Obedience and divine authority: love, recognition, and responsibility

The Tongue of My power hath, from the heaven of My omnipotent glory, addressed to My creation these words: "Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty." Happy is the lover that hath inhaled the divine fragrance of his Best-Beloved from these words, laden with the perfume of a grace which no tongue can describe.

… Whenever My laws appear like the sun in the heaven of Mine utterance, they must be faithfully obeyed by all, though My decree be such as to cause the heaven of every religion to be cleft asunder. He doeth what He pleaseth. He chooseth, and none may question His choice.

It is better to guide one soul than to possess all that is on earth, for as long as that guided soul is under the shadow of the Tree of Divine Unity, he and the one who hath guided him will both be recipients of God’s tender mercy, whereas possession of earthly things will cease at the time of death. The path to guidance is one of love and compassion, not of force and coercion.

Strive, therefore, to create love in the hearts in order that they may become glowing and radiant. When that love is shining, it will permeate other hearts even as this electric light illumines its surroundings. When the love of God is established, everything else will be realized. This is the true foundation of all economics. Reflect upon it. Endeavor to become the cause of the attraction of souls rather than to enforce minds. Manifest true economics to the people. Show what love is, what kindness is, what true severance is and generosity.

And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is voluntary sharing of one's property with others among mankind. This voluntary sharing is greater than equality, and consists in this, that man should not prefer himself to others, but rather should sacrifice his life and property for others. But this should not be introduced by coercion so that it becomes a law and man is compelled to follow it. Nay, rather, man should voluntarily and of his own choice sacrifice his property and life for others, and spend willingly for the poor, just as is done in Persia among the Baha'is.

There is no wonder in confessing the appearance of the Kingdom of God, but true wonder consists in good deeds, obedience to the commands and teachings of the True Lord, and firmness in this path, even when the storm is at its height.

A Baha'i must correlate his actions, words and affairs with the basic principles of the Blessed Perfection. If he sees that the former agrees with the latter, he may feel quite sure that he is on the right track. All our difficulties arise from the fact that our deeds do not correspond with the good pleasure of Baha'u'llah. With the presence of such a condition, it is passing strange that we still hope for benefic results.

The lesser intellect being thus circumscribed, one must search after Him Who is the ultimate Source of knowledge and strive to recognize Him. And should one come to acknowledge that Source round Whom every mind doth revolve, then whatsoever He should ordain is the expression of the dictates of a consummate wisdom. His very Being, even as the sun, is distinct from all else beside Him. The whole duty of man is to recognize Him; once this hath been achieved, then whatsoever He may please to ordain is binding and in full accordance with the requirements of divine wisdom.

… Once the validity of a divinely appointed Prophet hath been established, to none is given the right to ask why or wherefore. Rather is it incumbent upon all to accept and obey whatsoever He saith.

When it is established that he is the Throne of Truth, and thou witnesseth in his presence a proof that all creation is powerless to produce, then his word is God's Word, his command God's Command, his prohibition God's Prohibition, obedience to him is obedience to God, his good-pleasure is God's Good-Pleasure.

And should he encounter One Who layeth claim to a Cause from God, and Who holdeth from His Lord a testimony beyond the power of men to produce, he must needs follow Him in all that He pleaseth to proclaim, command and ordain, even were He to decree the sea to be land, or to pronounce earth to be heaven, or that the former lieth above the latter or below it, or to ordain any change or transformation, for He, verily, is aware of the celestial mysteries, the unseen subtleties, and the ordinances of God.

… Know then that, inasmuch as all the Prophets are but one and the same soul, spirit, name, and attribute, thou must likewise see them all as bearing the name Muhammad and as being the son of Hasan, as having appeared from the Jabulqa of God's power and from the Jabulsa of His mercy.

We may see him pull up a tree and cast it aside - or cut off a branch - or pull some of the fruit and throw it away - but if we are certain he is the gardener we cannot question anything he may do.

The important thing for him to know, is to be sure that the captain is a true captain.

If he be sure that he is a thorough, competent doctor he must do what he orders - whether it be to take a bitter medicine, to endure a burning blister, to be bled or even to have his arm cut off.

