O pure soul! Follow thou in the footsteps of the truthful
and tread the way of the righteous, so that, through truthfulness, thou mayest
come to occupy a Seat of Truth,[1] and, through righteousness, thou mayest
attain to abiding honour. If the sum of all sins were to be weighed in the
balance, falsehood would, on its own, countervail them; nay, its evils would
even outweigh them and its detriment prove greater. It were better for thee
that thou shouldst be a blasphemer and tell the truth than that thou shouldst
mouth the formulas of faith and yet be a liar. These clear words are addressed
as an admonition to the peoples of the world. Render thanks unto God that it is
through thee that this counsel hath been addressed to all mankind.
(‘Abdu’l-Baha, The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá'í Virtue)
[1 Qur'án, 54:55]
