Religion
Sources: 'abdu'l-baha In LondonTo most men who have not heard the message of this teaching, religion
seems an outward form, a pretence, merely a seal of respectability. Some
priests are in holy office for no other reason than to gain their living.
They themselves do not believe in the religion they pretend to teach.
Would these men lay down their lives for their faith? Ask a Christian of
this kind to deny Christ in order to save his life, and he will do it.
Ask a Baha'i to deny any of the great Prophets, to deny his faith or to
deny Moses, Muhammad or Christ, and he will say: I would rather die. So a
Muhammadan Baha'i is a better Christian than many so called Christians.
A Baha'i denies no religion; he accepts the Truth in all, and would die to
uphold it. He loves all men as his brothers, of whatever class, of
whatever race or nationality, of whatever creed or colour, whether good or
bad, rich or poor, beautiful or hideous. He commits no violence; if he is
struck he does not return the blow. He calls nothing bad, following the
example of the Lord Baha'u'llah. As a safeguard against intemperance he
does not drink wine or spirits. Baha'u'llah has said it is not good for a
sane man to take that which will destroy his health and sense.
The religion of God has two aspects in this world. The spiritual (the
real) and the formal (the outward). The formal side changes, as man
changes from age to age. The spiritual side which is the Truth, never
changes. The Prophets and Manifestations of God bring always the same
teaching; at first men cling to the Truth but after a time they disfigure
it. The Truth is distorted by man-made outward forms and material laws.
The veil of substance and worldliness is drawn across the reality of
Truth.
As Moses and Jesus brought their Message to the people, so Baha'u'llah
brings the same Message.
Each time God sends a Great One to us we are given new life, but the Truth
each Manifestation brings is the same. The Truth never changes but man's
vision changes. It is dulled and confused by the complication of outward
forms.
The Truth is easy to understand although the outward forms in which it is
expressed bewilder the intelligence. As men grow they see the futility of
man-made forms and despise them. Therefore many leave the churches,
because the latter often emphasize the external only.
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Praise Be To Thee, O My God, Inasmuch As Thou
Praise be to Thee, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast turned the faces of Thy servants towards the right-hand of the throne of Thy gifts, and hast caused them to be detached from all else besides Thee, that they may recognize Thy sovereignty and ackn... Praise Be To Thee, To Whom The Tongues Of All
Praise be to Thee, to Whom the tongues of all created things have, from eternity, called, and yet failed to attain the heaven of Thine eternal holiness and grandeur. The eyes of all beings have been opened to behold the beauty of Thy radiant count... Praise Be Unto Thee, O My God! Thou Art He
Praise be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art He Who by a word of His mouth hath revolutionized the entire creation, and by a stroke of His pen hath divided Thy servants one from another. I bear witness, O my God, that through a word spoken by Thee in t... Praise Be Unto Thee, O My God! Thou Seest How
Praise be unto Thee, O my God! Thou seest how He Who is Thy Light hath been shut up in the fortress-town of Akka, and been sore oppressed by reason of what the hands of the wicked doers have wrought, whose corrupt desires have kept them back from ... Praise Be Unto Thee, Who Art My God And The
Praise be unto Thee, Who art my God and the God of all men, and my Desire and the Desire of all them that have recognized Thee, and my Beloved and the Beloved of such as have acknowledged Thy unity, and the Object of my adoration and of the adorat... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! Every Time I
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every time I attempt to make mention of Thee, I am hindered by the sublimity of Thy station and the overpowering greatness of Thy might. For were I to praise Thee throughout the length of Thy dominion and the durati... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! Every Time I
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every time I am reminded of Thee and muse on Thy virtues, I am seized with such ecstasies and am so enravished by Thee that I find myself unable to make mention of Thy name and to extol Thee. I am carried back to su... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! I Am Thy Servant
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have set my face towards Thy Cause, believing in Thy oneness, acknowledging Thy unity, recognizing Thy sovereignty and the power of Thy might, and confessing the greatn... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! I Bear Witness
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I bear witness that from eternity Thou wert exalted in Thy transcendent majesty and might, and wilt to eternity abide in Thy surpassing power and glory. None in the kingdoms of earth and heaven can frustrate Thy pur... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! I Implore Thee
