Participants walking across a lawn toward an outdoor gathering beside a community building.
Bahá’í Community of Zambia
Progressive Revelation
God, the Creator of the Universe, is acknowledged as being all-knowing and all-powerful. Just as the physical sun shines on the world, so the light of God's wisdom is bestowed upon all Creation. It is impossible for any mortal mind to truly understand the reality of God. However broad or imaginative our concept of God may be, it will always be circumscribed by the limitations of the human mind.
Throughout the ages, God has sent Divine Messengers known as Manifestations of God—among them Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and, in more recent times, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh—to cultivate humanity's spiritual, intellectual, and moral capacities. Following the coming of a Manifestation of God, extraordinary progress occurs in the world. Reaching to the roots of human motivation, His teachings awaken in whole populations capacities to contribute to the advancement of civilization to an extent never before possible.
Passing through different stages, our collective and universal consciousness has developed. Around the world, human society is being reshaped, and the ultimate end is clear: we are witnessing nothing less than the organization of human society into a planetary civilization.
Supporting Quotations
“The primary, the most urgent requirement is the promotion of education. It is inconceivable that any nation should achieve prosperity and success unless this paramount, this fundamental concern is carried forward.”
— The Secret of Divine Civilization
“At the outset of every endeavour, it is incumbent to look to the end of it. Of all the arts and sciences, set the children to studying those which will result in advantage to man, ensure his progress and elevate his rank. Thus the noisome odours of lawlessness will be dispelled, and thus through the high endeavours of the nation's leaders, all will live cradled, secure and in peace.”
— Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, Lawḥ-i-Maqṣúd
“And among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is the promotion of education. Every child must be instructed in sciences as much as is necessary. If the parents are able to provide the expenses of this education, it is well, otherwise the community must provide the means for the teaching of that child.”
— Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
“Exert every effort to acquire the various branches of knowledge and true understanding. Strain every nerve to achieve both material and spiritual accomplishments. Encourage the children from their earliest years to master every kind of learning, and make them eager to become skilled in every art—thus, through the favouring grace of God, the heart of each one may become even as a mirror disclosing the secrets of the universe, penetrating the innermost reality of all things; and that each may earn world-wide fame in all branches of knowledge, science and the arts. Regard man to be possessed of spiritual qualities, and be assured of the gifts and favours of the Lord.”
