The Bahá'í Writings

The Bahá'í Faith occupies a unique position in the world's religious history - In that the sacred scriptures of the Faith were penned by Bahá'u'lláh Himself, or dictated by Him and recorded first hand. A further unique aspect is that Bahá'u'lláh appointed His eldest Son 'Abdu'l-Bahá as an authorized Interpreter of His writings, thereby eliminating possibilities of ambiguities or misinterpretation after His passing.

Photograph of 'Abdu'l-Bahá

Although 'Abdu'l-Bahá's writings form the only authentic interpretations, Bahá'ís are free, and indeed encouraged to study the writings themselves, in order to glean for themselves pearls of wisdom and understanding.

Bahá'u'lláh thus instructs mankind:

"Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths."
(Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 136)

In addition to the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá, the Bahá'í sacred scriptures include the revelations of the Báb, the Forerunner to Bahá'u'lláh, and Himself a Prophet from God.

From the writings of Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'í Prayers
"Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its influence upon his soul. Thus have the mysteries of the Revelation of God been decreed by virtue of the Will of Him Who is the Source of power and wisdom."
- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 295

The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh

"O SON OF MAN!
Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty."
- Bahá'u'lláh, The Arabic Hidden Words

"O YE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MINDS TO KNOW AND EARS TO HEAR!
The first call of the Beloved is this: O mystic nightingale! Abide not but in the rose-garden of the spirit. O messenger of the Solomon of love! Seek thou no shelter except in the Sheba of the well-beloved, and O immortal phoenix! dwell not save on the mount of faithfulness. Therein is thy habitation, if on the wings of thy soul thou soarest to the realm of the infinite and seekest to attain thy goal."
- Bahá'u'lláh, The Persian Hidden Words

"O FRIEND!
In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love, and from the nightingale of affection and desire loosen not thy hold. Treasure the companionship of the righteous and eschew all fellowship with the ungodly."
- Bahá'u'lláh, The Persian Hidden Words

Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. If any man were to meditate on that which the Scriptures, sent down from the heaven of God's holy Will, have revealed, he would readily recognize that their purpose is that all men shall be regarded as one soul, so that the seal bearing the words "The Kingdom shall be God's" may be stamped on every heart, and the light of Divine bounty, of grace, and mercy may envelop all mankind.
- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 260

From the writings of The Báb:
Selections from the Writings of the Báb

"…all that hath been exalted in the Bayan is but as a ring upon My hand, and I Myself am, verily, but a ring upon the hand of Him Whom God shall make manifest -- glorified be His mention! He turneth it as He pleaseth, for whatsoever He pleaseth, and through whatsoever He pleaseth."
- The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, p. 168

"Of all the tributes I have paid to Him Who is to come after Me, the greatest is this, My written confession, that no words of Mine can adequately describe Him, nor can any reference to Him in My Book, the Bayan, do justice to His Cause."
- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 10

From the writings of Abdu'l-Bahá
Prayers

"So far as ye are able, ignite a candle of love in every meeting, and with tenderness rejoice and cheer ye every heart. Care for the stranger as for one of your own; show to alien souls the same loving kindness ye bestow upon your faithful friends. Should any come to blows with you, seek to be friends with him; should any stab you to the heart, be ye a healing salve unto his sores; should any taunt and mock at you, meet him with love. Should any heap his blame upon you, praise ye him; should he offer you a deadly poison, give him the choicest honey in exchange; and should he threaten your life, grant him a remedy that will heal him evermore. Should he be pain itself, be ye his medicine; should he be thorns, be ye his roses and sweet herbs. Perchance such ways and words from you will make this darksome world turn bright at last; will make this dusty earth turn heavenly, this devilish prison place become a royal palace of the Lord -- so that war and strife will pass and be no more, and love and trust will pitch their tents on the summits of the world. Such is the essence of God's admonitions; such in sum are the teachings for the Dispensation of Baha."
- Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 34

Some Answered Questions
"The hidden secrets of the future were revealed to the Prophets, and They thus became acquainted with the future events which They announced. This knowledge and these prophecies were not the cause of the occurrences. For example, tonight everyone knows that after seven hours the sun will rise, but this general foreknowledge does not cause the rising and appearance of the sun."
- Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 138

Paris Talks
I charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.
- Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 29

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