Character, manners and conduct

“The most vital duty, in this day,” He, moreover, has written, “is to purify your characters, to correct your manners, and improve your conduct. The beloved of the Merciful must show forth such character and conduct among His creatures, that the fragrance of their holiness may be shed upon the whole world, and may quicken the dead, inasmuch as the purpose of the Manifestation of God and the dawning of the limitless lights of the Invisible is to educate the souls of men, and refine the character of every living man.…” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting ‘Abdu’l-Baha in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

To “stand out distinguished and brilliant as the sun among other souls”

“O army of God!” writes ‘Abdu’l Bahá, “Through the protection and help vouchsafed by the Blessed Beauty—may my life be a sacrifice to His loved ones—ye must conduct yourselves in such a manner that ye may stand out distinguished and brilliant as the sun among other souls. Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: ‘This man is unquestionably a Bahá’í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá’ís.’ Not until ye attain this station can ye be said to have been faithful to the Covenant and Testament of God.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting ‘Abdu’l-Baha in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind”

Say: Beware, O people of Bahá, lest ye walk in the ways of them whose words differ from their deeds. Strive that ye may be enabled to manifest to the peoples of the earth the signs of God, and to mirror forth His commandments. Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind, for the professions of most men, be they high or low, differ from their conduct. It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth. Happy is the man that heedeth My counsel, and keepeth the precepts prescribed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi, ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“truthfulness and courtesy”;” forbearance and justice”

“Let truthfulness and courtesy be your adorning,” is still another admonition; “suffer not yourselves to be deprived of the robe of forbearance and justice, that the sweet savors of holiness may be wafted from your hearts upon all created things. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“truth”; “fidelity”; “righteousness”; “justice”; “a luminary above the horizon of virtue”

“Be an ornament to the countenance of truth,” is yet another admonition, “a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“eye… chaste… hand faithful… tongue truthful… heart enlightened”

“Let your eye be chaste,” is yet another counsel, “your hand faithful, your tongue truthful, and your heart enlightened.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“truthfulness”; not to “deal treacherously with anyone”

“Beautify your tongues, O people,” He further admonishes them, “with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty. Beware, O people, that ye deal not treacherously with anyone. Be ye the trustees of God amongst His creatures, and the emblems of His generosity amidst His people.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“Equity” and “justice”

“Be fair to yourselves and to others,” He thus counseleth them, “that the evidences of justice may be revealed through your deeds among Our faithful servants.” “Equity,” He also has written, “is the most fundamental among human virtues. The evaluation of all things must needs depend upon it.” And again, “Observe equity in your judgment, ye men of understanding heart! He that is unjust in his judgment is destitute of the characteristics that distinguish man’s station.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

How to accomplish the “betterment of the world”

“The betterment of the world,” is yet another statement, “can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

The influence of “a praiseworthy character and upright conduct”

Say: O people of God! That which can insure the victory of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, His hosts and helpers on earth, have been set down in the sacred Books and Scriptures, and are as clear and manifest as the sun. These hosts are such righteous deeds, such conduct and character, as are acceptable in His sight. Whoso ariseth, in this Day, to aid Our Cause, and summoneth to his assistance the hosts of a praiseworthy character and upright conduct, the influence from such an action will, most certainly, be diffused throughout the whole world. 

- Baha’u’llah  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

The incredible effect of “One righteous act”

“One righteous act,” He [Bahá’u’lláh], again, has written, “is endowed with a potency that can so elevate the dust as to cause it to pass beyond the heaven of heavens. It can tear every bond asunder, and hath the power to restore the force that hath spent itself and vanished.… Be pure, O people of God, be pure; be righteous, be righteous.… 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh; ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“good character”: - “The light of a good character surpasseth the light of the sun and the radiance thereof.”

“A good character,” He explains, “is, verily, the best mantle for men from God. With it He adorneth the temples of His loved ones. By My life! The light of a good character surpasseth the light of the sun and the radiance thereof.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“righteousness”

“Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Bahá,” He thus exhorts them, “This, verily, is the commandment which this wronged One hath given unto you, and the first choice of His unrestrained will for every one of you.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“unlawful deeds” and “reprehensible conduct”

“We have admonished all the loved ones of God,” He insists, “to take heed lest the hem of Our sacred vesture be smirched with the mire of unlawful deeds, or be stained with the dust of reprehensible conduct.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)