4/26/18

The Promised Age

This period of time is the Promised Age, the assembling of the human race to the “Resurrection Day”, and now is the great “Day of Judgement”. Soon the whole world, as in spring-time, will change its garb. The turning and falling of the autumn leaves is past; the bleakness of the winter-time is over. The new year hath appeared and the spiritual spring-time is at hand. The black earth is becoming a verdant garden; the deserts and mountains are teeming with red flowers; from the borders of wilderness the tall grasses are standing like advance guards before the cypress and jessamine trees; while the birds are singing among the rose branches like angels in the highest heavens, announcing the glad tidings of the approach of that spiritual spring, and the sweet music of their voices is causing the real essence of all things to move and quiver.

O my spiritual friend! Does thou know from what airs emanate the notes sung by those birds? They are from the melodies of peace and reconciliation, of love and unity, of justice and security, of concord and harmony. In a short time this heavenly singing will intoxicate all humanity; the foundations of enmity shall be destroyed; unity and affection shall be witnessed in every assembly; and lovers of the love of God at these great festivals shall behold their splendor.

Therefore, contemplate what a spirit of life God hath given that the body of the whole earth may attain life everlasting! The Paradise of Abha will soon spread a pavilion from the Pole-star of the world, under whose shelter the beloved shall rejoice and the pure hearts shall repose in peace.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol. 6, no. 19, March 2, 1916)

4/16/18

To the friends of God in the East and the West

Upon them be Baha’u’l-Abha!

O ye people of the Kingdom of Abha!

There are two influences tending toward prosperity and progress which emanate from the forefront of advancement of the world of humanity. They remind the negligent, awaken them that sleep, give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, power of utterance to the mutes and life to the dead.

One is the influence of civilization - that development of the world of nature that concerns the material life of man. It promotes physical advancement and cultivates the social virtues. The laws and deductions of science, so indispensable to progress, are the product of the lofty thoughts of sound minds, the accumulated results of the efforts of ancient and modern scholars. The most effective power for the promotion and dissemination of this influence is just government.

The other is the divine influence, the holy and spiritual revelations, which insure eternal glory, everlasting happiness, the illumination of the world, the appearance of merciful phenomena in the world of humanity, and perpetual life. The fundamental basis thereof is the teachings and the precepts of the prophets, the dictates and attraction of the conscience, which belong to the realm of morality. Like unto the lamp they illuminate and brighten the depths and recesses of human realities. the effective power of this the Word of God.
But the advancement of civilization, material perfections and human virtues will bear no fruit or result unless joined to the spiritual perfections; merciful qualities and sound morals, and the happiness of the human world, which is the original goal, will not be attained. For although through the advancement of civilization and the adornment and refinement of the material world, happiness is realized, and the sight of hopes fulfilled in perfect beauty wins the heart, yet, concomitantly, great dangers, severe ordeals and awful catastrophes are involved.