January 2026 - Bahai Readings

04 Sulṭán / Sovereignty 182 B.E. (Wed 21 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 21, 2026

Jan. 21, 2026

The third word we have recorded on the third leaf of Paradise is this: “O son of man! If thine eyes be turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee, and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself. Humility exalteth man to the heaven of glory and power, whilst pride abaseth him to the depths of wretchedness and degradation. Great is the Day, and mighty the Call! Bahá’u’lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. Available from www.bahai.org/r/584463448

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03 Sulṭán / Sovereignty 182 B.E. (Tues 20 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 20, 2026

Jan. 20, 2026

O MY SERVANT! Thou art even as a finely tempered sword concealed in the darkness of its sheath and its value hidden from the artificer’s knowledge. Wherefore come forth from the sheath of self and desire that thy worth may be made resplendent and manifest unto all the world. Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words, Persian #72. Available from www.bahai.org/r/261142065

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02 Sulṭán / Sovereignty 182 B.E. (Mon 19 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 19, 2026

Jan. 19, 2026

The root cause of wrongdoing is ignorance, and we must therefore hold fast to the tools of perception and knowledge. Good character must be taught. Light must be spread afar, so that, in the school of humanity, all may acquire the heavenly characteristics of the spirit, and see for themselves beyond any doubt that there is no fiercer hell, no more fiery abyss, than to possess a character that is evil and unsound; no more darksome pit nor loathsome torment than to show forth qualities which deserve to be condemned. ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá. Available from www.bahai.org/r/601926961

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01 Sulṭán / Sovereignty 182 B.E. (Sun 18 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 18, 2026

Jan. 18, 2026

Every word is endowed with a spirit, therefore the speaker or expounder should carefully deliver his words at the appropriate time and place, for the impression which each word maketh is clearly evident and perceptible. The Great Being saith: One word may be likened unto fire, another unto light, and the influence which both exert is manifest in the world. Therefore an enlightened man of wisdom should primarily speak with words as mild as milk, that the children of men may be nurtured and edified thereby and may attain the ultimate goal of human existence which is the station of true understanding and nobility. And likewise He saith: One word is like unto springtime causing the tender saplings of the rose-garden of knowledge to become verdant and flourishing, while another word is even as a deadly poison. It behooveth a prudent man of wisdom to speak with utmost leniency and forbearance so that the sweetness of his words may induce everyone to attain that which befitteth man’s station. Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh. Available from www.bahai.org/r/430671214

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19 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Sat 17 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 17, 2026

Jan. 17, 2026

Say: In this day, the fertilizing winds of the grace of God have passed over all things. Every creature hath been endowed with all the potentialities it can carry. And yet the peoples of the world have denied this grace! Every tree hath been endowed with the choicest fruits, every ocean enriched with the most luminous gems. Man, himself, hath been invested with the gifts of understanding and knowledge. The whole creation hath been made the recipient of the revelation of the All-Merciful, and the earth the repository of things inscrutable to all except God, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. The time is approaching when every created thing will have cast its burden. Glorified be God Who hath vouchsafed this grace that encompasseth all things, whether seen or unseen! Bahá’u’lláh, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts. Available from www.bahai.org/r/800631357

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18 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Fri 16 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 16, 2026

Jan. 16, 2026

The seed of reality must be sown again in human hearts in order that a new tree may grow therefrom and new divine fruits refresh the world. By this means the nations and peoples now divergent in religion will be brought into unity, imitations will be forsaken and a universal brotherhood in the reality itself will be established. Warfare and strife will cease among mankind; all will be reconciled as servants of God. For all are sheltered beneath the tree of His providence and mercy. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity. Available from https://reference.bahai.org/en/t/c/FWU/fwu-24.html#pg84

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17 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Thu 15 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 15, 2026

Jan. 15, 2026

The Great Announcement proclaimeth: O people of Persia! In former times ye have been the symbols of mercy and the embodiments of affection and kindliness. The regions of the world were illumined and embellished by the brightness of the light of your knowledge and by the blaze of your erudition. How is it that you have arisen to destroy yourselves and your friends with your own hands? Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Available from https://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/TB/tb-8.html#pg84

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16 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Wed 14 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 14, 2026

Jan. 14, 2026

God has desired for mankind the effulgence of love, but through blindness and misapprehension man has enveloped himself in veils of discord, strife and hatred. The supreme need of humanity is cooperation and reciprocity. The stronger the ties of fellowship and solidarity amongst men, the greater will be the power of constructiveness and accomplishment in all the planes of human activity. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace. Available from https://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/PUP/pup-107.html#pg338

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15 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Tue 13 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 13, 2026

Jan. 13, 2026

Know ye that by “the world” is meant your unawareness of Him Who is your Maker, and your absorption in aught else but Him. The “life to come,” on the other hand, signifieth the things that give you a safe approach to God, the All-Glorious, the Incomparable. Whatsoever deterreth you, in this Day, from loving God is nothing but the world. Flee it, that ye may be numbered with the blest. Should a man wish to adorn himself with the ornaments of the earth, to wear its apparels, or partake of the benefits it can bestow, no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God, for God hath ordained every good thing, whether created in the heavens or in the earth, for such of His servants as truly believe in Him. Eat ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves from His wondrous bounties. Render thanks and praise unto Him, and be of them that are truly thankful. Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Available from https://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/GWB/gwb-128.html#pg276

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14 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Mon 12 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 12, 2026

Jan. 12, 2026

Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity groaneth beneath the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds of tyranny have darkened the face of the earth, and enveloped its peoples. Through the movement of Our Pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide regeneration. This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by the Pen of this Wronged One to mankind. Wherefore fear ye, O My well-beloved ones? Who is it that can dismay you? A touch of moisture sufficeth to dissolve the hardened clay out of which this perverse generation is moulded. The mere act of your gathering together is enough to scatter the forces of these vain and worthless people. Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Available from https://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/TB/tb-8.html#pg84

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