… It is not for the soldier to question the General's orders; if he knows him to be the real general he must carry out and obey his orders exactly.

Verily He Who is the Daystar of Truth and Revealer of the Supreme Being holdeth, for all time, undisputed sovereignty over all that is in heaven and on earth, though no man be found on earth to obey Him.

… Though bereft of all earthly possessions, yet they soar in the realms of immeasurable riches. And whilst sore tried in the grip of the enemy, they are seated on the right hand of power and celestial dominion. Amidst the darkness of their abasement there shineth upon them the light of unfading glory, and upon their helplessness are showered the tokens of an invincible sovereignty.

The highest station, the supreme sphere, the noblest, most sublime position in creation, whether visible or invisible, whether alpha or omega, is that of the Prophets of God, notwithstanding the fact that for the most part they have to outward seeming been possessed of nothing but their own poverty.

Similarly, these holy, divine Manifestations are and must always be distinguished above all other beings in every attribute of glory and perfection in order that it may be proven that the Manifestation is the true Teacher and real Trainer; that He is the Sun of Truth, endowed with a supreme splendor and reflecting the beauty of God.

Nay, forbid it, O my God, that I should have uttered such words as must of necessity imply the existence of any direct relationship between the Pen of Thy Revelation and the essence of all created things. Far, far are They Who are related to Thee above the conception of such relationship! All comparisons and likenesses fail to do justice to the Tree of Thy Revelation, and every way is barred to the comprehension of the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Dayspring of Thy Beauty.

Wishing to reveal Thyself, Thou didst call into being the Greater and the Lesser Worlds, and didst choose Man above all Thy creatures, and didst make Him a sign of both of these worlds, O Thou Who art our Lord, the Most Compassionate!

Thou didst raise Him up to occupy Thy throne before all the people of Thy creation. Thou didst enable Him to unravel Thy mysteries, and to shine with the lights of Thine inspiration and Thy Revelation, and to manifest Thy names and Thine attributes.

… I testify, moreover, that Thou hast decreed that none on the face of the earth should equal Them, and none of Thy creatures be able to be compared with any of Them, in order that Thine own singleness and peerlessness might be recognized and established.

He is the Most Mighty Sign amongst men and the Dayspring of the most august attributes in the realm of creation. … Through Him the ocean of knowledge hath surged amidst mankind and the river of divine wisdom hath gushed out at the behest of God, the Lord of Days.

We testify that they are the dawning-places of wisdom and utterance unto all who dwell in the realm of possibility, and the daysprings of knowledge unto the followers of all religions.

Salutations, blessings, and welcome to that Universal Reality, that Perfect Word, that Manifest Book, that Splendor which hath dawned in the highest heaven, that Guide of all nations, that Light of the world -- the billowing ocean of Whose abounding grace hath flooded all creation, in such wise that the waves thereof have cast upon the sands of this visible world their shining pearls.

2 And I praise and glorify that primal Sea which hath branched out from the ocean of the unseen Essence, and that primal Morn which hath broken forth upon the horizon of Singleness, and that primal Sun which hath risen in the heaven of everlasting splendour, and that primal Fire which was kindled from the Lamp of eternity within the Niche of oneness: He Who is called "Ahmad" in the kingdom of the exalted ones, and "Muhammad" amongst the concourse of the favoured ones, and "Mahmud" in the realm of the sincere; and in the hearts of the knowing, "whichsoever ye call upon, most beauteous are His names."

In the course of a short conversation this morning with 'Abdu'l-Baha, we asked if it were necessary to believe in all the Manifestations, and in reply He quoted the words of Jesus to the Pharisees:

"Had ye believed in Moses, ye would also believe in me" adding, "If a king send many different governors to rule a city, and the people obey all but the last one, it will be to the king as though they disobeyed all."

Were the Eternal Essence to manifest all that is latent within Him, were He to shine in the plentitude of His glory, none would be found to question His power or repudiate His truth. Nay, all created things would be so dazzled and thunderstruck by the evidences of His light as to be reduced to utter nothingness. How, then, can the godly be differentiated under such circumstances from the froward?

