Jalál, 04 Raḥmat (Mercy), 183 B.E.
Quotes for Reflection
Alláh-u-Abhá! Praise be to God! I have spent a number of days among you, associating with you in love and fragrance. Praise be to God! Your hearts are pure, your faces radiant, your spirits exhilarated through the glad tidings of God. I pray in your behalf, seeking heavenly confirmations for you that each one may become a radiant candle, shedding light in the world of humanity. May you become the quintessence of love. May you prove to be the effulgence of God, replete with the efficacy of the Holy Spirit and the cause of unity and fellowship in the world of humanity, for today mankind has the greatest need of love and agreement. If the world should remain as it is today, great danger will face it. But if reconciliation and unity are witnessed, if security and confidence be established, if with heart and soul we strive in order that the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh may find effective penetration in the realities of humankind, inducing fellowship and accord, binding together the hearts of the various religions and uniting divergent peoples, the world of mankind shall attain peace and composure, the will of God will become the will of man and the earth a veritable habitation of angels. Souls shall be educated, vice be dispelled, the virtues of the world of humanity prevail, materialism pass away, religion be strengthened and prove to be the bond which shall cement together the hearts of men. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá [1]
Question for Consideration
What is the Bahá’í perspective on materialism as it impacts individuals, communities and institutions? [2]
Perplexity Computer Response
The Bahá’í perspective sees materialism as a profound distortion of human purpose that harms individuals, communities, and institutions, and proposes a balanced, spiritually grounded approach to material life as the remedy. [3]
Core Bahá’í view of materialism
Bahá’í writings describe “crude materialism” as what happens when science, technology, economics, or daily life are cut off from moral and spiritual principles. Religion without science degenerates into superstition, but science without religion becomes an instrument of materialism that reduces human progress to consumption and power. Materialism is not simply “having things”; it is a mindset that treats matter, wealth, status, and pleasure as ultimate realities, denying the primacy of spirit, moral responsibility, and the deeper meaning of life. [4] [6] [3]
From a Bahá’í standpoint, this mindset produces social and psychological pathologies: extreme wealth and poverty, consumerism, corruption, and a pervasive sense of discontent and purposelessness. The Faith therefore advocates a “dynamic coherence” between the spiritual and material dimensions of life, so that material means are consciously used to serve justice, unity, and human flourishing rather than self‑gratification or domination. [6] [5]
Impact on individuals
Materialism is understood to distort the inner life of the person: their identity, motivations, and capacity for service. When success is defined mainly by possessions, status, or power, individuals: [7] [6]
- Become trapped in cycles of comparison, anxiety, and dissatisfaction, because desires continually outpace acquisitions. [6]
- Are encouraged to see themselves as primarily consumers rather than as moral agents and “protagonists” of their own development and their community’s well‑being. [5]
- Lose sight of questions of meaning—who they are, why they exist, and how they should act toward others—which Bahá’í writings regard as the real foundation of well‑being. [7]
Bahá’í texts stress that people “desperately need to know how to live their lives…who they are, to what purpose they exist, and how they should act towards one another,” and that this knowledge must be applied gradually to everyday behavior. A materialistic culture answers these questions inadequately by equating life’s purpose with comfort, consumption, and self‑interest, leaving individuals spiritually undernourished even when materially supplied. [5] [6] [7]
At the same time, the Bahá’í perspective is not ascetic: believers are urged to acquire a trade or profession, earn a livelihood, and use material resources in ways that benefit others, rather than pursuing work that is harmful or purely self‑serving. Thus the problem is not material well‑being itself, but a materialistic orientation that detaches material life from moral and spiritual aims. [7]
Impact on communities
Bahá’í analyses of development and community life emphasize that materialism corrodes trust, solidarity, and justice at the local level. When communities absorb values like admiration for power, pursuit of status, and self‑gratification: [8]
- Young people’s hearts and minds are shaped by norms that quietly condone exploitation, inequality, and indifference to others. [5]
- Bonds of trust and reciprocity weaken, making cooperation and collective problem‑solving more difficult. [5]
- Community priorities skew toward short‑term gain—consumption, image, and competition—rather than the long‑term nurturing of capacities for justice, honesty, and freedom from prejudice. [9]
Bahá’í statements to international bodies describe “corrosive materialism” as a major reason economics has been detached from the broader context of humanity’s social and spiritual existence. This leads communities to confuse prosperity with the sheer increase of goods and services, without adequate attention to environmental limits, ethical responsibilities, or the moral atmosphere in which children grow up. [3]
In contrast, vibrant communities are portrayed as those that deliberately cultivate capacities such as cooperation, truthfulness, and justice, and that see their obligations as including employment with fair wages, health care, rest, and opportunities for meaningful participation. Material arrangements—economic, social, and environmental—are consciously shaped to reflect spiritual principles, so that prosperity is shared and tied to collective moral growth rather than conspicuous consumption. [9]
Impact on institutions
From a Bahá’í standpoint, institutions are crucial actors in either reinforcing materialism or helping societies transcend it. Public and social institutions that operate primarily on the basis of power, status, and self‑interest tend to: [10]
- Foster corruption, where office becomes a pathway to personal enrichment and influence rather than service to the common good. [10]
