In one of His Tablets, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá refers to some of the
spiritual and social implications of the violation of the laws of morality and,
concerning the penalty here described, [in the Kitab-i-Aqdas] He indicates that
the aim of this law is to make clear to all that such an action is shameful in
the eyes of God and that, in the event that the offence can be established and
the fine imposed, the principal purpose is the exposure of the offenders—that
they are shamed and disgraced in the eyes of society. He affirms that such
exposure is in itself the greatest punishment.
- The Universal House of Justice (The 'Notes' section of the Kitab-i-Aqdas)
