In the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh it is obligatory for the individual to engage in a trade or profession. For instance, I know mat weaving and you know another trade. The service we perform is equivalent to worship if we perform it with truth and trustworthiness; it is a cause of human advancement. If the heart is not bound and attached to the world, if it is unaffected by the vicissitudes of life, unhampered by worldly wealth from serving humanity and not dejected because of poverty, then this is a human perfection. Otherwise, to profess generosity if one is poor, or justice when one is powerless to extend it, is easy enough, but this will not establish one's spiritual education and awareness.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Utterances of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, New York, June 11, 1912, recorded by Mirza Mahmud-i-Zarqani, the chronicler of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s journey to the West; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)
