Jalál, 10 Masá’il (Questions), 182 B.E.
Quotes for Reflection
O ye friends of God in His cities and His loved ones in His lands! This Wronged One enjoineth on you honesty and piety. Blessed the city that shineth by their light. Through them man is exalted, and the door of security is unlocked before the face of all creation. Happy the man that cleaveth fast unto them, and recognizeth their virtue, and woe betide him that denieth their station. — Bahá’u’lláh 1 2
Question for Consideration
How do honesty and piety unlock “the door of security…before the face of all creation”?
Perplexity Pro Response 3
Honesty and piety unlock “the door of security” by creating a climate of deep trust—within individuals, between people, and in the structures of society—so that fear, exploitation, and suspicion lose their power. [1]
What “security” means here
In the Bahá’í writings, security is not only physical safety but also inner assurance, social stability, and confidence that others will not betray, exploit, or humiliate one. [1]
Bahá’u’lláh states that trustworthiness (which rests on honesty and piety) “is the door of security for all that dwell on earth” and that “the stability of every affair hath depended and doth depend upon it.” [1]
How honesty builds trust
Honesty makes human relationships predictable and transparent, removing the need for constant defensiveness. [1]
When people tell the truth, keep promises, and honour agreements, they become “the trustees of God amongst His creatures,” and others can safely rely on their word and character. [1]
How piety restrains harmful impulses
Piety, in this context, means conscious reverence for God that governs motives, not just outward religious observance. [1]
Bahá’u’lláh links piety with “the fear of God,” describing it as a “citadel of strength” that prevents hypocrisy, corruption, and injustice, because a pious person is inwardly accountable even when unseen by others. [1]
From personal virtue to social protection
Bahá’u’lláh explains that “trustworthiness is the greatest portal leading unto the tranquillity and security of the people,” and that if people conformed their actions to such virtues, “the whole earth would by now be seen as a single country.” [1]
When honesty and piety become common standards—in family life, commerce, and government—systems of bribery, fraud, and oppression lose ground, and the vulnerable are protected by a culture that will not tolerate betrayal or abuse. [1]
“Before the face of all creation”
The phrase suggests a security so universal that no one is excluded: every relationship, transaction, and institution is illumined by these virtues. [1]
Bahá’u’lláh teaches that such qualities are “the cause of peace, security and tranquillity” and even “the supreme instrument for the prosperity of the world,” indicating that they safeguard not only individuals but the entire human enterprise. [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/526090337. ↩︎
- Bahá’u’lláh. Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. Translated by Shoghi Effendi. Rev. ed. 1953. Reprint, Wilmette, Ill: Baháʼí Publishing Trust, 1976, 13. https://www.bahai.org/r/713687345. ↩︎
- Perplexity Pro. “Honesty and Piety: Keys that Unlock the Door of Security.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. December 19, 2025. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/o-ye-friends-of-god-in-his-cit-zZufRFflT3yVLbGefBtQVA#0. ↩︎
Frameworks for Understanding the World 