Reality, Soul and
the Worlds of God
III. The Reality of the Soul – Understanding Your True Self
C. to Know and to Love…
2. The “to Know and to ____” (fill in the Blank)
b. Obey
[Compiler Note: For selections elucidating purposes of the soul which do not explicitly mention knowledge or to know, see section
III. E. 6.]
[from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh:]
393.The beginning of all things is the knowledge of God, and the end of all things is strict observance of whatsoever hath been sent down from the empyrean of the Divine Will that pervadeth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth.
(Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection II, p. 5)
[from the Writings of the Báb:]
394.Shouldst thou know the things which in the space of these four years have befallen Me at the hands of thy people and thine army, thou wouldst hold thy breath from fear of God, unless thou wouldst rise to obey the Cause of Him Who is the Testimony of God and make amends for thy shortcomings and failure.
(The Báb: Selections from the Writings of the Báb, “Extracts from an Epistle to Muḥammad Sháh”, p. 13)
395.Indeed those whose souls have been created through the splendour of the light of thy Lord recognize the Truth and are numbered with such as faithfully obey the One True God and are well assured…
(The Báb: Selections from the Writings of the Báb, “Extracts from a Further Epistle to Muḥammad Sháh”, p. 24)
[from the Writings or talks of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:]
396.Pleasing and acceptable as is a righteous person before God’s Holy Threshold, yet good works should proceed from knowledge. However matchless and exquisite may be a blind man’s handiwork, yet he himself is deprived of seeing it. How sorely do certain animals labour on man’s behalf, what loads they bear for him, how greatly they contribute to his ease and comfort; and yet, because they are unwitting, they earn no recompense for all their pains. The clouds rain down their bounty, nurturing the plants and flowers, and imparting verdure and enchantment to the plain and prairie, the forest and the garden; but yet, unconscious as they are of the results and fruit of their outpourings, they win no praise or honour, nor earn the gratitude and approbation of any man. The lamp imparteth light, but as it hath no consciousness of doing so, no one is indebted to it. This apart, a man of righteous deeds and goodly conduct will assuredly turn towards the Light, in whichever quarter he behold it. The point is this, that faith compriseth both knowledge and the performance of good works.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá quoted in a Memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice to the Universal House of Justice, 28 March 1996, “Authenticity of Bahá’í World Faith and Foundations of World Unity.” The quote is a revised translation of a selection of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which appeared in Bahá’í World Faith, pp. 382-383.)