Quote of the Day, 12 Asmá’ 173 BE

"Through the power of the rational soul, man can discover the realities of things, comprehend their properties, and penetrate the mysteries of existence. All the sciences, branches of learning, arts, inventions, institutions, undertakings, and discoveries have resulted from the comprehension of the rational soul."

`Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions

Quote of the Day, 11 Asmá’ 173 BE

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

- Isaiah 9:4

Quote of the Day, 10 Asmá’ 173 BE

"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."

- Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha

Quote of the Day, 9 Asmá’ 173 BE

"...war is destruction while universal peace is construction; war is death while peace is life; war is rapacity and bloodthirstiness while peace is beneficence and humaneness; war is an appurtenance of the world of nature while peace is of the foundation of the religion of God; war is darkness upon darkness while peace is heavenly light; war is the destroyer of the edifice of mankind while peace is the everlasting life of the world of humanity; war is like a devouring wolf while peace is like the angels of heaven; war is the struggle for existence while peace is mutual aid and co-operation among the peoples of the world and the cause of the good-pleasure of the True One in the heavenly realm."

- Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha

Quote of the Day, 8 Asmá’ 173 BE

"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."

- Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah

Quote of the Day, 7 Asmá’ 173 BE

"All that are on earth shall pass away, while good deeds alone shall endure..."

- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas

Quote of the Day, 6 Asmá’ 173 BE

"Laws and institutions, as viewed by Bahá'u'lláh, can become really effective only when our inner spiritual life has been perfected and transformed. Otherwise religion will degenerate into a mere organization, and becomes a dead thing. The believers, particularly the young ones, should therefore fully realize the necessity of praying. For prayer is absolutely indispensable to their inner spiritual development, and this, as already stated, is the very foundation and purpose of the religion of God."

- Letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi

Quote of the Day, 5 Asmá’ 173 BE

"Let not thy tongue pay lip service in praise of God while thy heart be not attuned to the exalted Summit of Glory, and the Focal Point of communion."

- Selections from the Writings of the Báb

Quote of the Day, 4 Asmá’ 173 BE

"O SON OF DESIRE!

How long wilt thou soar in the realms of desire? Wings have I bestowed upon thee, that thou mayest fly to the realms of mystic holiness and not the regions of satanic fancy. The comb, too, have I given thee that thou mayest dress My raven locks, and not lacerate My throat."

- Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh

Quote of the Day, 3 Asmá’ 173 BE

"One thing and only one thing will unfailingly and alone secure the undoubted triumph of this sacred Cause, namely, the extent to which our own inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendor of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh"

- Letter from Shoghi Effendi, quoted in Baha'i Administration

Quote of the Day, 2 Asmá’ 173 BE

"Warn, O Salmán, the beloved of the one true God, not to view with too critical an eye the sayings and writings of men. Let them rather approach such sayings and writings in a spirit of open-mindedness and loving sympathy."

- Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah

Quote of the Day, 1 Asmá’ 173 BE

"O SON OF THE SUPREME!

To the eternal I call thee, yet thou dost seek that which perisheth.
What hath made thee turn away from Our desire and seek thine own?"

- Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah

Quote of the Day, 19 Kamál 173 BE

"O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from the same stock. Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household. In Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined through the light of Thy Providence.

O God! Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, dost shelter all, conferrest life upon all. Thou hast endowed each and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the Ocean of Thy Mercy.

O Thou kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home. May they all live together in perfect harmony.

O God! Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind.

O God! Establish the Most Great Peace.

Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together.

O Thou kind Father, God! Gladden our hearts through the fragrance of Thy love. Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy Guidance. Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word, and shelter us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.

Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcomings of all mankind."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i Prayers

Quote of the Day, 18 Kamál 173 BE

"It is clear and evident that all men shall, after their physical death, estimate the worth of their deeds, and realize all that their hands have wrought. "

- Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah

Quote of the Day, 17 Kamál 173 BE

"Ready is He to answer whosoever calleth upon Him, and nigh is He unto such as commune with Him."

- Baha'u'llah, Tablet to Násiri’d-Dín Sháh

Quote of the Day, 16 Kamál 173 BE

"Thou has written concerning the pilgrims and pilgrims' notes. Any narrative that is not authenticated by a Text should not be trusted. Narratives, even if true, cause confusion. For the people of Bahá, the Text, and only the Text, is authentic."

- `Abdu'l-Bahá: from a previously untranslated Tablet

"According to the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh no authority can be attached to a mere hearsay, no matter through whom it may come. The Tablets that bear the seal or signature of Bahá'u'lláh and the Master are the only parts of the literature that have any authority and that constitute the basis of our belief. All other forms of literature may bear points of interest but they cannot be considered as authentic."

- From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, November 18, 1931

Quote of the Day, 15 Kamál 173 BE

"There are certain pillars which have been established as the unshakeable supports of the Faith of God. The mightiest of these is learning and the use of the mind, the expansion of consciousness, and insight into the realities of the universe and the hidden mysteries of Almighty God."

- Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha

Quote of the Day, 14 Kamál 173 BE

"To strive to obtain a more adequate understanding of the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s stupendous Revelation must, it is my unalterable conviction, remain the first obligation and the object of the constant endeavor of each one of its loyal adherents."

- Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Baha'u'llah

Quote of the Day, 13 Kamál 173 BE

"Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn, and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath shown forth malice, and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant."

- Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Baha

Quote of the Day, 12 Kamál 173 BE

"Wherefore, O my loving friends! Consort with all the peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, good-will and friendliness, that all the world of being may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Bahá, that ignorance, enmity, hate and rancor may vanish from the world and the darkness of estrangement amidst the peoples and kindreds of the world may give way to the Light of Unity. Should other peoples and nations be unfaithful to you show your fidelity unto them, should they be unjust toward you show justice towards them, should they keep aloof from you attract them to yourselves, should they show their enmity be friendly towards them, should they poison your lives, sweeten their souls, should they inflict a wound upon you, be a salve to their sores. Such are the attributes of the sincere! Such are the attributes of the truthful."

- Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Baha

Quote of the Day, 11 Kamál 173 BE

"Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship which befitteth the one True God. Shouldst thou worship Him because of fear, this would be unseemly in the sanctified Court of His presence, and could not be regarded as an act by thee dedicated to the Oneness of His Being. Or if thy gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him while cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God’s creation a partner with Him, notwithstanding the fact that paradise is desired by men.

Fire and paradise both bow down and prostrate themselves before God. That which is worthy of His Essence is to worship Him for His sake, without fear of fire, or hope of paradise.

Although when true worship is offered, the worshipper is delivered from the fire, and entereth the paradise of God’s good-pleasure, yet such should not be the motive of his act."

- Selections From the Writings of the Báb

Quote of the Day, 10 Kamál 173 BE

"The summons and the message which We gave were never intended to reach or to benefit one land or one people only. Mankind in its entirety must firmly adhere to whatsoever hath been revealed and vouchsafed unto it. Then and only then will it attain unto true liberty."

- Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah

Quote of the Day, 9 Kamál 173 BE

"Wings that are besmirched with mire can never soar."

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

Quote of the Day, 8 Kamál 173 BE

"Know, verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the excellence of its Creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to bow down in adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and will, eventually, return unto Him. If it fail, however, in its allegiance to its Creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and will, in the end, sink in their depths."

- Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah

Quote of the Day, 7 Kamál 173 BE

“Mine aim hath ever been, and still is, to suppress whatever is the cause of contention amidst the peoples of the earth, and of separation amongst the nations, so that all men may be sanctified from every earthly attachment, and be set free to occupy themselves with their own interests.”

- Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Quote of the Day, 6 Kamál 173 BE

“O friends! Prefer not your will to Mine, never desire that which I have not desired for you, and approach Me not with lifeless hearts, defiled with worldly desires and cravings.”

- Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah

Quote of the Day, 5 Kamál 173 BE

"That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn."

- Hillel the Elder, Jewish scholar of the first Century BCE, succinctly stating the Golden Rule taught in all religions

Quote of the Day, 4 Kamál 173 BE

"The purpose of the one true God in manifesting Himself is to summon all mankind to truthfulness and sincerity, to piety and trustworthiness, to resignation and submissiveness to the Will of God, to forbearance and kindliness, to uprightness and wisdom. His object is to array every man with the mantle of a saintly character, and to adorn him with the ornament of holy and goodly deeds."

- Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah

Quote of the Day, 3 Kamál 173 BE

"Thy love, O my Lord, hath enriched me, and separation from Thee hath destroyed me, and remoteness from Thee hath consumed me."

- Baha'u'llah, Long Obligatory Prayer

Quote of the Day, 2 Kamál 173 BE

"Rely upon God, thy God and the Lord of thy fathers. For the people are wandering in the paths of delusion, bereft of discernment to see God with their own eyes, or hear His Melody with their own ears."

- Baha'u'llah, Tablet of Ahmad

Quote of the Day, 1 Kamál 173 BE

“What advantage is there in the earthly things which men possess? That which profiteth them, they have utterly neglected.”

- Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas

Quote of the Day, 19 Kalimát 173 BE

"O My servants! Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have willed to entrust your souls, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created things, and would gain a true knowledge of your own selves -- a knowledge which is the same as the comprehension of Mine own Being. Ye would find yourselves independent of all else but Me, and would perceive, with your inner and outer eye, and as manifest as the revelation of My effulgent Name, the seas of My loving-kindness and bounty moving within you. Suffer not your idle fancies, your evil passions, your insincerity and blindness of heart to dim the luster, or stain the sanctity, of so lofty a station."

- Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah