Daily Frameworks for 15 February 2026

Jamál, 10 Mulk (Dominion), 182 B.E.

Quotes for Reflection

Such a rectitude of conduct must manifest itself, with ever-increasing potency, in every verdict which the elected representatives of the Bahá’í community, in whatever capacity they may find themselves, may be called upon to pronounce. It must be constantly reflected in the business dealings of all its members, in their domestic lives, in all manner of employment, and in any service they may, in the future, render their government or people. ¹ It must be exemplified in the conduct of all Bahá’í electors, when exercising their sacred rights and functions. It must characterize the attitude of every loyal believer towards nonacceptance of political posts, nonidentification with political parties, nonparticipation in political controversies, and nonmembership in political organizations and ecclesiastical institutions. It must reveal itself in the uncompromising adherence of all, whether young or old, to the clearly enunciated and fundamental principles laid down by ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá in His addresses, and to the laws and ordinances revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in His Most Holy Book. It must be demonstrated in the impartiality of every defender of the Faith against its enemies, in his fair-mindedness in recognizing any merits that enemy may possess, and in his honesty in discharging any obligations he may have towards him. It must constitute the brightest ornament of the life, the pursuits, the exertions, and the utterances of every Bahá’í teacher, whether laboring at home or abroad, whether in the front ranks of the teaching force, or occupying a less active and responsible position. It must be made the hallmark of that numerically small, yet intensely dynamic and highly responsible body of the elected national representatives of every Bahá’í community, which constitutes the sustaining pillar, and the sole instrument for the election, in every community, of that Universal House whose very name and title, as ordained by Bahá’u’lláh, symbolizes that rectitude of conduct which is its highest mission to safeguard and enforce.It [rectitude of conduct] must be constantly reflected in the business dealings of all its members, in their domestic lives, in all manner of employment, and in any service they may, in the future, render their government or people. — Shoghi Effendi ²

Question for Consideration

What constitutes the rectitude of conduct Shoghi Effendi mentions that must be constantly reflected by Bahá’ís in their business dealings, domestic lives, in all manner of employment, and in any service they may render their government or people?

Perplexity Pro Response ³

Rectitude of conduct, as Shoghi Effendi uses it here, means a consistent pattern of truthfulness, trustworthiness, justice, purity of motive, and selfless service to others, lived out in every sphere of life so that Bahá’ís become a moral standard for society. [1]

Core qualities of rectitude of conduct

• Truthfulness and honesty: Speech and action must match, avoiding any trace of hypocrisy, deceit, exaggeration, or misrepresentation. [1]
• Trustworthiness and reliability: Being scrupulous in fulfilling trusts, respecting others’ property and rights, and never exploiting others for advantage. [1]
• Justice and fairness: Acting with equity, avoiding partiality, bribery, or manipulation, even when personal interest or pressure would pull otherwise. [1]
• Purity of motive: Serving God and humanity rather than ego, status, or gain, and keeping one’s work free from corruption, underhandedness, and self‑seeking. [1]
• Uprightness and integrity: Holding to moral principle even under temptation, pressure, or loss, so that character is the same in private as in public. [1]

In business dealings

Rectitude in business means conducting all transactions with absolute honesty, fairness in pricing and negotiation, honoring contracts and debts, and refusing any form of fraud, deceit, or unethical competition. Bahá’ís are urged to make their commercial lives a means of guiding others by the obvious integrity, fairness, and transparency of their dealings. [1]

In domestic and personal life

In the home, rectitude requires the same standard: truthfulness in family relationships, reliability in fulfilling responsibilities, financial fairness, and avoiding double standards (being “honest outside” but careless or unjust with one’s own family). The texts stress that if one is not trustworthy and upright at home, outward dealings, however respectable, will ultimately be hollow. [1]

