![]() ![]() 5īased on my understanding of these quotations, I see wealth as an amazing tool for the service to humanity and have not shied away from using my God-given abilities to strive to create wealth with this in mind. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues. O CHILDREN OF DUST! Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. But by My life! To offer up thy soul is a more glorious thing couldst thou but see with Mine eye. O SON OF MAN! Bestow My wealth upon My poor, that in heaven thou mayest draw from stores of unfading splendor and treasures of imperishable glory. 3īaha’u’llah reminds us about the purpose of wealth and how it should be utilized in these Hidden Words: Wealth is most commendable, provided the entire population is wealthy. Above all, if a judicious and resourceful individual should initiate measures which would universally enrich the masses of the people, there could be no undertaking greater than this, and it would rank in the sight of God as the supreme achievement, for such a benefactor would supply the needs and insure the comfort and well-being of a great multitude. Wealth is praiseworthy in the highest degree, if it is acquired by an individual’s own efforts and the grace of God, in commerce, agriculture, art and industry, and if it be expended for philanthropic purposes. When it comes to a Baha’i perspective on wealth and money, several different ways of thinking about materialism come to mind. All the domains of power, of grandeur and of wealth are illumined by its light. In truth the stability of every affair hath depended and doth depend upon it. Trustworthiness is the greatest portal leading unto the tranquility and security of the people. For example, as it relates to trustworthiness, Baha’u’llah says: If we spend our lives developing virtues, we will have something to show for it when our time in this world of material existence comes to an end as these developed qualities will assist us in our next stage of existence.ĭeveloping these virtues will naturally have an effect on our financial and material lives. ![]() I understand it to mean that we acquire spiritual wealth when we work to develop virtues, virtues such as trustworthiness, truthfulness, assertiveness, compassion, honesty, honor, prayerfulness and so on. This is the spiritual definition of true wealth. This is that which the Finger of Glory and Splendour hath revealed. The essence of wealth is love for Me whoso loveth Me is the possessor of all things, and he that loveth Me not is indeed of the poor and needy. Silver and gold were used before currencies came to being and since then money has become the most common means of measuring wealth.Ĭonsidering all that, I would like to define wealth from the Baha’i point of view. In economic terms, wealth is explained in many ways such as Net Worth for the individuals and for the wealth of the countries by Gross Domestic Product (GDP).īefore money was introduced, different societies had their own systems of exchange to create wealth and they used wheat, rice, salt, cattle and livestock. In a simple language, it means all the worldly possessions a person has accumulated. Specific people, organizations and nations are said to be wealthy when they are able to accumulate many valuable resources or goods. Essentially, wealth is the accumulation of resources. Wealth is determined by taking the total market value of all physical and intangible assets owned, then subtracting all debts. Wealth measures the value of all the assets of worth owned by a person, community, company or country. ![]() Wealth and money mean different things to different people and they can serve different purposes. No aspect of today’s life is not under its spell, and yet we really cannot define it. So many wars have been fought for it, and millions of lives have been lost for it. From what I have observed, the greatest driving force in the world is the desire for wealth. ![]()
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