17  The Constructive Social Life

This chapter marks the movement from the private cultivation of virtue into the shared arena of collective life. The next two chapters will move from the private self to social life. This chapter will focus on interactions with all people, regardless of their status in your life. It will discuss the constructive social life, which is framed as the Cause of God. These together form a framework of positive actions designed to be the foundations and instruments of change within our communities.

Throughout the book, there have been allusions to our responsibilities towards others. The names of God shed light on the potential perspectives for which we can strive. The soul and human station teach us the special and noble character of which all people are capable. The spiritual worlds allow us to creatively imagine the unique journeys all will take. The urgency of the Day of Resurrection ensures that we act with the best interests of all in mind. The command through the Manifestation of God inspires us with what is best in a world which sorely needs our best. The spiritual practices refine our constellation of virtues so we are increasingly an example to whomever we cross paths with. We established foundational rights all people deserve, regardless of any status. We also ensured that we are aware of the responsibilities of maturity while burning away the veils of illusions and desires we have privately held.

All of the prior rights and responsibilities expressed so far in Part 3 still apply in this chapter. What follows builds upon this foundation.

Reflection: How does personal belief become visible through community life?

This question opens the path toward understanding the Cause of God as lived experience.

17.1 The Cause of God

Throughout the book, we have mentioned the Cause of God several times in association with Ḥuqúqu’lláh, reflection, and even the spiritual worlds. My personal opinion is that the Cause of God fully manifests itself in the constructive social life of a person, where we go beyond the individual and consider the community. To introduce this concept, Kitáb-i-Aqdas #58 presents a great framework for expressing the Cause of God and how to view community.

Beware lest the affairs of the self and desire cause division among you. Be like the fingers of one hand and the limbs of one body. Thus does the Pen of Revelation counsel you, if you are of those who believe with certainty.

Kitáb-i-Aqdas #58 largely explains itself, but I do want to add one more image. What happens when a finger is injured, weak, or severed? The hand might still function, but not as effectively as before. The same is true of the limbs of a body. It means we must make the utmost effort to ensure each aspect is strong, healthy, and purposeful in function. To do this, Bahá’u’lláh offers various guidance associated with the Cause of God.

All believers have the responsibility to exalt God’s Word.1 This also places other words from other sources as secondary. This does not mean excluding other words, but by keeping God’s Word in its rightful station, all fingers can be mindful of what the Cause is. All people have a right to know what the Cause of God is and to know God’s Word as exalted, even if they do not believe it. They deserve the opportunity to know. To clarify what God’s Word is, Bahá’u’lláh says to use this Book only2 as prior scripture avails nothing today in guiding the affairs of this age. While we acknowledge the truth of scriptures past, we must understand that they do not serve as the present expression of God’s will. This will remain true until the next Manifestation of God appears, when the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is replaced by a new Book.

We have responsibilities to associate3 and consort4 with the followers of other religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. The followers of other religions have a right to be associated with, without being excluded or shunned on the basis of belief. This allows us to proclaim5 and assist6 the Cause in a positive and healthy way. To help with proclamation, Bahá’u’lláh also advises us to learn different languages7 so we can communicate with different people. This is not a requirement, though. We should serve the Cause in all conditions.8 We are promised that God strengthens us and that He is with us and will aid us. With this promise, there is no need to hesitate in serving this Cause9 or to let disbelievers’ sorrow overcome us.10 With God’s Word being exalted, there is no reason to dispute about God and His Cause11 even if there are interpretive differences and various understandings. We have the right to be free from disputes about God and His Cause. The fear of God will help to keep veils away12 which can lead to disputes, much like it helped with the prior chapter’s illusions and desires. God’s love burns away those veils, a love which is the foundation of the friendliness and fellowship we should show others.

We have a responsibility to support His chosen ones.13 Throughout the revelation, Bahá’u’lláh refers to Manifestations of God as Chosen, but He also refers to others as chosen. Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Badí‘ offers an allegory of who the chosen ones are. Those who rejected the idol of the golden calf, an allusion to the days of Moses, were chosen. Much like how the Hebrew people who believed in God and Moses were the Chosen Ones of God in those early days of Israel, Bahá’u’lláh affirms this criteria as the standard for today. In the Súríy-i-Haykal, He says these chosen ones end up in God’s Kingdom. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, He says these chosen ones elevate His Word and are the stars of heaven. To support one of these people can happen in a variety of ways. It could be through prayer, financial assistance, giving food and other provisions, printing a book, or meeting other logistical needs. We have a responsibility to support them. Bahá’u’lláh regularly used Ḥuqúqu’lláh to support His chosen ones. We must be careful, though, not to promote ourselves as chosen.

Reflection: What does it mean for faith to shape the physical world around us?

This reflection turns attention toward development as an expression of devotion.

17.2 Community Building

Another purpose of the Cause of God is to ensure the development of our communities. The only guaranteed method of socioeconomic development which lifts up all fingers of a hand is through working together with shared or complementary goals and roles. Bahá’u’lláh ties development to everyone as a responsibility.

Bahá’u’lláh says to build up the cities and lands of God14 then remember Him within them. This building up includes not only specific buildings of faith, but also the infrastructure to support the entire Cause. In Chapter 14, “Honoring God” we learned how having an occupation is a requirement for those who are able to. Each business and its supporting occupations must have buildings, markets, and networks such as communications and transportation. Infrastructure must exist to support the right to provision, even if provision is governed by market pricing. This provision includes environmental necessities. Every person has a right to socioeconomic development, and it is a responsibility of all believers. Other infrastructure would be focused on what is needed to fulfill the full spectrum of rights afforded to all.