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee by Them Who are the Tabernacles of Thy Divine holiness, Who are the Manifestations of Thy transcendent unity and the Day-Springs of Thine inspiration and revelation, to grant that Thy servants may not... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! I Implore Thee
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee by Thine Ancient Beauty and Most Great Name, Whom Thou hast sacrificed that all the dwellers of Thine earth and heaven may be born anew, and Whom Thou hast cast into prison that mankind may, as a toke... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! I Implore Thee,
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee, by Thy Most Great Name through Which Thou didst stir up Thy servants and build up Thy cities, and by Thy most excellent titles, and Thy most august attributes, to assist Thy people to turn in the dir... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! I Supplicate
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I supplicate Thee by Him Whom Thou hast called into being, Whose Revelation Thou hast ordained to be Thine own Revelation and His Concealment Thine own Concealment. Through His Firstness Thou hast confirmed Thine ow... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! The Tongues Of
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! The tongues of all created things testify to Thy sovereignty and Thine omnipotence, and proclaim mine own poverty and my wretchedness when face to face with the revelations of Thy wealth. Look, then, O my God, upon ... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! This Is Thy
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! This is Thy servant who hath quaffed from the hands of Thy grace the wine of Thy tender mercy, and tasted of the savor of Thy love in Thy days. I beseech Thee, by the embodiments of Thy names whom no grief can hinde... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! Thou Art He
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art He Who hath created all things through a word uttered by Thy behest, and fashioned the entire creation through the power of Thy sovereignty and might. The mightiest of men are abased before the revelations ... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! Thou Art He
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art He the excellence of Whose glory hath exalted them who are the sources of authority and honor, the potency of Whose might hath empowered them who are the fountain-heads of energy and strength, the dominion ... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! Thou Beholdest
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou beholdest my perplexity, and the depth of mine anguish, and the agony of my soul, and the afflictions which beset me. By Thy glory! My heart crieth to Thee by reason of the things that have befallen my loved on... Praised Be Thou, O Lord My God! Thou Seest My
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou seest my poverty and my misery, my troubles and my needs, my utter helplessness and my extreme lowliness, my lamentations and my bitter wailing, the anguish of my soul and the afflictions which beset me. The po... Praised Be Thou, O My God! How Can I Thank
Praised be Thou, O my God! How can I thank Thee for having singled me out and chosen me above all Thy servants to reveal Thee, at a time when all had turned away from Thy beauty! I testify, O my God, that if I were given a thousand lives by Thee, ... Praised Be Thou, O My God! I Beseech Thee By
Praised be Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by them who have circled round the throne of Thy will, and soared in the atmosphere of Thy good-pleasure, and turned with all their affections towards the Horizon of Thy Revelation and the Day-Spring of Th... Praised Be Thou, O My God! This Servant Of Thine
Praised be Thou, O my God! This servant of Thine testifieth that naught else except Thee can ever express Thee, nor canst Thou be described by any one save Thyself. The thoughts of them that have recognized Thy reality, however much they may ascen... Praised Be Thou, O My God! Thou Beholdest Both
Praised be Thou, O my God! Thou beholdest both the helplessness of Thy dear ones and the ascendancy of Thy foes, both the wretchedness of Thy chosen ones and the glory of them who gainsaid Thy Cause and repudiated Thy signs. The latter deny Thy to... Praised Be Thou, O My God! Thou Seest How Thy
Praised be Thou, O my God! Thou seest how Thy righteous servants have fallen into the hands of the wicked doers, who have disbelieved in Thy name, the Unconstrained, and denied Thy majesty, and Thine unrestrained authority, and Thy strength, and T... Praised Be Thou, O My God! Thou Seest Me Shut Up
Praised be Thou, O my God! Thou seest me shut up in this Prison, and art well aware that I have entered it solely for Thy sake and for the sake of the glorification of Thy word and the proclamation of Thy Cause. I cry out to Thee, this very moment... Praised Be Thou, O My God, That Thou Hast Been
Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast been true to what the Pen of Thy Revelation hath inscribed upon the Tablets sent down by Thee unto Them Whom Thou hast chosen above all Thy creatures, and through Whom Thou hast unlocked the doors of Thy m... Praised Be Thou, O My God, That Thou Hast Ordained
Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained Naw-Ruz as a festival unto those who have observed the fast for love of Thee and abstained from all that is abhorrent unto Thee. Grant, O my Lord, that the fire of Thy love and the heat produced b... Prayer For The Dead