I have come in the shadows of the clouds of glory, and am invested by God with invincible sovereignty.

O thou who hast fixed thy gaze upon the Dawning-Place of the Cause of God! Know thou for a certainty that the Will of God is not limited by the standards of the people, and God doth not tread in their ways. Rather is it incumbent upon everyone to firmly adhere to God's straight Path. Were He to pronounce the right to be the left or the south to be the north, He speaketh the truth and there is no doubt of it.

In sum, the meaning of "He doeth whatsoever He willeth" is that if the Manifestation of God issues a command, enforces a law, or performs an action whose wisdom His followers cannot grasp, they should not think for a moment of questioning His words or actions. All souls are under the shadow of the universal Manifestation, must submit to the authority of the religion of God, and are not to deviate so much as a hairsbreadth.

To none is given the right to question their words or disparage their conduct, for they are the only ones who can claim to have understood the patient and to have correctly diagnosed its ailments. No man, however acute his perception, can ever hope to reach the heights which the wisdom and understanding of the Divine Physician have attained.

Moreover, thou shouldst not perceive the fulfilment of the Return and the Resurrection save in the Word of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing. For instance, were He to take a handful of earth and declare it to be the One Whom ye have been following in the past, it would be undoubtedly be just and true, even as His real Person, and to none is given the right to question His authority.

Were He to decree for the heaven the decree of the earth, none has the right to object to Him, and were He to dispose of what is on earth, none has the right to say "why" or "wherefore." Everything hath proclaimed that He is the One Who ruleth as He pleaseth.

He decrees as He pleases and in His grasp is the kingdom of command. No one may say "why" - whoever says this has disbelieved in God, the Lord of the worlds.

It behooveth every soul to follow Him in whatsoever He willeth. This is a manifest truth. Whoso is not upon this path hath not attained.

Whoso obeyeth Him is saved and whoso turneth away is lost. It is incumbent and obligatory upon all the peoples of the earth, from its east and its west, its lands and its seas, its plains and its mountains, to obey Him in whatsoever is His good-pleasure.

Say: He is the One Whom the world must obey. He hath created all things for His following. This is what hath been decreed in the Tablet, were ye of those who know.

His power hath prevailed and His will hath encompassed all. He is verily the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Powerful. The tongue hath spoken by His leave and the Pen hath moved by His command.

The deed of no one is accepted save by His leave, nor doth the cry of any soul ascend except through His love. Thus hath the matter been decreed in the Tablets of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Beauteous.

Whosoever turns to Him hath turned to Truth, and whosoever turns away is accounted among the turn-aways in the Book of God.

Whoso holdeth fast unto Him hath surely held fast unto the cord of My loving-kindness and clung to the hem of My generosity. And whoso turneth away, he is of them that have attributed partners unto God's verses from time immemorial, and for him there is no portion of this mighty ocean.

And when Thou didst purpose to unveil Thy sovereignty, and to glorify Thy word, and to reveal Thy bounteousness and mercy, Thou didst raise up one of Thy servants, and didst choose Him above all Thy creatures, and didst single Him out for Thy purpose, and didst clothe Him with the robe of Thy guidance, and didst immerse Him beneath the seas of Thy majesty and grandeur, and didst sanctify Him from all that beseemeth not the greatness of Thy glory and the power of Thy might, and didst bid Him to cry out before all that are in heaven and on earth, and summon the multitudes to the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Revealer of Thy signs.

Thou knowest full well that I have not spoken a word but by Thy leave, that my lips have never been opened except at Thy bidding and in accordance with Thy pleasure, that every breath I have breathed hath been animated with Thy praise and Thy remembrance, that I have summoned all men to naught else except that whereunto Thy chosen ones have through all eternity been summoned, and that I have bidden them observe only the things that would draw them nearer unto the Day-Spring of Thy loving-kindness, and the Dawning-Place of Thy favors, and the Horizon of Thy riches, and the Manifestation of Thine inspiration and Thy revelation.

This is a Book from this Youth to all who are on earth: Worship none but God, the King, the Most High, the Most Great.

