The Bahá’í Faith

The Official Website of the Worldwide Bahá’í Community

What Bahá’ís Believe

The Life of the Spirit

Character and Conduct

Articles and Resources

A selection of readings, essays, and resource materials offering further thoughts on the subject of rectitude of conduct.

Selected Readings

A description of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas by Shoghi Effendi

In this extract from God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi describes the nature and purpose of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (“The Most Holy Book”).

An extract from the writings of Shoghi Effendi on character and conduct

In this extract from the Advent of Divine Justice—an extended letter addressed to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada in December 1938—Shoghi Effendi describes in some detail the three “spiritual prerequisites for success” which “stand out as preeminent and vital” for the members of the Bahá’í community in North America. These are, he states, “a high sense of moral rectitude” in social and administrative activities, “absolute chastity”, and “complete freedom from prejudice” in dealings with peoples of a different race, class, creed, or colour.

A selection of extracts from the Bahá’í writings on family life and marriage

Among the laws of the Bahá’í Faith are several related to marriage and family life. This brief compilation gathers together extracts on this subject, and includes passages relating to the freedom of individuals to choose a spouse, the requirement of receiving the consent of parents prior to marriage, the prohibition of adultery, and the question of divorce.

Extracts from letters written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice on the subject of chastity

The following extracts are taken from two letters written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice on the subject of chastity.

Further Reading

Bibliography of Recommended Reading

A list of further reading on this subject is available here.

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