Kamál, 19 Masá’il (Questions), 182 B.E.
Quotes for Reflection
Thou art most dear to Us; and, as We love thee, so love We all in whom may be perceived the goodly adornments of trustworthiness and uprightness, and such qualities of virtue and integrity as have been enjoined upon men in the Book of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Happy the lot of the soul that hath perceived the fragrant breaths of divine utterance, and given ear to what hath been revealed by God, the Omniscient, the All-Informed. God hath, verily, willed that His Cause should be assisted by the hosts of goodly deeds and a righteous character. Blessed, then, be the man that apprehendeth this truth and acteth conformably; and woe betide those who ignore or deny it! — Bahá’u’lláh 1
Question for Consideration
How does God regard humanity and what perceived qualities exhibited by people does God love?
Perplexity Pro Response 2
God regards humanity with profound love and favor, particularly toward those who embody divine virtues, while willing that His Cause be advanced through righteous character and goodly deeds. In the Bahá’í teachings, God loves qualities such as trustworthiness, uprightness, truthfulness, piety, forbearance, justice, sincerity, and integrity, viewing them as the highest adornments and acts that rank above all others. [1]
God’s View of Humanity
Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes that God summons all mankind to array themselves with saintly character and holy deeds, making trustworthiness the goodliest vesture in His sight and the foundation for peace and security. Humanity’s purpose is to manifest these virtues, with God bestowing bounty and honor on souls who do so, while woe betides those who ignore this call. [1]
Loved Qualities
- Trustworthiness: Described as the sun of God’s commandments, the greatest portal to tranquility, and better than pilgrimage in God’s estimation. [1]
- Uprightness and truthfulness: Fruits of faith, mirrors of divine attributes, and essential for exalting the Cause. [1]
- Piety, forbearance, justice, sincerity: Among the highest acts, adorning the soul and drawing divine confirmation. [1]
Role in Divine Cause
God wills His Cause to be assisted by hosts of goodly deeds and righteous character, with those who perceive and act on divine utterances deemed blessed. These qualities distinguish Bahá’ís, making them trustees among creation and embodiments of generosity. [1]
Follow-Up Questions Proposed by Perplexity
Questions that deepen understanding of God’s love invite reflection on who God is, who we are, and how our choices relate to divine purpose. Below are sample questions you could ponder or journal on. [1]
About God’s love itself
- What does it mean that God “hath ever loved faithfulness” and wills that people be adorned with trustworthiness and godliness? [1]
- How does God’s purpose “to array every man with the mantle of a saintly character” express His love for humanity? [1]
- In what ways is God’s love present even when He warns of “woe” to those who ignore or deny His counsels? [1]
About valued qualities
- Why might trustworthiness be called “the goodliest vesture in the sight of God” and “the sun of the heaven of My commandments”? [1]
- What do qualities like truthfulness, uprightness, forbearance, justice, and sincerity reveal about the kind of character God loves? [1]
- How are virtues such as purity of heart, patience, thankfulness in tribulation, and reliance on God expressions of a loving relationship with Him? [1]
About behavior and daily life
- How would life, work, and society change if “the first, the fundamental purpose underlying creation” is seen as the appearance of trustworthiness, sincerity, and goodwill among people? [1]
- What does it suggest about God’s love that everyday occupations (commerce, service, governance) are described as arenas to show trustworthiness and piety? [1]
- How does making one’s dealings entirely honest and faithful become, in God’s sight, more important than performing many other good works? [1]
About relationship and response
- What does it mean, personally, to be “most dear” to God because in you can be “perceived the goodly adornments of trustworthiness and uprightness”? [1]
- How might listening more attentively to “the fragrant breaths of divine utterance” deepen awareness of being loved by God? [1]
- In what ways do “goodly deeds and a righteous character” become “hosts” that assist God’s Cause, and how does this clarify how God loves to work through people? [1]
About community and the world
- How does God’s love appear in the call for humanity to “live together in concord and harmony” and to let the world’s affairs be administered “through the potency of love”? [1]
- What picture of God’s love emerges when trustworthiness is described as “the supreme instrument for the prosperity of the world” and “the greatest portal leading unto the tranquillity and security of the people”? [1]
- How might a community that truly reflects trustworthiness, rectitude, and loving-kindness become a sign of God’s love to the wider world? [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/758735972. ↩︎
- Perplexity Pro. “About God’s Love.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. December 28, 2025. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/thou-art-most-dear-to-us-and-a-tkuMuw51SL2RR0BMZmD.NQ#0 ↩︎
Frameworks for Understanding the World 