… He desireth naught except what your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, hath desired for Him.

The Manifestation of God is a perfect example of real obedience. Like Him, we must sacrifice everything; every plan, every longing and ideal must be given up completely to the Will of God.

Finally the Blessed Perfection commanded me in the most empathic manner that I must marry. For the sake of His sacred Command I accepted it, otherwise I longed for an untrammeled life of divine liberty.

O believers, whatsoever fruit of the Messenger He giveth you, accept it, and whatsoever He forbiddeth you, forgo it, for God hath made him wise in truth before Us.

O thou who art named Wahid! Preserve what hath been revealed in the Bayan and what hath been commanded therein, for verily thou art upon a mighty straight path.

(sealed:) Verily I am the proof of God and His light.

Read thou the Book of Permission unto him and say: The Command is from God. Fear thou God, for verily I see thee among the righteous ones.

And We have commanded the one who readeth this letter unto you both with commandments in the religion of God. When He commandeth you with a command, know that He speaketh naught except by My command.

These are the verses of God which have been sent down in truth from the precincts of the mighty Throne unto him who hath attained the presence of God and was a servant unto His exalted and glorious Self.

Say: Regard Him not save as ye have been bidden in the Book. Fear God and be not of the ignorant ones.

Say: O people, fear God and oppose not him who reciteth unto you the verses of God. Fear ye God, then fear His Cause, therefore fear Me.

Beware lest ye dispute with him after he has come to you from the Dayspring of Revelation with a momentous announcement that was inscribed in the Tablet.

Say: O people, oppose not him who hath come to you with the verses of God, your Lord and the Lord of the mighty throne.

O people! This is the Youth of God who standeth among you and calleth you unto the path of His good-pleasure. He hath sacrificed His soul for His Cause, the Mighty, the Powerful. Follow ye what hath been revealed in the Tablets and be not of them that turn aside. Cast not the Messenger of God behind your backs and be not of the lost.

These are servants unto whom God hath testified in His Books which He sent down to the Prophets and Messengers. O friends of the All-Merciful! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One.

Hearken unto the call of the Friend, act according to His bidding, and be content.

Prefer thou obedience unto God above obedience unto any other, and His good pleasure above the pleasure of aught else, that thou mayest be as a crown of piety upon the brow of creation and as the light of guidance unto the eyes of them that have donned the garment of existence.

In sum: the spirit of the heart is the knowledge of God; its adornment is the confession that He doeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth; its robe is the fear of God; and its perfection is steadfastness.

After arriving at this most exalted station, two things are necessary and obligatory for every soul: first, steadfastness in the Cause of God such that if all people should try to prevent him from the Source of the Cause they would be powerless to do so; and second, following the divine ordinances which have flowed from the fountain of the Pen of God's Will, for the knowledge of God is not complete and perfect except through following what He has commanded and what has been revealed in God's Book.

The second is strict observance of the laws He hath prescribed—laws which He hath always ordained, and will continue to ordain, unto men, and through which the truth may be distinguished and separated from falsehood.

Today two matters are most great before the Divine Throne: steadfastness and acting according to what the All-Merciful has revealed in the Book.

I swear by God! Whoso faileth to obey the commandments of God can in no wise be numbered among His loved ones, for among the conditions of His love is to follow His commandments and observe His prohibitions.

O Asadu'llah! The Lord of the worlds declareth in this utterance which hath been sent down from the heaven of the All-Merciful's will: "Act thou according to My commandments for the love of My beauty." This is a word which the All-Merciful revealed aforetime in Baghdad and in this Great Prison. When thou attainest unto it, say: "Praise be to God, the Beloved of them that know!"

The sweetest thing in this world is to obey strictly the commands of God and shun His prohibitions. Through this the attractions of the Love of God will be created in human consciousness. If all the people of the world arise with swords in hands to detain him from carrying out the commands of God they will be unable to do so.

His honor Sina commands thus, and I too desire to be obedient to the commands of the servants of the Blessed Beauty. And how sweet is this obedience! How much sweetness lies in this humility, submissiveness and self-effacement!

