Jamál, 12 Raḥmat (Mercy), 183 B.E.
Quotes for Reflection
Man reacheth perfection through good deeds, voluntarily performed, not through good deeds the doing of which was forced upon him. And sharing is a personally chosen righteous act: that is, the rich should extend assistance to the poor, they should expend their substance for the poor, but of their own free will, and not because the poor have gained this end by force. For the harvest of force is turmoil and the ruin of the social order. On the other hand voluntary sharing, the freely chosen expending of one’s substance, leadeth to society’s comfort and peace. It lighteth up the world; it bestoweth honor upon humankind. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá [1]
Question for Consideration
From a Bahá’í perspective, how can spiritual principles be applied in the voluntary/informal sector to find ways that work and begin to transform the public and private sectors? [2]
Perplexity Deep Research Response: Part IIe
Spiritual Principles as the Organizing Logic of Voluntary Action
The Bahá’í writings identify a cluster of spiritual principles that, when applied within voluntary communities, generate fundamentally different patterns of human relationship from those produced by materialism. These are not abstract ideals but operational values that shape how people associate, decide, and act together.
Voluntary Sharing as an Economic Model
The Bahá’í concept of voluntary sharing — as distinct from legislated redistribution — is directly expressed in voluntary-sector activity. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá taught: “Man reacheth perfection through good deeds, voluntarily performed, not through good deeds the doing of which was forced upon him. And sharing is a personally chosen righteous act.” [1] This principle suggests that the voluntary sector is not merely a supplement to state welfare or corporate philanthropy but a distinct form of economic life — one in which wealth, time, knowledge, and skill are shared through moral agency rather than compulsion. [3] [4]
This has implications for how voluntary organizations understand their economic role. Rather than simply redistributing resources from the wealthy to the poor, they can model entirely new patterns of mutual aid, cooperative production, and community trusteeship — demonstrating at small scale the “strongly altruistic and cooperative” [5] economic systems the Bahá’í International Community envisions for society as a whole. [6] [7]
Footnotes
[1] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/408874573
[2] Perplexity Deep Research. “The Voluntary/Informal Sector as a Laboratory: Bahá’í Spiritual Principles and the Transformation of Society.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. July 2, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/computer/a/9ecfa362-6f2c-499e-b451-8198a188f127
[3] Dahl, Arthur Lyon. “Rethinking Business and the Economy based on Spiritual Principles.” IEFWorld, November 20, 2018. https://iefworld.org/ddahl18k
[4] Bowers, Kenneth E. “How Baha’is Would Eliminate the Extremes of Wealth and Poverty.” BahaiTeachings.org. https://bahaiteachings.org/bahais-eliminate-extremes-wealth-poverty/
[5] Bahá’í International Community Staff. “Valuing Spirituality in Development.” Bahá’í International Community, February 18, 1998. https://www.bic.org/statements/valuing-spirituality-development
[6] Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. BAHÁ’Í SACRED WRITINGS. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/144220119
[7] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. ADDITIONAL TABLETS, EXTRACTS AND TALKS. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/169592534
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 