49th Chapter
The sage has no idle fancy and vain imagination; he is selfless, his heart is focused on the needs of others.

He is kind to the kind;
He is also kind to the unkind because the nature of his being is kindness.
With this good quality, he inspires others to be kind.

He is faithful to the faithful;
He is also faithful to the unfaithful.
With this good quality, he inspires others to be faithful.

The sage lives his life simply.
He sets an example; as people follow it, the world is purified.

He knows most people live in physical perception and seek sensual enjoyment. He understands that the people are not kind or faithful because they are lost in their physical senses and desires. He nourishes them and educates them gently like he cares for a child, to gradually bring them back to purity.

Implications from the Holy Books

Summon ye, then, the people to God, and invite humanity to follow the example of the Company on high. Be ye loving fathers to the orphan, and a refuge to the helpless, and a treasury for the poor, and a cure for the ailing. Be ye the helpers of every victim of oppression, the patrons of the disadvantaged. Think ye at all times of rendering some service to every member of the human race. Pay ye no heed to aversion and rejection, to disdain, hostility, injustice: act ye in the opposite way. Be ye sincerely kind, not in appearance only. Let each one of God’s loved ones center his attention on this: to be the Lord’s mercy to man; to be the Lord’s grace. Let him do some good to every person whose path he crosseth, and be of some benefit to him. Let him improve the character of each and all, and reorient the minds of men. In this way, the light of divine guidance will shine forth, and the blessings of God will cradle all mankind: for love is light, no matter in what abode it dwelleth; and hate is darkness, no matter where it may make its nest. O friends of God! That the hidden Mystery may stand revealed, and the secret essence of all things may be disclosed, strive ye to banish that darkness for ever and ever. — ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá 1.7

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