These, O my Lord, are Thy servants whom no corrupt inclination hath kept back from what Thou didst send down in Thy Book. They have bowed themselves before Thy Cause, and received Thy Book with such resolve as is born of Thee, and observed what Thou hadst prescribed unto them, and chosen to follow that which had been sent down by Thee.

O Lord! Illumine their faces with the lights of confirmation and enlighten their hearts with the signs of unity, and make them aflame with the fire of Thy love in the realm of detachment, and make them among those of whom Thou didst reveal in the wise Remembrance, saying - and Thy word is truth - "They speak not before He hath spoken, and they do according to His bidding."

Let us not speak before hearing, and not act before being commanded, so that we may be counted among those servants of whom He says: "They speak not before He speaks, and they act by His command."

Those who have been given spiritual insight from God are they who follow not the dictates of their desires, but hold fast unto that which they are commanded, and cleave to the cord of God and His Cause, and drink at all times from the cup of submission.

Among the people are those who cling to their vain desires, turning away from God, the Lord of all beings, and among them are those who cast away what they possessed and took what was commanded unto them from God, the Master of existence.

Methinks they have regarded the Divine commands as of no account, and considered the Lordly precepts as mere fancies. They speak as passion moveth them, then attribute what they say unto the One True God. He, verily, is clear of those who have wrought mischief in the land after it had been set in order, and who speak that which hath been forbidden them in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds.

By the Sun of Manifestation, which shineth forth from the horizon of the Prison, corruption, dissension, and strife have not been, nor shall ever be, the wont of man. All must fix their gaze upon that which God loveth, and must act in accordance with that whereunto they have been commanded in the Book.

We have manifested trustworthiness upon the temple of man, and verily he crieth out amidst the people of existence, saying: "All bounty belongeth unto him who hath clung unto me and acted according to that which was commanded by God, the Lord of all men."

O people! Shun ye what ye have been forbidden in the Tablets, then walk in My footsteps that the fragrances of My deeds may waft from you among My creatures.

O Hasan! Be excellent even as God hath been excellent unto thee, then act according to that which hath been sent down in the Book from the presence of an ancient Revealer.

All have been created to hearken unto the Word of God and to follow His Cause. That which the Truth hath commanded and commandeth is and shall be for the good of His servants.

Today all who are on earth are obligated to follow the divine commandments, for these are the cause of order in the world and tranquility among the nations.

God willing, thou wilt in all conditions hold fast to the divine commandments which have been sent down in the revealed Books from the Supreme Pen, for this is the cause of the life of the world and the preservation of nations. God hath forgiven thee and thy father as a bounty from His presence. Verily, He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. Today ye must conduct yourselves with the utmost wisdom and act in accordance with that whereby the Cause will be exalted.

It is hoped that a response will be revealed and sent from the heaven of favor. God willing, all affairs have appeared and will appear according to desire. If until now all had acted according to what has flowed from the Supreme Pen, all would have observed themselves in the cradle of peace, security and supreme tranquility.

If they move according to the divine will and act upon that which hath been sent down in the Book, ere long will the world and its peoples turn towards the Dayspring of Revelation and quaff the choice sealed wine.

If the friends of God listen to my first word, they will find the success of this and of the next world therein. But there are some who prefer their own thoughts above mine, and when they fall they beg me to save them. Progress and prosperity are in the first word.

The believers must be most pleased to comply with my wish. If my first expression in any matter is obeyed, it will lead to success and spiritual happiness. For example, if I say to Mirza Ahmad that he must leave for America today, he must do it immediately and start on the journey without delay.

To be killed for the Cause is not so difficult as to live for it in absolute obedience to the commands of God.

Baha'i mother, (spoken to an Arab lady present) teach your sons the blessing of obedience and the happiness of sacrifice - know, that you may then safely let them travel alone along the road of life!

There is no appointed length of life for man. Lengthen your life by living according to God's spiritual laws. Then you will live forever. This is the true longevity, the real life. The real life is eternal happiness and existence in the Knowledge of God.

