January 2026 - Bahai Readings

13 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Sun 11 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 11, 2026

Jan. 11, 2026

Beware that ye swell not with pride before God, and disdainfully reject His loved ones. Defer ye humbly to the faithful, they that have believed in God and in His signs, whose hearts witness to His unity, whose tongues proclaim His oneness, and who speak not except by His leave. Thus do We exhort you with justice, and warn you with truth, that perchance ye may be awakened. Bahá’u’lláh, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts. Available from https://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SLH/slh-13.html#pg203

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12 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Sat 10 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 11, 2026

Jan. 11, 2026

Praise be to Thee, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast turned the faces of Thy servants towards the right-hand of the throne of Thy gifts, and hast caused them to be detached from all else besides Thee, that they may recognize Thy sovereignty and acknowledge Thy glory. I testify to the potency of Thy Cause, the pervasive influence of Thy decree, the immutability of Thy will, the endlessness of Thy purpose. All things lie prisoned within the grasp of Thy might, and the whole creation is destitute when brought face to face with the evidences of Thy wealth. Bahá’u’lláh, Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh. Available from https://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/PM/pm-161.html

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11 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Fri 09 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 9, 2026

Jan. 9, 2026

All laud and honor to Thee, O my God! Thou well knowest the things which, for a score of years, have happened in Thy days, and have continued to happen until this hour. No man can reckon, nor can any tongue tell, what hath befallen Thy chosen ones during all this time. They could obtain no shelter, nor find any refuge in which they could abide in safety. Turn, then, O my God, their fear into the evidences of Thy peace and Thy security, and their abasement into the sovereignty of Thy glory, and their poverty into Thine all-sufficient riches, and their distress into the wonders of Thy perfect tranquility. Vouchsafe unto them the fragrances of Thy might and Thy mercy, and send down upon them, out of Thy marvelous loving-kindness, what will enable them to dispense with all except Thee, and will detach them from aught save Thyself, that the sovereignty of Thy oneness may be revealed and the supremacy of Thy grace and Thy bounty demonstrated. Bahá’u’lláh, Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh. Available from www.bahai.org/r/629564094

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10 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Thurs 08 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 8, 2026

Jan. 8, 2026

Deny not Thy loved ones, O my Lord, the sweet savors of this Day whereon the mysteries of Thy name, the Self-Subsisting, were unraveled, and all that had been enshrined within the treasuries of Thy wisdom was revealed. This is the Day, O my Lord, whereon every atom of the earth hath been made to vibrate and to cry out: “O Thou Who art the Revealer of signs and the King of creation! I, verily, perceive the fragrance of Thy presence. Methinks Thou hast revealed Thyself, and unlocked the door of reunion with Thee before all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth. I am persuaded through the fragrance of Thy robe, O my Lord, that the world hath been honored through Thy presence, and hath inhaled the sweet smell of Thy meeting. I know not, however, O Thou the Beloved of the world and the Desire of the nations, the place wherein the throne of Thy majesty hath been established, nor the seat which hath been made Thy footstool, and been illumined with the splendors of the light of Thy face.” Bahá’u’lláh, Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh. Available from www.bahai.org/r/740818506

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09 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Wed 07 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 7, 2026

Jan. 7, 2026

Universal benefits derive from the grace of the divine religions, for they lead their true followers to sincerity of intent, to high purpose, to purity and spotless honor, to surpassing kindness and compassion, to the keeping of their covenants when they have covenanted, to concern for the rights of others, to liberality, to justice in every aspect of life, to humanity and philanthropy, to valor and to unflagging efforts in the service of mankind. It is religion, to sum up, which produces all human virtues, and it is these virtues which are the bright candles of civilization. If a man is not characterized by these excellent qualities, it is certain that he has never attained to so much as a drop out of the fathomless river of the waters of life that flows through the teachings of the Holy Books, nor caught the faintest breath of the fragrant breezes that blow from the gardens of God; for nothing on earth can be demonstrated by words alone, and every level of existence is known by its signs and symbols, and every degree in man’s development has its identifying mark. ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization). Available from www.bahai.org/r/326949208

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08 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Tues 06 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 6, 2026

Jan. 6, 2026

All praise to the unity of God, and all honor to Him, the sovereign Lord, the incomparable and all-glorious Ruler of the universe, Who, out of utter nothingness, hath created the reality of all things, Who, from naught, hath brought into being the most refined and subtle elements of His creation, and Who, rescuing His creatures from the abasement of remoteness and the perils of ultimate extinction, hath received them into His kingdom of incorruptible glory. Nothing short of His all-encompassing grace, His all-pervading mercy, could have possibly achieved it. How could it, otherwise, have been possible for sheer nothingness to have acquired by itself the worthiness and capacity to emerge from its state of nonexistence into the realm of being? Bahá’u’lláh, (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Available from www.bahai.org/r/377543830

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07 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Mon 05 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 5, 2026

Jan. 5, 2026

Man reacheth perfection through good deeds, voluntarily performed, not through good deeds the doing of which was forced upon him. And sharing is a personally chosen righteous act: that is, the rich should extend assistance to the poor, they should expend their substance for the poor, but of their own free will, and not because the poor have gained this end by force. For the harvest of force is turmoil and the ruin of the social order. On the other hand voluntary sharing, the freely chosen expending of one’s substance, leadeth to society’s comfort and peace. It lighteth up the world; it bestoweth honor upon humankind. ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá. Available from www.bahai.org/r/408874573

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06 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Sun 04 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 4, 2026

Jan. 4, 2026

A bird perches upon the loftiest branch and builds there its nest with consummate beauty and skill. All the grains and seeds of the meadows are its wealth and food; all the fresh water of mountain springs and rivers of the plain are for its enjoyment. Truly, this is the acme of material happiness, to which even a human creature cannot attain. This is the honor of the animal kingdom. But the honor of the human kingdom is the attainment of spiritual happiness in the human world, the acquisition of the knowledge and love of God. The honor allotted to man is the acquisition of the supreme virtues of the human world. This is his real happiness and felicity. But if material happiness and spiritual felicity be conjoined, it will be “delight upon delight,” as the Arabs say. We pray that God will unite the East and the West in order that these two civilizations may be exchanged and mutually enjoyed. ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace. Available from www.bahai.org/r/102518045

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05 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Sat 03 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 3, 2026

Jan. 3, 2026

Much hath been written in the books of old concerning the various stages in the development of the soul, such as concupiscence, irascibility, inspiration, benevolence, contentment, Divine good-pleasure, and the like; the Pen of the Most High, however, is disinclined to dwell upon them. Every soul that walketh humbly with its God, in this Day, and cleaveth unto Him, shall find itself invested with the honor and glory of all goodly names and stations. Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Available from www.bahai.org/r/152599858

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04 Sharaf / Honor 182 B.E. (Fri 02 January 2026)
by Writings from the Baha'i Faith Jan. 2, 2026

Jan. 2, 2026

It is better for a man to guide a soul than to possess all that lies between East and West. Likewise better is guidance for him who is guided than all the things that exist on earth, for by reason of this guidance he will, after his death, gain admittance into Paradise, whereas by reason of the things of the world below, he will, after his death, receive his deserts. Hence God desireth that all men should be guided aright through the potency of the Words of Him Whom God shall make manifest. However, such as are conceited will not suffer themselves to be guided. They will be debarred from the Truth, some by reason of their learning, others on account of their glory and power, and still others due to reasons of their own, none of which shall be of any avail at the hour of death. The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb. Available from www.bahai.org/r/708014864

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