What follows is a provisional translation (in other words, not official or authorized; see here for more) of a talk that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave at the home of Lady Blomfield in London (97 Cadogan Gardens) on 24 December 1912. A transcript of the original Persian text of this talk has been published in Khiṭábát-i-Ḥaḍrat-i-‘Abdu’l-Bahá, vol. 3, pp. 107–08.
He is God
Every person must first think of educating themselves. Indeed, they must think of perfecting themselves, for it is necessary for one to first educate oneself.
Observe how all living things are in need of nurturing. You will find that every plant in a state of utmost weakness will, when nurtured, achieve consummate power. When you tend tiny flowers, they grow very large. When you care for a fruitless tree, it bears fruit. When you till land bestrewn with thorns and weeds, it becomes a rose garden. When you train an animal, it progresses. When you tame wild beasts, they become domesticated.
It has been made clear, then, that nurturing exerts an influence on all things, but this is most true in the world of humanity. An uneducated person is an animal; no, he is worse. For example, were children to remain in the wilderness and receive no education whatsoever, it is certain they would stay in a primitive state and be oblivious to the civilized world. No industry, no trade, no agriculture would they know; they would resemble the inhabitants of central Africa, who are wild to the utmost.* What is it that has distinguished Europe from Africa? It is education, of course, because the people of Europe receive an education while those of Africa do not—and it is clear and apparent that humanity is in need of education.
Education is of two kinds: material and spiritual, which is to say natural education and divine education. The Prophets of God are spiritual nurturers—divine educators. They rear people with godly training, edifying their hearts and morals. Furthermore, material advancements occur in tandem with spiritual advancements. When one’s spirit, one’s heart, and one’s character are edified, physical education will also certainly result.
I hope, therefore, that you all will strive first to educate yourselves, to edify your characters and regulate your speech, that you may be purged of imperfections and adorned with the virtues of humanity. It is then that you should engage in the education of others, for the world of humankind is beset with darkness. You see that wars and killings are always happening, that conflict and contention are ever present. Pray God that you may be aided to successfully serve humanity—that you may cause this world to be illumined.
The power of education is likewise of two kinds: one can educate others through words or through deeds. One may educate people with words, but superior to that is education through deeds, inasmuch as deeds are more effective. Consider, for instance, whether one simply speaks of faithfulness and summons people, solely through his words, to love and loyalty, or arises to display those virtues himself. It is surely this act that will prove more effective. Similarly, consider whether that one merely invites others to be generous or practices generosity himself. It is certainly this act that will have the greater effect. If he, moreover, should call on others to be kind, it will prove more effective if he himself acts kindly. Whatever one may summon others to do, if he carries it out himself, it will undoubtedly have an effect.
If, however, he should invite people to demonstrate a good character while he himself is immoral, it will have no effect at all. Should one call on others to behave justly while he himself is unjust, of what avail would that be? Were he to summon them to the oneness of humankind while he himself fails to act accordingly, what fruit would that bear? Hence, one must educate others through his deeds, for until he becomes the very essence of holiness and attains to absolute faith—until he reaches the station of sacrifice, until his sentiments become godly, until his soul grows enamored of the Holy Spirit, until he achieves radiance of thought, until he possesses a sanctified heart, and until he performs goodly deeds—there is no doubt that his words will have no effect whatsoever, and that his thoughts will not yield any fruit at all. Whatever he says or writes will all be in vain. Thus, we must beseech God to help us to do good works, to help us have lofty thoughts, and to help us evince a spiritual character. It is then that we can serve humankind. Then can we cause the world of humanity to be illumined; then can we work in service of the unification of humankind; then can we set ourselves to spreading universal peace. I hope you all may be aided in these benevolent pursuits.
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* ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is using the contemporarily popular example of “uncivilized” peoples in Central Africa to highlight the importance of education and refute the then-prevailing theory that a person’s race determined their intellect.
A typescript of the original Persian text of this talk appears below.
Adib Masumian 