The information contained herein has not been reviewed or endorsed by Ford Motor Company.
NOTE: This paper is based on a presentation made by George Starcher of the European Bahá'í Business Forum.
"It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation, such
as crafts, trades and the like. We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to
the rank of worship unto God, the True One. Ponder ye in your hearts the grace and the
blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn. Waste not your time
in idleness and sloth. Occupy yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others.
"
(Bahá'u'lláh: Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, page 26)
"Man must bring forth fruit. One who yieldeth no fruit is ... like unto a
fruitless tree, and a fruitless tree is fit but for the fire. "
(Bahá'u'lláh: Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, page 60)
"To engage in some profession is highly commendable, for when occupied with work
one is less likely to dwell on the unpleasant aspects of life. "
(Bahá'u'lláh: Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, page 175)
"...man will have always to toil in order to earn his living. Effort is an
inseparable part of man's life. It may take different forms with the changing conditions
of the world, but it will be always present as a necessary element in our earthly
existence. Life is after all a struggle. Progress is attained through struggle, and
without such a struggle life ceases to have a meaning; it becomes even extinct."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, December
26, 1935)
"Work done in the spirit of service is the highest form of worship.... "
(`Abdu'l-Bahá: Education, page 313)
"This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people.
Service is prayer."
(`Abdu'l-Bahá: Paris Talks*, page 177)
"The man who makes a piece of notepaper to the best of his ability,
conscientiously, concentrating all his forces on perfecting it, is giving praise to God.
Briefly, all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is
worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to
humanity."
(`Abdu'l-Bahá: Paris Talks*, pages 176-177)
"Take ye counsel together in all matters, inasmuch as consultation is the lamp of
guidance which leadeth the way, and is the bestower of understanding. "
(Bahá'u'lláh: Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, page 168)
"Consultation bestoweth greater awareness and transmuteth conjecture into
certitude. It is a shining light which, in a dark world, leadeth the way and guideth. For
everything there is and will continue to be a station of perfection and maturity. The
maturity of the gift of understanding is made manifest through consultation."
(Bahá'u'lláh: Consultation, page 93)
"[Consultation] is and will always be a cause of awareness and of awakening and a
source of good and well-being. "
(Bahá'u'lláh: Consultation, page 93)
"The question of consultation is of the utmost importance, and is one of the most
potent instruments conducive to the tranquillity and felicity of the people. For example,
when a believer is uncertain about his affairs, or when he seeketh to pursue a project or
trade, the friends should gather together and devise a solution for him. He, in his turn,
should act accordingly. Likewise in larger issues, when a problem ariseth, or a difficulty
occurreth, the wise should gather, consult, and devise a solution. "
(`Abdu'l-Bahá: Consultation, pages 96-97)
"Man must consult on all matters, whether major or minor, so that he may become
cognizant of what is good. Consultation giveth him insight into things and enableth him to
delve into questions which are unknown. The light of truth shineth from the faces of those
who engage in consultation.... The members who are consulting, however, should behave in
the utmost love, harmony and sincerity towards each other. The principle of consultation
is one of the most fundamental elements of the divine edifice. Even in their ordinary
affairs the individual members of society should consult. "
(`Abdu'l-Bahá: Consultation, page 97)
"...[T]he body of workmen and the manufacturers should share equitably the profits
and advantages. Indeed, the capital and management come from the owner of the factory, and
the work and labor, from the body of the workmen. "
(`Abdu'l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, page 274)
"It lies in the capitalists' being moderate in the acquisition of their profits,
and in their having a consideration for the welfare of the poor and needy - that is to
say, that the workmen and artisans receive a fixed and established daily wage -and have a
share in the general profits of the factory. "
(`Abdu'l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, page 275)
Revised July 05, 2002
Written by (Roger Reini)