Wherefore it is incumbent upon all Bahá'ís to ponder this
very delicate and vital matter in their hearts, that, unlike other religions,
they may not content themselves with the noise, the clamour, the hollowness of
religious doctrine. Nay, rather, they should exemplify in every aspect of their
lives those attributes and virtues that are born of God and should arise to
distinguish themselves by their goodly behaviour. They should justify their
claim to be Bahá'ís by deeds and not by name. He is a true Bahá'í who strives
by day and by night to progress and advance along the path of human endeavour,
whose most cherished desire is so to live and act as to enrich and illuminate
the world, whose source of inspiration is the essence of divine virtue, whose
aim in life is so to conduct himself as to be the cause of infinite progress. Only
when he attains unto such perfect gifts can it be said of him that he is a true
Bahá'í. For in this holy Dispensation, the crowning glory of bygone ages and
cycles, true faith is no mere acknowledgement of the unity of God, but rather
the living of a life that will manifest all the perfections and virtues implied
in such belief.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a Tablet, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in a
letter dated 30 October 1924 to a Local Spiritual Assembly - translated from
the Persian by Shoghi Effendi and published in "The Bahá'í World",
vol. 2, "1925-1928"; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I,
Trustworthiness: A Cardinal
Bahá'í Virtue)
