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’)
