Bahá’í Sacred Writings, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, #354
The radiance of the Ever-Loving Lord was shed upon the East and the West from Persia. The world of dust was freed from all that is oppressive and dark and became luminous and bright. The light of truth shone upon the realm of illusion, making the contingent world the mirror of the Placeless and adorning the nether plane with the images of the Concourse on high. Strive, as far as ye are able, to purify your hearts, purge your breasts, sanctify your eyes, and attune your ears, so that this light may shine in the utmost radiance upon the tablets of hearts and souls. The treasures of heaven have been laid bare through the aid and bounty of the Abhá Beauty, and limitless effusions of grace have been vouchsafed. Great and glorious bestowals have encompassed the world, and the bounty and favour of the Ancient of Days has been perfected. The more we supplicate and pray, the greater will be the flow of His grace, and the more effort we make, the more will the hearts be opened and the greater will be the confirmations of the Abhá Kingdom.
I swear by the Most Great Name, may my soul be offered up for His loved ones, that such great bounty hath been made manifest in the assemblage of the world that its beauty and charm have filled the whole earth with splendour. This soul-stirring bounty belongeth to the one who in this day striveth with heart and soul to teach the Cause, who hath no wish by day or night but to diffuse the Divine fragrances, and who cherisheth no hope save to exalt the Word of God. All things confirm and assist such a soul, and the world and all that is therein render service unto him. Consider former times when every soul who arose to teach the Cause of God perfumed the world with the breaths of holiness in the kingdoms of earth and heaven, in such wise that the sweet scent of those breaths can still be inhaled by the pure in heart. Those souls who did not arise to perform this praiseworthy deed passed by without sowing any seed and in the end surrendered their lives while still longing for that bounty.
O loved ones of God! The candle must glow bright, and the rose must diffuse sweet fragrances. This indeed is the truth! It is my hope that, by the grace of the Ancient Beauty, the beloved of God may consort with all people with heavenly attributes, and that the lights of purity and sanctity, of lowliness and humility, of detachment and rapture may shine forth from their faces. May they associate with the people with the utmost courtesy, dignity, tranquillity, and composure, with love for the righteous and service to the faithful. May they evince such perfections and qualities as would cause all people to marvel. Such souls are worthy of being related to the Abhá Beauty. To be a Bahá’í is to be the embodiment of all human virtues.