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The First And Foremost Duty Prescribed

Sources: Gleanings From The Writings Of Baha'u'llah

The first and foremost duty prescribed unto men, next to the recognition

of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, is the duty of steadfastness in His

Cause. Cleave thou unto it, and be of them whose minds are firmly fixed

and grounded in God. No act, however meritorious, did or can ever compare

unto it. It is the king of all acts, and to this thy Lord, the

All-Highest, the Most Powerful, will testify....



The virt
es and attributes pertaining unto God are all evident and

manifest, and have been mentioned and described in all the heavenly Books.

Among them are trustworthiness, truthfulness, purity of heart while

communing with God, forbearance, resignation to whatever the Almighty hath

decreed, contentment with the things His Will hath provided, patience,

nay, thankfulness in the midst of tribulation, and complete reliance, in

all circumstances, upon Him. These rank, according to the estimate of God,

among the highest and most laudable of all acts. All other acts are, and

will ever remain, secondary and subordinate unto them....



The spirit that animateth the human heart is the knowledge of God, and its

truest adorning is the recognition of the truth that "He doeth whatsoever

He willeth, and ordaineth that which He pleaseth." Its raiment is the fear

of God, and its perfection steadfastness in His Faith. Thus God

instructeth whosoever seeketh Him. He, verily, loveth the one that turneth

towards Him. There is none other God but Him, the Forgiving, the Most

Bountiful. All praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.



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