Jalál, 04 Ayyám-i-Há (The Days of Há), 182 B.E.
Quotes for Reflection
In sum, all beings, whether universal or particular, are mutually connected in accordance with God’s consummate wisdom and mutually influence one another. Were it not so, the all-embracing organization and universal arrangement of existence would become disordered and disrupted. And as all created things are most soundly connected one with another, they are well ordered, arranged, and perfected. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 1
Question for Consideration
What is the relationship between the “interconnectedness of all things” and “cause and effect”?
Perplexity Pro and Kimi K2.5 Model Response 2
In the passage you quoted, “the interconnectedness of all things” is the structure; “cause and effect” is how that structure actually operates. Interconnection means all things stand in real relations to one another, and cause and effect are those relations in motion.
Interconnection as a web of causes
‘Abdu’l‑Bahá explains that all beings “are linked together like a chain” and that their “mutual aid, assistance, and interaction…are the cause of their formation, development, and growth.” In other words, the very completeness of each thing depends on a network of other things acting on it and being acted upon by it. [1]
He likens the universe to a single body whose parts “mutually assist, reinforce, and influence each other,” so that the effect on one member is felt throughout the whole. This universal “mutual influence” is not just poetic; it is a description of an immense web of causes and effects, both material and spiritual, binding all things together. [2]
Cause and effect as the law of that web
Elsewhere, ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá affirms the principle that “every single thing has an effect and influence upon every other, either independently or through a causal chain.” So interconnectedness does not just mean everything is vaguely “related”; it means that nothing is causally isolated. Each thing is at once the effect of prior conditions and a cause that enters into the conditions of others. [3]
Bahá’í thinkers summarize His teaching as: “Every cause is followed by an effect…there could be no effect without a cause preceding it.” The network of interconnection is therefore structured by lawlike causal relations. To use His analogy: if at any time you bring together the same elements, in the same proportions, under the same interactions, you will get the same result—this expresses both the reliability of cause and effect and the ordered unity of the whole. [4] [5]
One ultimate Cause, many relative causes
At a deeper level, the Bahá’í writings say that “the cause through which all things are realized is but one,” namely God. Created things are causes relative to one another, but they are all dependent on, and encompassed by, the single creative Will that establishes nature’s order. [6] [7]
So there is a vertical dimension of causality (God as the uncaused Cause and constant sustainer) and a horizontal dimension (the myriad interlocking causes and effects among created things). The interconnectedness of all things is the horizontal expression of the one vertical Source: the same divine wisdom that originates all beings also binds them together in relationships of influence and dependence. [8] [9]
Moral and spiritual implications
Because reality is a tightly knit system of mutual influence, ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá says that “co-operation, mutual aid and reciprocity are essential characteristics in the unified body of the world of being,” and that all things “are closely related together and each is influenced by the other or deriveth benefit therefrom.” This means our choices never remain private or self‑contained; every act becomes a cause that reverberates through the human and natural worlds. [10]
In that light, “interconnectedness” is not just an ontological claim but an ethical one: to act justly, lovingly, or destructively is to set in motion chains of causes that affect countless others in the one body of existence. To recognize the oneness of reality is to become conscious of the law of cause and effect operating within it—and to assume responsibility for the kind of causes we choose to be. [11] [12]
Follow-Up Questions Proposed by Perplexity and Kimi K2.5 Model
- What is the full chapter on interconnectedness in Some Answered Questions?
- How does ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explain the influence of stars on earthly things?
- What proofs does ‘Abdu’l-Bahá give for mutual influence among beings?
- How does this teaching relate to the oneness of humanity in Bahá’í Faith?
- What are practical implications of universal interconnectedness for daily life?
Citations
- [1] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Some Answered Questions. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/725713286
- [2] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Some Answered Questions. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/802753808
- [3] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Some Answered Questions. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/725713286
- [4] Brown, Keven. “‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Response to Darwinism: Its Historical and Philosophical Context.” Bahá’í Library Online. https://bahai-library.com/brown_forward_article_evolution
- [5] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Some Answered Questions. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/072457695
- [6] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Some Answered Questions. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/590730358
- [7] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Some Answered Questions. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/456776856
- [8] Baha’i Quotations on Environment and Sustainable Development. International Environment Forum. https://iefworld.org/cmpquotes.htm. (“Were one to observe with an eye…”)
- [9] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Some Answered Questions. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/065007383
- [10] Baha’i Quotations on Environment and Sustainable Development. International Environment Forum. https://iefworld.org/cmpquotes.htm. (“co-operation, mutual aid and reciprocity…”)
- [11] Conservation of the Earth’s Resources. The Bahá’í Faith. https://www.bahai.org/documents/compiled-research-department-universal-house-of-justice/conservation-earths-resources
- [12] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Some Answered Questions. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/065007383
Footnotes
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Some Answered Questions. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/065007383 ↩︎
- Perplexity Pro and Kimi K2.5 Model. “The Relationship between the Interconnectedness of All Things and Cause and Effect.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. February 27, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/in-sum-all-beings-whether-univ-9jLsUHHuQ4Gqnn6gGzyIjQ ↩︎
Be the Voice of…
Therefore, all souls should consider it incumbent upon them to investigate reality. Reality is one; and when found, it will unify all mankind. Reality is the love of God. Reality is the knowledge of God. Reality is justice. Reality is the oneness or solidarity of mankind. Reality is international peace. Reality is the knowledge of verities. Reality unifies humanity. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá The Promulgation of Universal Peace | Bahá’í Reference Library.
Frameworks for Understanding the World 