Jalál, 02 Mulk (Dominion), 182 B.E.
Quotes for Reflection
These are the days for rendering the divine Cause victorious and effective aid! The victory of God’s Faith is dependent upon teaching; and teaching is conditional upon righteous actions and goodly deeds and conduct. The foundation-stone of a life lived in the way of God is the pursuit of moral excellence and the acquisition of a character endowed with qualities that are well-pleasing in His sight. The Bahá’ís should adorn themselves with this holy raiment; with this mighty sword they should conquer the citadels of men’s hearts. People have grown weary and impatient of rhetoric and discourse, of preaching and sermonizing. In this day, the one thing that can deliver the world from its travail and attract the hearts of its peoples is deeds, not words; example, not precept; saintly virtues, not statements and charters issued by governments and nations on socio-political affairs. In all matters, great or small, word must be the complement of deed, and deed the companion of word: each must supplement, support and reinforce the other. It is in this respect that the Bahá’ís must seek distinction over other peoples and nations, whom the Pen of the Most High has epitomized in the following words: “Their words are the pride of the world, and their deeds are the shame of the nations.” — Shoghi Effendi 1
Question for Consideration
How is the victory of God’s Faith through teaching conditional upon one’s words and actions?
Perplexity Pro Response 2
The victory of God’s Faith through teaching is conditional on words and actions because only when speech is authenticated by conduct do hearts open, trust is established, and the divine message becomes credible and transformative. [2] [3]
Why deeds are the condition for teaching
- Shoghi Effendi states that “the victory of God’s Faith is dependent upon teaching; and teaching is conditional upon righteous actions and goodly deeds and conduct.” This makes personal character a prerequisite for effective proclamation, not an optional ornament. [1]
- When a believer’s life reflects moral excellence and virtues “well-pleasing in His sight,” their very being becomes a proof of the Faith and a silent form of teaching that attracts souls even before words are spoken. [1] [3]
The unity of word and deed
- Bahá’u’lláh warns the friends “lest ye walk in the ways of them whose words differ from their deeds” and urges that “your acts be a guide unto all mankind,” showing that deeds are the true measure of one’s message. The coherence of what we say and what we do is itself a spiritual argument. [3]
- He further affirms that “it behoveth the people of Bahá to render the Lord victorious through the power of their utterance and to admonish the people by their goodly deeds and character, inasmuch as deeds exert greater influence than words,” explaining that both speech and conduct are needed, but that action carries the greater weight. [3]
Why the age demands example, not rhetoric
- Shoghi Effendi notes that “people have grown weary and impatient of rhetoric and discourse, of preaching and sermonizing,” and that in this day what can “deliver the world from its travail and attract the hearts of its peoples is deeds, not words; example, not precept.” The victory of the Cause, then, depends on a community whose life stands in contrast to the prevailing insincerity and hypocrisy. [1] [2]
- In such a context, Bahá’ís “conquer the citadels of men’s hearts” with “this mighty sword” of a chaste, trustworthy, and selfless life, making their teaching efforts effective because seekers witness a pattern of life that answers the world’s disillusionment. [1] [2] [4]
How word and deed work together in teaching
- Shoghi Effendi explains that “in all matters, great or small, word must be the complement of deed, and deed the companion of word: each must supplement, support and reinforce the other,” and that it is precisely in this harmony that Bahá’ís must seek distinction. Teaching that is only action can lack clarity, while teaching that is only speech lacks power. [1] [2]
- An illustration: a believer who serves their neighborhood with consistency and kindness (deed) and, when asked, gently explains that this spirit of service is inspired by Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings (word) unites both, allowing the Cause to be “rendered victorious” because the message is embodied, intelligible, and trustworthy. [3] [4]
The inner spiritual logic
- Bahá’u’lláh states that “the essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds; he whose words exceed his deeds, know verily his death is better than his life,” indicating that authentic faith naturally overflows in action. Where there is such authenticity, teaching arises as an organic expression of inner belief. [3]
- Thus the “victory of God’s Faith” is not merely numerical growth but the establishment of a new pattern of life; since that pattern is communicated primarily through character and conduct, teaching in this dispensation is “conditional upon righteous actions and goodly deeds and conduct,” making the believer’s life itself the primary vehicle of divine confirmation. [1] [3]
Follow-Up Questions Proposed by Perplexity
- What additional quotes about teaching and deeds are by Shoghi Effendi?
- What are other quotations by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the compilation A Chaste and Holy Life?
- How do Bahai teachings emphasize deeds over words?
- What are key Bahai principles for righteous conduct?
- What are examples of Bahai service through good deeds?
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
- A Chaste and Holy Life: The Power of Example | Bahá’í Reference Library
- Words and Deeds | Reflections on the Baha’i Faith
- 3 Ways Our Deeds Define Us | Baha’i Blog
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/270482031 ↩︎
- Perplexity Pro. “Words Must Complement Deeds.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. February 6, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/these-are-the-days-for-renderi-h.KufaQDSNeaeafVrkwaBQ#0 ↩︎
Frameworks for Understanding the World 