Abdu'l- Baha Quotes & Sayings

Man is not intended to see through the eyes of another, hear through another's ears nor comprehend with another's brain. Each human creature has individual endowment, power and responsibility in the creative plan of God. — Abdu'l- Baha

Divine Justice demands that the rights of both sexes should be equally respected since neither is superior to the other in the eyes of Heaven. Dignity before God depends, not on sex, but on purity and luminosity of heart. Human virtues belong equally to all! — Abdu'l- Baha

My heart is in a constant state of thanksgiving. — Abdu'l- Baha

May you become as the waves of one sea, stars of the same heaven, fruits adorning the same tree, roses of one garden in order that through you the oneness of humanity may establish its temple in the world of mankind, for you are the ones who are called to uplift the cause of unity among the nations of the earth. — Abdu'l- Baha

Love is the most great law that ruleth this mighty and heavenly cycle, the unique power that bindeth together the divers elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movements of the spheres in the celestial realms — Abdu'l- Baha

The most important principle of divine philosophy is the oneness of the world of humanity, the unity of mankind, the bond conjoining East and West, the tie of love which blends human hearts. — Abdu'l- Baha

A man may be a Bah' in name only. If he is a Bah' in reality, his deeds and actions will be decisive proofs of it. What are the requirements? Love for mankind, sincerity toward all, reflecting the oneness of the world of humanity, philanthropy, becoming enkindled with the fire of the love of God, attainment to the knowledge of God and that which is conducive to human welfare. — Abdu'l- Baha

Love is the spirit of life unto the adorned body of mankind, the establisher of true civilization in this mortal world, and the shedder of imperishable glory upon every high-aiming race and nation. — Abdu'l- Baha

Prejudices of any kind are the destroyers of human happiness & welfare. — Abdu'l- Baha

If others hurl their darts against you, offer them milk and honey in return; if they poison your lives, sweeten their souls. — Abdu'l- Baha

The spirit does not need a body, but the body needs spirit, or it cannot live. The soul can live without a body, but the body without a soul dies — Abdu'l- Baha

Religion and science are the two wings upon which man's intelligence can soar into the heights, with which the human soul can progress. It is not possible to fly with one wing alone! Should a man try to fly with the wing of religion alone he would quickly fall into the quagmire of superstition, whilst on the other hand, with the wing of science alone he would also make no progress, but fall into the despairing slough of materialism. — Abdu'l- Baha

The reality of man is his thought, not his material body. The thought force and the animal force are partners. Although man is part of the animal creation, he possesses a power of thought superior to all other created beings. — Abdu'l- Baha

It is your duty to be exceedingly kind to every human being ... until ye change the world of man into the world of God. — Abdu'l- Baha

That world beyond is a world of sanctity and radiance; therefore, it is necessary that in this world he should acquire these divine attributes. In that world there is need of spirituality, faith, assurance, the knowledge and love of God. These he must attain in this world so that after his ascension from the earthly to the heavenly Kingdom he shall find all that is needful in that eternal life ready for him. — Abdu'l- Baha

To oppose knowledge is ignorant, and he who detests knowledge and science is not a man, but rather an animal without intelligence. For knowledge is light, life, felicity, perfection, beauty and the means of approaching the Threshold of Unity. It is the honor and glory of the world of humanity, and the greatest bounty of God. Knowledge is identical with guidance, and ignorance is real error — Abdu'l- Baha

In every aspect of life, purity and holiness, cleanliness and refinement, exalt the human condition ... Even in the physical realm, cleanliness will conduce to spirituality. — Abdu'l- Baha

When a man turns his face to God he finds sunshine everywhere. — Abdu'l- Baha

Man is in reality a spiritual being and only when he lives in the spirit is he truly happy. — Abdu'l- Baha

The pure heart is one that is entirely cut away from self. To be selfless is to be pure. — Abdu'l- Baha

