Fidál, 01 Sharaf (Honor), 182 B.E.
Quotes for Reflection
We send our greetings to the friends and exhort them to conduct themselves with rectitude, trustworthiness, piety, virtue and loving-kindness—with all those qualities, in fine, that will serve to bring forth man’s true station in the world of being. He Who is the Eternal Truth, exalted be His glory, hath ever loved faithfulness. Well is it with him who adorneth his temple with its raiment, and is honoured by this greatest of distinctions. — Bahá’u’lláh 1
Question for Consideration
Given God’s love of faithfulness, how does one demonstrate it and thereby receive honor for doing so?
Perplexity Pro Response 2
Faithfulness is demonstrated by consistently living the virtues Bahá’u’lláh names—trustworthiness, rectitude, piety, virtue, and loving‑kindness—until they become the stable pattern of a life, in public and in private. When this constancy in word and deed appears, it attracts divine confirmations and is described in the Writings as true honor and distinction before God. [1]
What faithfulness means
- Bahá’u’lláh states that God loves faithfulness and that “well is it” with the one who adorns his “temple” with it, showing it is an inner quality expressed outwardly. [1]
- Faith is likened to a tree whose fruits and branches are trustworthiness, truthfulness, uprightness, and forbearance, meaning faithfulness is shown through these concrete virtues. [1]
Core ways to demonstrate it
- Trustworthiness in all dealings: Being scrupulously honest in business, handling others’ property as a sacred trust, settling debts diligently, and refusing any form of corruption or exploitation are repeatedly described as foundations of faith.
- Truthfulness and integrity: Speaking truth even when costly, avoiding hypocrisy, and ensuring words and deeds are in harmony are called the “goodliest of qualities” and the “bedrock” of all virtues. [1]
The spirit behind the actions
- Purity of motive and reliance on God: Acting for God’s good pleasure, with contentment, resignation to His will, and thankfulness even in trials, is listed among the “highest and most laudable of all acts.” [1]
- Service and selflessness: Making one’s work, position, and capacities means of serving others and the common good—not tools for self-advancement—is repeatedly enjoined as the true standard for believers. [1]
Daily habits of faithfulness
- Guarding one’s tongue from lying, backbiting, and harshness, while adorning it with truthfulness and courtesy. [1]
- Being punctual, dependable, and steady in one’s promises, responsibilities, and community obligations, such that others recognize a Bahá’í by conduct alone. [1]
The honor that follows
- Bahá’u’lláh associates trustworthiness and faithfulness with “all bounty and honour” and calls them “the worlds comeliest garment,” saying that whoever clothes themselves with these virtues is elevated in station. [1]
- The Writings promise that such a soul’s name is remembered by the Concourse on high and that their deeds become a means to attract others and to “exalt” the Cause of God. [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/782599780. ↩︎
- Perplexity Pro. “For the Love of Faithfulness.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. December 29, 2025. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/we-send-our-greetings-to-the-f-0IWv5Q15S6Sj9LVfT8eyDw#0 ↩︎
Frameworks for Understanding the World 