Love your enemies.

 

56. Love your enemies and care for your enemies as you would care for yourself: Love and care for your enemies is a fundamental teaching of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, but it is also a spiritual teaching found in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, in the Bahá’í Faith, and in many of God’s revealed religions.  Christianity: Matthew 5:38 “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:” 5:39 “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Matthew 5:45 “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:25 “Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him;” Luke 6:35 “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” Luke 23:33 “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.” Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Jesus was not a believer in word only, but believed in what he taught in word and in deed. Romans 12:20 “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink.”  Judaism: Leviticus 19:18 “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:34 “But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am The LORD your God.” Proverbs 24:17 “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:” Proverbs 25:21 “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:” Malachi 2:10 “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother,”

BAHA’I FAITH: “When Christ came this was changed; the old axiom ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’ was converted into ‘Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you,’ the stern old law being changed into one of love, mercy and forbearance!”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 142)

 ISLAM: 10. “The believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two brothers: And fear Allah (God), that ye may receive Mercy.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  49)

Islam: “Allah’s Apostle said, ‘Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales. and do not look for the others’ faults, and do not do spying on one another, and do not practice Najsh, and do not be jealous of one another and do not hate one another, and do not desert (stop talking to) one another. And O, Allah’s worshipers! Be brothers!’” And be not enemies, but help one another.

(Hadith, Bukhari Vol 8, Book 73 # 92)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: “A conscience virtuous man can convert an enemy into a friend.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 67)

 Zoroastrianism: “Strive for the good and fight against the evil, but without losing equanimity of the mind and without any malice towards the evil doer and leave the result to Mazda (God).” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 777)

 Zoroastrianism: 6. “Come thou with Good Thought, give through Asha, O Mazda, as the gift to Zarathushtra, according to Thy sure words, long enduring mighty help, and to us, O Ahura, whereby we may over-come the enmity of our foes.” 11. “Piety linked with Right shall advance the Dominion of Good Thought.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 28 and 34)

 HINDUISM: “He unto whom- self-centered- grief and joy Sound as one word; to whose deep-seeing eyes The clod, the marble, and the gold are one; Whose equal heart holds the same gentleness For lovely and unlovely things, firm-set, Well-pleased in praise and dispraise; satisfied With honour or dishonour; unto friends And unto foes alike in tolerance; Detached from undertakings,- he is named Surmounter of the Qualities!”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr chapter 14)

 BUDDHISM: “He has cast away ill-will; he dwells with a heart free from ill-will; cherishing love and compassion toward all living beings, he cleanses his heart from ill-will.”

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha, the Word (The Eightfold Path))

 Buddhism: “Even in time of dispute and quarrel, we should treat intimates and enemies alike and never think of retaliation.” (Buddha, Sixth Patriarch)

 SABEANISM: “Blessed and praised be Life Who is filled with compassion for these souls. Praised be Thou, my Lord, Manda-d-Hiia, For thou raisest up these souls” “Thou a Lord who art all mercy.” “Praise Thee, for amongst them all hatred, Envy and dissensions exist not (forbearance and patience reigns), display kindness, show compassion.” One to another.  (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 35, 70, 74 and 75)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Now must the lovers of God arise to carry out these instructions of His: let them be kindly fathers to the children of the human race, and compassionate brothers to the youth, and self-denying offspring to those bent with years. The meaning of this is that ye must show forth tenderness and love to every human being, even to your enemies, and welcome them all with unalloyed friendship, good cheer, and loving-kindness.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 21)

 BABI RELIGION: “Amidst his torments, Quddus was heard whispering forgiveness to his foes. ‘Forgive, O my God,’ he cried, ‘the trespasses of this people. Deal with them in Thy mercy, for they know not what we already have discovered and cherish. I have striven to show them the path that leads to their salvation; behold how they have risen to overwhelm and kill me! Show them, O God, the way of Truth, and turn their ignorance into faith.”’

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 411)

 Babi Religion: “One day a bullet struck Hujjat in the right arm, as he was performing his ablutions…… Though bleeding profusely from his wound, his face retained its expression of undisturbed confidence. ‘Pardon this people, O God,’ he was heard to say, ‘for they know not what they do. Have mercy upon them, for they who have led them astray are alone responsible for the misdeeds the hands of this people have wrought.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 568)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Bahá’u’lláh has clearly said in His Tablets that if you have an enemy, consider him not as an enemy. Do not simply be long-suffering; nay, rather, love him. Your treatment of him should be that which is becoming to lovers. Do not even say that he is your enemy. Do not see any enemies. Though he be your murderer, see no enemy. Look upon him with the eye of friendship. Be mindful that you do not consider him as an enemy and simply tolerate him, for that is but stratagem and hypocrisy. To consider a man your enemy and love him is hypocrisy. This is not becoming of any soul. You must behold him as a friend. You must treat him well. This is right.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 267)