"Today, therefore, there is no respect or circumstance in which a person’s sex provideth grounds for the exercise of either discrimination or favour."

 

"Know thou that the distinction between male and female is an exigency of the physical world and hath no connection with the spirit; for the spirit and the world of the spirit are sanctified above such exigencies, and wholly beyond the reach of such changes as befall the physical body in the contingent world. In former ages, men enjoyed ascendancy over women because bodily might reigned supreme and the spirit was subject to its dominion. In this radiant age, however, since the power of the spirit hath transcended that of the body and assumed its ascendancy, authority and dominion over the human world, this physical distinction hath ceased to be of consequence; and, as the sway and influence of the spirit have become apparent, women have come to be the full equals of men. Today, therefore, there is no respect or circumstance in which a person’s sex provideth grounds for the exercise of either discrimination or favour."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks)
www.bahai.org/r/531605375

"One must deal with people compassionately, for otherwise matters will become fraught with difficulty. ."

"... People are not all on the same level: Some there are who perform their works solely for the sake of God, desiring for their endeavours no other recompense than to draw nigh unto the Threshold of Grandeur—and this is right and proper; yet others there are who belong to that party which is represented as entreating, “Render unto us on earth a favour, and in the world to come a favour likewise.”¹ One must deal with people compassionately, for otherwise matters will become fraught with difficulty. 

The Glory of Glories rest upon thee."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks)
www.bahai.org/r/947139132

1. Qur'an 2:201

" ... so that thou mayest discover the Most Great Elixir and find the Alchemy of Truth, and, casting it upon the copper and iron of men’s souls, transmute them into purest gold."

 

"He is God.

O thou servant of the True One! Sulphur is the fire of the love of God, and mercury is the quicksilver of the ocean of the knowledge of God. Combine then these twin noble elements, and harmonize and unite these twin soundest pillars, and so obtain the Noblest Stone—that is, the Jewel of Jewels, the Ruby of the Mine of the Kingdom—so that thou mayest discover the Most Great Elixir and find the Alchemy of Truth, and, casting it upon the copper and iron of men’s souls, transmute them into purest gold.

 
Seekest thou the Mystery of Alchemy? It is this! Seekest thou the Inestimable Elixir? It is this! Seekest thou the Philosopher’s Stone? It is this! While all else besides this is devoid of fruit or consequence, of benefit or useful outcome.

 
Heed thou my words: Seek thou this Most Great Elixir of the Kingdom! 
The Glory of God rest upon thee."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks)
www.bahai.org/r/180043646

"From the Kingdom of Signs I entreat for thee Divine confirmations, that day by day thou mayest become happier and sweeter ..."

 

"He is God.

O thou Divine youth! Thou hast ever been present in my mind, and at all times am I occupied with thy remembrance. The days of our meeting have not been forgotten. Thy countenance and character are ever before my gaze. From the Kingdom of Signs I entreat for thee Divine confirmations, that day by day thou mayest become happier and sweeter, and mayest delight thy palate with the sweetness of the love of God, becoming a cause of the constancy and steadfastness of the precious friends, so that the tree of life may bear a fruit, and the prayers of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá may produce an effect. 

The Glory of Glories rest upon thee."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks)
www.bahai.org/r/319283846

"Tear off the robe of stillness, drink deep from the pure chalice, and hasten to embrace the true Friend."

 

Baku 
Jináb-i-Áqá Siyyid Naṣru’lláh, may the Glory of God be upon him! 

He is God.
O thou who hast held fast unto the unbreakable Handle!¹Render thanks unto God that thou hast quaffed from the cup of steadfastness and constancy and clung unto the sure handle of perseverance. Thou hast been inebriated with the wine of true knowledge; thou hast proceeded from the habitation of ruin to the abode of prosperity. Wherefore, seize the chalice of the Covenant, exhilarate the friends with the wine of the Divine Testament, and frustrate the purpose of those who waver. Tear off the robe of stillness, drink deep from the pure chalice, and hasten to embrace the true Friend. By the grace and bounty of God, souls have been raised that stand immovable as a mountain of iron in the Covenant and are as firm and strong as an impregnable foundation. They are like unto a steel barrier in the face of the Gog of vacillation, a strong wall before the Magog of confusion, a shelter amidst the whirlwind of sedition, and a safeguard against the tempest of trials. I fain would hope that through the bounties and bestowals of the Ancient Beauty—may My soul be a sacrifice for His faithful lovers—this exquisite robe may befittingly adorn the figure of that servant of the Abhá Beauty, and thou mayest be so firm and steadfast that all the friends in that land may too become steadfast and firm. 