O my God! This is Thy servant and the son of Thy servant who hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and set his face towards Thee, wholly detached from all except Thee. Thou art, verily, of those who show mercy the most merciful. Deal with him... Prejudices
The Universal Races Congress was good, for it was intended for the furtherance and progress of unity among all nations and a better international understanding. The purpose was good. The causes of dispute among different nations are always due to ... Queen Victoria
O QUEEN in London! Incline thine ear unto the voice of thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind, calling from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, no God is there but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise! Cast away all that is on earth, and attire the head of thy kin... Read Ye The Evangel And Yet Refuse To Acknowledge The
READ ye the Evangel and yet refuse to acknowledge the All-Glorious Lord? This indeed beseemeth you not, O concourse of learned men!... The fragrances of the All-Merciful have wafted over all creation. Happy the man that hath forsaken his desires, ... Recall Thou To Mind My Sorrows My Cares
Recall thou to mind My sorrows, My cares and anxieties, My woes and trials, the state of My captivity, the tears that I have shed, the bitterness of Mine anguish, and now My imprisonment in this far-off land. God, O Mustafa, beareth Me witness. Co... Regard Thou The One True God As One
Regard thou the one true God as One Who is apart from, and immeasurably exalted above, all created things. The whole universe reflecteth His glory, while He is Himself independent of, and transcendeth His creatures. This is the true meaning of Div... Release Yourselves O Nightingales Of God
Release yourselves, O nightingales of God, from the thorns and brambles of wretchedness and misery, and wing your flight to the rose-garden of unfading splendor. O My friends that dwell upon the dust! Haste forth unto your celestial habitation. An... Religion
To most men who have not heard the message of this teaching, religion seems an outward form, a pretence, merely a seal of respectability. Some priests are in holy office for no other reason than to gain their living. They themselves do not believe... Say: Deliver Your Souls O People From
Say: Deliver your souls, O people, from the bondage of self, and purify them from all attachment to anything besides Me. Remembrance of Me cleanseth all things from defilement, could ye but perceive it. Say: Were all created things to be entirely ... Say: Doth It Beseem A Man While Claiming
Say: Doth it beseem a man while claiming to be a follower of his Lord, the All-Merciful, he should yet in his heart do the very deeds of the Evil One? Nay, it ill beseemeth him, and to this He Who is the Beauty of the All-Glorious will bear Me wit... Say: O Leaders Of Religion! Weigh Not The
Say: O leaders of religion! Weigh not the Book of God with such standards and sciences as are current amongst you, for the Book itself is the unerring balance established amongst men. In this most perfect balance whatsoever the peoples and kindred... Say: O Men! This Is A Matchless Day
Say: O men! This is a matchless Day. Matchless must, likewise, be the tongue that celebrateth the praise of the Desire of all nations, and matchless the deed that aspireth to be acceptable in His sight. The whole human race hath longed for this Da... Say: O People! Withhold Not From Yourselves
Say: O people! Withhold not from yourselves the grace of God and His mercy. Whoso withholdeth himself therefrom is indeed in grievous loss. What, O people! Do ye worship the dust, and turn away from your Lord, the Gracious, the All-Bountiful? Fear... Say: O Ye That Envy Me And Seek My Hurt!
Say: O ye that envy Me and seek My hurt! The fury of your wrath against Me confound you! Lo, the Day Star of Glory hath risen above the horizon of My Revelation, and enveloped with its radiance the whole of mankind. And yet, behold how ye have shu... Say: We Have Caused The Rivers Of Divine
Say: We have caused the rivers of Divine utterance to proceed out of Our throne, that the tender herbs of wisdom and understanding may spring forth from the soil of your hearts. Will ye not be thankful? They who disdain to worship their Lord shall... Science And Faith
The gentleman then put a question which he said he considered of very great importance in connection with a religious movement, claiming to be universal. What position he asked, if any, did Baha'u'llah given to the modern ideas and conceptions of ... Seven Valleys Of Baha'u'llah
_In the Name of God, the Clement, the Merciful._ Praise be to God Who hath made being to come forth from nothingness; graven upon the tablet of man the secrets of preexistence; taught him from the mysteries of divine utterance that which he knew n... Shake Off O Heedless Ones The Slumber Of
Shake off, O heedless ones, the slumber of negligence, that ye may behold the radiance which His glory hath spread through the world. How foolish are those who murmur against the premature birth of His light. O ye who are inly blind! Whether too s... Short Obligatory Prayer
To Be Recited Once In Twenty-four Hours, At Noon I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealt... Should Any Man In This Day Arise And