If love and agreement are manifest in a single family, that family will advance, become illumined and spiritual. — Abdu'l- Baha

Man is not man simply because of bodily attributes. The standard of divine measure and judgment is his intelligence and spirit — Abdu'l- Baha

The time has come for humanity to hoist the standard of the oneness of the human world, so that dogmatic formulas and superstitions may end. — Abdu'l- Baha

Love everybody, serve everybody. — Abdu'l- Baha

The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord. — Abdu'l- Baha

Service to humanity is service to God. Let the love and light of the Kingdom radiate through you until all who look upon you shall be illumined by its reflection. Be as stars, brilliant and sparkling in the loftiness of their heavenly station. — Abdu'l- Baha

I want you to be happy ... to laugh, smile and rejoice in order that others may be made happy by you. — Abdu'l- Baha

Close investigation will show that the primary cause of oppression and injustice, of unrighteousness, irregularity and disorder, is the people's lack of religious faith and the fact that they are uneducated. — Abdu'l- Baha

The world in the past has been ruled by force, and man has dominated over woman by reason of his more forceful and aggressive qualities both of body and mind. But the balance is already shifting - force is losing its weight and mental alertness, intuition, and the spiritual qualities of love and service, in which woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy. Hence the new age will be an age less masculine, and more permeated with the feminine ideals - or, to speak more exactly, will be an age in which the masculine and feminine elements of civilization will be more evenly balanced. — Abdu'l- Baha

In this sacred Dispensation conflict and contention are in no wise permitted. — Abdu'l- Baha

The primary, the most urgent requirement is the promotion of education. It is inconceivable that any nation should achieve prosperity and success unless this paramount, this fundamental concern is carried forward. The principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples is ignorance. Today the mass of the people are uninformed even as to ordinary affairs, how much less do they grasp the core of the important problems and complex needs of the time. — Abdu'l- Baha

Let them at all times concern themselves with doing a kindly thing for one of their fellows, offering to someone love, consideration, thoughtful help. — Abdu'l- Baha

The human spirit may be likened to the bounty of the sun shining on a mirror. The body of man, ... grows and develops through the animal spirit. — Abdu'l- Baha

Love gives life to the lifeless. Love lights a flame in the heart that is cold. Love brings hope to the hopeless and gladdens the hearts of the sorrowful. In the world of existence there is indeed no greater power than the power of love — Abdu'l- Baha

The home of Religion is the heart. — Abdu'l- Baha

Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of mankind — Abdu'l- Baha

Woman must especially devote her energies and abilities toward the industrial and agricultural sciences, seeking to assist mankind in that which is most needful. By this means she will demonstrate capability and ensure recognition of equality in the social and economic equation. — Abdu'l- Baha

Humanity has emerged from its former degrees of limitation and preliminary training. Man must now become imbued with new virtues and powers, new moralities, new capacities. New bounties, bestowals and perfections are awaiting and already descending upon him. — Abdu'l- Baha

Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division, it would be better to be without it ... Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion. — Abdu'l- Baha

The body of the human world is sick. Its remedy and healing will be the oneness of the kingdom of humanity. Its life is the Most Great Peace. Its illumination and quickening is love. Its happiness is the attainment of spiritual perfections. — Abdu'l- Baha

If you desire with all your heart, friendship with every race on earth, your thought, spiritual and positive, will spread; it will become the desire of others, growing stronger and stronger, until it reaches the minds of all men. — Abdu'l- Baha

Love the creatures for the sake of God and not for themselves. You will never become angry or impatient if you love them for the sake of God. Humanity is not perfect. There are imperfections in every human being, and you will always become unhappy if you look toward the people themselves. But if you look toward God, you will love them and be kind to them, for the world of God is the world of perfection and complete mercy. Therefore, do not look at the shortcomings of anybody; see with the sight of forgiveness. The imperfect eye beholds imperfections. The eye that covers faults looks toward the Creator of souls. He created them, trains and provides for them, endows them with capacity and life, sight and hearing; therefore, they are the signs of His grandeur. You must love and be kind to everybody, care for the poor, protect the weak, heal the sick, teach and educate the ignorant. — Abdu'l- Baha

