Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee
to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so
likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be
the worship which befitteth the one True God. Shouldst thou worship Him because
of fear, this would be unseemly in the sanctified Court of His presence, and
could not be regarded as an act by thee dedicated to the Oneness of His Being.
Or if thy gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him while
cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God's creation a partner with Him,
notwithstanding the fact that paradise is desired by men.
Fire and paradise both bow down and prostrate themselves
before God. That which is worthy of His Essence is to worship Him for His sake,
without fear of fire, or hope of paradise.
Although when true worship is offered, the worshipper is
delivered from the fire, and entereth the paradise of God's good-pleasure, yet
such should not be the motive of his act. However, God's favour and grace ever
flow in accordance with the exigencies of His inscrutable wisdom.
The most acceptable prayer is the one offered with the
utmost spirituality and radiance; its prolongation hath not been and is not
beloved by God. The more detached and the purer the prayer, the more acceptable
is it in the presence of God.
- The Báb
('Selections from the Writings of the Báb')