Should any man, in this Day, arise and, with absolute detachment from all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, set his affections on Him Who is the Day Spring of God's holy Revelation, he will, verily, be empowered to subdue all cr... Since Thou Hast, O My God, Established Thyself
Since Thou hast, O my God, established Thyself upon the throne of Thy transcendent unity, and ascended the mercy seat of Thy oneness, it befitteth Thee to blot out from the hearts of all beings whatsoever may keep them back from gaining admittance... Some Have Regarded It As Lawful To Infringe
Some have regarded it as lawful to infringe on the integrity of the substance of their neighbor, and have made light of the injunction of God as prescribed in His Book. Evil fall upon them, and the chastisement of God, the All-Powerful, the Almigh... Some Of The Experiences Of His Forty Years Imprisonment
In an apartment in Cadogan Gardens sits a spiritually illumined Oriental, whose recent advent in London marks the latest junction of the East and West. The teaching of 'Abdu'l-Baha has already brought about the commingling of thousands of Engli... Some Personal Characteristics
There is a note in 'Abdu'l-Baha's character that has not been emphasized, and with which no idea of him is complete. The impressive dignity which distinguishes his presence and bearing is occasionally lighted by a delicate and tactful humour, whic... Some Texts Revealed By Baha'u'llah Supplementary To The Kitab-i-aqdas
A number of Tablets revealed by Baha'u'llah after the... A number of Tablets revealed by Baha'u'llah after the Kitab-i-Aqdas contain passages supplementary to the provisions of the Most Holy Book. The most noteworthy of these have been... Speech Of Professor Michael Sadler
We have met together to bid farewell to 'Abdu'l-Baha, and to thank God for his example and teaching, and for the power of his prayers to bring Light into confused thought, Hope into the place of dread, Faith where doubt was, and into troubled hear... Spiritual Relationship
In the evening of September 28th, 'Abdu'l-Baha was with a number of assembled guests. He said all of you here are sisters. Bodily relationships may pass; even two sisters may be inimical to each other, but the spiritual relationship is eternal,... Spreading The Teaching
When asked by an American friend: Which is the best way to spread the teaching? he said: By deeds. This way is open to all, and deeds are understood by all. Join yourselves to those who work for the poor, the weak and the unfortunate; this is grea... St John's Westminster: Introduction
On September 17th, 'Abdu'l-Baha at the request of the venerable Archdeacon of Westminster addressed the congregation of Saint John the Divine after evening service. With a few warm words characteristic of his whole attitude Archdeacon Wilberforce ... Suffer Me, O My God, To Draw Nigh Unto Thee,
Suffer me, O my God, to draw nigh unto Thee, and to abide within the precincts of Thy court, for remoteness from Thee hath well-nigh consumed me. Cause me to rest under the shadow of the wings of Thy grace, for the flame of my separation from Thee... Sultan 'abdu'l-'aziz
HEARKEN, O King, to the speech of Him that speaketh the truth, Him that doth not ask thee to recompense Him with the things God hath chosen to bestow upon thee, Him Who unerringly treadeth the straight Path. He it is Who summoneth thee unto God, t... Symbols
Someone wished to know if it were a good custom to wear a symbol, as, for instance, a cross. He said: You wear the cross for remembrance, it concentrates your thoughts; it has no magical power. Baha'is often wear a stone with the greatest name eng... Synopsis And Codification
I. THE APPOINTMENT OF 'ABDU'L-BAHA AS THE SUCCESSOR OF BAHA'U'LLAH AND INTERPRETER OF HIS TEACHINGS A. The faithful are enjoined to turn their faces towards the One Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched fr... Tear Asunder In My Name The Veils That
Tear asunder, in My Name, the veils that have grievously blinded your vision, and, through the power born of your belief in the unity of God, scatter the idols of vain imitation. Enter, then, the holy paradise of the good-pleasure of the All-Merci... That Which Thou Hast Heard Concerning
That which thou hast heard concerning Abraham, the Friend of the All-Merciful, is the truth, and no doubt is there about it. The Voice of God commanded Him to offer up Ishmael as a sacrifice, so that His steadfastness in the Faith of God and His d... The All-knowing Physician Hath His Finger
The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world neede... The All-knowing Physician Hath His Finger On The
THE All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world neede... The All-merciful Hath Conferred Upon Man
The All-Merciful hath conferred upon man the faculty of vision, and endowed him with the power of hearing. Some have described him as the "lesser world," when, in reality, he should be regarded as the "greater world." The potentialities inherent i... The Ancient Beauty Hath Consented To Be
The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained ... The Bearers Of The Trust Of God Are Made
The Bearers of the Trust of God are made manifest unto the peoples of the earth as the Exponents of a new Cause and the Revealers of a new Message. Inasmuch as these Birds of the celestial Throne are all sent down from the heaven of the Will of Go... The Beginning Of All Things Is The Knowledge
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. ...