Christ is ever in the world of existence. He has never disappeared out of it ... Rest assured that Christ is present. The Spiritual beauty we see around us today is from the breathings of Christ. — Abdu'l- Baha

Sometimes I want to ask God why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice when He could do something about it, but I'm afraid he might just ask me the same question. — Abdu'l- Baha

210. "Experiences do not come to us by chance, they are sent to us by Divine Mercy for our own perfection." ~ — Abdu'l- Baha

Joy gives us wings! In times of joy our strength is more vital, our intellect keener, and our understanding less clouded. We seem better able to cope with the world and to find our sphere of influence. — Abdu'l- Baha

My hope is that the white and the black will be united in perfect love and fellowship, with complete unity and brotherhood. Associate with each other, think of each other, and be like a rose garden. Anyone who goes into a rose garden will see various roses, white, pink, yellow, red, all growing together and replete with adornment. Each one accentuates the beauty of the other. Were all of one color, the garden would be monotonous to the eye. If they were all white or yellow or red, the garden would lack variety and attractiveness; but when the colors are varied, white, pink, yellow, red, there will be the greatest beauty. — Abdu'l- Baha

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- Baha

If some one commits an error and wrong toward you, you must instantly forgive him. — Abdu'l- Baha

If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division it were better to be without it ... — Abdu'l- Baha

Every kind of knowledge, every science, is as a tree: if the fruit of it be the love of God, then is it a blessed tree, but if not, that tree is but dried-up wood, and shall only feed the fire — Abdu'l- Baha

In short, the foundation of the Kingdom of God is based upon harmony and love, oneness, relationship and union, not upon differences, especially between husband and wife. If one of these two become the cause of divorce, that one will 392 unquestionably fall into great difficulties, will become the victim of formidable calamities and experience deep remorse. — Abdu'l- Baha

In the world of existence there is no more powerful magnet than the magnet of love. — Abdu'l- Baha

Help along one another's projects and plans. — Abdu'l- Baha

We ask God to endow human souls with justice so that they may be fair and may strive to provide for the comfort of all that each member of humanity may pass his life in the utmost comfort and welfare. Then this material world will become the very paradise of the Kingdom this elemental earth will be in a heavenly state and all the servants of God will live in the utmost joy happiness and gladness. We must all strive and concentrate all our thoughts in order that such happiness may accrue to the world of humanity. — Abdu'l- Baha

Among the greatest of all great services is the education of children, and promotion of the various sciences, crafts and arts. Praised be God, ye are now exerting strenuous efforts toward this end. The more ye persevere in this most important task, the more will ye witness the confirmations of God, to such a degree that ye yourselves will be astonished. — Abdu'l- Baha

The education and training of children is among the most meritorious acts of humankind and draweth down the grace and favour of the All-Merciful, for education is the indispensable foundation of all human excellence and alloweth man to work his way to the heights of abiding glory. If a child be trained from his infancy, he will, through the loving care of the Holy Gardener, drink in the crystal waters of the spirit and of knowledge, like a young tree amid the rilling brooks. And certainly he will gather to himself the bright rays of the Sun of Truth, and through its light and heat will grow ever fresh and fair in the garden of life. — Abdu'l- Baha

If we are not happy and joyous at this season, for what other season shall we wait and for what other time shall we look? — Abdu'l- Baha

At whatever time highly skilled physicians shall have developed the healing of illnesses by means of foods, and shall make provision for simple foods, and shall prohibit humankind from living as slaves to their lustful appetites, it is certain that the incidence of chronic and diversified illnesses will abate, and the general health of all mankind will be much improved. This is destined to come about. In the same way, in the character, the conduct and the manners of men, universal modifications will be made. — Abdu'l- Baha

