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Bahá’í
SACRED WRITINGS
Writings of Baha’u’llah
he All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of
mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and preseribeth, in His unerring Wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present—day afflictions can never be the same as that Which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned With the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.
We can well perceive how the Whole human race is encompassed With great, With incalculable afflictions. We see it languishing on its bed of sickness, sore-tried and disillusioned. They that are intoxicated by self—conceit have interposed themselves between it and the Divine and infallible Physician. Witness how they have entangled all men, themselves included, in the mesh of their devices. They can neither discover the cause of the disease, nor have they any knowledge of the remedy. They have conceived the straight to be crooked, and have imagined their friend an enemy.
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Incline your ears to the sweet melody of this Prisoner. Arise, and lift up your voices, that haply they that are fast asleep may be awakened. Say: O ye Who are as dead! The Hand of Divine bounty proffereth unto you the Water of Life. Hasten and drink your fill. Whoso hath been re—born in this Day, shall never die; Whoso remaineth dead, shall never live.
O ye members of Assemblies in that land [England] and in other countries! Take ye counsel to gether, and let your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind and bettereth the condition thereof; if ye be of them that scan heedfully. Regard the world as the human body Which, though at its creation Whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes, With grave disorders and maladies. Not for one day did it gain ease, nay, its sickness waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of ignorant physicians, who gave full rein to their personal desires, and have erred grievously. And if at one time, through the care of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before. Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the All—Wise. We behold it, in this day, at the mercy of rulers, so drunk With pride that they cannot discern clearly their own best advantage, much less recognize a Revelation so bewildering and challenging as this.
...That Which God hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no Wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful, and inspired Physician.
The Great Being saith: O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes
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and Chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world’s religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them, after meditating on its needs, take counsel together and, through anxious and full deliberation, administer to a diseased and sorely-afflieted world the remedy it requireth. .. It is incumbent upon them who are in authority to exercise moderation in all things. Whatsoever passeth beyond the limits of moderation will cease to exert a beneficial influence. Consider for instance such things as liberty, civilization and the like. However much men of understanding may favorably regard them, they will, if carried to excess, exercise a pernicious influence upon men. .. Please God, the peoples of the world may be led, as the result of the high endeavors exerted by their rulers and the wise and learned amongst men, to recognize their best interests. How long will humanity persist in its waywardness? How long will injustice continue? How long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst men? HOW long will discord agitate the face of society?. .. The winds of despair are, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that divideth and afflicteth the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appeareth to be lamentably defective. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that He may graciously awaken the peoples of the earth, may grant that the end of their conduct may be profitable unto them, and aid them to accomplish that which beseemeth their station.
...The heaven of statesmanship is made luminous and resplendent by the brightness of the light of these blessed words which hath dawned from the dayspring of the Will of God: It behoveth every ruler to weigh his own being every day in the balance of equity and justice and then to judge between men and counsel them to do that which would direct their steps unto the path of wisdom and understanding. This is the cornerstone of statesmanship and the essence thereof. From these words every enlightened
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man of Wisdom Will readily perceive that which Will foster such aims as the welfare, security and protection of mankind and the safety of human lives. Were men of insight to quaff their fill from the ocean of inner meanings Which lie enshrined in these words and become acquainted therewith, they would bear Witness to the sublimity and the excellence of this utterance. If this lowly one were to set forth that Which he perceiveth, all would testify unto God’s consummate wisdom. The secrets of statesmanship and that of Which the people are in need lie enfolded Within these words. This lowly servant earnestly entreateth the One true Godexalted be His glory—to illumine the eyes of the people of the world With the splendor of the light of wisdom that they, one and all, may recognize that Which is indispensable in this day.
That one indeed is a man Who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself Who loveth his own country, but rather for him Who loveth the Whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.
The purpose of religion as revealed from the heaven of God’s holy Will is to establish unity and concord amongst the peoples of the world; make it not the cause of dissension and strife. The religion of God and His divine law are the most potent instruments and the surest of all means for the dawning of the light of unity amongst men. The progress of the world, the development of nations, the tranquillity of peoples, and the peace of all Who dwell on earth are among the principles and ordinances of God. Religion bestoweth upon man the most precious of all gifts, offereth the cup of prosperity, imparteth eternal life, and showereth imperishable benefits upon mankind. It behoveth the chiefs and rulers of the world, and in particular the Trustees of God’s House of Justice, to endeavor to the utmost of their power to safeguard its position, promote its interests and exalt its station in the eyes of the world. In like manner it is incumbent upon them to enquire into the conditions of their subjects and to
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acquaint themselves With the affairs and activities of the divers communities in their dominions. 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.
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.
We pray God—exalted be His glory—and cherish the hope that He may graciously assist the manifestations of affluence and power and the daysprings of sovereignty and glory, the kings of the earth—«rnay God aid them through His strengthening grace“ to establish the Lesser Peace. This, indeed, is the greatest means for insuring the tranquillity of the nations. It is incumbent upon the Sovereigns of the world—may God assist them—unitedly to hold fast unto this Peace, Which is the chief instrument for the protection of all mankind. It is Our hope that they Will arise to achieve What Will be conducive to the well—being of man. It is their duty to convene an all-inclusive assembly, Which either they themselves or their ministers Will attend, and to enforce Whatever measures are required to establish unity and concord amongst men. They must put away the weapons of war, and turn to the instruments of universal reconstruction. Should one king rise up against another, all the other kings must arise to deter him. Arms and armaments Will, then, be no more needed beyond that which is necessary to insure the internal security of their respective countries. If they attain unto this all—surpassing blessing, the people of each nation Will pursue, With tranquillity and contentment, their own occupations, and the groanings and lamentations of most men would be silenced. We beseech God to aid them to do His Will and pleasure. He, verily, is the Lord of the throne on
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high and of earth below, and the Lord of this world and of the world to come. It would be preferable and more fitting that the highly—honored kings themselves should attend such an assembly, and proclaim their edicts. Any king who will arise and carry out this task, he, verily will, in the sight of God, become the cynosure of all kings. Happy is he, and great is his blessedness!
...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. And in another connection He hath uttered the following in the eloquent tongue:1 Justice hath a mighty force at its command. It is none other than reward and punishment for the deeds of men. By the power of this force the tabernacle of order is established throughout the world, causing the wicked to restrain their natures for fear of punishment.
...Tal<e heed, O concourse of the rulers of the world! There is no force on earth that can equal in its conquering power the force of justice and wisdom. I, verily, affirm that there is not, and hath never been, a host more mighty than that of justice and wisdom. Blessed is the king who mareheth with the ensign of wisdom unfurled before him, and the battalions of justice massed in his rear. He verily is the ornament that adorneth the brow of peace and the countenance of security. There can be no doubt whatever that if the day-star of justice, which the clouds of tyranny have obscured, were to shed its light upon men, the face of the earth would be completely transformed.
...Among the things which are conducive to unity and concord and will cause the whole earth to be regarded as one country is that the divers languages be reduced to one language and in like manner the scripts used in the world be confined to a single script. It is incumbent upon all nations to appoint some men of understanding and erudition to convene a gathering and through joint consultation choose one language from among the varied
1. Arabic.
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existing languages, or create a new one, to be taught to. the children in all the schools of the world.
The day is approaching when all the peeples Of the world Will have adopted one universal language and one common script. When this is achieved, to whatsoever city a man may journey, it shall be as if he was entering his own home. These things are obligatory and absolutely essential. It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that Which hath been written into reality and action.
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