The Bahá'í Faith from A to Z
Select: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
INVESTIGATION
Independent investigation of truth is one of the Bahá’í principles. In order to seek the truth we must abandon preconceived ideas and use our reasoning capacities, not accept without question the opinions and ideas of others. Independent investigation of truth enables individuals to understand why they adhere to a given belief system.
Bahá’u’lláh wrote:
“The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor…”
(The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Part I – From the Arabic, # 2)
“…He hath…ordained that His Cause be taught through the power of men’s utterance, and not through resort to violence…”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 278)
“…When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth…”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 264)
‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:
“…it is imperative that we should renounce our own particular prejudices and superstitions if we earnestly desire to seek the truth. Unless we make a distinction in our minds between dogma, superstition and prejudice on the one hand, and truth on the other, we cannot succeed. When we are in earnest in our search for anything we look for it everywhere. This principle we must carry out in our search for truth…It means, also, that we must be willing to clear away all that we have previously learned, all that would clog our steps on the way to truth; we must not shrink if necessary from beginning our education all over again. We must not allow our love for any one religion or any one personality to so blind our eyes that we become fettered by superstition!”
(Paris Talks by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 136-137)
JUSTICE
Bahá’u’lláh wrote:
“…The light of men is justice. Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men…”
(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 66-67)
“Justice, which consisteth in rendering each his due, dependeth upon and is conditioned by two words: reward and punishment. From the standpoint of justice, every soul should receive the reward of his actions, inasmuch as the peace and prosperity of the world depend thereon, even as He saith, exalted be His glory: “The structure of world stability and order hath been reared upon, and will continue to be sustained by, the twin pillars of reward and punishment”.”
(The Tabernacle of Unity, p. 40)
“The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.”
(The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Part I – From the Arabic, # 2)
“Whoso cleaveth to justice, can, under no circumstances, transgress the limits of moderation…”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 342)
“It beseemeth you to fix your gaze under all conditions upon justice and fairness…”
(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 36)
“…And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest for thyself…”
(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 64)
KNOWLEDGE
‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:
“God’s greatest gift to man is that of intellect, or understanding.”
(Paris Talks by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 41)
Bahá’u’lláh wrote:
“Know thou that, according to what thy Lord, the Lord of all men, hath decreed in His Book, the favors vouchsafed by Him unto mankind have been, and will ever remain, limitless in their range. First and foremost among these favors, which the Almighty hath conferred upon man, is the gift of understanding. His purpose in conferring such a gift is none other except to enable His creature to know and recognize the one true God – exalted be His glory…”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 194)
“The beginning of all things is the knowledge of God, and the end of all things is strict observance of whatsoever hath been sent down from the empyrean of the Divine Will that pervadeth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth.”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 5)
“…Knowledge is as wings to man’s life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as can profit the peoples of the earth, and not those which begin with words and end with words…”
(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 51-52)
“The source of all learning is the knowledge of God, exalted be His Glory, and this cannot be attained save through the knowledge of His Divine Manifestation.”
(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 156)
LOVE
Bahá’u’lláh wrote:
“I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.”
(The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Part I – From the Arabic, #4)
“Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.”
(The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Part I – From the Arabic, #5)
“Abdu’l-Bahá wrote:
“Know thou of a certainty that Love is the secret of God’s holy Dispensation, the manifestation of the All-Merciful, the fountain of spiritual outpourings. Love is heaven’s kindly light, the Holy Spirit’s eternal breath that vivifieth the human soul. Love is the cause of God’s revelation unto man, the vital bond inherent, in accordance with the divine creation, in the realities of things. Love is the one means that ensureth true felicity both in this world and the next. Love is the light that guideth in darkness, the living link that uniteth God with man, that assureth the progress of every illumined soul. Love is the most great law that ruleth this mighty and heavenly cycle, the unique power that bindeth together the divers elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movement of the spheres in the celestial realms. Love revealeth with unfailing and limitless power the mysteries latent in the universe. Love is the spirit of life unto the adorned body of mankind, the establisher of true civilization in this mortal world, and the shedder of imperishable glory upon every high-aiming race and nation.”
(Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 27)