the House of Justice that the members thereof may act according to the needs and requirements of the time. They that, for the sake of God, arise to serve His Cause, are the recipients of divine inspiration from the unseen Kingdom. It is incumbent upon all to be obedient unto them. All matters of State should be referred to the House of Justice, but acts of worship must be observed according to that which God hath revealed in His Book.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 127

14 Sep | a.m

The seventh Ishraq

Unto every father hath been enjoined the instruction of his son and daughter in the art of reading and writing and in all that hath been laid down in the Holy Tablet. He that putteth away that which is commanded unto him, the Trustees are then to take from him that which is required for their instruction, if he be wealthy, and if not the matter devolveth upon the House of Justice. Verily, have We made it a shelter for the poor and needy. He that bringeth up his son or the son of another, it is as though he hath brought up a son of Mine; upon him rest My Glory, My Loving-Kindness, My Mercy, that have compassed the world.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 127

13 Sep | p.m

The sixth Ishraq

From the beginning of time the light of unity hath shed its divine radiance upon the world, and the greatest means for the promotion of that unity is for the peoples of the world to understand one another's writing and speech. In former Epistles We have enjoined upon the Trustees of the House of Justice either to choose one language from among those now existing or to adopt a new one, and in like manner to select a common script, both of which should be taught in all the schools of the world. Thus will the earth be regarded as one country and one home.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 126

13 Sep | a.m

The fifth Ishraq

Governments should fully acquaint themselves with the conditions of those they govern, and confer upon them positions according to desert and merit. It is enjoined upon every ruler and sovereign to consider this matter with the utmost care that the traitor may not usurp the position of the faithful, nor the despoiler rule in the place of the trustworthy. Among the officials who in the past have governed in this Most Great Prison some, praise be to God, were adorned with justice, but as to others, We take refuge with God. We beseech the One true God to guide them one and all, that haply they may not be deprived of the fruit of faith and trustworthiness, nor be withheld from the light of equity and justice.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 126

12 Sep | p.m

The fourth Ishraq

In this Revelation the hosts that can render it victorious are the hosts of praiseworthy deeds and upright character. The leader and commander of these hosts hath ever been the fear of God, a fear that encompasseth all things and reigneth over all things.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 125

12 Sep | a.m

The third Ishraq

It is incumbent upon everyone to observe God's holy commandments, inasmuch as they are the wellspring of life unto the world. The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two luminaries of consultation and compassion and the canopy of world order is upraised upon the two pillars of reward and punishment.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 125

11 Sep | p.m

The second Ishraq

We have enjoined upon all mankind to establish the Most Great Peace - the surest of all means for the protection of humanity. The sovereigns of the world should, with one accord, hold fast thereunto, for this is the supreme instrument that can ensure the security and welfare of all peoples and nations. They, verily, are the manifestations of the power of God and the daysprings of His authority.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 125

11 Sep | a.m

The first Ishraq

When the Day-Star of Wisdom rose above the horizon of God's Holy Dispensation it voiced this all-glorious utterance: They that are possessed of wealth and invested with authority and power must show the profoundest regard for religion. In truth, religion is a radiant light and an impregnable stronghold for the protection and welfare of the peoples of the world, for the fear of God impelleth man to hold fast to that which is good, and shun all evil.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 125

9 Sep | a.m

In brief, dissensions among various sects have opened the way to weakness. Each sect hath picked out a way for itself and is clinging to a certain cord.  Despite manifest blindness and ignorance they pride themselves on their insight and knowledge….I swear by God! It lowereth man's station and maketh him swell with pride. Man must bring forth fruit. One who yieldeth no fruit is, in the words of the Spirit [Jesus], like unto a fruitless tree, and a fruitless tree is fit but for the fire.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 59

8 Sep | p.m

In these days it is incumbent upon everyone to adhere tenaciously unto unity and concord and to labour diligently in promoting the Cause of God, that perchance the wayward souls may attain that which will lead unto abiding prosperity.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 59

8 Sep | a.m

The people of Bahá burn brightly amidst the gatherings even as a candle and hold fast unto that which God hath purposed. This station standeth supreme above all stations. Well is it with him who hath cast away the things that the people of the world possess, yearning for that which pertaineth unto God, the Sovereign Lord of eternity.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 57

7 Sep | p.m

Every fair-minded person testifieth and every man of insight is well aware that the One true God - exalted be His glory - hath unceasingly set forth and expounded that which will elevate the station and will exalt the rank of the children of men.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 57

7 Sep | a.m

God grant you may be graciously aided under all conditions to shatter the idols of superstition and to tear away the veils of the imaginations of men. Authority lieth in the grasp of God, the Fountainhead of revelation and inspiration and the Lord of the Day of Resurrection.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 57

6 Sep | p.m

Indeed none but a few of the existing generation hath yet earned the merit of hearkening unto the warblings of the doves of the all-highest Paradise. 'Few of My servants are truly thankful.'* People for the most part delight in superstitions. They regard a single drop of the sea of delusion as preferable to an ocean of certitude. By holding fast unto names they deprive themselves of the inner reality and by clinging to vain imaginings they are kept back from the Dayspring of heavenly signs.

* Qur'án 34:12

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 57

6 Sep | a.m

Say: Honesty, virtue, wisdom and a saintly character redound to the exaltation of man, while dishonesty, imposture, ignorance and hypocrisy lead to his abasement. By My life! Man's distinction lieth not in ornaments or wealth, but rather in virtuous behaviour and true understanding.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 54

5 Sep | p.m

It behoveth the people of Bahá to render the Lord victorious through the power of their utterance and to admonish the people by their goodly deeds and character, inasmuch as deeds exert greater influence than words.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 54

4 Sep | a.m

O YE the embodiments of justice and equity and the manifestations of uprightness and of heavenly bounties! In tears and lamenting, this Wronged One calleth aloud and saith: O God, my God! Adorn the heads of Thy loved ones with the crown of detachment and attire their temples with the raiment of righteousness.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 54

Read, with close attention, the Tablets of Tarazat (Ornaments), Kalimat (Words of Paradise), Tajalliyyat (Effulgences), Ishraqat (Splendours), and Bisharat (Glad Tidings), and rise up as ye are bidden in the heavenly teachings. Thus may each one of you be even as a candle casting its light, the centre of attraction wherever people come together; and from you, as from a bed of flowers, may sweet scents be shed.

- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 35

2 Sep | a.m

Turning, then, to the left We gazed on one of the Beauties of the Most Sublime Paradise, standing on a pillar of light, and calling aloud saying: 'O inmates of earth and heaven! Behold ye My beauty, and My radiance, and My revelation, and My effulgence.

- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 136

1 Sep | p.m

Gracious God! It was intended that at the time of the manifestation of the One true God the faculty of recognizing Him would have been developed and matured and would have reached its culmination. However, it is now clearly demonstrated that in the disbelievers this faculty hath remained undeveloped and hath, indeed, degenerated.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 52

1 Sep | a.m

Acquaint the people with the holy verses of thy Lord and make known unto them His straight Path, His mighty Announcement.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 51

31 Aug | p.m

Say: O people, if ye judge fairly and equitably, ye will testify to the truth of whatsoever hath streamed forth from the Most Exalted Pen. If ye be of the people of the Bayan, the Persian Bayan will guide you aright and will prove a sufficient testimony unto you; and if ye be of the people of the Qur'án, ponder ye upon the Revelation on Sinai and the Voice from the Bush which came unto the Son of Imran [Moses].

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 51