Treatment of tyrant, deceiver, or thief

Do not show (naive?) kindness to the tyrant, deceiver, or thief (as this will only encourage their behavior)

"Strive ye then with all your heart to treat compassionately all humankind --except for those who have some selfish, private motive, or some disease of the soul. Kindness cannot be shown the tyrant, the deceiver, or the thief, because, far from awakening them to the error of their ways, it maketh them to continue in their perversity as before. No matter how much kindliness ye may expend upon the liar, he will but lie the more, for he believeth you to be deceived, while ye understand him but too well, and only remain silent out of your extreme compassion."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 138)

Give to the tyrant the same great love one shows to the loyal and true

"Praise be to God, Bahá'u'lláh hath lifted the chains from off the necks of humankind, and hath set man free from all that trammelled him, and told him: Ye are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch; be ye compassionate and kind to all the human race. Deal ye with strangers the same as with friends, cherish ye others just as ye would your own. See foes as friends; see demons as angels; give to the tyrant the same great love ye show the loyal and true, and even as gazelles from the scented cities of Khata and Khutan[Cities in China celebrated for their musk-producing animals.] offer up sweet musk to the ravening wolf."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 35)

Exercise care that the tyrant may inflict no harm

"Beware lest any soul privily cause disruption or stir up strife. In the Impregnable Stronghold be ye brave warriors, and for the Mighty Mansion a valiant host. Exercise the utmost care, and day and night be on your guard, that thereby the tyrant may inflict no harm."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 233)

Passage on not showing kindness is not license for treating others with injustice, hostility or disdain

“The Universal House of Justice has received your email letter dated 2 August 2017 requesting clarification of an extract from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which states, “Kindness cannot be shown the tyrant, the deceiver, or the thief....” For your information, a more recent translation of this passage than the one that you cite is found in Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, section 138, paragraph 1. You note that this quotation is being used frequently by the friends to “justify unkind, disrespectful, or exclusion-oriented treatment of a wide range of people.” We have been asked to reply as follows.

"As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá counsels in this same passage, “Strive ye then with all your heart to treat compassionately all humankind....” He makes a particular exception for some who have a “selfish, private motive, or some disease of the soul” for as He explains, kindness in such instances “far from awakening them to the error of their ways ... maketh them to continue in their perversity as before.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s advice to withhold kindness so that someone does not take advantage of you, however, is not license for treating another with injustice, hostility, or disdain, which is nowhere permitted in the Bahá’í Writings. This passage should be understood in the context of a multitude of other statements which describe how Bahá’ís are called to act in relation to other souls."

(On behalf of the Universal House of Justice, letter to an individual believer asking about the “liar tyrant and thief quote”, February 6, 2018; at https://drive.google.com/file/d/18dIsb0WuB9fLkQWZnjsO20zsDad-Z07U/view)