In all employment

Whatever the profession, rectitude of conduct means: doing one’s work faithfully and competently, avoiding laziness, waste, or negligence, refusing bribes, and being content with one’s lawful remuneration. Those in official or administrative roles are specifically told to shun corruption, self‑interest, and abuse of power, and to see their work as service to the public good, not a path to personal enrichment. [1]

In service to government and people

When serving government or the broader society, rectitude becomes a visible proof of faith: complete honesty in public trust, detachment from party interests or factionalism, and total avoidance of bribery, extortion, and favoritism. Bahá’ís are called to be known as embodiments of probity and uprightness, so that governments and peoples would instinctively trust their integrity and desire to entrust responsibilities to them. [1]

In sum, the rectitude of conduct Shoghi Effendi speaks of is a coherent moral posture—truthful, trustworthy, just, pure‑minded, and selflessly service‑oriented—applied without exception to one’s business, home, work, and public service, until these qualities become the defining “hallmark” of the Bahá’í community. [1]

Follow-Up Questions Proposed by Perplexity

Here are some questions that could deepen understanding and application of rectitude of conduct:

Personal understanding

• What inner qualities (e.g., justice, honesty, trustworthiness) do I see as central to rectitude of conduct, and why? [2] [3]
• How does rectitude of conduct differ from simply “being a good person” in a general social sense? [2]
• In what ways does rectitude of conduct relate to the other “spiritual prerequisites for success” mentioned in The Advent of Divine Justice (chastity and freedom from prejudice)? [2] [4]

Daily life and relationships

• How would my speech and choices change if I consciously tried to let justice, truthfulness, and fairness “distinguish every phase” of my life? [2] [3]
• Where are the subtle forms of dishonesty or self‑deception that I tend to excuse in myself (e.g., small exaggerations, hidden motives)? [2]
• How can I better align my private life at home with the same standards I try to show in public? [1] [2]

Work and business

• What specific practices at my workplace or in my profession most test my honesty, fairness, or detachment from material gain? [1] [2]
• How could my way of doing business or my professional work become a conscious means of demonstrating trustworthiness and guiding others? [1] [2]
• If my colleagues were asked privately to describe my integrity, what would they say, and what does that reveal about my rectitude of conduct? [2]

Service to society and institutions

• How can I show rectitude of conduct when I must interact with systems or cultures that tolerate corruption, gossip, or partisanship? [2] [5]
• What would it look like in practice for Bahá’ís to be so trusted in public service that people naturally seek them out for responsible positions? [1] [5]
• How does non‑identification with political parties relate to having an “abiding sense of undeviating justice”? [2]

Community life and teaching

• How can Bahá’í institutions and communities reflect rectitude of conduct in consultation, decision‑making, and handling funds? [2] [5]
• In what ways does my own example of rectitude of conduct affect the effectiveness of my teaching and service to the Faith? [1] [2]
• What habits can a community cultivate so that rectitude of conduct becomes its natural culture rather than an occasional effort? [3] [5]

You could pick one or two of these questions for personal reflection, journaling, or group discussion and return to them over time as you read the relevant passages again. [1] [2]

​Citations

1. Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá’í Virtue. Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, Revised August 1990 – Bahá’í Reference Library
2. The Advent of Divine Justice | Bahá’í Reference Library
3. The “rectitude of conduct” and “its implications” that “must distinguish every phase of the life of the Bahá’í community” | Baha’i Points of Interest
4. The Advent of Divine Justice: An Introduction | Layli Maria Miron
5. The National Spiritual Assembly | Bahá’í Reference Library

Footnotes

1. 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/177448563. ↩︎
2. Effendi, Shoghi. The Advent of Divine Justice. Bahá’í Reference Library, 1938. https://www.bahai.org/r/616588933. ↩︎
3. Perplexity Pro. “Rectitude of Conduct Must Manifest Itself.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. February 14, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/such-a-rectitude-of-conduct-mu-43pj.f.2T4Sy5k4quS5SQw#0. ↩︎