Reward and punishment: justice, conscience, and love

Likewise apprehend thou the nature of hell-fire and be of them that truly believe. For every act performed there shall be a recompense according to the estimate of God, and unto this the very ordinances and prohibitions prescribed by the Almighty amply bear witness. For surely if deeds were not rewarded and yielded no fruit, then the Cause of God - exalted is He - would prove futile. Immeasurably high is He exalted above such blasphemies! However, unto them that are rid of all attachments a deed is, verily, its own reward.

Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship which befitteth the one True God.

… Fire and paradise both bow down and prostrate themselves before God. That which is worthy of His Essence is to worship Him for His sake, without fear of fire, or hope of paradise.

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 Great Being saith: 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: 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.

It is incumbent upon everyone to observe God's holy commandments, inasmuch as they are the wellspring of life unto the world. The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two luminaries of consultation and compassion and the canopy of world order is upraised upon the two pillars of reward and punishment.

… O people of God! That which traineth the world is Justice, for it is upheld by two pillars, reward and punishment. These two pillars are the sources of life to the world.

And it was this peerless Source of wisdom that at the beginning of the foundation of the world ascended the stair of inner meaning and when enthroned upon the pulpit of utterance, through the operation of the divine Will, proclaimed two words. The first heralded the promise of reward, while the second voiced the ominous warning of punishment. The promise gave rise to hope and the warning begat fear. Thus the basis of world order hath been firmly established upon these twin principles.

Aforetime this most exalted Word descended from the Supreme Pen: The tabernacle of world order is upheld by two pillars - reward and punishment.

Man has been and continues to be among the greatest signs of God, and has come from the realm of non-existence into the court of existence for the knowledge and betterment of the world. Should the leaders of government and nation manifest spiritual virtues, goodly deeds, and kindly words, the lights of justice will encompass all the earth, and all will dwell in perfect tranquility within the pavilion of security and peace. The foundation of the security and welfare of nations rests upon two pillars: reward and punishment. Every sovereign must implement these two principles; indeed it is essential.

Shouldst thou cause rivers of justice to spread their waters amongst thy subjects, God would surely aid thee with the hosts of the unseen and of the seen, and would strengthen thee in thine affairs.

The tabernacle of world order is upheld upon two pillars: reward and punishment. Such matters pertain to the monarchs of the age. They are the manifestations of God's power and the dawning-places of His divine majesty.

And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah are justice and right. Until these are realized on the plane of existence, all things shall be in disorder and remain imperfect. The world of mankind is a world of oppression and cruelty, and a realm of aggression and error.

Should an official, on the contrary, think that all responsibility for his actions must end with his earthly life, knowing and believing nothing of Divine favors and a spiritual kingdom of joy, he will lack the incentive to just dealing, and the inspiration to destroy oppression and unrighteousness.

When a ruler knows that his judgments will be weighed in a balance by the Divine Judge, and that if he be not found wanting he will come into the Celestial Kingdom and that the light of the Heavenly Bounty will shine upon him, then will he surely act with justice and equity. Behold how important it is that Ministers of State should be enlightened by religion!

However, dread of the penalties maketh people desist only outwardly from committing vile and contemptible deeds, while that which guardeth and restraineth man both outwardly and inwardly hath been and still is the fear of God. It is man's true protector and his spiritual guardian. It behoveth him to cleave tenaciously unto that which will lead to the appearance of this supreme bounty.

Glory be to Him Who spoke this supreme word: "The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God," for the fear and awe of God restraineth man from whatsoever causeth abasement and degradation of the human station, and aideth him in that which leadeth to elevation and glory. The wise man avoideth shameful deeds, for he beholdeth punishment in their wake. The pavilion of world order is upheld upon two pillars: Reward and Punishment.

Consider how many prisons and dungeons and places of punishment and chastisement are prepared for mankind, that through these coercive means souls may be prevented from committing grievous crimes. Yet this coercion and punishment leads to the increase of evil character, and the desired result is not achieved as it should be.

Question: Should a criminal be punished, or should he be forgiven and his crime overlooked?

Answer: There are two kinds of retributive actions: one is revenge and retaliation and the other, punishment and requital. An individual has no right to seek revenge, but the body politic has the right to punish the criminal. Such punishment is intended to dissuade and deter others from committing similar crimes. It is for the protection of the rights of man and does not constitute revenge, for revenge is that inner gratification that results from returning like for like.