Outside of the business sphere, we are also to build our own houses as perfectly as possible in the lands.15 This would include the outside and the inside, such as furnishings. This interplays highly with the constellation of virtues, and like all of our rights, we must be mindful in how we express them. A house does not need to be extravagant to be as perfect as possible, but within the means you have, keep it as perfect as possible. Bahá’u’lláh also tells us to renew our furnishings after the passing of nineteen years.16 All people have a right to secure dignified housing.

On the religious side, the command to build Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs in every city and village is a key component of the socioeconomic development of the lands. It is the right of every person to have access to one, even if they do not have a responsibility to enter if they have different religious practices. As every person has a right to belief, there should be no restrictions against allowing the people of other religions to build whatever places of worship and faith they choose. Remember we are to be friendly and offer fellowship. Yet, all believers of Bahá’u’lláh have a responsibility to build Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs.

The final aspect of the socioeconomic development of the lands is the building of Houses of Justice in every city17 when believing individuals reach 9 or more. The Houses of Justice have clearly defined roles, functions, and funding which will be explained in their own chapter due to their uniqueness and importance. While being tied to religious revelation, these Houses of Justice exist as representatives for all who dwell on Earth18 regardless of which city they are in. The implication is that every city should receive the benefits of a House of Justice within it. The individuals who arise to serve on the Houses of Justice do so to serve the Cause.19 Houses of Justice do not need to be built in villages, but there is no exclusion if there are the minimum 9 individuals.

Reflection: Which everyday behaviors quietly sustain a healthy society?

This reflection narrows the focus from structures to daily conduct.

17.3 Positive Social Actions

  • A responsibility to act with good deeds20 and a right to be free from bad deeds.
  • A responsibility to engage in activities which benefit yourself and others21 and a right to be free from harmful activities by others. Associated with this is a prohibition of idleness, the wasting of time without any meaningful activity. Sloth is also prohibited, which is an apathetic reaction to opportunities and duties. With this, we have a right to be free from being forced into idleness.
  • A responsibility to provide for the poor and needy22 and a right to be free of poverty.
  • A responsibility to provide hospitality23 once per Bayání month.
  • A responsibility to fulfill promises24 and a right for promises received to be fulfilled. Promises can be informal, such as verbal agreements with friends or the proverbial pinky promise, or they can be formalized through contracts.
  • A responsibility to purify every disliked thing with water25 and a right to purified things. The layers of this could be garments, surfaces, buildings, and publicly shared spaces. As there is a prohibition on consuming intoxicants, as we purify things we should be careful in using chemicals which can act as toxins inside and outside the body.
  • A responsibility to respond with joy when invited to banquets and gatherings26 and a right to receive a response to such invitations. The response can be a no, but if it is a yes, the promise should be fulfilled. If the response is a joyless yes, consider making it a no.
  • A responsibility not to become a plaything for the ignorant,27 a responsibility born from good manners. This can be associated with what we say, do, or how we present ourselves. All have the right to be free from being considered as playthings.
  • A responsibility to seek knowledge for the recognition of the known28 and a right to seek knowledge. Relatedly, we have a responsibility to read from sciences which benefit us29 with a right to be able to read these sciences. This could be rather expansive but would require discernment. In general, this means the pursuit of facts, the wisdom to use these facts to benefit yourself and others, and caution towards opinions which disguise facts and harms.
  • A responsibility to respond in kindness if angered.30 Note that this is not a prohibition of anger, but a guidance to ensure anger does not end up betraying our constellation of virtues. There is a right to be responded to without anger.
  • A responsibility to respond to being rebuked without rebuking. This can imply a prohibition on rebuking altogether. Instead, in the spirit of friendliness and kindness, consider using reminders, counsel, or advice. Bahá’u’lláh advises Napoleon III and the people of France to cover up mistakes instead of arguing.31 This does not mean hiding injustice or the breaking of laws.

These sets of responsibilities and rights are the pivotal framework of a healthy social life no matter who we cross paths with. In a perfect world where everyone believed in and abided by the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, these positive social actions would be enough to create heaven on Earth. Realistically, this may never be the case. For example, a person may consider implementing what they consider to be good deeds, but do so without the beliefs of Part 1, the spiritual practices of Part 2, and without refining their private life. This is the essence of the very first paragraph of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, where Bahá’u’lláh says whoever is deprived of it is indeed among the people of error, even if he performs every good deed. We should be careful not to take shortcuts.

17.4 Towards Protecting the Social Life

In summary, the constructive social life translates devotion into visible patterns of care, development, and daily conduct that sustain communities. In the event of shortcuts within this framework, Bahá’u’lláh introduced protections to help ensure the rights of all people. These are all clear prohibitions which set boundaries we should never cross in our social life. Most are non punitive and some are punitive. These are the first laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas which Bahá’u’lláh designed to be enforceable by a justice system which this book covers. The next chapter therefore turns to the protective boundaries that preserve the dignity of social life.

  1. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #38↩︎

  2. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #168↩︎

  3. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #75↩︎

  4. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #144↩︎

  5. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #75↩︎

  6. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #38↩︎

  7. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #118↩︎

  8. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #74↩︎

  9. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #132↩︎

  10. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #35↩︎

  11. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #177↩︎

  12. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #132↩︎

  13. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #117↩︎

  14. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #160↩︎

  15. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #31↩︎

  16. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #151↩︎

  17. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #30↩︎

  18. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #30↩︎

  19. Lawḥ-i-Bishárát #13↩︎

  20. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #73↩︎

  21. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #33↩︎

  22. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #16↩︎

  23. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #57↩︎

  24. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #156↩︎

  25. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #74↩︎

  26. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #156↩︎

  27. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #159↩︎

  28. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #102↩︎

  29. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #77↩︎

  30. Kitáb-i-Aqdas #153↩︎

  31. Súríy-i-Haykal 150 & 151↩︎