The Glory of God rest upon thee and upon all them that have held fast unto the Covenant! 

With regard to the late King’s assassin, His Excellency the Prime Minister²informed all the consuls in the surrounding regions that, after careful investigation and inquiry, it had become clear that the contemptible assassin was an anti-monarchist and an atheist who had no affiliation with other groups.³Indeed, the establishment of the truth of the matter was due to the competence, discernment, capacity, fairmindedness, and justice of the Prime Minister. Praised be God that the truth of this treason and the partisanship of that arrogant outcast were made clear and evident. This is for no other reason save the confirmations of the Kingdom. All the friends of God must pray continuously, by day and by night, for the glory of His Majesty, the new just king,⁴ and should also value the fairness and justice of the Prime Minister and pray for his well-being. 

The Glory of God rest upon thee. 

Ibn-i-Abhar—upon him be the effulgent Glory of God—highly praised the steadfastness and constancy shown by thee and by all the friends in that land. Blessed, doubly blessed, are ye, O servants of the All-Merciful! ...

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks)
www.bahai.org/r/466857621

1. Cf. Qur’án 2:256. 
2 ‘Alí-Aṣghar Khán, the Amínu’s-Sulṭán. 
3. Following the assassination of Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh on 1 May 1896, it was assumed, in the atmosphere of all-pervasive fear, and in light of the previous attempt on the life of the Sháh in 1852, that his murderer, Mírzá Riḍáy-i-Kirmání, was a Bábí. Only later did the government acknowledge the fact that Mírzá Riḍá was an adherent of Siyyid Jamálu’d-Dín-i-Afghání, a political activist and an enemy of the Cause. 
4. Muẓaffari’d-Dín Sháh. 

"The Glory of Glories rest upon the people of Bahá in the world to come."

 

Gordon Parks

"He is the All-Glorious.

O beloved physician! If thou art indeed a skilled and able healer, prescribe a healing medicine, for I am ailing; administer a soothing remedy, for I am sorely afflicted. Bring peace and tranquillity to my bereaved soul, and relieve the burning grief that consumeth my being. Lay a balm upon my wounded heart, and shed a sprinkling of healing waters upon my inflamed limbs and organs. This servant’s ailment is his separation from the Abhá Beauty. The wound in his heart is his remoteness from Him Who is the peerless Beloved. The illness afflicting his soul is want of beholding that world-adorning Countenance. The remedy he needeth is admission to the precincts of His transcendent mercy and ascension unto the Abhá Kingdom. Grant, O Lord, that I may attain thereunto! The Glory of Glories rest upon the people of Bahá in the world to come."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks)
www.bahai.org/r/506350921

"Do, through Thy favour, breathe Thy spirit into me ..."

 

Revelation Writing - Bahá'u'lláh

"O Lord so rich in bounty, so replete with grace,
Whose knowledge doth mine inmost heart and soul embrace!

At morn, the solace of my soul is none but Thee;
The knower of mine ardent goal is none but Thee.

The heart that for a moment hath Thy mention known
Will seek no balm save longing pain for Thee alone.

Withered be the heart that sigheth not for Thee,
And better blind the eye that crieth not for Thee!

In all mine hours of deepest gloom, O Lord of might,
My heart hath Thy remembrance for a shining light.

Do, through Thy favour, breathe Thy spirit into me,
That what hath never been may thus forever be.

Consider not our merit and our worth,
O Lord of bounty, but the grace Thou pourest forth.

Upon these broken-winged birds whose flight is slow
Out of Thy tender mercy newfound wings bestow."

(Prayers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, #26)
www.bahai.org/r/874596075