- Exercise authority in a top‑down, dominating manner, instead of consulting with the populations they serve. [10]
- Project an image of “success” measured by budgets, infrastructure, or military and economic power, rather than integrity, justice, and the genuine well‑being of their people. [4]
Bahá’í institutions are explicitly designed to guard against these materialistic distortions by refusing pathways to personal power, emphasizing collective decision‑making, and cultivating a culture of consultation, humility, and transparency. A Bahá’í statement on integrity in public institutions notes that because Bahá’í administration does not allow the imposition of arbitrary individual will or leadership, it cannot be used as a route to personal power. [11]
The Bahá’í International Community argues that institutions should embody a “high sense of duty, justice and devotion to public welfare” in order to win the confidence and esteem of those they serve. Their role is not to dictate, but to consult and to create environments in which individuals and communities can develop their capacities and participate meaningfully in shaping their future. Material resources, in this view, are tools to support education, health, employment, and cultural life, not levers for domination or self‑glorification. [5]
Moving beyond materialism: coherence of spiritual and material
The remedy proposed by the Bahá’í teachings is not withdrawal from material life but a reordering of priorities in which spiritual principles consciously govern how material means are acquired and used. Several themes recur: [3]
- Dynamic coherence: true prosperity requires coherence between the spiritual and material dimensions of life; efforts to eradicate poverty must consider ethical and social resources as much as material ones. [4]
- Centrality of moral and spiritual education: transforming spiritual conditions—values, motives, and relationships—is seen as the necessary foundation for lasting change in material affairs. [7]
- Focus on building the good rather than only fighting scattered evils: Bahá’í writings counsel against a “quixotic tournament” of attacking problems one by one, and instead advocate building a strong, unified world order based on justice and spiritual principles which will progressively remove injustices. [7]
In practical terms, this means individuals striving to align their professions, consumption habits, and use of wealth with service and justice; communities organizing activities that develop capacities and provide social support; and institutions embodying integrity, consultation, and long‑term responsibility for both people and planet. Material civilization is thus re‑imagined as the outward expression of inner spiritual progress, not its replacement. [8]
Footnotes
[1] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. THE PROMULGATION OF UNIVERSAL PEACE. Bahá’i Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/982938870
[2] Perplexity Computer. “Bahá’í Perspective on Materialism.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. June 26, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/c3ff785b-c0b3-4cf0-a1e3-e99bff378e56
[3] Bahá’í International Community Staff. “What Bahá’ís Believe: An Ever-Advancing Civilization: Science and Religion.” The Bahá’í Faith. https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/god-his-creation/ever-advancing-civilization/science-religion
[4] International Environment Forum Staff. “The Economy: A Bahá’í Perspective.” International Environment Forum. https://iefworld.org/economy_comp
[5] Bahá’í International Community Staff. “Oral Statement to the 49th Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development.” United Nations, February 14, 2011. https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/csocd/2011/bahai.pdf
[6] Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian. “Materialism and Discontent: Bahá’í Perspectives.” Wilmette Institute on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVDt7B7HKU0
[7] Universal House of Justice. “19 November 1974 – The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Italy.” Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/091392946
[8] International Environment Forum Staff. “Baha’i Quotations on Environment and Sustainable Development.” International Environment Forum. https://iefworld.org/cmpquotes.htm
[9] Office of Social and Economic Development. “The Worldwide Bahá’í Community’s Approach to Social and Economic Development.” Uplifting Words, March 31, 2019/Updated April 11, 2019. https://www.upliftingwords.org/post/the-worldwide-bahai-community-s-approach-to-social-and-economic-development
[10] Bahá’í International Community Staff. “Overcoming Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity in Public Institutions: A Baha’i Perspective.” Bahá’í International Community, May 28, 2001. https://www.bic.org/statements/overcoming-corruption-and-safeguarding-integrity-public-institutions-bahai-perspective
[11] Vick, Holly Hanson. “SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES: A NEW STAGE IN THE EVOLUTION OF Bahá’u’lláh’S WORLD ORDER.” Bahai.works. https://bahai.works/Bah%C3%A1%E2%80%99%C3%AD_World/Volume_19/Social_and_Economic_Development
[12] International Environment Forum Staff. “Scientific and Spiritual Dimensions of Climate Change – Unit 6: Materialism.” International Environment Forum. https://iefworld.org/ssdcc6b
[13] Poyer, Lin. “The Role of Material Goods in Spiritual Development.” Bahá’í Library Online. https://bahai-library.com/pdf/p/poyer_material_goods.pdf
[14] Saiedi, Nader. “’Abdu’l-Bahá’s Critique of Materialist Philosophy.” Bahá’í Faith Modern Perspectives on YouTube, August 13, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SExC9z0mdnU
[15] Universal House of Justice. “2 April 2010 – To the Believers in the Cradle of the Faith.” Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/389489026
[16] Abedian, Nava. “The Individual, Institutions & the Community: Personal Reflections on the Three Protagonists & Raising Children.” Baha’i Blog, September 9, 2020. https://www.bahaiblog.net/articles/bahai-life/the-individual-institutions-the-community-personal-reflections-on-the-three-protagonists-raising-children/
[17] Effendi, Shoghi. CITADEL OF FAITH: America Passing Through Crisis. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/043294559
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 