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Looking for spacific quote by Abdu'l-Baha RE Backbiting

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 1:38 am
by jenniferatemple
I know I read it and can not locate it now. Abdu'l-Baha said (paraphrased poorly here) Ask if this serves any useful purpose or advances the cause of God... Can anyone remember what volume that advise is in. I want to learn the EXACT words and commit them to memory. Thanks for any help!

Re: Looking for spacific quote by Abdu'l-Baha RE Backbiting

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 11:33 am
by brettz9
Hi Jennifer,

See the 2nd paragraph of this quote:

"...If any soul speak ill of an absent one, the only result will clearly be this: he will dampen the zeal of the friends and tend to make them indifferent. For backbiting is divisive, it is the leading cause among the friends of a disposition to withdraw. If any individual should speak ill of one who is absent, it is incumbent on his hearers, in a spiritual and friendly manner, to stop him, and say in effect:

would this detraction serve any useful purpose? Would it please the Blessed Beauty, contribute to the lasting honour of the friends, promote the holy Faith, support the Covenant, or be of any possible benefit to any soul? No, never! On the contrary, it would make the dust to settle so thickly on the heart that the ears would hear no more, and the eyes would no longer behold the light of truth."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, pp. 230-31, in Lights of Guidance, no. 323)


FWIW, some other quotes are listed at https://bahai9.com/wiki/Backbiting (currently the page is limited to the quotes in Lights of Guidance).

Best wishes,
Brett

Re: Looking for spacific quote by Abdu'l-Baha RE Backbiting

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 4:34 pm
by jenniferatemple
Brett, Thank You! That is it, exactly!

Re: Looking for spacific quote by Abdu'l-Baha RE Backbiting

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 5:38 pm
by brettz9
Glad to hear it, Jennifer :)