To prove ourselves to be the “first servants of the realm of humanity, and the builders of the edifice of Divine Justice.”

O ye friends of God!

All the people of the world today are workmen of destruction or ruin. Everyone as though with an axe is striking at the root of the foundation of humanity. They hold in their hands great implements of warfare and destruction. Among the greatest is the axe of religious prejudices or sectarian bias, as well as that of racial bias; another implement of destruction is the axe of patriotic bias; another is the axe of political warfare; another implement of ruin is the persistent accumulation of commercial benefit or profit; another, the love of conquest of new domains, as is also the enmity, hatred and bigotry among the nations and tribes. These souls are entirely inadvertent to the relations of the Kingdom of God, deprived of the relations of Unity, and despaired of the Life Eternal. Although outwardly they may be extremely civilized, nevertheless they live in darkness.

Now, God has chosen you from among mankind, and has guided you to the Kingdom, has enlightened your hearts with the love of God, so that you may be the cause of guidance to these people, in order that you may become a cause of guidance to the world of humanity. He has appointed you as the builders of the edifice of true manhood. Consider with what a power of morals you must arise in order to withstand all vicissitudes. All these people, all these promoters as workers of warfare and ruin are spreading the deeds of hatred among nations. Now, consider with what peace and concord you must go forth in order that you may be capable of overcoming the antagonistic forces.

To expand our vision

O ye heavenly ones!

Organize ye spiritual assemblies. Lay ye the foundation of union and concord in this world. Destroy ye the fabric of strife and war from the face of the earth. Construct ye the temple of harmony and agreement. Enkindle ye the light of the realm of the oneness of humanity. Open ye your eyes. Gaze and behold ye the Other World. The Kingdom of Peace, Salvation, Uprightness and Reconciliation is founded in the Invisible World, and it will by degrees become manifest and apparent through the power of the Word of God. I supplicate God that ye may become the army of that Kingdom, in order that, by the power of the Most Great Name, the friends of God may conquer the world through love, friendship and the strength of the Kingdom of Peace, the human race may become compassionate, and bloodshed and carnage be completely effaced from the universe.

‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas

(Star of the West, vol. 5. No. 9, August 20, 1914)

To the Editor of the Christian Commonwealth, London, England

[Revealed in 1913]

He is God!

O thou esteemed and kind friend!

After journeying throughout the United States of America, and the great capitals and metropolis of Europe, I have returned to the East. With the results of this journey I am most pleased and well satisfied because I met noble people and associated with worthy souls, who are in reality the cause of honour and glory to the world of humanity. They were learned and wise, well-informed of the realities of events and the well-wishers of the human world, especially the advocates of universal peace. 

In these days the world of humanity is afflicted with a chronic disease. It is one of bloodshed, the destruction of the divine edifice, the demolition of cities and villages, the slaughter of the noble youths of the world of humanity, children becoming orphans and women homeless and shelterless. What calumny is greater than this? What crime is more heinous than this? What disease is more dangerous than this? What folly is more direful than this?

Consider that in former days there were only religious wars, but now there are racial and political wars fought at staggering expense and sacrifice. A thousand times alas for this ignorance, this bloodthirstiness and ferocity! I became pleased with and grateful to the societies which are organized in the West for the promotion of universal peace, and with whose presidents, officers and members I frequently conversed. I hope that the sphere of the activities of these societies may become from day to day enlarged; so that the lights of the higher ideals may illumine all regions, the oneness of the world of humanity be proclaimed in the East and in the West, and the world of humanity may attain to composure and well-being. These revered souls who are the servants of the world of humanity and the promoters of the cause of universal peace shall ere long shine like brilliant stars from the horizon of mankind, flooding the regions with their glorious lights.