Virtues

‘..trustworthiness, truthfulness, purity of heart while communing with God, forbearance, resignation to whatever the Almighty hath decreed, contentment with the things His Will hath provided, patience, nay, thankfulness in the midst of tribulation, and complete reliance, in all circumstances, upon Him. These rank…among the highest of all acts. All other acts are secondary and subordinate unto them…’ -Bahá’u'lláh

Paroles revivifiantes

but cloudy sky

L’essence de la compréhension est d’attester de sa pauvreté et de se soumettre à la Volonté du Seigneur, le Souverain, le Miséricordieux, le Tout-Puissant.

Visitation Tablet

(This prayer, revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is read at His Shrine. It is also used in private prayer.)

Whoso recitheth this prayer with lowliness and fervor will bring gladness and joy to the heart of this Servant; it will be even as meeting Him face to face.

He is the All-Glorious!

O God, my God! Lowly and tearful, I raise my suppliant hands to Thee and cover my face in the dust of that Threshold of Thine, exalted above the knowledge of the learned, and the praise of all that glorify Thee. Graciously look upon Thy servant, humble and lowly at Thy door, with the glances of the eye of Thy mercy, and immerse him in the Ocean of Thine eternal grace.

Lord! He is a poor and lowly servant of Thine, enthralled and imploring Thee, captive in Thy hand, praying fervently to Thee, trusting in Thee, in tears before Thy face, calling to Thee and beseeching Thee, saying:

O Lord, my God! Give me Thy grace to serve Thy loved ones, strengthen me in my servitude to Thee, illumine my brow with the light of adoration in Thy court of holiness, and of prayer to  Thy kingdom of grandeur. Help me to be selfless at the heavenly entrance of Thy gate, and aid me to be detached from all things within Thy holy precincts. Lord! Give me to drink from the chalice of selflessness; with its robe clothe me, and in its ocean immerse me. Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones, and grant that I may offer up my soul for the earth ennobled by the footsteps of Thy chosen ones in Thy path, O Lord of Glory in the Highest.

With this prayer doth Thy servant call Thee, at dawntide and in the night-season. Fulfill his heart’s desire, O Lord! Illumine his heart, gladden his bosom, kindle his light, that he may serve Thy Cause and Thy servants.

Thou art the Bestower, the Pitiful, the Most Bountiful, the Gracious, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

(Compilations, Baha’i Prayers, p. 232)

What to follow on these days

In this Book He, moreover, prescribes the obligatory
prayers; designates the time and period of fasting; prohibits
congregational prayer except for the dead; fixes the Qiblih;
institutes the Huququ'lláh (Right of God); formulates the
law of inheritance; ordains the institution of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar;
establishes the Nineteen Day Feast, the Bahá'í
festivals and the Intercalary Days; abolishes the institution
of priesthood; prohibits slavery, asceticism, mendicancy,
monasticism, penance, the use of pulpits and the kissing of
hands; prescribes monogamy; condemns cruelty to animals,
idleness and sloth, backbiting and calumny; censures
divorce; interdicts gambling, the use of opium, wine and
other intoxicating drinks; specifies the punishments for
murder, arson, adultery and theft; stresses the importance of
marriage and lays down its essential conditions; imposes the
obligation of engaging in some trade or profession, exalting
such occupation to the rank of worship; emphasizes the
necessity of providing the means for the education of
children; and lays upon every person the duty of writing a
testament and of strict obedience to one's government.

 Apart from these provisions Bahá'u'lláh exhorts His
followers to consort, with amity and concord and without
discrimination, with the adherents of all religions; warns
them to guard against fanaticism, sedition, pride, dispute
and contention; inculcates upon them immaculate cleanliness,
strict truthfulness, spotless chastity, trustworthiness,
hospitality, fidelity, courtesy, forbearance, justice and
fairness; counsels them to be "even as the fingers of one hand
and the limbs of one body"; calls upon them to arise and serve
His Cause; and assures them of His undoubted aid. He,
furthermore, dwells upon the instability of human affairs;
declares that true liberty consists in man's submission to
His commandments; cautions them not to be indulgent in
carrying out His statutes; prescribes the twin inseparable
duties of recognizing the "Dayspring of God's Revelation" and
of observing all the ordinances revealed by Him, neither of
which, He affirms, is acceptable without the other.

(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 14)

Prayer for Marriage

O my Lord, O my Lord! These two bright moons are wedded in Thy love, conjoined in servitude to Thy Holy Threshold, united in ministering to thy Cause. Make Thou this marriage to be as threading lights of Thine abounding grace, O my Lord, the All-Merciful, the luminous rays of Thy bestowals, O Thou the Beneficent, the Ever-Giving, that there may branch out from this great tree boughs that will grown green and flourishing through the gifts that rain down from Thy clouds of grace.

Verily, Thou art the Generous. Verily, Thou art the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.

- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

A call for Unity!

“The object of God’s teaching to man is that man may know himself in order to comprehend the greatness of God. The Word of God is for agreement and concord. If you go to Persia where the friends of Abha are many, you will at once realize the unifying force of God’s work. They are doing their utmost to strengthen this bond of amity. There, people of different nationalities gather in one meeting and chant the divine tablets with one accord. It might be supposed that they were all brethren. We do not consider anyone a stranger, for it is said by Bahá’u'lláh ‘Ye are all the rays of one sun; the fruits of one tree; and the leaves of one branch.’ We desire the true brotherhood of humanity. This shall be so, and it has already begun. Praise to be God, the Helper, the Pardoner!”

