The "purpose" for the coming of the Prophets and Messengers of God

The Prophets and Messengers of God have been sent down for the sole purpose of guiding mankind to the straight Path of Truth. The purpose underlying their revelation hath been to educate all men, that they may, at the hour of death, ascend, in the utmost purity and sanctity and with absolute detachment, to the throne of the Most High.... 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I. Baha’i Education)

“Do the Will of God, do not only speak about it.”

I wish you to study the works of the Blessed Beauty and to live according to His teaching. The basis of the teaching of Baha’u’llah is as follows: Bear in your heart great love to all races on earth, to the end that unity maybe established between them. Take an interest in everyone and find out how you can help them, so that all may see that your love is truly universal. Do the Will of God, do not only speak about it; the elect of God do this. People do much speaking to advance their own glory and to make themselves appear superior to their neighbors. But if you do the Will of God and do not blazon it abroad, then you will change the whole world. They who do most speak least. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk in Paris, October 17, 1911; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 16, December 31, 1911)

Advancing “toward the Kingdom of Abha” and becoming “attracted by the Beauty of God”

O thou maid servant of God! Arouse ye the people and make them cheerful through the glad tidings of God, and quicken them through the spirit of gladness and heavenly rejoicing. The essence and foundation of all is to advance toward the Kingdom of Abha and to be attracted by the Beauty of God. Whatever produces any influence in the world of existence is on account of the Love of God, which is the Spirit of Life and the cause of salvation. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol.2, no. 15, December 12, 1911)

“a tremendous tumult in men's hearts”

The prestige of the Faith of God has immensely increased. Its greatness is now manifest. The day is approaching when it will have cast a tremendous tumult in men's hearts. Rejoice, therefore, O denizens of America, rejoice with exceeding gladness! 

- ‘Abdu'l-Bahá  (cited in Shoghi Effendi, ‘The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters’; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. 1, Crisis and Victory)

“the most meritorious of all deeds”

Say: Teach ye the Cause of God, O people of Bahá, for God hath prescribed unto every one the duty of proclaiming His Message, and regardeth it as the most meritorious of all deeds. Such a deed is acceptable only when he that teacheth the Cause is already a firm believer in God, the Supreme Protector, the Gracious, the Almighty. He hath, moreover, ordained that His Cause be taught through the power of men’s utterance, and not through resort to violence. Thus hath His ordinance been sent down from the Kingdom of Him Who is the Most Exalted, the All-Wise. Beware lest ye contend with any one, nay, strive to make him aware of the truth with kindly manner and most convincing exhortation. If your hearer respond, he will have responded to his own behoof, and if not, turn ye away from him, and set your faces towards God’s sacred Court, the seat of resplendent holiness. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)

“him who aideth My Cause”

I swear by God! That which hath been destined for him who aideth My Cause excelleth the treasures of the earth. 

- Baha’u’llah  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice)

Some references to the Báb in previous religions

He the “Qá’im” (He Who ariseth) promised to the Shí’ahs, the “Mihdí” (One Who is guided) awaited by the Sunnís, the “Return of John the Baptist” expected by the Christians, the “Ushídar-Máh” referred to in the Zoroastrian scriptures, the “Return of Elijah” anticipated by the Jews, Whose Revelation was to show forth “the signs and tokens of all the Prophets”, Who was to “manifest the perfection of Moses, the radiance of Jesus and the patience of Job” had appeared, proclaimed His Cause, been mercilessly persecuted and died gloriously. The “Second Woe,” spoken of in the Apocalypse of St. John the Divine, had, at long last, appeared, and the first of the two “Messengers,” Whose appearance had been prophesied in the Qur’án, had been sent down. The first “Trumpet-Blast”, destined to smite the earth with extermination, announced in the latter Book, had finally been sounded. “The Inevitable,” “The Catastrophe,” “The Resurrection,” “The Earthquake of the Last Hour,” foretold by that same Book, had all come to pass. The “clear tokens” had been “sent down,” and the “Spirit” had “breathed,” and the “souls” had “waked up,” and the “heaven” had been “cleft,” and the “angels” had “ranged in order,” and the “stars” had been “blotted out,” and the “earth” had “cast forth her burden,” and “Paradise” had been “brought near,” and “hell” had been “made to blaze,” and the “Book” had been “set,” and the “Bridge” had been “laid out,” and the “Balance” had been “set up,” and the “mountains scattered in dust.”

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

Serving the Cause

Bahá’u’lláh has given His wonderful teachings and His New World Order to all men; it is up to each individual to accept this Divine Message and promote its healing laws and principles for himself. No one can decide for you what you must do. Your own heart must tell you that your place is serving this struggling new Faith in the days when it is still, for the most part, unrecognized by the masses. In the future, when it has won more adherents, and its true stature becomes obvious to all, it will not require the courage to sponsor it which it does today! 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 30 March 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; ‘The Light of Divine Guidance, vol. 2’)

“Love is the standard which must govern the conduct of one believer towards another.”