To promote knowledge is thus an inescapable duty imposed on every one of the friends of God. — Abdu'l- Baha

A man may be absolutely poor and dispossessed of everything, and yet be wordly. Another man may be very wealthy and yet severed. Severance means that one's heart must not be attached to the things of this world. It does not mean that a man must dispossess himself of them, or that he must not work and earn or practice his profession, whatever it may be, in the world. It does not mean that he must not put on what he has. If he has a silk garb, let him wear that; and if he has not, but has a suit of cotton goods, let him wear that clean. He must feel the same in both. — Abdu'l- Baha

There is no contradiction between true religion and science — Abdu'l- Baha

All down the ages we see how blood has stained the surface of the earth; but now a ray of greater light has come, man's intelligence is greater, spirituality is beginning to grow, and a time is surely coming when the religions of the world will be at peace ... let us join together to hasten forward the Divine Cause of unity, until all humanity knows itself to be one family, joined together in love. — Abdu'l- Baha

Fighting, and the employment of force, even for the right cause, will not bring about good results. The oppressed who have right on their side, must not take that right by force; the evil would continue. Hearts must be changed. The rich must wish to give! Life in man should be like a flame, warming all with whom it comes into contact. The spiritually awakened are like to bright torches in the sight of God, they give light and comfort to their fellows. — Abdu'l- Baha

One must see in every human being only that which is worthy
of praise. When this is done, one can be a friend to the whole human
race. If, however, we look at people from the standpoint of their
faults, then being a friend to them is a formidable task ...
... Thus is it incumbent upon us, when we direct our gaze toward
other people, to see where they excel, not where they fail.
— Abdu'l- Baha

If a man has ten good qualities and one bad one, to look at the ten and forget the one, and if a man has ten bad qualities and one good one, to look at the one and forget the ten. — Abdu'l- Baha

Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit. The laborer cuts up the earth with his plough, and from that earth comes the rich and plentiful harvest. The more a man is chastened, the greater is the harvest of spiritual virtues shown forth by him. — Abdu'l- Baha

Be calm, be strong, be grateful, and become a lamp full of light, that the darkness of sorrows be annihilated, and that the sun of everlasting joy arise from the dawning-place of heart and soul, shining brightly. — Abdu'l- Baha

The mind and spirit of man advance when he is tried by suffering ... so suffering and tribulation free man from the petty affairs of this worldly life until he arrives at a state of complete detachment. — Abdu'l- Baha

To attain eternal happiness one must suffer. He who has reached the state of self-sacrifice has true joy. Temporal joy will vanish. — Abdu'l- Baha

Where there is love, nothing is too much trouble and there is always time. — Abdu'l- Baha

Strive with all your hearts, raise up your voices and shout, until this dark world be filled with light. — Abdu'l- Baha

It is good to laugh. Laughter is spiritual relaxation. — Abdu'l- Baha

Illnesses which occur because of physical causes should be treated by doctors with medical remedies; those which are due to spiritual causes disappear through spiritual means. Thus an illness caused by affliction, fear, nervous impressions, will be healed more effectively by spiritual rather than physical treatment. Hence, both kinds of treatment should be followed; they are not contradictory. — Abdu'l- Baha

The mere size of the brain has been proved to be no measure of superiority. The woman has greater moral courage than the man; she has also special gifts which enable her to govern in moments of danger and crisis. If necessary she can become a warrior. — Abdu'l- Baha

I beseech you, one and all, to add your prayers to mine to the end that war and bloodshed cease, and that love, friendship, peace and unity reign in the world. — Abdu'l- Baha

Behold a candle, how it gives its light. It weeps its life away drop by drop in order to give forth its flame of light. — Abdu'l- Baha