Thus, the prohibitions on murder, theft, treachery, falsehood, hypocrisy, and iniquity are based on reason: Every rational mind can grasp that these are all vile and reprehensible.

… As for the body politic, it punishes the aggressor but not to exact revenge. The purpose of this punishment, rather, is to deter and dissuade, and to oppose iniquity and aggression, so as to prevent others from extending their hand likewise in oppression. But if the victim chooses to forgive and to show instead the greatest mercy, this is most approved in the sight of God.

One is vengeance and the other is chastisement. Vengeance is reprehensible and takes place according to one's self and desire. This is a penalty that the selfish ones inflict for the love or purpose of retaliation. Chastisement however, if happens according to divine law in absolute fairness and justice will be rewarding and the cause of good. Because in doing such, that person has executed the divine ordinances and not one's selfish desires.

Although people have no right to exact vengeance, reward and punishment must be carried out, for these are the two pillars upon which the canopy of world order rests.

But the willful murderer, one who looks for his victim with the intent to kill, shall be punished. For instance, he may climb on a wall and watch for his victim, then jump down and kill him; this is murder with intent to kill. In the book (Kitubal-Akdas) it is specified that such a one shall be killed.

… It is impossible to protect society unless he is punished. It is not for revenge. God alone has the right to revenge. This punishment is for an example, so that others may not do likewise.

Amidst great lamentation and weeping, for we are told that Mrs. Hoagg was in tears all the time Abdul-Baha was speaking on the subject, we are told that Abdul-Baha upholds CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, and said that if a man took a life he should pay for that life with his own life. When his attention was called to the suffering endured by a person awaiting such punishment, He said, that if such a person was really penitent, by that True Penitence he redeemed his soul. In other words, through that real penitence he saved his soul.

5. The Blessed Perfection Baha'u'llah further said in the Tablet of Ishraqat: "Reward and punishment are the basic pillars of the world". Thus the Houses of Justice, in addition to their administrative tasks, also have to act in a judicial capacity. Equally important is the setting-up and supervision of a school system and the just care of the poor, and social welfare.

O distinguished person! People are weak and deceitful, helpless and crafty. They must be held through fear and hope - that is, no soul should despair of forgiveness for mistakes, yet should fear committing sin and rebellion, so that if they fall short they may have hope of forgiveness, and if thoughts of corruption and sedition cross their minds they may fear being called to account.

Had all the peoples of the world hearkened to the Word of Unity as it deserveth to be hearkened to, all would have turned unto God, detached from all else. The deceptive conditions and allusions of the world have debarred the nations from the most great bounty. Reward and punishment are two mirrors reflecting good and evil deeds which are manifested therein.

Whoso accepteth, that good shall return unto him, and whoso turneth away, the consequence thereof shall reach him.

Yet all this manifesteth through your own volition, even as ye witness in your own deeds. … Say: No good thing proceedeth from any source except from God, while no evil originateth from any source except from yourselves. Do ye not comprehend?

In this state it is ascribed unto truth and returneth unto Him; otherwise it is reckoned among the followers of self and passion and returneth unto them.

Had the world been of any worth in His sight, He surely would never have allowed His enemies to possess it, even to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. He hath, however, caused you to be entangled with its affairs, in return for what your hands have wrought in His Cause. This, indeed, is a chastisement which ye, of your own will, have inflicted upon yourselves, could ye but perceive it.

The Prophets of God have come in truth and have spoken the truth. Whatsoever the Messenger of God hath announced hath been and will be made manifest. The world is established upon the foundations of reward and punishment. Knowledge and understanding have ever affirmed and will continue to affirm the reality of Paradise and Hell, for reward and punishment require their existence.

"O God! If I worship Thee in fear of Hell, burn me in Hell; and if I worship Thee in hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise; but it I worship Three for Thine own sake, withhold not Thine Everlasting Beauty (p. 115)!" Rabiah quoted in Nicholson, R. A. (1963). The mystics of Islam. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

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O distinguished personage! The people are frail and susceptible, and the shrewd soul must guide them through fear and hope. That is to say, no soul should despair of forgiveness for error, yet should fear committing rebellion and transgression. Thus, should one have committed a fault, one might entertain hope of pardon; and should thoughts of sedition and mischief cross one's mind, one shall fear the consequences of questioning. [3.5s]

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