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12/27/10

We “must be very considerate towards animals...”

Then, O ye friends of God! Ye must not only have kind and merciful feelings for mankind, but ye should also exercise the utmost kindness towards every living creature. The physical sensibilities and instincts are common to animal and man. Man is, however, negligent of this reality and imagines that sensibility is peculiar to mankind, therefore he practices cruelty to the animal. In reality what difference is there in physical sensations! Sensibility is the same whether you harm man or animal: there is no difference. Nay, rather, cruelty to the animal is more painful because man has a tongue and he sighs, complains and groans when he receives an injury and complains to the government and the government protects him from cruelty; but the poor animal cannot speak, it can neither show its suffering nor is it able to appeal to the government. If it is harmed a thousand times by man it is not able to defend itself in words nor can it seek justice or retaliate. Therefore one must be very considerate towards animals and show greater kindness to them than to man. Educate the children in their infancy in such a way that they may become exceedingly kind and merciful to the animals. If an animal is sick they should endeavor to cure it; if it is hungry, they should feed it; if it is thirsty, they should satisfy its thirst; if it is tired, they should give it rest.

12/26/10

One’s “first duty” in life is to recognize God’s Representative on earth

The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. (Baha'u'llah, 'The Kitab-i-Aqdas')

12/22/10

Couple should obtain parental consent to marry

Desiring to establish love, unity and harmony amidst Our servants, We have conditioned it, once the couple's wish is known, upon the permission of their parents, lest enmity and rancour should arise amongst them. And in this We have yet other purposes. Thus hath Our commandment been ordained. (Baha'u'llah, 'The Kitab-i-Aqdas')

12/21/10

We shouldn’t follow “the promptings of self”

Follow not the promptings of the self, for it summoneth insistently to wickedness and lust; follow, rather, Him Who is the Possessor of all created things, Who biddeth you to show forth piety, and manifest the fear of God. He, verily, is independent of all His creatures. (Baha'u'llah, 'The Kitab-i-Aqdas')

12/20/10

There are “laws … revealed to mankind in each age by the Manifestation of God”

Just as there are laws governing our physical lives, requiring that we must supply our bodies with certain foods, maintain them within a certain range of temperatures, and so forth, if we wish to avoid physical disabilities, so also there are laws governing our spiritual lives. These laws are revealed to mankind in each age by the Manifestation of God, and obedience to them is of vital importance if each human being, and mankind in general, is to develop properly and harmoniously. Moreover, these various aspects are interdependent. If an individual violates the spiritual laws for his own development he will cause injury not only to himself but to the society in which he lives. Similarly, the condition of society has a direct effect on the individuals who must live within it. (The Universal House of Justice, 'Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1968-1973')

12/9/10

Fasting and Obligatory prayer are like the sun and moon of the “heaven” of the “religion of God”

Cling firmly to obligatory prayer and fasting. Verily, the religion of God is like unto heaven; fasting is its sun, and obligatory prayer is its moon. In truth, they are the pillars of religion whereby the righteous are distinguished from those who transgress His commandments. We entreat God, exalted and glorified be He, that he may graciously enable all to observe that which He hath revealed in His Ancient Book. (Baha’u’llah, compilation on The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting)

Know thou that religion is as heaven; and fasting and obligatory prayer are its sun and its moon. We entreat God, exalted and glorified be He, to graciously aid everyone who acteth according to His will and good-pleasure. (Baha’u’llah, compilation on The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting)

12/8/10

All our acts should be distinguished by “integrity and uprightness”

Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. (Baha'u'llah, 'Epistle to the Son of the Wolf')

12/6/10

We should strive to become more humble

“Be … a fruit upon the tree of humility.” (Baha'u'llah, 'Epistle to the Son of the Wolf')

12/5/10

“The goodliest vesture in the sight of God in this day is trustworthiness"

O people! The goodliest vesture in the sight of God in this day is trustworthiness. All bounty and honour shall be the portion of the soul that arrayeth itself with this greatest of adornments. (Baha’u’llah; 'The Compilation of Compilations vol. II')

Regard thou faith as a tree. Its fruits, leaves, boughs and branches are, and have ever been, trustworthiness, truthfulness, uprightness and forbearance. (Baha’u’llah, 'The Compilation of Compilations vol. II')

12/2/10

We should abstain from fault-finding and backbiting

Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art a sinner. 
- Baha’u’llah  ('The Hidden Words')

The worst human quality and the most great sin is backbiting [“discussing the faults of others in their absence”], more especially when it emanates from the tongues of the believers of God. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Quoted in Star of West, Vol. IV. p. 192; included in a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles, February 11, 1925; 'Lights of Guidance')

On no subject are the Bahá'í teachings more emphatic than on the necessity to abstain from fault-finding and backbiting while being ever eager to discover and root out our own faults and overcome our own failings. 
- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, May 12, 1925: 'Living the Life'; 'Lights of Guidance')