To be a Baha'i simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood. — Abdu'l- Baha

knowledge is the cause of human progress. — Abdu'l- Baha

The wisdom of the appearance of the spirit in the body is this: the human spirit is a Divine Trust, and it must traverse all conditions, for its passage and movement through the conditions of existence will be the means of its acquiring perfections. — Abdu'l- Baha

People think religion is confined in an edifice, to be worshipped at an altar. In reality it is an attitude toward divinity which is reflected through life. — Abdu'l- Baha

God has created us all humanHe is kind & just to all. Why should we be unkind & unjust to each other? — Abdu'l- Baha

Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path — Abdu'l- Baha

By nothing,under no conditions, be ye perturbed. — Abdu'l- Baha

Observe that the body of man is confined to a small place; it covers only two spans of earth. But the spirit and mind of man travel to all countries and regions - even through the limitless space of the heavens - surround all that exists, and make discoveries in the exalted spheres and infinite distances. This is because the spirit has no place; it is placeless; and for the spirit the earth and the heaven are as one since it makes discoveries in both. — Abdu'l- Baha

Until the reality of equality between man and woman is fully established and attained, the highest social development of mankind is not possible. — Abdu'l- Baha

The intellect is good but until it has become the servant of the heart, it is of little avail. — Abdu'l- Baha

Love manifests its reality in deeds, not only in words-these alone are without effect. — Abdu'l- Baha

All Art is a gift of the Holy Spirit. When this light shines through the mind of a musician, it manifests itself in beautiful harmonies. Again, shining through the mind of a poet, it is seen in fine poetry and poetic prose. When the Light of the Sun of Truth inspires the mind of a painter, he produces marvellous pictures. These gifts are fulfilling their highest purpose, when showing forth the praise of God. — Abdu'l- Baha

Therefore, in this world he must prepare himself for the life beyond. That which he needs in the world of the Kingdom must be obtained here. Just as he prepared himself in the world of the matrix by acquiring forces necessary in this sphere of existence, so, likewise, the indispensable forces of the divine existence must be potentially attained in this world. — Abdu'l- Baha

Let us have love and more love; a love that melts all opposition, a love that conquers all foes, a love that sweeps away all barriers, a love that aboundeth in charity, a large-heartedness, tolerance, forgiveness and noble striving, a love that triumphs over all obstacles. — Abdu'l- Baha

Let's be wise as the silence, strong as the wind, useful as the light; let's make of our lips a censer of the virtues. — Abdu'l- Baha

An humble man without learning, but filled with the Holy Spirit,
is more powerful than the most nobly-born profound scholar
without that inspiration. He who is educated by the Divine Spirit
can, in his time, lead others to receive the same Spirit.
— Abdu'l- Baha

The confirmations of the Spirit are all those powers and gifts which some are born with (and which men sometimes call genius), but for which others have to strive with infinite pains. They come to that man or woman who accepts his life with radiant acquiescence. — Abdu'l- Baha

A thought of #hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of #love — Abdu'l- Baha

And now one of the greatest and most fundamental principles of the Cause of God is to shun and avoid entirely the Covenant-breakers, for they will utterly destroy the Cause of God, exterminate His Law and render of no account all efforts exerted in the past. — Abdu'l- Baha

There is but one power which heals - that is God. The state or condition through which the healing takes place is the confidence of the heart. By some this state is reached through pills, powders, and physicians. By others through hygiene, fasting, and prayer. By others through direct perception. — Abdu'l- Baha

Beware of prejudice; light is good in whatsoever lamp it is burning; a rose is beautiful in whatever garden it may bloom. — Abdu'l- Baha

If religious beliefs and opinions are found contrary to the standards of science they are mere superstitions and imaginations — Abdu'l- Baha

Anyone can live contentedly in circumstances of ease and comfort, health and well-being gratification and felicity; but to remain happy and contented in the face of difficulty, hardship and the onslaught of disease and sickness-this is an indication of nobility. — Abdu'l- Baha