Games
Games not forbidden (and to be encouraged if of an athletic nature)[edit]
"Playing games is not in the least forbidden. It should in fact be encouraged if they are of an athletic nature."
- (On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, quoted in Lights of Guidance, no. 1002)
Prohibition of gambling does not apply to games of every description, but games should not become a waste of time[edit]
"Asked whether the Bahá'í prohibition of gambling applies to game of every description, `Abdu'l-Bahá replied: --
- "-No, some games are innocent, and if pursued for pastime there is no harm. But there is danger that pastime may degenerate into waste of time. Waste of time is not acceptable in the Cause of God..."
- (Attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, A Heavenly Vista, p. 9 in Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era , p. 103)
Not to have a fanatical obsession with games[edit]
"On page 25 of "The Advent of Divine Justice" the beloved Guardian is describing the requirements not only of chastity, but of "a chaste and holy life"–both the adjectives are important. One of the signs of a decadent society, a sign which is very evident in the world today, is an almost frenetic devotion to pleasure and diversion, an insatiable thirst for amusement, a fanatical devotion to games and sport, a reluctance to treat any matter seriously, and a scornful, derisory attitude towards virtue and solid worth. Abandonment of "a frivolous conduct" does not imply that a Bahá'í must be sour-faced or perpetually solemn. Humour, happiness, joy are characteristics of a true Bahá'í life. Frivolity palls and eventually leads to boredom and emptiness, but true happiness and joy and humour that are parts of a balanced life that includes serious thought, compassion and humble servitude to God, are characteristics that enrich life and add to its radiance.
"Shoghi Effendi's choice of words was always significant, and each one is important in understanding his guidance. In this particular passage, he does not forbid "trivial" pleasures, but he does warn against "excessive attachment" to them and indicates that they can often be "misdirected". One is reminded of `Abdu'l-Bahá's caution that we should not let a pastime become a waste of time."
- (From a letter dated 8 May 1979 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, A Chaste and Holy Life, selection 23)
(Reference to how 'Abdu'l-Bahá encouraged Shoghi Effendi to play as a child)[edit]
"In his recollections of those early years one of the Bahá'ís has written that one day Shoghi Effendi entered the Master's room, took up His pen and tried to write. 'Abdu'l-Bahá drew him to His side, tapped him gently on the shoulder and said "Now is not the time to write, now is the time to play, you will write a lot in the future." "
- (The Priceless Pearl, Chapter One)