The prostration of the people of Islam before the Black Stone was simply obedience to the Prophet of God and to prove the influence of the Cause of God.

And my correspondence was so heavy that, at the time of the death of an American maidservant of God, my letters to her were counted and numbered sixty-seven; so you can imagine the situation!

Though the door of presence and speech be closed, yet through God's bounty the path of letters and messages remains open. "Correspondence is half of meeting" is evident and manifest.

Yet gather together the letters of this servant - how many volumes they make! And this is but one occupation among my occupations....

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Read the blessed Tablets and act precisely according to the teachings of the Blessed Beauty, letter by letter.

Praise God that thou hast acted in accordance with the counsels of the Blessed Beauty and hast followed His instruction and advice.

Blessed art thou for having held fast unto the cord of His ordinances and acted according to that which God hath revealed in the Book.

Blessed is he who hath heard what the Dove hath warbled and acted according to what his Lord, the Compassionate, the Forgiving, the Merciful, hath desired.

Act according to that which the All-Merciful hath revealed - this is better than all upon which the sun doth shine, if ye be of them who cleave fast to the commandments of their Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

Hold fast unto the commandments of God, then act according to that which hath been sent down in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. Verily it shall profit thee in this world and in every world of the worlds of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Today all must fix their gaze upon the divine commandments and be content and grateful with utmost joy and delight in whatever He has ordained.

Blessed is the state of the one who acted upon the divine counsels.

Hold fast to the cord of My loving-kindness and cling to the hem of thy resplendent Lord.

Be assured by the grace of your Lord - verily He is with those who have taken what they were commanded and cast away that in which every remote ignorant one takes pride.

Hold fast to the hem of thy Lord's grace, then act according to what We have sent down in the Book.

Hearken unto the voice of the true Counsellor and act in accordance with that which is worthy of the Day of God.

Whoso hath recognized God will not transgress what God hath revealed in the Scrolls and Tablets.

Praise be to God, they have attained to the recognition of Truth, of which most of the world remains deprived, and act according to His command. By My life, this is a mighty station with thy Lord, the Exalted, the Great.

They who have drawn nigh and acted according to what they were bidden - these are of the people of Baha in the Scriptures and Tablets.

And none attains to this station except through following that which has appeared from the Dayspring of the Cause.

Today obedience to the Command of God is binding and obligatory upon all.

Today it is incumbent upon all to act according to the divine ordinances and to remain oriented toward the Most Exalted Horizon.

God hath decreed that every soul should act according to what hath been sent down in this Book which hath been adorned with the name of God, the Cleaver of the Dawn.

It is binding and obligatory upon every soul to obey the command of God. All must act according to that which hath been revealed in the divine Book and submit to it with perfect contentment. No one hath the right to transgress that which hath been commanded in the Book.

We have revealed the Cause and commanded all to observe what hath been sent down in the Book. Among the people are those who have acted in accordance with it and those who have cast it behind their backs - these are truly among the heedless ones in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

However, all must fix their gaze upon the divine commandments and act in accordance with that which they have been bidden.

O ye who are the beloved of the All-Merciful throughout all possibilities! Hearken unto that which God commandeth you in the Book, and follow not the way of the mischief-makers.

It behooveth thee and those who believe not to approach except by His leave, nor to speak save that which hath been revealed in His mighty Tablet.

Say: I testify, O my God, in this my station, that Thou art the One Who is praised in what Thou hast done and wilt do, and art obeyed in what Thou didst command aforetime and wilt command hereafter.

Act ye according to that which ye have been commanded by the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Blessed is he who acts according to what is commanded, and woe unto him who casts behind him God's command and follows his own desires.

Act thou according to that which thou hast been commanded by the Mighty, the Wise.

That which is acceptable in the sight of God this day hath been and shall ever be obedience to God, exalted be His glory.

Shun ye that which ye have been forbidden, then act according to that which ye have been commanded in the glorious Tablet.

Today all must fix their gaze upon the divine ordinances and act in accordance with whatsoever hath been revealed in the Most Holy Book.

Thus hast thou been commanded from the presence of One mighty and all-knowing.

