Daily Frameworks for 23 September 2025

Fidál, 17 ʼIzzat (Might), 182 B.E.

Social Action: Selected Themes Pertaining to Social and Economic Development

Quotes for Reflection:

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. When, for example, the people are genuinely religious and are literate and well-schooled, and a difficulty presents itself, they can apply to the local authorities; if they do not meet with justice and secure their rights and if they see that the conduct of the local government is incompatible with the divine good pleasure and the king’s justice, they can then take their case to higher courts and describe the deviation of the local administration from the spiritual law. Those courts can then send for the local records of the case and in this way justice will be done. At present, however, because of their inadequate schooling, most of the population lack even the vocabulary to explain what they want. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ^{1 2}

Question for Consideration

From a Bahá’í standpoint, how do people transition from lacking in religious faith and suffering from ignorance, to being genuinely religious, literate, and well-schooled?

Perplexity Pro Response ³

From a Bahá’í standpoint, the transition from a state of oppression, ignorance, and lack of faith to one of genuine religiosity, literacy, and education is envisioned as a gradual, organic, and collective process that unfolds at both individual and community levels, rooted in specific teachings and practical action. [1]

Foundations for the Transition

Bahá’í teachings stress that both spiritual and material education must be universally accessible, with the acquisition of knowledge seen as a primary duty for all. There is an emphasis not only on literacy and academic learning but also on the cultivation of good character and spiritual insight. “The promotion of education” is described as “the most urgent requirement”—the principal means by which oppression and injustice are overcome and by which societies achieve prosperity and freedom. [1]

Practical Steps and Community Processes

• Every child is to receive an education, and, if needed, communities themselves are to provide for those who cannot afford it, ensuring no one is deprived of learning. [1]
• Spiritual Assemblies (Bahá’í elected institutions) are charged specifically with the promotion of learning, establishment of schools, and development of educational resources and facilities, including focusing on girls’ education and raising both scientific and moral standards. [1]
• Moral training and character-building are considered foundational—education, to be truly fruitful, must integrate both spiritual and intellectual elements, fostering individuals who are not only knowledgeable but also upright, just, and empowered to seek justice through proper social channels. [1]
  

The Role of Capacity Building and Social Action

The Bahá’í community-building process centers around activities such as study circles, devotional meetings, children’s classes, and youth empowerment programs. These are designed not just to teach religious doctrine, but to build individual and collective capacity for service, reflection, and consultation—a systematic approach to learning and action that strengthens faith and intellect together. [1]

• As capacity within a community grows, acts of social action naturally emerge, such as starting schools, literacy programs, and community improvement projects. [1]
• Individuals move from passivity to active protagonism in their own betterment and that of their society, accompanied by others in study and service, creating a reinforcing cycle of spiritual, moral, and intellectual upliftment. [1]
  

Spiritual and Structural Integration

Bahá’í texts affirm that true transformation requires the “dynamic coherence between the material and spiritual requirements of life”. Both faith and reason—science and religion—are elevated and harmonized. The transition is thus viewed as participatory, inclusive, and long-term: “the long-term solution… is to engage in constructive collaboration… to build a progressive and orderly society committed to the promotion of knowledge and social justice”. [1]

Organic and Adaptive Growth

There are no shortcuts or formulas; the process is one of sustained, effortful advancement, learning from experience, responding to local needs, and nurturing talents and abilities in every individual. Answers and methods emerge through consultation, action, and reflection, continually informed by Bahá’í principles and engagement with wider societal thought. [1]

In summary, Bahá’í teachings envision social transformation as rooted in universal access to education—moral, spiritual, and intellectual—guided by a process of community-building, institution-building, and social action, where individuals and communities together learn, consult, and act to overcome ignorance and oppression and build structures of justice and unity. [1]

Citations

[1] Social Action-A Compilation Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice August 2020 – Bahá’í Reference Library

1. Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. “Social Action.” Bahá’í Reference Library, August 2020. https://www.bahai.org/r/595099599. ↩
2. ’Abdu’l-Bahá. The Secret of Divine Civilization. Translated by Marzieh Gail. 2nd Edition | Reprint. Wilmette, Ill: Baháʾí Publishing Trust, 1975, 18. https://www.bahai.org/r/049834550. ↩
3. Perplexity Pro. “Transition to Faith, Literacy, and Education.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. September 22, 2025. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/close-investigation-will-show-p.DixEIbQFSCDtMbLR5.JQ. ↩