Kamál, 07 Sharaf (Honor), 182 B.E.
Quotes for Reflection
O My loved ones! We charge you to conduct yourselves with trustworthiness and rectitude, that through you the attributes of your Lord may be manifested to His servants and the evidences of His exalted holiness may appear in every land. He is, verily, the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days. — Bahá’u’lláh 1
Question for Consideration
How should people conduct themselves so the attributes of Bahá’u’lláh “may be manifested to His servants and the evidences of His exalted holiness may appear in every land”?
Perplexity Pro Response 2
People manifest these attributes by living with trustworthiness, rectitude, and a visibly saintly character in every area of life—so consistently that their actions themselves become a proof of God’s qualities to others. [1]
Core qualities to embody
- Bahá’í writings say the purpose of God’s Manifestation is to summon humanity to truthfulness, sincerity, piety, trustworthiness, forbearance, kindness, uprightness, wisdom, and “to array every man with the mantle of a saintly character.” [1]
- When these virtues become stable traits rather than occasional acts, they “manifest the attributes” of God, and people around them begin to perceive “the sweet savours of the one true God” through their lives. [1]
Trustworthiness and rectitude
- Trustworthiness is described as “the goodliest vesture,” “the greatest portal” to the tranquillity and security of people, and “the sun of the heaven of My commandments.” [1]
- Rectitude and upright conduct are called a sword “sharper than blades of steel,” because integrity in action is more powerful than force in convincing hearts and reforming society. [1]
Consistency of deeds and words
- Believers are warned “lest ye walk in the ways of them whose words differ from their deeds,” and urged to “manifest to the peoples of the earth the signs of God, and to mirror forth His commandments.” [1]
- The teachings stress that the Cause is to be “assisted by the hosts of goodly deeds and a righteous character,” and that nothing establishes the truth of the Faith like purity of life and integrity of character. [1]
Everyday conduct in society
- In family life, work, commerce, and public service, people are asked to show honesty, fairness, freedom from corruption, contentment with rightful earnings, and sincere service to the common good. [1]
- Those who hold employment or office are told to act with detachment from self-interest, to avoid bribery and exploitation, and to see their work as service to God by serving humanity with justice and equity. [1]
Distinctive example in every land
- The friends are called to live so that when they enter a city, people say, “This man is unquestionably a Bahá’í,” because their manners, conduct, and nature reflect these divine attributes. [1]
- As this pattern is repeated “in every land,” communities become known for trustworthiness, purity, loving-kindness, and service, and thus the “evidences of His exalted holiness” appear in the life of the 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/037735014. ↩︎
- Perplexity Pro. “Conduct Yourselves with Trustworthiness and Rectitude.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. January 4, 2025. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/o-my-loved-ones-we-charge-you-wG9QkjoFTfCYc8t77S31tg#0 ↩︎
Frameworks for Understanding the World 