Tests: Potentially a healing medicine

In a prayer, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá avers how we as humans on earth are "encircled with pain and calamities and are environed with hardships and trouble," and that man is here attacked by "every trial" and assailed by "every dire adversity...like unto the assault of a serpent." Then where is refuge to be found? In our Lord, the Merciful One:

O my Lord! Thou knowest that the people are encircled with pain and calamities and are environed with hardships and trouble. Every trial doth attack man and every dire adversity doth assail him like unto the assault of a serpent. There is no shelter and asylum for him except under the wing of Thy protection, preservation, guard and custody.

O Thou the Merciful One! O my Lord! Make Thy protection my armor, Thy preservation my shield, humbleness before the door of Thy oneness my guard, and Thy custody and defense my fortress and my abode. Preserve me from the suggestions of self and desire, and guard me from every sickness, trial, difficulty and ordeal.

Verily, Thou art the Protector, the Guardian, the Preserver, the Sufficer, and verily, Thou art the Merciful of the Most Merciful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá, BP 136

According to the Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh, the "fire" of calamity is in reality "light and mercy", and He thus commands us to "hasten" unto the former:

O SON OF MAN! My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy. Hasten thereunto that thou mayest become an eternal light and an immortal spirit. This is My command unto thee, do thou observe it.

In another thought-provoking passage, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states:

Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit.

The labourer cuts up the earth with his plough, and from that earth comes the rich and plentiful harvest. The more a man is chastened, the greater is the harvest of spiritual virtues shown forth by him. A soldier is no good General until he has been in the front of the fiercest battle and has received the deepest wounds.

The prayer of the prophets of God has always been, and still is: Oh God, I long to lay down my life in the path to Thee! I desire to shed my blood for Thee, and to make the supreme sacrifice.

- Paris Talks 51 (emphasis is mine)

The highest spiritual state we can yearn for is perhaps illustrated by the following potent prayer revealed by Bahá'u'lláh where He implores God to "send down upon us...that which will enable us to draw nigh unto [Him]" (however "calamitous" and "painful" that may be).

O Thou Whose tests are a healing medicine to such as are nigh unto Thee, Whose sword is the ardent desire of all them that love Thee, Whose dart is the dearest wish of those hearts that yearn after Thee, Whose decree is the sole hope of them that have recognized Thy truth! I implore Thee, by Thy divine sweetness and by the splendors of the glory of Thy face, to send down upon us from Thy retreats on high that which will enable us to draw nigh unto Thee. Set, then, our feet firm, O my God, in Thy Cause, and enlighten our hearts with the effulgence of Thy knowledge, and illumine our breasts with the brightness of Thy names.

—Bahá’u’lláh, BP 191

The state of the one offering this prayer must be one of complete detachment from the comforts and desires of this world, otherwise it will have no effect. With daily practice and discipline, such a purified condition can be gradually attained by the wayfarer in God's path. The Seven Valleys of Bahá'u'lláh illustrates the different stages through which a true seeker must pass on his spiritual journey.

God will never deal unjustly with any one

Reading Chantelle's blog spurred reflection on the coincidence (from a spiritual/Bahá'í perspective) of certain significant events on the world stage: One, the gathering together of some thousand delegates from every corner of the earth to elect the Universal House of Justice 29 April (news story) in Haifa; the other, twin natural disasters in a single region of the world (Burma cyclone 2 May, China earthquake 12 May).

We do all we can to help in some small way to alleviate the suffering of our fellow humans beings after events such as these, if only it amounts to prayer and donating money to aid relief organizations. Even so, from the luminous verses of the Holy scriptures, such as the Bible, Qur'an and the Bahá'í writings, we are assured that God watches over and cares for each one of His creatures. For instance, Bahá'u'lláh says with regard to tests sent by God for our education and spiritual purification:

He will never deal unjustly with any one, neither will He task a soul beyond its power. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.

Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 106

O SON OF BEING! Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants.

(The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, #55 from the Arabic)

Darren Hiebert has made a compilation from the Bahá’í Writings on the theme of Dealing with Tests and Difficulties. Thank you, Darren!

And Chantelle's blog is here.

The greatest gift and most wondrous blessing: Wisdom

Bahá'u'lláh addresses the "concourse of the rulers of the world", stating:

There is no force on earth that can equal in its conquering power the force of justice and wisdom. I, verily, affirm that there is not, and hath never been, a host more mighty than that of justice and wisdom.

Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 164

In these passages He twice reiterates the phrase "justice and wisdom", and emphasizes the potency of these "forces". As an individual, I wonder how I might apply this concept to my personal life. Might I "conquer" through them (and with God's aid) the personal goals I have set myself in life?

On Wisdom, Bahá'u'lláh says,

Above all else, the greatest gift and the most wondrous blessing hath ever been and will continue to be Wisdom.

It is man’s unfailing Protector.

It aideth him and strengtheneth him.

Wisdom is God’s Emissary and the Revealer of His Name the Omniscient.

Through it the loftiness of man’s station is made manifest and evident.

It is all-knowing and the foremost Teacher in the school of existence.

It is the Guide and is invested with high distinction.

Thanks to its educating influence earthly beings have become imbued with a gem-like spirit which outshineth the heavens.

In the city of justice it is the unrivalled Speaker Who, in the year nine, illumined the world with the joyful tidings of this Revelation.

And it was this peerless Source of wisdom that at the beginning of the foundation of the world ascended the stair of inner meaning and when enthroned upon the pulpit of utterance, through the operation of the divine Will, proclaimed two words.

The first heralded the promise of reward, while the second voiced the ominous warning of punishment.

The promise gave rise to hope and the warning begat fear.

Thus the basis of world order hath been firmly established upon these twin principles.

Exalted is the Lord of Wisdom, the Possessor of Great Bounty.

Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 66

According to the text of this prayer, wisdom flows from God:

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore Thee, by Thy Name which none hath befittingly recognized, and whose import no soul hath fathomed; I beseech Thee, by Him Who is the Fountainhead of Thy Revelation and the Dayspring of Thy signs, to make my heart to be a receptacle of Thy love and of remembrance of Thee. Knit it, then, to Thy most great Ocean, that from it may flow out the living waters of Thy wisdom and the crystal streams of Thy glorification and praise...
—Bahá’u’lláh

And finally, His powerful words in the Tablet of Wisdom:

The essence of wisdom is the fear of God, the dread of His scourge and punishment, and the apprehension of His justice and decree.

For Wisdom, I pray: O God! Guide us to the straight path. - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, BP 184

With a whole heart befriend and be a companion to each and all

The heart -- the centre of divine attractions. May it not be divided in its loyalties; may it become completely, wholeheartedly devoted to the Source of its light:

O SON OF BEING! Thy heart is My home. Sanctify it for My descent.

- The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh, A59

In whatsoever land they dwell, let [the loved ones of God] with a whole heart befriend and be companions to those who are either close to them, or far removed. Let them, with qualities like unto those of heaven, promote the institutions and the religion of God. Let them never lose heart, never be despondent, never feel afflicted. The more antagonism they meet, the more let them show their own good faith; the more torments and calamities they have to face, the more generously let them pass round the bounteous cup. Such is the spirit which will become the life of the world, such is the spreading light at its heart: and he who may be and do other than this is not worthy to serve at the Holy Threshold of the Lord.

- Selections From the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Trust in God, submission unto His command, and contentment with His holy will and pleasure

This is what I need most of all today, writing my three-day home-exam paper!

He that giveth up himself wholly to God, God shall, assuredly, be with him;
and he that placeth his complete trust in God, God shall, verily, protect him from whatsoever may harm him...

Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh


O people of Bahá! It is incumbent upon each one of you to engage in some occupation—such as a craft, a trade or the like. We have exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship of the one true God. Reflect, O people, on the grace and blessings of your Lord, and yield Him thanks at eventide and dawn. Waste not your hours in idleness and sloth, but occupy yourselves with what will profit you and others. Hold ye fast unto the cord of means and place your trust in God, the Provider of all means.

Kitáb-i-Aqdas


...they that tread the path of faith, they that thirst for the wine of certitude, must cleanse themselves of all that is earthly—their ears from idle talk, their minds from vain imaginings, their hearts from worldly affections, their eyes from that which perisheth. They should put their trust in God, and, holding fast unto Him, follow in His way.

The Kitáb-i-Íqán


Grieve not at what hath befallen thee, but put thy whole trust in God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the Wise. Raise thy house upon the solid foundation of divine utterances, and give praise to thy Lord. He, verily, shall suffice thee above all the peoples of the earth.

The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, Súriy-i-Ra’ís


In the Name of God, the Exalted, the Most High
The source of all good is trust in God, submission unto His command, and contentment with His holy will and pleasure.

Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, Words of Wisdom