(Abdu’l-Bahá, Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 79)

Why imaging?

Another asked why the teachings of all religions are expressed largely by parables and metaphors and not in the plain language of the people.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied: — “Divine things are too deep to be expressed by common words. The heavenly teachings are expressed in parable in order to be understood and preserved for ages to come. When the spiritually minded dive deeply into the ocean of their meaning they bring to the surface the pearls of their inner significance. There is no greater pleasure than to study God’s Word with a spiritual mind.”

(Abdu’l-Bahá, Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 79)

Voici le Jour!

Voici le jour où les plus précieuses faveurs ont été prodiguées aux hommes, le jour où sa puissante grâce a imprégné toutes les choses créées. Il incombe à tous les peuples du monde de concilier leurs différends et de se ranger, unis dans la paix la plus parfaite, à l’ombre de l’arbre de sa providence et de sa tendre bonté. Il leur faut s’attacher à tout ce qui, en ce jour, peut exalter leur condition et servir leurs véritables intérêts.
Heureux ceux dont la toute glorieuse plume a rappelé le souvenir et bénis ces hommes dont, en vertu de notre impénétrable décret, Nous avons préféré taire les noms !
Priez le seul vrai Dieu de vous assister de sa grâce dans l’accomplissement de ce qui est recevable à nos yeux.
Bientôt le présent ordre de choses sera révolu et un nouveau le remplacera. Ainsi la vérité parle par la bouche de ton Seigneur, l’Omniscient.
¤
Bahá’u'lláh

Ridvan/Paradise

O fille du Royaume! Ta lettre m’est bien parvenue; elle montre clairement que tu as dirigé toutes tes pensées vers l’acquisition de la lumière qui émane des royaumes de mystère.
Tant que les pensées d’un être humain sont éparpillées, ses efforts demeureront vains mais, s’il concentre sa réflexion sur un seul et même point, merveilleux seront les fruits récoltés.
Il n’est pas possible de capter la lumière solaire dans la plénitude de sa force si elle frappe un miroir plat mais, lorsque le soleil brille sur un miroir concave ou sur une lentille convexe, toute sa chaleur se concentre sur un seul et même point, qui brûlera au maximum. Ainsi est-il nécessaire de concentrer sa pensée sur un point unique, afin qu’elle devienne une force effective. Tu as exprimé le souhait de célébrer le jour de Ridvan par une fête, et tu voudrais que les amis présents en ce jour récitent des tablettes dans la délectation et la joie. Tu m’as prié de t’adresser une lettre que vous lirez à cette occasion. La voici:
O vous, mes bien-aimés et vous, servantes du Miséricordieux! Voici le jour où s’est levé l’astre de vérité à l’horizon de la vie, où s’est répandu sa gloire et où a lui son éclat avec une telle puissance qu’il a fendu les épais nuages qui s’étaient accumulés, et a gravi les cieux du monde dans toute sa splendeur. Aussi, comme vous le voyez, toutes choses créées ont été prises d’une agitation nouvelle.
Voyez comme, en ce jour, s’est élargi le champ des sciences et des arts, quels surprenants progrès techniques ont été réalisés, jusqu’à quel point se sont accrus les pouvoirs de l’esprit, et quelles prodigieuses inventions ont été effectuées.
Cet âge équivaut, en vérité, à une centaine d’autres âges: si vous rassembliez les réalisations de cent âges et les compariez aux progrès accumulés durant notre ère, les résultats acquis au cours de celle-ci s’avéreraient supérieurs à ceux de cent âges du passé.
Prenez, par exemple, le nombre total des livres qui furent écrits dans les âges écoulés, et comparez-le à celui des livres et traités qu’a produits notre ère: ces livres, écrits en notre temps, dépassent – et de loin – le nombre total de volumes produits au fil des âges.
Voyez combien puissante est l’influence exercée par l’astre du jour de ce monde sur l’essence profonde de toutes choses créées.
Mais, hélas! Milles fois hélas!, les yeux ne le voient pas, les oreilles demeurent sourdes, les cœurs et les esprits sont oublieux de ce suprême bienfait. Efforcez-vous donc, de tout votre cœur et de toute votre âme, de réveiller les assoupis, de rendre la vue aux aveugles et de faire se lever les morts.

(Abdu’l-Baha, Selection des ecrits d’Abdu’l-Baha)

Words of Wisdom

Ponder then, O My friend, the words “firm faith” that have been mentioned in this verse. It saith that the heavens and the earth, the throne, the sun and the moon, all have been created to the end that His servants may have unswerving faith in His presence in His days. By the righteousness of God! Contemplate, O My brother, the greatness of this station, and behold the condition of the people in these days, fleeing from the Countenance of God and His Beauty “as though they were affrighted asses”. Wert thou to reflect upon that which We have revealed unto thee, thou wouldst undoubtedly grasp Our purpose in this utterance and discover that which We have desired to impart unto thee within this paradise. Perchance thine eyes may rejoice in beholding it, thine ears take delight in hearing that which is recited therein, thy soul be enthralled by recognizing it, thy heart illumined by comprehending it, and thy spirit gladdened by the fragrant breezes that waft therefrom. Haply thou mayest attain unto the pinnacle of divine grace and abide within the Ridvan of transcendent holiness.

(Baha’u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 43)