Daily Frameworks for 23 February 2026

Kamál, 18 Mulk (Dominion), 182 B.E.

Quotes for Reflection

He feels you should both consider the competent running of your business not only a moral obligation to any creditors outstanding, but also the wise and proper thing to do. — written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi ¹

Question for Consideration

How does the above quote relate to divine law and secular law?

Perplexity Pro Response ²

The quote links divine law and secular law by insisting that running a business well is simultaneously a spiritual duty before God and a legal/ethical duty within society, especially toward creditors. [1]

Divine law dimension

In Bahá’í teachings, business conduct is a field for living out core divine laws such as trustworthiness, justice, and fulfilling one’s obligations. Failing to pay debts when able is explicitly described as contrary to “the good pleasure of the one true God,” and settling debts diligently is commanded as part of trustworthiness. Thus, to regard the “competent running” of a business as a “moral obligation” to creditors means seeing accurate accounting, prudent management, and repayment as obedience to God’s law, not just good practice. [1]

Secular law dimension

At the same time, Bahá’í texts repeatedly urge believers to act with rectitude and honesty in all dealings and to obey just laws of the state, particularly in economic and governmental roles. Competently managing a business so it can meet its obligations aligns with secular legal requirements around contracts, insolvency, and creditor rights, and is described as part of the “wise and proper” way to function in society. Good business management therefore becomes a bridge where religious virtue (trustworthiness) and civil obligations (creditor protection, fair dealing) reinforce each other rather than compete. [1]

How the quote ties them together

By calling sound business management both a “moral obligation” and “wise and proper,” the quote frames the same act—competent, honest operation of a business—as required by divine law and endorsed by secular reason and law. It implies that a believer cannot excuse financial negligence by appealing either to spirituality (e.g., “I am detached from material things”) or to minimal legal compliance; instead, they must actively protect creditors’ interests as part of living God’s commands and upholding the legitimate expectations of civil society. [1]

Follow-Up Questions Proposed by Perplexity

Here are some questions that could open up deeper reflection on this theme:

About divine law and moral obligation

• What does it mean, in practice, to see paying creditors as obedience to God rather than just “good manners”? [2] [3]
• How does trustworthiness in business become an act of worship, not just a personal virtue? [2] [4]
• Where is the line between unavoidable business loss and moral failure in the sight of God? [2] [4]

About secular law and civil duty

• How do laws about contracts, insolvency, and creditor protection reflect underlying spiritual values such as justice and the honoring of rights? [5] [6]
• When secular law allows something (e.g., walking away from debts legally) but divine law encourages a higher standard, how should a believer respond? [2] [4] [6]
• In what ways can “sound business practices” themselves be seen as a form of service to society and government? [6] [7]

Where the two intersect

• Why might Shoghi Effendi’s secretary describe competent business management as both “moral obligation” and “wise and proper”? What is gained by holding both together? [3]
• How can a business be run on “divine principles” (trustworthiness, truthfulness, justice) while also meeting the technical demands of modern commercial law? [2] [5] [7]
• What kinds of business decisions show the unity of divine and secular law—for example in transparency, fair contracts, realistic risk-taking, or how we treat employees and creditors in hardship? [2] [5] [7]

Personal application

• If I examined my own financial and business decisions, where would creditors or partners see clear evidence of trustworthiness—where might they not? [2] [4]
• How might my approach to budgeting, debt, and risk change if I saw them primarily as questions of spiritual responsibility rather than personal success or failure? [2] [4] [7]
• What concrete habits (record-keeping, consultation, legal advice, frank communication with creditors) could help me honor both divine law and secular law more faithfully? [5] [7]

​Citations

1. Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá’í Virtue | Bahá’í Reference Library
2. Trustworthiness – Baha’i Feast Devotional Program
3. Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá’í Virtue | Bahá’í Reference Library
4. Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá’í Virtue | Bahá’í Reference Library
5. Letters on Business Ethics | Holy Writings
6. Lights of Guidance: Shun Politics Like the Plague and be Obedient to the Government in Power | Bahai.works
7. Business | Bahá’í Quotes
8. Trustworthiness | Bahá’í Quotes

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/061632630. ↩︎
2. Perplexity Pro. “The Wise and Proper Thing to Do.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. February 22, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/he-feels-you-should-both-consi-KoLU5TMIRCW7w5pro73T7w#0. ↩︎