He like The Master before him, is so anxious to see the believers united in serving the Faith. If between the 'friends, true love, based on the love of God, could become manifest, the Cause would spread very rapidly. Love is the standard which must govern the conduct of one believer towards another. The administrative order does not change this, but unfortunately sometimes the friends confuse the two, and try to be a whole spiritual assembly to each other, with the discipline and justice and impartiality that body must show, instead of being forgiving, loving and patient to each other as individuals. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated March 18, 1950, to a believer; Canadian Baha’i News, May 1950, no.13)

Baha’i culture

...as every Faith has given rise to a culture which flowered in different forms, so too our beloved Faith may be expected to do the same thing. It is premature to try and grasp what they will be at present.

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 23 December 1942, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Cultural Diversity in the Age of Maturity)

Human soul is that “unifying agency” that causes the various organs and members of body to “function in perfect harmony and with absolute regularity, thus making the continuation of life possible”

By nature is meant those inherent properties and necessary relations derived from the realities of things. And these realities of things, though in the utmost diversity, are yet intimately connected one with the other. For these diverse realities an all-unifying agency is needed that shall link them all one to the other. For instance, the various organs and members, the parts and elements, that constitute the body of man, though at variance, are yet all connected one with the other by that all-unifying agency known as the human soul, that causeth them to function in perfect harmony and with absolute regularity, thus making the continuation of life possible. The human body, however, is utterly unconscious of that all-unifying agency, and yet acteth with regularity and dischargeth its functions according to its will. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablet to August Forel)

Teaching one’s self before teaching others – so “that his speech may attract the hearts of them that hear him

Whoso ariseth among you to teach the Cause of his Lord, let him, before all else, teach his own self, that his speech may attract the hearts of them that hear him. Unless he teacheth his own self, the words of his mouth will not influence the heart of the seeker. Take heed, O people, lest ye be of them that give good counsel to others but forget to follow it themselves. The words of such as these, and beyond the words the realities of all things, and beyond these realities the angels that are nigh unto God, bring against them the accusation of falsehood.

Should such a man ever succeed in influencing any one, this success should be attributed not to him, but rather to the influence of the words of God, as decreed by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise. In the sight of God he is regarded as a lamp that imparteth its light, and yet is all the while being consumed within itself. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)

“Baha’i family life”

Another aspect of Baha'i life emphasized in the provisions of the Seven Year Plan is the development of the Baha'i family life. If the believer is the only one of his family who has embraced the Faith, it is his duty to endeavour to lead as many other family members as possible to the light of divine guidance. As soon as a Baha'i family unit emerges, the members should feel responsible for making the collective life of the family a spiritual reality, animated by divine love and inspired by the ennobling principles of the Faith. To achieve this purpose, the reading of the Sacred Writings and prayers should ideally become a daily family activity. As far as the teaching work is concerned, just as individuals are called upon to adopt teaching goals, the family itself could adopt its own goals. In this way the friends could make of their families strong healthy units, bright candles for the diffusion of the light of the Kingdom, and powerful centres to attract the heavenly confirmations. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated April 17, 1981 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

Things not to do

Beware lest ye harm any soul, or make any heart to sorrow; lest ye wound any man with your words, be he known to you or a stranger, be he friend or foe. Pray ye for all; ask ye that all be blessed, all be forgiven. Beware, beware, lest any of you seek vengeance, even against one who is thirsting for your blood. Beware, beware, lest ye offend the feelings of another, even though he be an evil-doer, and he wish you ill. Look ye not upon the creatures, turn ye to their Creator. See ye not the never-yielding people, see but the Lord of Hosts. Gaze ye not down upon the dust, gaze upward at the shining sun, which hath caused every patch of darksome earth to glow with light. 

- ‘Abdu'l-Baha  (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Baha)

The Báb - “the Exalted One”

The appearance of the Exalted One [the Báb] was an invitation to knowledge and rationality, to generosity and compassion, to truthfulness and social justice. The concepts and ideas that He brought breathed a new spirit into the tired body of the world. He fulfilled the prophecies of old and gave new form to the practices of the past. He discarded superstition and nurtured reason. He began a new stage in the progress and transformation of the world of humanity and, in the first instance, invited His own compatriots to participate in the process of renewal. The gentleness of His Being and the heavenly power of His words instantly attracted those who associated with Him, and the truth of His utterances and the appeal of His teachings led, with miraculous speed, to the awakening and consciousness of the people. In a short while, His Cause spread throughout Iran and the fire of the love of God was kindled within diverse strata of that society. A great many souls from a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds—men and women, young and old, rich and poor, merchants and traders, thinkers and writers, clerics and even royalty, in cities and in villages—joined the company of His followers and took to heart His call to build a society founded on justice and free from tyranny and oppression. The number of sincere leaders of religion and divines who accepted His Cause and embraced His truth is astounding, and included Vahíd, who was among the most learned men of the country and the confidant and representative of the King commissioned to investigate the truth about the new Revelation. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From an authorized translation of a message dated 24 October 2019 addressed to the believers in Iran)