Today the friends of God must act in accordance with that which hath been sent down from the heaven of His everlasting Command. Blessed is he who hath attained unto that which he hath been commanded in the Mighty Book.

Cast away what ye possess and take what hath been given you from God, the Most High, the Most Great.

Let them fix their gaze upon the horizon of the Cause and upon what is revealed from His presence, for verily He sufficeth all, and He is the Commander, the All-Knowing.

Beware lest ye transgress that whereunto ye have been bidden in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Most Praised.

Fear ye God and commit not that which hath been forbidden you in every wondrous verse. Take ye the laws of God and that which He hath ordained in His Book, and be not of them that forsake them.

O My loved ones! Prefer the love of God to the love of your own selves, and obedience to disobedience. This is what ye have been commanded in the Tablets, would ye but understand.

The glory be upon thee and upon those who have hearkened unto the call of God and acted according to that which they were commanded.

They who have committed that which was forbidden them in the Tablets, these have transgressed the bounds set by God and are of the heedless ones. And they who have acted according to what they were commanded, these shall abide in the paradise of wisdom among them that rejoice.

Say: Cast not the ordinances of God behind your backs, and be not of the heedless. Act ye according to what hath been sent down in the Tablets from the presence of One Who is knowing, informed.

Do that which ye have been commanded in the Tablets of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause in such wise that the allusions of them that are on earth shall not withhold thee. Then act according to that which thou hast been commanded in His Mighty Book.

Follow that which thou hast been commanded in the Book from the presence of One mighty and all-knowing.

Hold fast, O My loved ones, unto My commandments whereby every inscribed tablet hath been adorned. Take hold of God's principles with the power bestowed by Us, and follow not the ways of every rejected ignorant one.

This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down unto him who hath believed in God, the Lord of the worlds, that he may follow the ways of God and His commandments which were sent down in His mighty Book.

We counsel the friends unto that which hath been revealed in the Book of God. Blessed is he who holdeth fast and acteth accordingly, and woe unto those who turn aside and are heedless.

Thus doth He command thee, with Whom is the mighty Book. The glory of God be upon thee and upon those who have acted according to that which they were commanded in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds.

Thus doth the Most Exalted Pen command you, as a bounty from God, the Most High, the Most Exalted. Act ye according to that which ye have been commanded by One All-Knowing, All-Wise.

And We make mention of thy brother that he may rejoice in the remembrance of his Lord and be of them who have cast away what the people possess and taken what they were commanded by God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen. Hold fast to the Book of God, then act according to what thou art commanded and be not of them who know not.

The divine who hath seized and quaffed the most holy Wine, in the name of the sovereign Ordainer, is as an eye unto the world. Well is it with them who obey him, and call him to remembrance.

These are the days wherein God hath prescribed the Fast unto His creatures. He, verily, is the One Who commandeth, the All-Knowing. They who circle round the Throne, and they who believed in Him when He was established upon His mighty throne, have observed the Fast. Blessed are they who follow the commandments of God - they, verily, are in an exalted station. Those who follow their own desires are numbered with the heedless.

I call upon Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all religions, to assist me to remember Thee and praise Thee and to act in accordance with that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book.

I beseech Thee, O Thou Who sendeth down the verses, by Thy Cause that dominateth earth and heaven, and by the revelations of the lights of the Day-Star of Thy manifestation among mankind, to make me one who speaketh forth Thy Name and who acteth according to that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book.

I beseech Thee to make me one of those who have circled round Thy will and acted in accordance with what they were bidden in the Scriptures, Books, Psalms and Tablets.

O God, I call on Thee with a tongue that hath spoken no word of disobedience against Thee, imploring Thee, by Thy sovereignty and might, to keep me safe in the shelter of Thy mercy and to grant me strength to serve Thee and to serve my father and mother.

Blessed is he from whom appeareth that which bringeth tranquility to hearts and who followeth the command of his Lord in His Most Great, Most Holy Manifestation, the Mighty, the Powerful.

