Kamál, 09 Sulțán (Sovereignty), 182 B.E.
Quotes for Reflection
Commerce, agriculture and industry should not, in truth, be a bar to service of the one true God. Indeed, such occupations are most potent instruments and clear proofs for the manifestation of the evidences of one’s piety, of one’s trustworthiness and of the virtues of the All-Merciful Lord. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 1
Question for Consideration
How do commerce, agriculture and industry provide “potent instruments and clear proofs for the manifestation of the evidences of one’s piety, of one’s trustworthiness and of the virtues of the All-Merciful Lord”?
Perplexity Pro Response 2
Commerce, agriculture, and industry become “potent instruments and clear proofs” of piety and trustworthiness when they are carried out as conscious acts of worship that visibly reflect Godlike virtues in concrete, material life. [1]
Work as worship
In the Bahá’í writings, engaging in a trade or profession is called an “act of worship” when done in a spirit of service and with trustworthiness. This means that earning a living is not separate from devotion to God; it is one of the chief arenas in which devotion is proved. When someone conducts their business or farm work with honesty, justice, and purity of motive, their daily labor itself testifies to their piety more convincingly than words. [1]
Trustworthiness in economic life
Bahá’u’lláh describes trustworthiness as the “greatest portal” of human tranquility and the “supreme instrument for the prosperity of the world,” and ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá says it is the “bedrock” of all virtues. Commerce, agriculture, and industry are precisely the fields where trustworthiness is constantly tested—contracts, prices, wages, debts, quality, and stewardship of resources. If a person refuses fraud, corruption, and exploitation, pays debts promptly, gives full measure and fair quality, and safeguards others’ property, that consistent pattern becomes a clear proof of inner faith and moral reliability. [1]
Manifesting divine virtues through service
The revealed purpose of religion is to summon people to truthfulness, piety, justice, forbearance, and kindliness and to “array every man with the mantle of a saintly character.” Economic occupations put these virtues into action: agriculture expresses care for life and moderation in using the earth; industry can embody excellence, cooperation, and service to society; commerce can display fairness, generosity, and consideration for the poor. When work is organized on principles of honesty, equity, and the common good, it becomes a visible sign of the “virtues of the All‑Merciful Lord” at work in human relationships. [1]
A practical example
‘Abdu’l‑Bahá explains that business should be conducted with such fairness that people exclaim, “How great is their truthfulness, how high their trustworthiness, and how true is their good will!” Imagine a business owner who refuses bribes, pays just wages, keeps promises even at personal cost, and uses profits to improve community welfare; that enterprise itself becomes a demonstration that faith has transformed character. In this way, commerce, agriculture, and industry do not distract from the love of God but become the very means by which the believer’s piety and trustworthiness are made evident. [1]
Citations
- Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá’í Virtue. Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, Revised August 1990 – Bahá’í Reference Library
Footnotes
- Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. “Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá’í Virtue.” Bahá’í Reference Library, Revised August 1990. https://www.bahai.org/r/014231660. ↩︎
- Perplexity Pro. “Occupations as Potent Instruments and Clear Proofs.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. January 25, 2025. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/commerce-agriculture-and-indus-qUCcZyRWTjyCSmufdmbYlw#0 ↩︎
Frameworks for Understanding the World 