As you well understand, not only the right but also the responsibility of each believer to explore truth for himself or herself are fundamental to the Baha'i teachings. This principle is an integral feature of the coming of age of humankind, inseparable from the social transformation to which Baha'u'llah is calling the peoples of the world. It is as relevant to specifically scholarly activity as it is to the rest of spiritual and intellectual life. Every human being is ultimately responsible to God for the use which he or she makes of these possibilities; conscience is never to be coerced, whether by other individuals or institutions.

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...conscience is never to be coerced, whether by other individuals or institutions. Conscience, however, is not an unchangeable absolute. … Conscience, therefore, can serve either as a bulwark of an upright character or can represent an accumulation of prejudices learned from one's forebears or absorbed from a limited social code. A Baha'i recognizes that one aspect of his spiritual and intellectual growth is to foster the development of his conscience in the light of divine Revelation -- a Revelation which, in addition to providing a wealth of spiritual and ethical principles, exhorts man "to free himself from idle fancy and imitation, discern with the eye of oneness His glorious handiwork, and look into all things with a searching eye".

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The Holy Divine Manifestations are Unique and Peerless. They are the Archetypes of Celestial and Spiritual Virtues in their own age and cycle. They stand on the Mount of Vision and they foreshadow the perfection of the evolving race.

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Were all the things that lie enshrined within the heart of Baha, and which the Lord, His God, the Lord of all names, hath taught Him, to be unveiled to mankind, every man on earth would be dumbfounded.

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The Pen of Holiness, I solemnly affirm before God, hath writ upon My snow-white brow and in characters of effulgent glory these glowing, these musk-scented and holy words: 'Behold ye that dwell on earth, and ye denizens of heaven, bear witness, He in truth is your Well-Beloved. He it is Whose like the world of creation hath not seen, He Whose ravishing beauty hath delighted the eye of God, the Ordainer, the All-Powerful, the Incomparable!

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It is not our purpose to impose Baha'i teachings upon others by persuading the powers that be to enact laws enforcing Baha'i principles, nor to join movements which have such legislation as their aim. The guidance that Baha'i institutions offer to mankind does not comprise a series of specific answers to current problems, but rather the illumination of an entirely new way of life. Without this way of life the problems are insoluble; with it they will either not arise or, if they arise, can be resolved.

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The Local Assemblies should inspire confidence in the individual believers, and these in their turn should express their readiness to fully abide by the decisions and directions of the Local Assembly. The two must learn to co-operate, and to realize that only through such a co-operation can the institutions of the Cause effectively and permanently function. While obedience to the Local Assembly should be unqualified and whole-hearted, yet that body should enforce its decisions in such a way as to avoid giving the impression that it is animated by dictatorial motives. The spirit of the Cause is one of mutual co-operation, and not that of a dictatorship.

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But before the majority of the Assembly comes to a decision, it is not only the right but the sacred obligation of every member to express freely and openly his views, without being afraid of displeasing or alienating any of his fellow-members. … The Assembly members must have the courage of their conviction, but must also express whole-hearted and unqualified obedience to the well-considering judgement and directions of the majority of their fellow-members.

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The most vital matter on which the Guardian wishes you to fully concentrate is that of consolidating the foundations of the Administration. Not until your group learns to work efficiently through obedience to the Local Assembly and under its guidance can there be any hope for future expansion. The friends must all realize the necessity of internal discipline and order which only a properly elected and efficiently functioning body such as the Local Assembly can effectively maintain. Obedience to the decision of the Local Assembly should be unqualified and whole-heated, as by this means alone can the community work as a united body and achieve something constructive and enduring.

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...the Guardian wishes me to again affirm his view that the authority of the National Spiritual Assembly is undivided and unchallengeable in all matters pertaining to the administration of the Faith... and that, therefore, the obedience of individual Baha'is, delegates, groups, and assemblies to that authority is imperative, and should be whole-hearted and unqualified. He is convinced that the unreserved acceptance and complete application of this vital provision of the Administration is essential to the maintenance of the highest degree of unity among the believers, and is indispensable to the effective working of the administrative machinery of the Faith in every country.

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The Cause and its institutions will gradually take their place and with its virile spirit secure the full obedience of its followers and of the people of the world as a whole.

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